Instant Pot Baked Potatoes: Make fluffy, fork-tender potatoes in the electric pressure cooker every single time! Directions on how to cook potatoes in Instant Pot with troubleshooting tips.
Instant Pot Baked Potatoes
Don't you agree that a baked potato is one of the most perfect side dishes?
Baked potatoes complement just about every main course perfectly. My family loves a good baked potato with London Broil, Apple Pork Roast, and pan-seared steak.
But on busy nights, I don't have a lot of time to roast potatoes. But I always have time if I use my Instant Pot to make Baked Potatoes.
And after learning how to perfectly cook fresh and frozen chicken, cook dried beans without soaking, and cooking frozen ground beef in the Instant Pot--you all wanted to know---How do you make a potato in the Instant Pot?
And I am going to walk you through my tips and help you learn from my failed experiments (I have finally PERFECTED a Pressure Cooker Baked Potatoes!)
How to Perfectly Cook Baked Potatoes in the Instant Pot
Step 1: Pour 1 cup cold water over the bottom of the inner pot for a 6-quart model and 1.5 cups of cold water for an 8-quart model, and then place in your trivet that came with your instant pot. Be sure to use COLD water, as using warm water will change how the time the Instant Pot takes to get to pressure, which will change cook times and your results.
Step Two: Place anywhere from 4-8 scrubbed potatoes onto the rack in the Instant Pot. And be sure to prick your potatoes with a knife or fork to allow steam and pressure to exit or your potatoes could explode while cooking.
Step Three: Set to high pressure and cook
- 10 minutes on high pressure for small potatoes.
- 12 minutes on high pressure for medium potatoes (standard potatoes that you find in most bulk bags from the grocery store)
- 20 minutes for extra-large potatoes (like the ones you get at Costco)
Step Four: Allow pressure to release naturally for 8-10 minutes and then turn the valve to venting to release any remaining pressure.
Step Five (optional) Brush potatoes with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and crisp in a 400-degree oven for 10 minutes--this is NOT necessary!
Step Six: Serve plain with butter and sour cream or stuff with Pulled Pork and shredded cheese for a great meal!
Recipe FAQs
Fluffy and creamy--just like an oven-baked potato. This method is SO much better than the texture of a microwave-baked potato.
YES!! The trivet prevents the potatoes from getting watery.
Yes, that moisture allows the pressure to build up in your instant pot.
Yes! If you start with warm water, the cooking time will vary and that may result in under or over-cooked potatoes.
Tips and Troubleshooting Cooking Potatoes in the Instant Pot
- Make sure your potatoes are resting on a rack and not touching the water--if they cook in water, they will get mushy instead of perfectly fluffy (I know this from experience!)
- For reasons I can not adequately explain, I have found cooking less than 4 potatoes in a 6 or 8-quart instant pot takes LONGER to cook. I always prepare at least 4 and if not using, save potatoes for leftover hash, etc. You can easily cook 1-2 potatoes in the mini pressure cooker.
- I have tested this recipe out with 4, 6, 8, and 10 potatoes. At 10 potatoes, my 6 quart instant pot needed longer than 12 minutes to perfectly cook the potatoes, but at 4, 6, and 8 the 12 minutes was a perfect time.
- I would not recommend cooking more than 8 potatoes at a time. Doing so, would overcrowd your Instant Pot and therefore would cause it to take forever to reach pressure.
- If you are using giant potatoes, I would not use more than 6 at a time.
- In all my tests, it has never taken longer than 8 minutes to reach pressure for this recipe. So from heating up to releasing pressure these potatoes are ready in less than 30 minutes.
- Use these Instant Pot Baked Potatoes to serve as a side dish or to make Twice Baked Potatoes or as a base for Oven Baked Frittatas.
- Looking to cook Sweet Potatoes in Instant Pot? Check out my recipe for Instant Pot Sweet Potatoes (spoiler alert--it is NOT the same!)
- If you are a new Instant Pot user, be sure to read my Instant Pot 101, where I walk you through important must-knows when using an electric pressure cooker.
Instant Pot Basic Recipes
- Instant Pot Baked Sweet Potatoes
- Instant Pot Quinoa
- Instant Pot Hard Boiled Eggs
- Instant Pot Chicken Breast
- Instant Pot Chicken Stock
If you enjoyed this method for making Instant Pot Baked Potatoes, I would love for you to leave a comment and review below.
Instant Pot Baked Potatoes
Ingredients
- 6 medium potatoes scrubbed clean
Instructions
- Place 1 cup cold water in the inner pot of pressure cooker pan and place trivet in instant pot. Note: Use 1.5 cups of cold water in an 8-quart Instant Pot.
- Scrub the potatoes well and then pierce potatoes 5-6 times with a fork to allow pressure to release while cooking.
- Add the potatoes carefully on trivet (stacking on top of each other if needed). Place the lid on the instant pot and seal the valve.
- Hit the manual or pressure cook button and be sure HIGH pressure is selected. Adjust cook time to 12 minutes for medium potatoes, 16 for average/larger potatoes, and 22 minutes for really large potatoes. See notes on sizes.
- Once cook time has elapsed, allow pressure to naturally release for at least 10 minutes before doing a quick release of pressure. Remove potatoes from Instant Pot and serve up with whatever toppings you like.
- If desiring crispy skin, brush the pressure cooked potatoes with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and crisp in a 400-degree F oven for 10 minutes.
Equipment Needed
Notes
- 10 minutes for small potatoes (less than 2 inches in diameter or 4-5 ounces)
- 12 minutes for medium potatoes (between 2-3 inches in diameter or 5-7 ounces)
- 16 minutes for large potatoes (between 3-4 inches in diameter or 8-10 ounces)
- 20 minutes for extra-large potatoes (4-4.5 inches in diameter or 11-13 ounces)
Katrina
Thank you for being so detailed in your recipe! I tried other recipes and ended up with hard potatoes! My potatoes turned out perfect with your recipe!! Thank you!!
Kristen Chidsey
YAY! I am so glad my instructions were clear and you had success! Thanks for taking the time to let us know your results.
JC
So I’m a guy with little skill in the kitchen. I normally bake potatoes in the oven like most people I guess but I was rushed today so I searched for a recipe, found this one and tried it. As long as I have an Insta pot this is how I’ll do potatoes. They were perfect! Like the best I’ve ever had, perfect.
Vivian
Thanks for sharing, can't wait to try it tonight!
Deborah
Excellent-thanks so much!
Kristen Chidsey
You are so welcome Deborah!
Essie
I've used this recipe several times and the potatoes come out perfect every time. Thanks! P.S Making it again tonight for a special Valentine's dinner with Filet Mignon and roasted asparagus, for my Hubby and me. Yum!
Bryce
Potatoes are still raw with 22 minutes of cooking.
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Bryce! Be sure to use cold water and select high pressure. Those are common issues that may prevent the potatoes from cooking through.
Polly
Thanks for all of the specifics, Kristen! Made baked potatoes and sour cream to serve w/ our Newport steaks, sautéed mushrooms, creamed spinach and shrimp cocktail (w/homemade cocktail sauce). It was all pretty spectacular for our Christmas dinner. Your help was the only variable that was not tried and true, So I had my fingers crossed. Your tips did not disappoint. Wow, this meal was in our top 5! (And I have been cooking for decades.). Thanks again. Happy holiday season to everybody!
Kristen Chidsey
Sounds like a fabulous Christmas meal! So happy to hear your family enjoyed so much!