Instant Pot Baked Potatoes: Make fluffy, fork tender potatoes in the electric pressure cooker every singe 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 compliment just about every main course perfectly. My family loves a good baked potato with Chicken Cordon Bleu, Apple Pork Roast, and of course a 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 pot, 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 into your Pressure Cooker.
Important Tips to Remember when Cooking Potatoes in Instant Pot
- 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.
- Make sure your potatoes are resting on 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.
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 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 valve to release to release any remaining pressure.
Step Five (optional) Brush potatoes with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and crisp in 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!
Now a few things you may be wondering about Cooking Potatoes in the Instant Pot
- What is the texture like of potatoes cooked in Instant Pot? Fluffy and creamy–just like an oven baked potato. This method is SO much better than the texture of a microwave baked potato.
- Do you have to use your trivet? YES!! The trivet prevents the potatoes from getting watery;
- Do you have to add water to bottom of Instant Pot? Yes, that moisture allows the pressure to build up in your instant pot.
- Do you have to use cold water 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
- 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 at 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 side dish or to make Twice Baked Potatoes or as 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
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 potatoes well and then pierce potatoes 5-6 times with a fork to allow pressure to release while cooking.
- Add potatoes carefully on trivet (stacking on top of each other if needed). Place lid on 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.
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)
Nutrition
Hello Kristen,
I followed this recipe and like some other people I found the 12 minutes with 8 minutes natural release was not enough to cook 4 medium potatoes (maybe 1 large). However after 5 additional minutes and 8 more natural release they were good! I can understand some people being frustrated that the overall cooking time when things go wrong is about the same as the oven, but I still prefer to do it in the instant pot. And I think the type/quality of potato must make a difference as well, no two things are the same! Either way I thank you for taking your time to help us newbies out, 5 stars from me because it takes more than being right every time to help people out!
Ah thanks for your kind words Sem! I do think every instant pot is a bit differently, so this is a good starting point and then you can adjust accordingly.
Thanks Kristen!! You’re the best!
You are so welcome.
Perfect!!