Yes, you can make creamy and fluffy baked potatoes in an Instant Pot! And you can even have that crispy skin with a simple step at the end. After dozens of Instant Pot baked potatoes, I’ve gathered a few tips and tricks for success. Read the whole post below the recipe for more tips for perfect Instant Pot baked potatoes.
Instant Pot is a miraculous kitchen device.
Don’t believe me?
Well, then you haven’t tried these Instant Pot baked potatoes yet! Who knew that an Instant Pot could make perfectly baked soft and fluffy potatoes in less than 40 minutes? That’s right, 40 minutes from start to finish, including the pressurizing time for the Instant Pot!
No turning or checking of the potatoes is needed, you simply pop them in the Instant Pot, set the right time and leave. You’ll have creamy baked potatoes ready in minutes!
Once they’re done, break open the soft and fluffy baked potatoes and slather them in butter, sour cream and herbs. The soft insides absorb these delicious toppings and make a mouthwatering, creamy baked potato.
What about the texture of potatoes cooking in an Instant Pot? How do they compare to potatoes baked in an oven? Well, let’s just say that Instant Pot baked potatoes are THE best way to make baked potatoes. Not only do they cook really quick but they are perfectly fluffy and soft on the inside. Just as a good baked potato should be. And there is no need to turn on your oven on a warm summer day either!
Using an Instant Pot is a great way to save time in the kitchen while also making healthy and delicious tasting food. Food made in an electric pressure cooker is cooked for less time under high pressure. This keeps the food full of nutrients while also cooking it perfectly every time.
Other benefits to using an Instant Pot are:
- It saves you time and energy. An Instant Pot is insulted and uses less heat to cook more food in a shorter time.
- Food cooked in an Instant Pot retains more nutrients while cooking making the food more nutritious and delicious too.
- The Instant Pot is a super convenient kitchen appliance to have with its many functions and amazing cooking abilities but it’s also easy to clean and maintain too!
Follow the helpful tips in this post to make sure that your Instant Pot potatoes come out soft and fluffy inside every time with minimal effort!
How long to cook potatoes in an Instant Pot:
The answer to this depends on the size of your potatoes and how many of them you are planning to cook.
From my experience, the more potatoes you cook at one time, the better the potatoes come out. For example, when I fill my Instant Pot with different sized potatoes and pressure cook for 15 minutes, they all come out evenly done. However, if I only cook 4 potatoes, say 2 large and 2 small, for the same time the larger ones will still be slightly hard. (Baked potatoes are great for meal prepping, and can be repurposed into other recipes! Keep reading for more ideas.)
For the most part, 15 minutes is sufficient time to cook standard medium to large potatoes.
However, if you’re not sure how many potatoes you want to make or what size to use, see here (also photo below will help you determine what size potatoes you have):
- Small potato: small potatoes like baby potatoes and smaller varieties only need to pressure cook for 12 minutes.
- Medium potato: 15 minutes should be sufficient for standard medium to large potatoes.
- Large potato: if the potato is almost or larger than the size of your fist then they need to be cooked for 18 – 20 minutes. This ensures that they are cooked all the way to the centre.
If you have potatoes that don’t match in size, place bigger potatoes at the bottom of the instant pot. They are closer to the heat and will cook more evenly throughout.
What kind of potatoes to use for baked potatoes?
There are quite a few different types of potato in the vegetable section of the store. While you can use any kind of potato for this recipe, russet potatoes are the best baking potatoes.
Because of their high starch content, russet potatoes are good at absorbing oils and water to cook, so they come out light and fluffy inside, and their thick skin gets nice and crispy under high heat!
All purpose potatoes usually have medium starch and are good for anything: boiling, roasting or mashing.
Can I cook baked potatoes in a pressure cooker without a trivet or rack?
Short answer is no. Here’s why. If your potatoes touch the water while they are pressure cooking they will absorb too much moisture and will be mushy.
A trivet or rack works similarly to a steamer basket in the Instant Pot. It keeps the food away from the water and cooks the potatoes with a small amount of steam created by the pressure and water.
If you don’t have the Instant Pot trivet or rack, there are other options. You can use something that is heat resistant and can hold the potatoes above the water. Metal and silicone items would work well.
Quick tip before you start cooking your potatoes:
If you’re planning to “bake” extra potatoes to repurpose into a soup or something, and you need to peel them, cut an X on one end of the potatoes before cooking. It’ll be much easier to peel the potatoes that way. See it for yourself.
How to get crispy skin:
Crispy skins on your potatoes are a vital part of a good baked potato. The crispy skins break open to reveal a creamy and fluffy inside that absorbs butter, sour cream and herbs very well.
To get crispy skins on your baked potatoes, there are two very simple things to keep in mind.
Number one is to make sure the potatoes do not touch the water in the Instant Pot. The potatoes have to be placed on a trivet or steamer to stay far above the water level. If the potatoes cook while touching the water they absorb too much water and become mushy. Definitely not baked potato style.
