Fluffy and creamy best describes Instant Pot Baked Potatoes. In a matter of minutes you can have this easy, fool proof potato ready and on your plate!
Perfect baked potatoes are a great addition to dinner. Serve them up with our favorite Meatloaf Recipe or as a side dish to Oven Baked Pork Chops.
Baked Potatoes in the Instant Pot
Baked Potatoes are probably one of the world’s best side dishes. And perhaps even the most favored.
Potatoes are pretty affordable, and quite filling. You can customize them in so many ways with various toppings. Or make au gratin potatoes!
However, you first have to start with the perfect baked potato.
For years I’ve been baking my potatoes in the oven, just like my mom taught me, and her mom taught her. But are they truly the easiest side dish when often times they take LONGER than the main dish?
I mean, sure they are EASY, but they can be time consuming.
Until now. I’ve recently discovered my love of making potatoes in the Instant Pot. (Have you tried my German Potato Salad yet, made in the pressure cooker)?
They are creamy and perfect on the inside and cook much faster than in the oven!
Tools and Ingredients
Instant Pot. I use a 6 quart Instant Pot for all my recipes. Spacious enough for my family of 6, the 6-quart size tends to be on sale constantly.
Trivet. When you cook potatoes in the Instant Pot, be sure to use a trivet. This will prevent the potatoes from getting soggy by keeping them above the water.
Placing the potatoes on a trivet will also help them cook more evenly. Elevating the potatoes is important to ensure they don’t absorb too much water.
No trivet, no problem. Roll up balls of aluminum foil and place several of them in the bottom of the Instant Pot. Add water and set single layer of potatoes on top, making sure that the potatoes are not IN the water.
Water. As will all pressure cooker recipes, cold water is a MUST. You’ll need 1 cup for baked potatoes.
Potatoes. I use Russet Potatoes as it’s our favorite for baked potatoes. However, if making mashed potatoes, I tend to choose Yukon golds. Just be sure that the potatoes are all approximately the same size, this will help make sure they cook evenly.
How Long To Cook Potatoes in Instant Pot
Clean the Potatoes. Scrub those potatoes clean. Potatoes grow in the dirt, which means they are DIRTY. I use this little brush to make sure mine are clean before cooking.
Prick each potato with a fork a couple times to allow the steam to escape when pressure cooking.
Pressure Cook. Pour water into the Instant Pot and place trivet, steamer basket, or foil balls in the bottom. Place clean potatoes on top, stacking if necessary.
Close lid tightly and set valve to SEALING to secure it.
Set to HIGH PRESSURE and add cook time (see below).
- Small potatoes: Pressure cook for 10-12 minutes
- Medium potatoes: Pressure cook for 14-16 minutes
- Large potatoes (like you find at Costco): Pressure cook for 18-20 minutes
✅Typically in my grocery store the potatoes are of small-medium size
Natural Release. When cook time ends, allow pot to naturally release pressure for 8-10 minutes. Do a quick release and remove potatoes with tongs.
How to Serve Baked Potatoes
Baked Potatoes are delicious with butter, salt and pepper, chives, sour cream, and shredded cheese. Crumbled bacon also makes a delicious topping!
But, we also love to make a baked potato bar, which features the potato as part of the main dish.
- These Turkey Taco Potato Boats are exactly what they sound like, potatoes topped with all the taco fixings!
- Buffalo Chicken is also delicious on top of a baked potato!
- Top your potato with roasted broccoli and queso! Quite excellent and simple as well.
What to serve with Instant Pot Potatoes
Most often, baked potatoes are part of a side dish in our house. They go great with:
More Recipes
- Potato Salad
- Sweet Potatoes
- Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes
- Basil Pesto
- Hummus
- Ham Salad Recipe
- More Instant Pot Recipes
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Instant Pot Baked Potatoes Recipe
Ingredients
- 4-6 medium russet potatoes
- 1 cup water
Instructions
- Scrub the potatoes. Prick each potato with a fork a couple times to allow the steam to escape when pressure cooking.
- Pour water into the Instant Pot and place trivet, steamer basket, or foil balls in the bottom. Place clean potatoes on top, stacking if necessary.
- Secure the lid in place and make sure the valve is set to SEALING.
- Set to HIGH PRESSURE and add cook time (see below).
- Small potatoes: Pressure cook for 10-12 minutes. Medium potatoes: Pressure cook for 14-16 minutes. Large potatoes (like you find at Costco): Pressure cook for 18-20 minutes.
- When cook time ends, allow pot to naturally release pressure for 8-10 minutes. Do a quick release and remove potatoes with tongs.
Notes
- Scrub your potatoes clean
- Size matters…find potatoes equal in size for best results
- Use a trivet so the potatoes aren’t sitting in water
- Err on the side of the larger potato, it’s better to cook the potato more than less time!
