Looking for an easy way to make perfectly fluffy baked potatoes without turning on the oven? This Instant Pot Baked Potato recipe is the answer! With minimal effort, you’ll have soft, tender potatoes that are ready in a fraction of the time. Whether you’re planning a simple side dish or loading them up with your favorite toppings for a meal, this method guarantees perfect potatoes every time.
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Why This Recipe Works
- Effortless Cooking: The Instant Pot does the work, giving you perfectly baked potatoes.
- Faster Meal Prep: Cut traditional baking time significantly with this efficient method.
- Versatile Side Dish: Serve with your favorite toppings for a customizable, hearty side.
📋 Ingredients
- Russet Potatoes: Ideal for baking due to their high starch content, resulting in a fluffy interior when cooked.
- Butter: Adds a rich flavor and helps create a crisp skin on the potatoes.
- Sour Cream: Gives a tangy creaminess that balances out the richness of the other toppings.
- Shredded Cheddar Jack Cheese: Melts well over the hot potatoes, adding a delicious layer of cheesy goodness.
- Crumbled Bacon or Bacon Bits: Adds a smoky, savory crunch that contrasts beautifully with the soft potato.
- Chives: Provide a fresh, onion-like flavor that cuts through the rich toppings and adds color to the dish.
- Kosher Salt: Enhances the natural flavors of the potato and the toppings, making them more pronounced.
- Pepper Coarse Ground and Garlic Salt: Adds a hint of heat and a depth of flavor, enhancing the savory qualities of the baked potato.
- Parchment Paper and Baking Sheet: Essential tools for baking, they ensure even cooking and easy cleanup. Also helps prevent the potatoes from sticking to the baking sheet.
For the complete list of ingredients with measurements and instructions, please see the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
🔀 Substitutions & Variations
- Sweet Potatoes: You can cook sweet potato the same way you cook baked potatoes. Simply change the Instant Pot cooking time as sweet potatoes cook faster than more starchy regular potatoes. To cook medium sweet potatoes in your Instant Pot, set the pressure cooker to high pressure for 15 Minutes.
- Optional Toppings: If you're looking for baked potato topping ideas, try some of these:
- Sour Cream
- Shredded Cheddar
- Crumbled Bacon
- Salsa
- Baked Beans
- Guacamole
- Beef Chili
- Crack Chicken Chili
- Sweetcorn
- Pulled Pork
- Coleslaw
🔪How To Make Instant Pot Baked Potato?
Here are step-by-step instructions for making Instant Pot Baked potatoes in the pressure cooker. Making baked potatoes has never been easier!
- Step 1: Wash the russet potatoes with a vegetable brush and cool water. Pierce Potatoes with a fork.
- Step 2: Place the Trivet in the inner pot, and add 1 cup of water to the pot.
- Step 3: Place the potatoes onto the trivet. Place the lid on the Instant Pot, and press the Instant Pot pressure cooker button to cook on high pressure for 12 minutes. Make sure the valve is set to sealing to allow the pot to come to pressure.
- Step 4: While the potatoes are cooking, line the baking sheet with a piece of parchment paper.
- Step 5: When the Instant Pot is done cooking and goes to OFF, allow the pressure to release naturally. This will give the cooked potatoes time to steam for a little longer. After 10 minutes, perform a quick release to let out any remaining pressure.
- Step 6: With a sturdy pair of kitchen tongs, remove the Potatoes to the cookie sheet. Sprinkle the baked potatoes with the coarse-ground garlic salt. Place the Potatoes under the Broiler in the oven for about 8 minutes. If you have an air fryer lid, then drain the liquid from your Instant Pot and air fry the potatoes for 8 minutes using the air fryer lid. Either way will help give a crispy skin to your Instant Pot baked potatoes.
- Step 7: Remove the potatoes from the oven, or Instant Pot and split them open with a knife.
- Step 8: Add butter, kosher salt and pepper to your perfect baked potato. You can then add toppings such as sour cream, shredded cheese, bacon, and chives.
👩🍳 Expert Tips
- Prep with a Fork: Start by scrubbing your potatoes clean and poking several holes with a fork. This allows steam to escape and prevents them from bursting during cooking.
