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PC Instant Pot GF Gluten-Free DF Dairy-Free VG Vegetarian 5I 5 ingredients or less

Instant Pot Baked Potatoes – Easy and Perfect Every Time!

4.32
/5
32 mins
44 Comments
Jump to Recipe
By: Rachel GurkPosted: 03/28/2018Updated: 06/14/2021

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

Making Instant Pot Baked Potatoes is significantly faster than baking them in the oven and yields great results! Once you try this method, it's going to be your preferred method of making baked potatoes. Make them tonight and you'll see! Get the easy recipe on RachelCooks!

Making Instant Pot Baked Potatoes is significantly faster than baking them in the oven and yields great results! Once you try this method, it’s going to be your preferred method of making baked potatoes. Make them tonight and you’ll see! 

image of baked potato cut in half with sour cream and chives, on small black plate with fork alongside.

Hi, my name is Rachel, and I confess that I continue to be addicted to my Instant Pot.

I’ve been bringing you guys a mix of basic recipes like Instant Pot Boiled Eggs and Instant Pot Shredded Chicken, as well as complete meals like Instant Pot Chili, Healthy Chicken Piccata, and Instant Pot Pasta with Sausage. This recipe is on the basic side, but baked potatoes are such a versatile building block in the kitchen. The method of making Instant Pot baked potatoes is similar (very, very similar) to the method you use to make Instant Pot Sweet Potatoes, and you are going to love it!

They’re perfect for a busy night because they cook much more quickly than baked potatoes in the oven. They might just be a game changer for you! 

PS While it isn’t quite as fast (40 minutes), your air fryer does a great job of baking potatoes, too!

Ready to get on the bandwagon? This is the Instant Pot I have, and I love it! No complaints. I wrote a complete pressure cooker guide that covers various models of pressure cookers, as well as accessories, cookbooks, and tons of pressure cooker recipes!

Overhead of four potatoes on rack inside of Instant Pot.

How to Make Instant Pot Baked Potatoes:

It couldn’t be easier, you guys. Here’s the rundown, but as always, keep scrolling to find a printable recipe.

  1. Pick out potatoes that are similar in size to each other to ensure equal cooking time.
  2. I won’t rant on you again about cleaning your potatoes, because we’ve been there before, but start off by giving them a good scrub to get them clean (I like this brush).
  3. Next, poke them all over with a fork. Four or five times per potato will be good. This will prevent potato explosions. No need for foil!
  4. Place the steamer basket in the bottom of your pressure cooker, along with 1 cup of water.
  5. Secure the lid, turn the valve to seal. Use the manual mode and set your timer to 12 minutes on high.
  6. When time timer goes off, let the pressure release naturally (in other words, don’t turn the valve to vent).
  7. Test the potatoes with a fork to make sure they’re tender. If they’re not, you could reseal and cook again for 2-3 minutes with a natural release. As long as your potatoes aren’t huge, they should be done!

Cooking Guide:

If your potatoes are extraordinarily small or large, cooking time will vary.

  • If you have teeny tiny potatoes, they’ll cook faster. 10 minutes will likely do the trick.
  • If you have giant, giant potatoes, you might need up to 18-20 minutes.

Front view of split baked potato garnished with sour cream and chives, with Instant Pot in background.

FAQ:

What kind of potato makes a good baked potato?

Russet potatoes are the classic choice but any type will work! Yukon Gold are great, and of course, sweet potatoes are an option, too.

How to Use these Baked Potatoes:

There are so many different things you could do with these Instant Pot baked potatoes, but here are a few suggestions!

  • Make ahead if you’re a meal prepper! These will keep well in your fridge for 4-5 days.
  • Dress it up with all your favorite toppings! Here are some ideas of what you can pile on top of a baked potato:
    • Bacon. Obviously. Try baking your bacon. It’s easy, there’s way less cleanup, and it turns out perfect.
    • Chili, because we’re taking things seriously here.
    • Cheese or cheese sauce. Or both.
    • Sour cream or Greek yogurt – I used sour cream in my photos.
    • Green onions or chives, or caramelized onions, because caramelized onions make everything better.
    • Avocado, because like bacon and caramelized onions, it makes everything better.
    • Broccoli – the perfect match to creamy cheddar cheese sauce.
    • Salsa! I like to do a southwestern baked potato with taco meat, salsa, cheese, avocado, and heaps of cilantro.
    • These Shepherd’s Pie Stuffed Baked Potatoes from Cupcakes and Kale Chips look amazing!
    • BBQ Chicken Stuffed Baked Potatoes – Mary is on to something with these!
    • Anything you love! What’s your favorite way to top a baked potato?
  • Hollow them out and use them for twice baked potatoes.
  • If you want, you could grab the insides of them and make mashed potatoes, because why not?

Baked potato split in half, garnished with sour cream, chives, and black pepper.