Nutrition
The easiest, fool proof potatoes in the Instant Pot.
My potatoes were perfection. I am glad I did not have to run my oven or gas top to cook these. The potatoes were moist. The water used is just enough to keep them moist but not watery.
recipe calls for one cup of water, if I make it with a cup of chicken broth will it work? Will the stock be absorbed by the potato to give it more of a flavor? Thanks.
Hi Aimee – potato size in weight would be helpful for those of us not good at S/M/L. I couldn’t decide what size mine were between small and medium but in the end they came out well after choosing an in-between time.
Also, I used more water and used my egg trivet to keep them up high. The instructions worked perfectly for me too btw.
Followed the directions…perfection! I use what I consider to be large potatoes and do 4 for 20 minutes plus 10 minute natural release. Excellent!
Guess what? Chicken butt. It works as well as it should. No need to whine. You get a cooked potato.
Nate, no remarks about the potatoes; however your remark “Chicken Butt” made me laugh out loud. Mother used to say that all the time to us kid when we would say ” Guess What!” Thanks for putting a smile of this 78 year out kid. And the Instant Pot potatoes did turn out good.
10 was not enough, I finished it off in the toaster oven. I’ll try 20 next time!
I have 1 potato, medium, I’m going to try 10 minutes , I’ll let you know!
Unfortunately, this didn’t work for me either. I defenitely wanted to believe that the hangry jerks were wrong. But Three large potatoes weren’t done in 20 minutes. I am a retired professional chef and run a food blog of my own. I FULLY assure you that my pot is set up correctly. The instant pot is like a delightful kid’s toy to me. I understand the science that makes people think it’s magical.
People are being needlessly aggressive, but it’s true that this isn’t a reliable recipe. I would double the listed times under pressure; 10 minute release will be fine. The good thing about potatoes is that you can’t really overdo them in steam. Just relax and put the pot on for another few minutes, kids. Stop yelling, geez.
I had to change the 12 min time to 32 min. Then the single potato (definitely S-M) was finally cooked enough. Still better than a big oven going for a solid hour. Bon Appetit!
because of the negative comments, put 2 medium potatoes, 22 minutes – perfection! thanks for the info
How does the skin turn out. I like crispy potato skins. any explanation why the people had trouble with the two potato cooking?
I took my potatoes out of the instant pot (I had cooked them according to the instructions for 17 minutes, then steam allowed to dissipate for 10 min.) When I took the fully cooked potatoes out of the IP I wiped them down and added a coating of Olive Oil, salted with coarse salt, and popped a couple of the potatoes in my toaster oven for 15 min. That crisped up the skin and made these almost liked baked potatoes.
That being said, a fluffy baked potato with a crisp skin is a result of baking a potato that has been oiled and cooked using dry heat. A potato in the instant pot cooks with wet steamy heat. I just isnt going to be the same as a dry-baked potato. On the other hand these medium large potatoes, cooked six at a time in my IP, and then allowed to cool completely, were great for potato salad and for leftover fried potatoes the next day. There is a use for the IP with potatoes. Baked potatoes isnt it.
So, how long did you end up cooking your’s for? I’ve got 4 medium potatoes in there and I’m still cooking them after 30 minutes.
I am so frustrated and disappointed at the author of this recipe: I followed instructions word for word, my potatoes have now been cooking for 35+ mins and are still hard as rocks. I’m hungry and don’t have anything else to eat tonight, so please. Either take this recipe down all together, or edit the instructions.
I can’t imagine why potatoes are taking over 35 minutes. Sounds like your Instant Pot isn’t coming to High Pressure. I would check the valve on top make sure it is set to sealing, and also make sure your sealing ring is secure in place.
Make sure you set it rite
1select custom…add minutes
2 high heat
3 start
6 quart instant pot works great!
Please on’t blame the author…. I am new to my Instant Pot and followed the instructions here and got perfect results. I put in 8 large potatoes (stacking them on top of the trivet), added a cup of water, and set it on high pressure. I wanted slightly under-cooked potatoes, so I set the timer for 15 minutes instead of the 18-20 minutes listed and let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes as the instructions state. I think you should take down your negative review – the instructions, like the potatoes, are perfect!
I just did 3 big potatoes in a 6 qt Duo…was my first time trying these in the IP. 1 cup of water, potatoes on the trivet. Set timer for 20 minutes and had a 10-minute natural release. Perfectly done.
This is the first time makin potatoes and they turned out great.
They may be quick ,creamy,delicious etc but this is NOT a baked potato !!!!!
IP baked potatoes are the best! I will never make them in the oven again.
I’m still new to using my instant pot and this is perfect for our next Sunday family dinner. Love how easy it is to make them now and free up oven space.