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Instant Pot baked potatoes are tender and fluffy and ready in a fraction of the time it would take to bake them in the oven.
Make fluffy and tender baked potatoes in minutes with the Instant Pot. Enjoy the convenience of pressure cooking for perfectly cooked spuds. Customize with your favorite toppings for a quick and delicious meal or side dish for baked chicken, steak, or pork roast. Add some roasted broccoli for a complete meal.
Table of Contents
About This Recipe
Cooking baked potatoes in an Instant Pot saves time compared to traditional oven baking methods. It is a convenient option, especially when you want to avoid heating up your kitchen or when you don’t have access to an oven.
Instant Pot Baked Potatoes are:
- Time Saving – The pressure cooking function of the Instant Pot significantly reduces the cooking time. Potatoes baked in the Instant Pot come out fluffy, tender and delicious, and in half the time. Your total time is about 40 minutes, including the warming up, pressure cooking and natural release.
- Even cooking – The Instant Pot’s pressure cooking method ensures even and consistent cooking throughout the potatoes, no matter the size.
- Convenient – Using the Instant Pot for baked potatoes is a hassle-free and hands-off process. Once you set the cooking time and pressure, you can walk away and attend to other tasks while the potatoes cook.
We use the pressure cooker to make Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes, Homemade Tomato Soup, and Instant Pot Baked Beans why not Instant Pot Baked Potatoes, too?
How To Make Baked Potatoes in the Instant Pot
See recipe card below for ingredient quantities and full instructions.
- Scrub potatoes clean to remove any dirt or any eyes or sprouts on the potatoes. Poke each potato with a fork or sharp knife to allow steam to escape.
- Rub them with olive oil then sprinkle with salt.
- Place the metal trivet in the bottom of the pot, pour in water, and set the potatoes on top. Close the lid and set to high pressure.
- Pour water into the instant pot and place the metal trivet inside the pot. Set the potatoes on top of the trivet, close the lid and set to high pressure and the timer to 20 minutes. It will take about 10 minutes for the pressure to build and 10 minutes to release.
FAQs
Russets are the go-to for a good, steakhouse style baked potato. The smaller, creamier potatoes like golds and reds are delicious when diced and roasted in the oven, but they won’t yield the same tender fluffy insides and crispy outside that the mild-flavored and starchy russets do. So when it comes to baked or mashed, stick to russets.
Yes. Pricking the potatoes with a fork or knife creates small holes in the skin, which allows steam to escape during the cooking process. This helps prevent the potatoes from building up excess pressure and potentially bursting during cooking.
Absolutely! Check out my recipe for Instant Pot Sweet Potatoes.
Broiling in the oven: Once the potatoes are cooked in the Instant Pot, carefully transfer them to a baking sheet. Place them under the broiler in your oven for a few minutes until the skin becomes crispy and golden. Keep a close eye on them to prevent burning.
Air frying: If you have an air fryer, you can transfer the cooked potatoes to the air fryer basket and air fry them at a high temperature for a few minutes. This can help crisp up the skin while keeping the insides fluffy.
Return to pressure cooking: If the potatoes are only slightly undercooked, you can close the Instant Pot lid again and cook them for an additional 1-2 minutes on high pressure. This will resume the cooking process and help them reach the desired tenderness. Be sure to seal the venting valve properly before starting the additional cooking time.
You can cook several potatoes at one in the instant pot. Make sure not to overcrowd the pot, so using smaller potatoes is recommended for larger batches.
Select the steam function on the Instant Pot and set the cooking time. The exact time will depend on the size and type of potatoes. As a general guideline, small potatoes may take around 8-10 minutes, while larger potatoes may require 12-15 minutes.
Once the cooking time is complete, allow the pressure to naturally release for a few minutes, then carefully switch the valve to the venting position to release any remaining pressure.
Storage
Refrigerator: Cool to room temperature. Wrap potatoes individually in foil or plastic wrap and place in an airtight container. Refrigerate for 3-4 days.
Freezer: Cool to room temperature. Wrap potatoes individually in foil or plastic wrap and place in a plastic freezer bag or container. Freeze for up to 2-3 months. *Note that freezing and thawing may affect the texture of the potato.
Reheating: Reheat while potatoes in the oven or microwave. Or, repurpose them by slicing and transforming into fried potatoes in a skillet on the stove top, or in a Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes casserole.
Helpful Tips
- Select the right potatoes: Choose medium-sized russet potatoes. They work well for baking and have a fluffy texture.
- Scrub and prick the potatoes: Clean the potatoes thoroughly and prick them with a fork or knife. Pricking helps steam escape during cooking and prevents them from bursting.
- Use a trivet or steamer basket: Place a trivet or steamer basket inside the Instant Pot before adding the potatoes. This elevates them above the water, ensuring they cook evenly.
- Adjust cooking time based on size: The cooking time will vary depending on the size of the potatoes. As a general guideline, medium-sized potatoes typically require 15-16 minutes of pressure cooking.
- Natural pressure release (NPR): Allow a natural pressure release for a few minutes after the cooking time ends. This helps the potatoes continue cooking gently and prevents them from becoming mushy.
- Check for doneness: Open the Instant Pot lid and check the potatoes for doneness using a fork or knife. They should be tender and easily pierced.
- Customize with toppings: Once cooked, serve the baked potatoes with your favorite toppings such as butter, sour cream, cheese, chives, or bacon bits.
- Crisping the skin (optional): If desired, you can crisp the potato skins further by transferring the cooked potatoes to a baking sheet and broiling them in the oven for a few minutes.
More Potato Recipes
- Roasted Red Potatoes
- Loaded Baked Potato Soup
- Easy Breakfast Potatoes
- Sausage and Potato Breakfast Hash
- Easy Skillet Potatoes
- Potatoes Romanoff
Instant Pot Baked Potatoes
Equipment
- Instant Pot or Electric Pressure Cooker
Ingredients
- 4 large russet potatoes scrubbed clean
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup water
- desired toppings, like butter, sour cream, chives, cheese and bacon
Instructions
- Scrub potatoes clean. Rub your potatoes in olive oil and then sprinkle with salt. Poke several times with a fork or sharp knife.
- Set the metal trivet into your Instant Pot. Add the water and set the potatoes on top.
- Set the timer to 20 minutes high pressure or manual pressure. Let cook.
- When cook time is over, let naturally release for 10 minutes. Open the lid, and then serve.