PS: These would also be great served alongside Instant Pot Ribs! 

 

Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @rachelcooksblog on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!

image of baked potato cut in half with sour cream and chives
Recipe

Get the Recipe: Instant Pot Baked Potatoes - Easy and Perfect Every Time!

4.32 from 32 votes
Prep Time: 5 mins
Cook Time: 12 mins
Additional Time: 15 mins
Total Time: 32 mins
4 -5 large baked potatoes
Print Rate Recipe
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Making Instant Pot Baked Potatoes is significantly faster than baking them in the oven and yields great results! Once you try this method, it's going to be your preferred method of making baked potatoes. Make them tonight and you'll see!

Ingredients

  • 4-5 medium Russet potatoes
  • 1 cup of water
  • Steamer basket

Instructions

  • Scrub skin of potatoes with a brush until clean. Stab with fork 5-8 times.
  • Pour 1 cup of water into the insert of the Instant Pot. Place steamer basket (the one that comes with the Instant Pot works great) in the bottom of the Instant Pot. Place potatoes on top of/inside steamer basket.
  • Secure the lid and turn valve to seal.
  • Use the manual mode of Instant Pot and set to pressure cook on high for 12 minutes.
  • Allow pressure to “release naturally” – takes 15-20 minutes.
  • Once the pressure valve lowers, remove lid and serve immediately with desired toppings. You can also store in the fridge for 3-4 days in an airtight container.

Notes

  • If you have teeny tiny potatoes, they'll cook faster. 10 minute will likely do the trick.
  • If you have giant, giant potatoes, you might need up to 18-20 minutes.

Nutrition Information

Serving: 1potato, Calories: 168kcal, Carbohydrates: 37g, Protein: 5g, Sodium: 26mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 2g

This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.

© Author: Rachel Gurk
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  1. VeggieTater says

    March 27, 2022 at 12:49 am

    5 stars
    I love how quick it is for most potatoes but I have these creamy baby golds that split when pressure cooked and it ruins them. I even tried using low pressure for less time, but they still split and get all mushy, very disappointing. I think next time I’ll try to steam them without pressure using the saute function and a regular pot lid.

    Reply
    • Rachel Gurk says

      March 27, 2022 at 10:29 am

      Hmm, not sure I’ve tried those. I’ll have to experiment! I always use russets for baked potatoes.

      Reply
  2. Mary says

    January 6, 2021 at 5:34 pm

    I live alone, want to cook one baked potato instant pot. Please help I am new with instant pot

    Reply
    • Rachel Gurk says

      January 8, 2021 at 9:26 am

      That should work just fine! Keep all the directions the same. :) Enjoy!

      Reply
  3. Pat says

    June 15, 2020 at 5:56 pm

    I’m new at instapot. This was my second recipe to try and it worked! When done I put the potatoes…..skins and all….in a large zip lock bag and squish them with a rolling pin or big cup. They make the best mashed potatoes. Then I throw in some seasoning/butter/cheese and squish some more. These are so easy with absolutely no lumps and no mess.

    Reply
    • Rachel Gurk says

      June 20, 2020 at 3:12 pm

      Oh yum! What a quick and easy way to make mashed potatoes. Thanks for sharing!

      Reply
  4. Moriaelini says

    May 18, 2020 at 1:13 pm

    I dunno what the problem is, but so many sites tell me 20 minutes for giant potatoes, but man mine take longer than 35 minutes. When I cook them at 35 minutes I still need to nuke them for additional time because they are still hard in the middle. So irritating.

    Reply
    • Rachel Gurk says

      May 18, 2020 at 5:24 pm

      Do you have your valve turned to seal and your rubber ring in correctly?

      Reply
  5. Shannon says

    March 22, 2020 at 4:21 pm

    Would the time be the same for just 2 large potatos?

    Reply
    • Rachel Gurk says

      March 23, 2020 at 12:25 pm

      Yes, it would!

      Reply
  6. Cean Norris says

    January 26, 2020 at 6:38 pm

    Rachel, the first time I fixed potatoes, they were perfect. Tonight, my pot steam released after On. Food BURN flashed. I have started all over. Don’t know what is wrong .
    Cean.norris@gmail.com

    Reply
    • Rachel Gurk says

      January 27, 2020 at 4:41 pm

      Hmmm….could it be the plastic ring wasn’t fit in correctly or the valve wasn’t turned to seal? This causes the pressure cooker to take longer to come to pressure (or it doesn’t at all) and then it typically gives the burn message. I hope that helps!

      Reply
  7. Barb says

    July 4, 2019 at 11:48 am

    Four medium potatoes for 12 minutes exactly, and turned out perfect!! Telling my friends. Thanks.

    Reply
    • Rachel Gurk says

      July 5, 2019 at 8:51 pm

      So glad to hear it! Thank you for taking time time to come back and leave a comment!

      Reply
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