- Layer with a Trivet: Place a trivet or steamer basket at the bottom of your Instant Pot and add the correct amount of water. This setup ensures your potatoes cook evenly by suspending them above the liquid.
- Optional Crisping Step: For a crisper skin, finish your baked potatoes under the broiler or use an air fryer lid after pressure cooking. This extra step brings a delightful contrast between a fluffy interior and a crunchy exterior.
💭 FAQs
The best way to make Instant Pot Baked Potatoes is by using a baking rack or trivet. This will ensure that the potatoes cook evenly and efficiently. Instant Pot Baked Potatoes are simple to make with just a few minutes of prep time and no pre-heating needed!
A large Instant Pot baked potato will need around 15 minutes of pressure cooking time whereas medium baked potatoes only require 12 minutes. Small potatoes can cook in 10 minutes.
For this Instant Pot Baked Potato recipe, you can fit up to 4-5 potatoes in the Instant Pot. If you need more, use a larger Instant Pot such as the 8 quart or 10 quart Instant model they can fit up to 8 potatoes.
Yes, if you would like to keep your Instant Pot Baked Potato really moist then wrapping them in foil can help trap the steam and moisture. This can be done before cooking or after for a few minutes in the broiler.
Yes, as not all Instant Pot recipes are cooked in the Instant Pot Duo, this recipe calls for broiling at the end. If you have an Instant Pot Duo Crisp then this is great for giving your baked potatoes crispy skins at the end. Add a little olive oil to the potato skins and air fry for 8 minutes once the pressure cooking has completed.
The best potatoes for Instant Pot Baked Potatoes are Russet or Idaho potatoes as they have higher starch content, making them perfect for baking. They will give you a light and fluffy inside and crispy outside. You can use red potatoes but they are not as starchy, so they will be softer on the inside.
Leftover Instant Pot Baked Potatoes can be stored in an airtight container and kept in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. To freeze Baked Potatoes, let them cool completely before transferring to a freezer bag or container and store in the freezer.
Serving Suggestions
These are my favorite dishes to serve with Baked Potato:
- Classic Loaded Style: Top your potato with a dollop of sour cream, shredded cheddar cheese, crispy bacon bits, and a sprinkle of green onions for a traditional, hearty treat.
- Twice-Baked Style: Scoop out the potato flesh and mix it with sour cream, butter, chives, and a little salt and pepper. Spoon the mixture back into the skins, sprinkle with cheese, and give it a quick broil or return to the Instant Pot using the sauté function for a melty finish.
- Chili Topped: Serve your potato as a base for a spicy chili. Pour a generous helping of your favorite beef or vegetarian chili over the potato and add toppings like diced onions, shredded cheese, and a drizzle of sour cream.
- Mexican-Inspired: Load your potato with black beans, corn, salsa, and avocado chunks. Top it off with a squeeze of lime and a handful of cilantro for a burst of fresh, vibrant flavors.
🍜 Related Recipes
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Instant Pot Baked Potato
Ingredients
- 4 Potatoes
- 1 stick Butter
- 1 Carton Sour Cream
- 1 Cup Shredded Cheddar Jack Cheese
- 1 tablespoon Crumbled Bacon or your favorite bacon bits
- 1 tablespoon Chives Chopped Fine
- Pinch Salt
- Pinch Pepper
Instructions
- Wash the russet potatoes with a vegetable brush and cool water. Pierce Potatoes with a fork.
- Place the Trivet in the inner pot, and add 1 cup of water to the pot.
- Place the potatoes onto the trivet. Place the lid on the Instant Pot, and press the Instant Pot pressure cooker button to cook on high pressure for 12 minutes.
- Make sure the valve is set to sealing to allow the pot to come to pressure.
- While the potatoes are cooking, line the baking sheet with a piece of parchment paper.
- When the Instant Pot is done cooking and goes to OFF, allow the pressure to release naturally. This will give the cooked potatoes time to steam for a little longer.
- After 10 minutes perform a quick release to let out any remaining pressure.
- With a sturdy pair of kitchen tongs remove the Potatoes to the cookie sheet. Sprinkle the baked potatoes with the coarse ground garlic salt. Place the Potatoes under the Broiler in the oven for about 8 minutes.
