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Instant Pot Baked Potatoes is the easiest way to enjoy a fluffy, tender baked potato in record time! Regardless of the size of your potato, this recipe will walk you through the step-by-step process to guarantee fork-tender, creamy baked potatoes--without the need to turn on the oven!
Looking for more Instant Pot potato recipes? Don't miss my recipes for Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes, Instant Pot Potato Soup, Instant Pot Potato Corn Chowder, and Instant Pot Potato Salad.
My Favorite Way to "Bake" Potatoes
Don't you agree that a classic baked potato is one of the most perfect side dishes? From my London broil recipe to blackened chicken to a pan-seared ribeye steak, baked potatoes complements just about any main course.
But on busy nights, I don't have a lot of time to bake potatoes. And on hot summer nights, the last thing I want to do is turn on the oven to make baked potatoes.
The Instant Pot solves those issues by making perfect baked potatoes in record time without heating up the kitchen.
Kristen's Tips for Perfect Potatoes
- Russet potatoes make the BEST baked potatoes. Their high starch content yields a pillowy, fluffy interior.
- Always start with cold water. Use cold tap water, not warm or hot water, as the temperature of the water will change the time it takes the Instant Pot takes to come to pressure, which impacts the cook time.
- Use a trivet to keep the potatoes from being submerged in the water as they cook. No trivet? Ball up some tin foil and place it right into the water in the inner pot and lay your potatoes on top of the foil.
- Size Matters! Cook time is based on size of potatoes, so be sure to select potatoes similar in size and follow the guidelines provided to ensure accurate cooking time.
How to Make Baked Potatoes in the Instant Pot
The following tips are provided to help you achieve perfect results. You will find the ingredient quantities and detailed instructions in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Prepare Instant Pot. Pour 1-½ cups of cold tap water into the inner pot and insert the trivet.
- Prepare Potatoes. Scrub the potatoes well and prick the potatoes several times with a fork or knife to allow steam and pressure to escape the potatoes as they cook.
- Stack the potatoes on trivet. Place the prepared potatoes onto the rack inside the inner pot. It will not impact the cooking time if you make 1 or 6 baked potatoes.
- Pressure Cook. Place the lid on the inner pot and be sure the vent knob is sealed. Set the cooking time to HIGH pressure and adjust the time according to the size of your potatoes.
- Let the Pressure Release Naturally. Allow the pressure to release naturally for at least 10 minutes. This just means to DO NOTHING and leave your instant pot alone. If after 10 minutes the pressure has not released fully, you can turn the valve to the venting position to release any remaining pressure.
- Serve. Cut the potato open, season with salt and pepper and serve with toppings of choice.
How to Determine Cook Time
While I have provided timings based on the diameter and/or weight of your potato, don't stress over being exact. Most potatoes sold in bulk bags at the grocery store are medium-sized. Those sold in bulk bins are typically large, and those sold at warehouses (like Costco) are extra large.
- Small Potatoes: 12 minutes (2-3 inches in diameter/5-7 ounces)
- Medium Potatoes:16 minutes (3-4 inches in diameter/8-10 ounces)
- Large Potatoes: 22 minutes (4-4.5 inches in diameter/11-13 ounces
- Extra Large Potatoes: 26 minutes (5 inches in diameter/15-16 ounces)
Serving Suggestions
Baked potatoes are great served classically with butter, sour cream, cheddar cheese, chives and/or crumbled baked bacon but there are so many more delicious ways to use Instant Pot Baked Potatoes.
- Stuff the Instant Pot Baked Potatoes with leftover Instant Pot pulled pork, taco meat, or Instant Pot chili and shredded cheese for an easy meal that transforms leftovers into something spectacular.
- Use these baked potatoes to make speed up the process of making twice baked potatoes or Potatoes Romanoff
- Dice up cooled baked potatoes and use to make a quick breakfast hash or as the base for a potato frittata.
- Allow the potatoes to cool fully then cut into wedges. Brush with olive oil and season with seasoned salt and bake the potato wedges at 450 degrees F for 10-15 minutes until crispy and golden for easy "fries."
- Transform the leftover potato skins into crispy, cheesy potato Skins using my recipe for baked potato skins or air fryer potato skins.
Storage Instructions
- Store: Allow the Instant Pot Baked Potatoes to cool fully and then store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Reheat: Reheat the potatoes by placing them on a rack in the instant pot over 1.5 cups of cold water and cook on high for 3 minutes. Alternatively, microwave one potato at a time on a heat-safe plate for 1 to 2 minutes or reheat the potatoes in a 400 degree F oven for 15-30 minutes until warmed through.
Recipe FAQs
Just like ovens, the way an instant pot cooks can vary. If your potatoes are not fully cooked after the suggested cook time, place the lid back on the inner pot and cook for 2-5 minutes longer on high pressure. Take note of that added time so you can adjust the cooking time in the future.
You can cook as few as 1 potato or up to 8 potatoes in a 6-quart instant pot, and up to 8 potatoes in an 8-quart instant pot. However, if you are working with extra large potatoes, I would not cook more than 6 potatoes at a time.
While Instant Pot Baked Potatoes, have the same texture of oven baked potatoes, they don't have the same crispy exterior as an oven-baked potato. You can achieve that texture by broiling or quickly baking the potatoes. Simply place the pressure-cooked potatoes onto a rimmed baking pan, brush with olive oil or melted butter, sprinkle with kosher salt, and bake at 400-degrees F for 10 minutes or place under broiler on high for 2-3 minutes per side.