That’s the first step and it’s all in preparation for the most important step of all. Broiling! After cooking your potatoes in the Instant Pot, set your oven to broil and allow to heat up to about 500°F. Spread the baked potatoes evenly on a baking sheet.
Then add some olive oil and sprinkle over some sea salt. Broil the potatoes for a few minutes until the skins are slightly browned and crispy.
Serving ideas:
Baked potatoes make a meal all on their own! They make the easiest lunch or dinner when time is short but can also be served as part of a meal. Here are some other options for serving with these amazing instant pot baked potatoes:
Serve these Instant Pot baked potatoes as a simple side to these Instant Pot Ribs! The whole meal is made in your Instant Pot and clean up take 2 minutes.
Baked potatoes always work well with grilled meats! So while the smoked beef brisket or grilled chicken breasts are grilling you can get the Instant Pot potatoes going.
These Instant Pot baked potatoes work perfectly as a weeknight meal. Pan fry some steak or bake some 2-ingredient salmon to pair up with your fluffy baked potatoes.
What to do with leftover baked potatoes?
There’s a reason why I cook pot full of potatoes!! They’re fantastic to repurpose into other dishes.
- Grate the baked potatoes and make hash-browns.
- Dice them up for a quick skillet hash.
- Dice them and use for potato soup.
- Slice and bake for a quick side dish.
Instant Pot Baked Potatoes
Ingredients
- 6-8 medium russet potatoes Note 1
- 1-1.5 cups water
- 1-2 tablespoons olive oil optional
For serving:
- coarse kosher salt
- garlic powder
- chives/scallions
- butter
- sour cream
- grated cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Wash and scrub the potatoes well. Poke the potatoes with a fork (or a small pairing knife) in 5-6 places. (Rumor has it that the potatoes may explode if not pricked, as steam needs to escape.) (TIP: If you’d like to peel and repurpose the baked potatoes for another dish, cut an X on one end of the potato for easy peeling. See it in action in the post below.)
- Pour 1 cup (or 1.5 cups if you have 8qt Instant Pot) in inner pot of Instant Pot. Place the trivet (or a steamer rack) and arrange the potatoes on it. (TIP: Make sure potatoes are not touching the water, or they’ll come out mushy.)
- Close the lid and make sure the pressure valve is set to sealing. Set the Instant Pot on Manual/Pressure Cook for 15 minutes. (If you’re cooking large potatoes, set it to 18 minutes. See Note 2 for more details about size of potatoes.)
- When time is up, do NPR (natural pressure release) for at least 5 minutes, and then do a quick pressure release by turning the pressure valve to venting.
- Carefully open the lid and remove the potatoes using a pair of kitchen tongs.
- For crispy skin, preheat the oven to 500°F (broiler). Arrange the potatoes on a baking sheet, lightly oil them and sprinkle some salt. Place under the broiler for 2-3 minutes, or until nice and crispy, flipping half through. Keep a close eye on them to prevent them from burning.
- Remove from oven and serve with your favorite toppings.
Notes
Nutrition
* Disclaimer: All nutrition information are estimates only. Read full nutrition disclosure.
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Reader's Reviews
Fran M Becker says
I followed the instructions with one small exception. Instead of broiling, I put the potatoes in the oven on 500 for 15 minutes. Perfection! A real time saver on a workday, and there are always some kind of leftovers to stuff the potatoes with- everyone can take what they want!
Kathy says
I love baked sweet potatoes, would the same instructions work for these or what modifications are needed?
Stephen Clapper says
Need to write a BUT to my comments.
I marked the stars 5) before I have written down some concerns.
1. I did not have a ‘size chart’ for potatoes. Your chart with sixes really will help me next time.
2. In my reading, it was recommended to err on the side of (adding several more minutes…ie: 20 min…i haded 3-5 minutes.
Seems DUMB…..Why not change the times to the ‘err on adding more time)
QUESTION: Know one talked about cooking at higher altitudes.
I live about one mile High.
Should I adjust to higher altitude cooking?
Thank you
Shinee says
Hi, Stephen. Thanks for your feedback. I’m not experienced with high altitude cooking, but I found this article pretty helpful.
Debra says
If you use the extra potatoes for hash browns for another meal….how do you keep until ready, do you keep as is until ready to use and then shred right before using, or shred and freeze until ready to use….? Thank you for the recipe. I am a new Instant Pot user.
Shinee says
Hi, Debra. You can do either way. Both ways work just fine. If you’re planning to make hashbrowns soon, like in a day, then I’d store the whole potato in the fridge and shred right before using. If you’re not planning to make hashbrowns any time soon, then shred and freeze for longer. Hope this helps.
Robin says
High pressure or low pressure?
Shinee says
Hi, Robin. High pressure.
Anna says
They turned out awesome, really taste like they were baked in the oven,thanks for this😀
Shinee says
So glad you tried and loved the recipe, Anna. Thank you for your feedback!