Instant Pot Boiled Potatoes are my favorite way to cook potatoes quickly and consistently every time. Try this method with red potatoes, gold potatoes, or russet potatoes and enjoy these potatoes as a side dish, or load it up with your favorite toppings for the ultimate baked potato night!
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📋 About the Recipe
- Instructions included for baby potatoes AND russet potatoes! You can truly cook any type of potato you’d like in the Instant Pot. I’ve included cooking instructions for the most common potatoes. If you’ve got another variety of potato, adjust the cook time based on size and density.
- Can be used in a number of recipes. Serve these steamed potatoes as a baked potato, mashed potatoes, twice baked potatoes, added to soup, potato hash and more. They also pair well with Dutch Oven Turkey Breast, Cast Iron Skillet Chicken Breasts, Greek Chicken Meatballs, or Cajun Steak Bites.
- Consistent results. The best part about pressure cooking is it cooks your food consistently without the need for constant checking. These Instant Pot potatoes come out the same every single time.
- Can adjust the amount of potatoes you make. Depending on how many potatoes you need, you can pressure cook just 1 potato or 20 potatoes and it does not change the cook time!
🛒 Ingredients
A few notes about the ingredients:
- Red potatoes/gold potatoes: These potatoes are smaller and higher in starch content than russet potatoes. They’re a bit creamier and have a thin skin that is very easy to digest.
- Russet potatoes: The classic potato many people think of when they think of “baked” potatoes! Their skin is thicker, but still edible, so no need to peel.
Keep in mind, the amount of potatoes you cook at once does not make a difference in cook time. However, the size of the potatoes can affect it. If your potatoes are large, they might require a longer cook time. Each of my russet potatoes were about 9 ounces. Add another 2 to 3 minutes, if yours are much larger.
⁉️ Substitutions and Alterations
- Use peeled potatoes: If you are planning to turn your potatoes into mashed potatoes or simply prefer them without the skin, use this same exact method and cook time with peeled potatoes.
📓 Instructions for Baby Potatoes
- Prep the potatoes. Rinse potatoes in cold water and thoroughly scrub the skin to remove any dirt and debris. If needed, cut off any blemishes. Pierce each potato 3 to 5 times with a fork.
- Prep the Instant Pot. Pour water into the bottom of the instant pot, then place the wire rack that came with the pressure cooker directly in the bottom over the water. If needed or preferred, a metal steamer basket will also work well.
- Add the potatoes. Cover with the lid, and set the valve to the “sealing” position.
- Pressure cook. Cook the baby potatoes on manual high pressure for 6 minutes.
- Naturally release pressure. Once the potatoes have cooked under pressure for 6 minutes, allow the pressure to release naturally for 15 minutes, then switch the valve to “venting” and manually release any remaining pressure.
- Test for doneness. Remove the lid. Use a fork to pierce the potatoes and test if the potatoes are done. If the fork pierces them easily without much pressure, they are cooked through. If not, add the lid and pressure cook again for a few more minutes.
- Serve. Serve and season your potatoes while hot!
📓 Instructions for Russet Potatoes
- Prep the potatoes. Rinse potatoes in cold water and thoroughly scrub the skin to remove any dirt and debris. If needed, cut off any blemishes. Pierce each potato 3 to 5 times with a fork.
- Prep the Instant Pot. Pour water into the bottom of the instant pot, then place the wire rack that came with the pressure cooker directly in the bottom over the water. If needed or preferred, a metal steamer basket will also work well.
- Add the potatoes. Cover with the lid, and set the valve to the “sealing” position.
- Pressure cook. Cook the russet potatoes on manual high pressure for 35 minutes.
- Naturally release pressure. Once the potatoes have cooked under pressure for 35 minutes, allow the pressure to release naturally for 15 minutes, then switch the valve to “venting” and manually release any remaining pressure.
- Test for doneness. Remove the lid. Use a fork to pierce the potatoes and test if the potatoes are done. If the fork pierces them easily without much pressure, they are cooked through. If not, add the lid and pressure cook again for a few more minutes.
- Serve. Serve and season your potatoes while hot!
❄️ How to Store
To store: Boiled potatoes will keep for up to 5 days when stored in an airtight container. Potatoes stored loosely covered in the refrigerator will dry out much quicker and should be consumed within 24 hours for best flavor. If the cooked potatoes are slimy, discolored, or have an odor, they should be discarded.
To freeze: Boiled potatoes freeze extremely well (think of all the variety of potato dishes you’ve seen in the freezer aisle at the supermarket)! To freeze, allow the potatoes to cool completely at room temperature.
Once cooled, wrap each individual potato in plastic wrap, then a layer of tin foil. Place together in a freezer safe bag and freeze for up to 4 months. Then, remove the desired number of potatoes, and thaw in the refrigerator. Once thawed, unwrap the potatoes and reheat as desired.
To reheat: Steamed potatoes and boiled potatoes reheat best in the microwave, or in the Instant Pot. To use your pressure cooker, pour 1 cup of water in the bottom and place the potatoes back in the Instant Pot on the trivet. Pressure cook on manual high pressure for 3 minutes, then immediately release the remaining pressure.
🔍 Recipe FAQs
When it comes to making potatoes, I prefer to “boil” them in the Instant Pot as opposed to in a pot of water because they are less watery. When you boil potatoes in a pot of water, they naturally absorb some of that boiling water and can become too waterlogged.
In the pressure cooker, the water is simply used to steam the potatoes and does not waterlog them in the same way. This results in better, creamier potatoes!
Use a steamer basket! This can be made of metal or silicone.
The potatoes do not need to be covered with water, but there should be at least 1 cup of water below the trivet in the Instant Pot. This water is what will steam the potatoes and prevent the burn warning from triggering. Instant Pot recommends using a minimum of 1 cup of liquid no matter the recipe.
💭 One More Tip
Make sure to prick the potatoes! Not doing so can cause the Instant Pot potatoes to explode under pressure in the Instant Pot. Sufficiently pricking them will help them release steam as the potatoes cook and prevent mishaps.
🍴 Related Recipes
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📖 Recipe
Instant Pot Boiled (Steamed) Potatoes
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds red or yellow baby potatoes (about 22 to 24 potatoes) OR 1 pound russet potatoes (about 2 potatoes)
- 1 cup water
Instructions
- Rinse potatoes in cold water and thoroughly scrub the skin to remove any dirt. Pierce each potato 3 to 5 times with a fork.
- Pour water into bottom of the instant pot. Add the wire rack that came with the instant pot to the bottom. You can also use a metal steamer basket.
- Add the potatoes, cover with the lid, and set the valve to the “sealing” position.
- Pressure cook baby potatoes on high pressure for 6 minutes, or russet potatoes on high pressure for 35 minutes.*
- Let pressure release naturally for 15 minutes, then switch the valve to “venting” and manually release any remaining pressure.
- Remove the lid. Use a fork to pierce the potatoes and test if the potatoes are done. If the fork pierces them easily, they are cooked through. If not, pressure cook again for a few more minutes.
Notes
- *The amount of potatoes shouldn’t make a difference in cook time. However, the size of the potatoes might affect it. If your potatoes are large, they might require a longer cook time. Each of my russet potatoes were about 9 to 10 ounces. Add another 2 to 3 minutes, if yours are much larger.
- These simple steamed potatoes can be made into mashed potatoes, served like a baked potato, or you can season them however you'd like.
Nutrition
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