How To Cook Potatoes in the Instant Pot

I don’t always prep or cook in advance, but boy am I glad when I do. It’s so nice to open the fridge and find things that are easily assembled into a quick meal.

Like potatoes! A pressure cooker makes fast work of steaming a bunch of cubed potatoes, and I use them for all sorts of things all week long.

Why Make Potatoes in the Instant Pot?

You might be thinking that it’s overkill to bring out the pressure cooker for a simple kitchen task like steaming vegetables, but it's the way that works for me.

I like being able to load up the cooker, press a button, and walk away, rather than waiting around tending a pot on the stove. My Instant Pot also beeps ten times in a row when it’s done, and I can hear it from just about anywhere in my little apartment. So I know when my food is ready.

Using the pressure cooker doesn't always save you time with these types of kitchen prep tasks, but I think it does make them more convenient. I actually keep my Instant Pot on the counter at all times because I use it nearly every day!

The Best Kind of Potatoes for Pressure Cooking

For this recipe, you can use any kind of potato, like Yukon Gold, red, or russet potatoes. Cut them into 1 1/2-inch chunks, and they're ready in under 15 minutes (about ten minutes for the pot to come up to pressure, then three minutes for the potatoes to steam.) Take ‘em out right when the timer goes off so they don’t overcook, then use them however you like!

How to Use Instant Pot Potatoes

As is, they can be folded into a potato salad (warm or cold, however you prefer). For breakfast, I toss them into a skillet to make a quick hash with onions and peppers, or I brown them in the pan alongside sunny side up eggs.

For dinner, I mash them right in the pot after they’re done steaming to make easy mashed potatoes, or toss them in the oven to roast until crispy, as pictured here.