Recipe Overview
Why you’ll love it: Making Instant Pot baked potatoes is significantly faster than baking them in the oven and yields great results. Once you try this method, it may become your preferred way to make baked potatoes.
How long it takes: around 45 minutes, depending on the size of the potatoes
Equipment you’ll need: Instant Pot pressure cooker
Servings: as many as you want
An Instant Pot Winner
My Instant Pot is in frequent use for complete meals, like Instant Pot chili, Instant Pot beef stew, and Instant Pot pasta with sausage. I also use it frequently for basic food prep, like Instant Pot boiled eggs and Instant Pot shredded chicken. Using a pressure cooker to make baked potatoes is another basic how-to recipe that everyone can utilize. I call it a dinner winner!
I realize that “baked potatoes” is somewhat of a misnomer. Pressure cooked potatoes are actually steamed rather than baked; however, the end result is very similar. Instant Pot baked potatoes turn out surprisingly well, not mushy or soggy at all. You can “bake” sweet potatoes in your Instant Pot, too. Try Instant Pot sweet potatoes.
Perfect Baked Potatoes
No oven required. You won’t have to wait for your oven to preheat, or heat up your kitchen on a warm day. Perhaps your oven is being used for another purpose and you don’t have room to bake the potatoes. An Instant Pot is more energy efficient than an oven, too.
Fast and easy. Instant Pot baked potatoes are perfect for a busy night because they cook much more quickly than baked potatoes in the oven. Depending on the size of your potatoes, it takes about 45 minutes from start to finish, including time to pressurize and release pressure. Instant Pot baked potatoes might just be a game changer for you!
Lots of ways to enjoy them. Baked potatoes are such a versatile building block in the kitchen. You can use them as is or add a pile of toppings. You can cut them up and use them to make creamy potato salad or turn them into potato casseroles or soup.
Soft tender skins vs. brown crispy skins. While using your Instant Pot is fast and easy, you will notice that the potato skins become quite soft. Some people love this but if you prefer potato skins that are browned and crisp, try oven baked potatoes or air fryer baked potatoes.
Need an Instant Pot?
Ready to get on the bandwagon? This is the Instant Pot I have, and I love it! You may want to take a look at my Instant Pot guide that includes lots of tips and Instant Pot recipes!
How to Make Instant Pot Baked Potatoes
Choose potatoes. You can bake any size potatoes in your Instant Pot but try to choose potatoes that are similar in size to ensure that they cook evenly. Refer to the recipe card for an easy-to-use chart. The recipe is written for 4 potatoes but it will work for 1 potato or as many as will easily fit into your Instant Pot.
Prep potatoes. Start off by giving the potatoes a good scrub with a brush to get them clean (I like this brush). Next, poke each potato four or five times with a fork. You don’t have to go deeply into the potato, just through the skin. This will prevent potato explosions. No need for foil!
Prep Instant Pot. Place the wire trivet that came with your Instant pot into the bottom of the liner, with the handles up. You can use a steamer basket if you prefer. Add 1 cup of water to the Instant Pot.
Arrange potatoes. Set the potatoes on the wire trivet in a single layer. It doesn’t matter if the sides are touching; they can be stacked somewhat.
Pressure cook. Secure the lid and turn the valve to seal, if necessary. Set to Pressure Cook (or Manual, High Pressure, depending on your model) and set the timer for the required amount of time. It will take approximately 7 to 10 minutes to come to pressure, depending on how many potatoes you’re cooking.
Natural release. When the timer goes off, let the pressure release naturally (in other words, don’t turn the valve to vent). It will take 10 to 15 minutes. A natural release is necessary to finish cooking the potatoes. If you release the pressure too soon, the potatoes may not be soft in the centers.
Check for doneness. Poke the potatoes with a fork to make sure they’re tender. They should be done if you follow the guide. If they’re not, cover the Instant Pot and pressure cook for 2 more minutes with a natural release.