If you are cooking at a higher altitude, you will need to adjust the cooking time. Refer to my Instant Pot Altitude Guide for guidance.
More Staple Instant Pot Recipes
If you enjoyed this easy method for making Instant Pot Baked Potatoes, I would love for you to leave a comment and review below.
Instant Pot Baked Potatoes
Video
Ingredients
- 1-8 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 place onto a baking sheet. Bake at 400-degree F for 10 minutes or broil for 2-3 minutes per side until crispy.
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
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This post was originally shared in 2017 but updated in 2024.
For 4 baking-sized potatoes (large) 22 minutes isn’t long enough. We each cut into 1 and they hadn’t cooked through. 2 remained in the pot so I’m hoping high pressure for additional 10 minutes and NR will salvage them.
Oh dear Julie I am so sorry. They must have been really large potatoes!
A few things to check--make sure you use 1 cup water and prick your potatoes. The other 2 potatoes should be just fine too!
Thank you for this recipe! I just got a Mini Duo 3qt as a secondary pot. I put one plastic cup worth of water (the one that comes with the pot) and used your method including the oven finishing with just 2 russett potatoes. Results: SUBLIME. Just in case anyone with a mini is wondering 😎
WAHO!!! Thak you so much for sharing your success Carl 🙂
Thank you for posting about the Mini! I got one recently and have: boiled water, made rice one time, made chili last night. I want a potato and am short on time, so this is perfect!
Thanks for that post pn the mini. I just got pne and always appreciate tips and recipes for the mini.
What a thorough explanation on how to make instant pot baked potatoes!! 🙂 Thank you for breaking it all down and really making this so much easier!
You bet Coutney! I love that you found this useful <3
Followed directions to a T, potatoes came out pretty much raw. I did two large potatoes, could this be the reason why? Do you HAVE to do 4 or more for it to cook properly?
Hi Gail, I am sorry you had an issue with this. Did you use the cooking time for extra large potatoes?
In my experience, less than 4 potatoes don't cook up the same way, hence why I recommend only using this method with at least 4 potatoes (it has to do with pressure)
Dear Kristen
I do not have Instant Pot brand, and my brand came with the most useless manual. However, I am determined to make this work, as it was a gift. Since I do not have a manual over-ride option, what setting would you recommend I use? I have the following options:
Soup/ Porridge, Meat/Poultry, Rice/ Multigrain, Cake, Bean/ Chili, Steam, Slow Cook, Yogurt.
Thanks!
Do you have a manual button? If you do, set for high pressure for 12 minutes. If not meat function for 12 minutes SHOULD be high pressure and work 😉
This is genius, thank you.
What time length do you recommend for just two baked potatoes? Would that work or am I better off doing four and calling it leftovers?
Hey Bridget! You can do two potatoes, but 4 work much better and the leftover are great for another dinner, or diced up for breakfast hash 🙂 Enjoy!
If it is important to use cold water, I recommend that it says “Place one cup COLD water in Pressure cooker pan” under Instructions. The only place where cold water is mentioned is in the “Now a few things you may be wondering about....” section.
Hey Jo! Sorry you missed it, but I have in Step 1 to place 1 cup water in Instant Pot. I also state it in the recipe card. But yes, the water is very important.
How much time for one only baked potatoe?
Hi Fran, For one potato, it should be the same amount of time, but I can't say for sure as I have never tested that. One thought would be to cook several to use throughout the week--you can even dice the baked potatoes up for a frittata.
I am almost sure you would use the same cook time no matter how many. What changes with anything you put in the IP ( meat, large quantities of liquid, more vegetables, and if its frozen, etc) is the time it comes to pressure. That is what I do and never have issues.
You are EXACTLY right for most things Cheryl. The pressure cooker is all about volume, not quantity---BUT for whatever reason in the 6 and 8 quart IP,cooking less than 3 large potatoes, INCREASES time. So just be aware that your potatoes may not be perfectly cooked if you only do 2 at 12 minutes. And if you try at 12 minutes and they aren't cooked through, just pop the lid back on and cook for an additional 2-4 minutes. 🙂
Her point was that it only says water...not COLD water ☺
Oh my goodness, Lani--you are SO right. Isn't funny how easy it is to misunderstand things online?! I changed post to say "Cold" water. Thanks for that clarification!
How long will a rack of pork ribs do I need to cook
Hi Regina! Here is my recipe for Instant Pot Ribs.
Jo, I am so sorry I misunderstood that you were meaning to clarify cold water in recipe card--someone just pointed that out to me! You are absolutely right and I fixed the post to say that! Thanks!
Please fix your post. The instructions above the photo says to start with 1/2 cup of water in the IP.
Hey Lauren, good catch. The post is updated. My recipe stated 1 cup and I accidently put 1/2 cup in directions. Sorry about that!
One other thing, you do not need to ‘prick” or score potatoes. They will not explode.
Hey Laura,
I have not tried NOT pricking potatoes. It only takes one potato exploding to make me NEVER risk that again 😉
I will say by pricking the potatoes, you also change the cooking time and the way the skin on the potato cooks up as well.
Laura: UM, YES, potatoes certainly will explode! It happened to me. And you're right, Kristen, it only took one time for me to never, ever bake potatoes without poking them, again. What a mess! Definitely, always poke those potatoes!
Exactly Jessica! It is quite a mess!
Our ancestors pricked em for a reason. They can start splitting on their own without pricking. And very likely to explode whether in a microwave, oven, or instant pot. Good cooks prior to us knew what they were doing and why. I blanche my corn and peanuts before freezing...the old way...and others put them in without blanching. Even leaving the husks on the corn.