Instant Pot Baked Potatoes

This Instant Pot Baked Potatoes recipe is the easiest way to get fluffy, perfect baked potatoes every single time. And with everything happening in one place — your Instant Pot — clean up is a breeze! This is one for your Instant Pot Basics collection.

The Best Baked Potatoes Are Not Made In The Oven But In The Instant Pot

Need an easy lunch? Meal prepping? Looking for an easy weeknight meal? These Instant Pot Baked Potatoes are it! They’re delicious served simply with butter, salt, and pepper, but you can dress them up however you like. I love to load them with sour cream, coarse sea salt, and fresh-cracked black pepper. Chili, pulled pork, picadillo, and even quinoa with some raw veggies would be delicious, as well!

This pressure cooker method is much faster than the traditional way of baking them in the oven or even cooking in your slow cooker. You can have perfectly fluffy baked potatoes ready in about half an hour!

Why You Should Measure Your Potatoes Before Cooking

It may sound silly to say you need to measure the circumference of your potatoes before cooking them in the Instant Pot, but hear me out! This is a crucial step to ensuring you end up with perfectly cooked, fluffy potatoes each and every time. Depending on their circumference, you’ll need to adjust the cooking time on your Instant Pot:

• 7- inch circumference = 12 mins HP + NPR
• 7.5-inch circumference = 13 mins HP + NPR
• 8-inch circumference = 14 mins HP + NPR
• 8.5-inch circumference = 15 mins HP + NPR
• 9-inch circumference = 16 mins HP + NPR

Ingredients

• Russet Potatoes — Wash thoroughly before cooking, as they won’t be peeled. Try to get evenly sized potatoes to ensure they are all evenly cooked in the Instant Pot.
• Water — You only need 1 cup of water for the 3-quart and 6-quart Instant Pot to get to pressure and 2 cups for the 8-quart. The pressure cooking method creates a locked environment that seals in steam to even cook whatever’s inside.
• Toppings — Garnish with sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper, then add whatever toppings you like!

How To Make Instant Pot Baked Potatoes

Making baked potatoes in the Instant Pot is hands down the BEST and easiest way. Just follow these simple steps:

• Prep the Potatoes — Wash your russet potatoes thoroughly with a scrub brush and water. Dry well. Then, measure the circumference of each and average that out to know how long you’ll need to cook them in the Instant Pot. (See list above for measurements and cooking times.) Poke them all over with a fork. This allows the steam from the potatoes to escape during cooking.
• Prep the Instant Pot — Place the trivet attachment inside of your Instant Pot insert. This keeps the potatoes from resting in the water and getting soggy. Pour in the water, and rest potatoes on the trivet. They should not touch the water.
• Cook the Potatoes — Secure the lid to your Instant Pot, turn the valve to the “sealing” position, and set your device to cook on high pressure. Set the time for the necessary amount of time, depending on the average potato circumference. Once they’re done cooking, do nothing and wait for full natural pressure release.
• Remove the Potatoes from the Instant Pot — Use kitchen tongs to remove the potatoes from the pressure cooker and set on a platter.
• Garnish — Top with your favorite toppings like sea salt, black pepper, ghee, chili, or pulled pork. Serve, and enjoy!

Toppings

• Ghee or butter
• Sour cream
• Chives
• Green onions
• Sea salt
• Fresh-cracked black pepper
• Chili
• Pulled pork
• Picadillo

Storage, Reheating, and Freezing Instructions

• Store leftover baked potatoes in an airtight container in your fridge for up to 4 days.
• Reheat in the microwave for 2-3 minutes, air fryer for 1-2 minutes, or oven at 425 degrees for 5-10 minutes.
• We did not test freezing them, but you should be able to store them in an airtight, freezer-safe container in your freezer for up to 3 months. Allow thawing completely, then reheat in the air fryer or oven. They may dry out, so you may need to add a teaspoon or two of water to the inside to re-fluff. If you try this, let us know how it works in the comments!

More Potato Recipes To Try

• Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes
• Grandma’s German Potato Salad
• Quinoa-Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
• Red Lentil Sweet Potato Soup
• Creamy Potato Leek Soup