Choose The Right Potato
A frequently asked question is what kind of potato makes a good baked potato? Russet potatoes are the classic choice for baked potatoes. Russets are a starchy, low moisture potato with a fairly thick skin that holds up well when baked. The interior will turn out white and fluffy, which also makes them a perfect choice for mashed potatoes.
Topping Ideas
Dress up your baked potatoes with all your favorite toppings!
- Bacon. Try baking your bacon. I like this method for cooking a whole package of bacon. It’s easy (no flipping!) with much less cleanup, and it turns out perfectly flat and even. For smaller amounts, I usually use my air fryer.
- Chili. Your potato can be turned into a hearty dinner if you top it with a scoop of chili. Try one of my chili recipes.
- Cheese. Add a handful of shredded cheddar cheese or cheese sauce (or both). If the shredded cheese isn’t melting completely, microwave the potato and cheese for 10 seconds or so.
- Sour cream or Greek yogurt. A classic topping!
- Onions. I love sliced green onions or chives, but lately caramelized onions are on the top of my list because caramelized onions make everything better.
- Avocado. Like bacon and caramelized onions, avocado makes everything better.
- Broccoli. One of my favorite meals is a baked potato, topped with steamed broccoli and creamy cheddar cheese sauce.
- Salsa! I like to do a southwestern baked potato with taco meat, salsa, cheese, avocado, and heaps of cilantro.
Make ahead: Make extra baked potatoes that you can enjoy later. Instant Pot baked potatoes can easily be refrigerated or frozen.
Storage: Once the potatoes have cooled to room temperature, refrigerate them in a covered container for up to 4 days. To freeze, wrap the cooled potatoes in foil and put them into a freezer bag for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator before reheating.
Reheating: To reheat whole baked potatoes, I find that an air fryer does an excellent job of crisping them up. Preheat the air fryer to 350°F and air fry the potato until heated through, 5 to 10 minutes, depending on the size. I like to diced baked potatoes and fry them in a skillet, too.
More Potato Recipes
Instant Pot Baked Potatoes
Ingredients
- 4 large russet baking potatoes, 9 to 11 oz. each, or 2½ to 3 inches in diameter (see note for different size potatoes)
- 1 cup water
- wire trivet that comes with Instant Pot or steamer basket
Instructions
- Scrub potatoes with a brush until clean. Pierce potatoes with a fork 4 to 5 times.
- Pour 1 cup water into the insert of the Instant Pot. Place wire trivet (the one that comes with the Instant Pot works great) in the bottom of the Instant Pot. Place potatoes on top.
- Secure the lid and turn valve to seal, if necessary.
- Set to Pressure Cook for 15 minutes (or manual, high pressure). See the guide below for different size potatoes. The time needed to pressurize will vary depending on how large and how many potatoes are in the pressure cooker.
- After timer goes off, allow pressure to release naturally, about 15 to 20 minutes.
- Once the pressure valve lowers, remove the lid and carefully lift out the potatoes. I usually use large tongs. Serve potatoes with desired toppings.
Notes
- Number of potatoes: This cooking method will work for one potato or as many as you can easily fit into your pressure cooker. The cooking times remain the same but the time it takes to pressurize will vary depending on how large and how many potatoes are in the pressure cooker. It’s best if all of the potatoes are roughly the same size.
- Different potato sizes (cook as directed, allowing 10 to 15 minutes natural release):
- Small potatoes (5 to 6 oz.): 10 minutes
- Medium potatoes (7 to 8 oz.): 12 minutes
- Large potatoes (9 to 11 oz.): 15 minutes
- Huge potatoes (12 to 14 oz.): 18 to 20 minutes
- Storage: Once the potatoes are at room temperature, refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 4 days. To freeze baked potatoes, wrap them in foil and place in a freezer bag. They’ll keep for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator before reheating.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Did You Make This?Share a comment and rating below! I love hearing what you think!
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.
Hmm, not sure I’ve tried those. I’ll have to experiment! I always use russets for baked potatoes.
I live alone, want to cook one baked potato instant pot. Please help I am new with instant pot
That should work just fine! Keep all the directions the same. :) Enjoy!