- If you have an air fryer lid, then drain the liquid from your Instant Pot and air fry the potatoes for 8 minutes using the air fryer lid. Either way will help give a crispy skin to your Instant Pot baked potatoes.
- Remove the potatoes from the oven, or Instant Pot and split them open with a knife.
- Add butter, kosher salt and pepper to your perfect baked potato. You can then add toppings such as sour cream, shredded cheese, bacon, and chives.
Notes
Nutrition
More Instant Pot Potato Recipes
If you love Instant Pot potatoes then try the following recipes:
I am very new to the instant pot but I cannot wait to try these out!
oh it's a great cooking tool! We love ours!
These are so delicious, the only way to go
Absolutely! I agree!
This is now the only way I will cook potatoes, come out perfect each time. Also perfect for sweet potatoes, although I cook a bit longer. Thank you Angela.
Cat wait to try these!
Looks delicious!!!!
Potatoes were perfect!
Great recipe. Love them this way.
Glad you enjoyd them!
Hubby and I love baked potatoes. We don't have them often because of how long it takes to bake them. Know that I have my IP I can see we will be having them more often.
My daughter loves baked potatoes, especially loaded ones with cheese!
I can't waot to try this recipe. We eat lots of potatoes so this is just right for us.
oh they taste amazing!
I love Potatoes in the Instant Pot! Used your recipe several times, perfection!
This takes "baked" potatoes to a whole new level. Great recipe!
thanks! We enjoy this recipe every time!
I wonder. Do you have to transfer them to the oven? Or will they turn out good, being cooked only in the Instant Pot? Thanks for posting! I enjoy a good baked potato. Hubby does too.
you don't have to transfer to oven- that just makes the skin more crispy.. but you can cook only in the instant pot...or add the air fryer lid if you have a duo crisp lid.
This is awesome thank you!! The first time I mad potatoes it kept saying burn on it, not sure what I was doing wrong! I would had more water then they turned into mash potatoes!! 😂😂 great recipe
Oh yum! I love baked potatoes but never thought of doing them in an instant pot
It's a fast way and we love them like this!
My IP is still in the box!! This might be my first recipe!
ooh good luck and enjoy your new cooking machine!
Looks really good gunna have to try it
We love this recipe! It's super easy and yummy!
So I tried these, I really don’t care for the skin, so I skipped the broiler part. The potatoes were nowhere near done. They were standard sized potatoes out of a bag of potatoes. I tried again and did 25 minutes and they were barely done. I will try again and make sure it was on high pressure (just recently figured out how to change that!)
Yes it certainly depends on the size of the potato and the level of pressure you use.
Alas I do not have an instant pot and I miss out on a lot of great recipes. Those potatoes look great and much better than my microwave baked potatoes.
Those instant pot potatoes really do look delicious! I don't eat that many carbs, so I'll save this for a carb day
We love making baked potatoes in our home! Its one food we all agree on!
Just looking at those is making me hungry! I love baked potatoes, but I've never tried them in an instant pot before.
Time to use the pressure cooker. This would be a great way to cook my potatoes in the summer.
Wow, this looks so nice, I'm pretty sure, my girls will love this!
This is such a clever way to make baked potato’s, looking forward to giving this recipe a try.
We love making baked potatoes at home. I'll try your recipe although we don't own an instant pot.
What’s there not to love about baked potatoes. I am definitely trying this your recipe out
I've been looking for other ways on how to maximize the use of potatoes in dishes and I found this. Thanks for sharing !
I just got an Instant Pot last Mother's day and I am always trying out new recipes to cook in. These baked potatoes look really delicious. I am saving the recipe and making this on the weekend.
I love using my instant pot so this is something I will have to try out. What a fun idea.
Potatoes are always a favorite side dish in our house. My family will love it!
This looks so amazing. I love baked potatoes. I'm going to have to try these out soon. I know my family would love them.
That's such a great idea. I love the topping you added, that sounds really yummy!
I am trying this recipe soon, we got an instapot recently and I am just learning how to use it
We are a big fan of potatoes in our house, and I love that these can be made in the instant pot. What a convenient recipe especially for our busy weeknights.
Instant pot baked potato looks delicious. I need to give it a try as. This so easy.