I’ve been making baked potatoes regularly ever since my son Kell was diagnosed with Celiac disease, but learning how to make Instant Pot baked potatoes was a total game-changer! At first, I couldn’t believe how quick and easy it was to make baked potatoes for a steak or chicken dinner.
When I first started learning to make everyday foods in my Instant Pot, it didn’t immediately occur to me that baked potatoes could be one of those foods. But now that I know about this time-saving trick, I use it all the time!
If you love traditional oven-baked potatoes, you’ll love these Instant Pot potatoes.
Jillee’s Take:
Table Of Contents
How To Make Perfect Instant Pot Baked Potatoes
You’ll need:
- Potatoes*
- Fork
- Metal rack or trivet
- Water
- Oil (optional)
*Starchy russet potatoes make for light and fluffy baked potatoes, but Yukon gold potatoes are also delicious!
Directions:
Clean and dry the potatoes, then poke each potato all over with a fork. Rub a bit of cooking oil on the skins, if desired, then place them on a rack or trivet in your Instant Pot. Add 1 cup of water to the pot and seal the lid.
Use the Manual or Pressure Cook program to cook the potatoes on high pressure for 12-20 minutes (see below).
How Long To Cook Baked Potatoes In An Instant Pot
- Small potatoes (<1.5 inches in diameter): 12 minutes
- Medium potatoes (1.5-2.5 inches in diameter): 16 minutes
- Large potatoes (>2.5 inches in diameter): 20 minutes
When the potatoes are done cooking, use Quick Release to depressurize the pot by opening the pressure release valve on the lid. These easy Instant Pot baked potatoes are perfect every time!
How to Enjoy Leftovers
To store leftover baked potatoes, let them cool then wrap them tightly in plastic wrap, or use stash them in a ziplock bag and use the straw trick remove the air.
Leftover baked potatoes will keep in the fridge for 3-5 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 minutes.
To reheat leftover baked potatoes, use one of the following methods.
- Microwave: Cut one of your potatoes in half, cover it with a damp paper towel, and then microwave it for 2-3 minutes.
- Air Fryer: Heat at 350°F for 3-4 minutes.
- Stovetop: Heat some oil in a skillet, then cut the potatoes in half lengthwise and put them in the hot skillet cut side down. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and cook the potatoes for 3-4 minutes.
- Oven: Place potatoes directly on the rack and heat them up at 350°F for 15-20 minutes.
Serving Suggestions
A baked potato bar makes a quick and easy weeknight dinner! Set up a lazy Susan with small dishes of your favorite potato toppings, like homemade butter, sour cream, chopped chives, bacon bits, and shredded cheese. Add Instant Pot Chili to the spread if you’re feeling extra hungry!
BONUS: How To Make Instant Pot Twice-Baked Potatoes
To make twice-baked potatoes, start by cooking your potatoes according to the directions above, then follow these additional steps:
More Ideas You'll Love
- Cut the potatoes in half lengthwise when they are cool enough to handle.
- Using a spoon, carefully hollow out the halved potatoes without getting too close to the skins.
- Put the potato flesh in a bowl with some butter, sour cream, cheese, or even crumbled bacon. Use a potato masher to mash everything together until smooth.
- Spoon the mixture back into the hollow potatoes, top each one with grated cheese, then stick them under a broiler until browned.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Many Potatoes Fit In An Instant Pot?
The number of potatoes you can cook at once depends on the size of the potatoes and your Instant Pot. For reference, I can fit 6-8 medium russet potatoes in my 6-quart model if I stack them. (When stacking, leave a bit of room between the potatoes to ensure they cook evenly.)
Do Potatoes Cook Faster In Aluminum Foil?
Not if you’re cooking them in an Instant Pot! In fact, wrapping potatoes in foil before pressure cooking them can slow the cooking process. (The main benefit to wrapping potatoes in foil before baking them in an oven is that it prevents moisture loss, but that’s not a concern with pressure cooking.)
Can I Make Instant Pot Baked Potatoes With Crispy Skin?
Instant Pot baked potatoes have tender skins rather than crispy ones, but it’s not hard to crisp up the skins after cooking them. Just arrange the baked potatoes on a baking sheet, spritz them with cooking oil, and pop them in your oven or air fryer for a few minutes!
Is There An Even Faster Way To Cook Baked Potatoes In An Instant Pot?
You can save a few minutes by adding boiling water to the bottom of the pot, rather than cold or lukewarm water. The pot will pressurize more quickly if the water is already hot.
What If I Don’t Have A Metal Rack?
If you can’t find the metal rack that came with your Instant Pot, you can use any heat-safe rack that will fit in the pot. Even crumpled aluminum foil will work — you just need the potatoes to sit above the water line.
How Long Should I Cook Yukon Gold Potatoes?
Yukon gold potatoes are usually small to medium in size, so they’ll cook in about 12-16 minutes. My free Instant Pot Cooking Times Cheat Sheet can give you a better idea of how long to cook potatoes and many other foods!
Can I Use This Method To Make Instant Pot Sweet Potatoes?
Absolutely! Instant Pot sweet potatoes are delicious, and you don’t have to make any changes to the method described here.
What Are The Best Potatoes To Use For Instant Pot Baked Potatoes?
Russet potatoes make the best Instant Pot baked potatoes, in my opinion. Their starchy interiors become light, fluffy, and utterly delicious.
Conclusion
It can take an hour or more to make baked potatoes in an oven, and that’s without factoring in the time it takes to preheat! But you can have fluffy, delicious Instant Pot baked potatoes on the table in around half an hour, so why wait?
What’s your favorite way to make baked potatoes?
More Ideas You'll Love
Instant Pot Baked Potatoes Recipe
Equipment
- Instant Pot
- Metal rack or trivet
- Fork
Ingredients
- 6 russet potatoes
- 1 cup water
- cooking oil optional
Instructions
- Clean and dry the potatoes, then poke each potato all over with a fork.
- Rub a bit of cooking oil on the skins, if desired, then place them on a rack or trivet in your Instant Pot.
- Add 1 cup of water to the pot and seal the lid.
- Use Manual or Pressure Cook to cook the potatoes on high pressure for 12-20 minutes (see Notes).
Video
Notes
- Small potatoes (<1.5″ diameter): 12 minutes
- Medium potatoes (1.5-2.5″ diameter): 16 minutes
- Large potatoes (>2.5″ diameter): 20 minutes
Hi Jillee. First I want to thank you for all of the wonderful research and time you put in to bring these great posts to us. Now, a bit off topic: is there an easy way to convert recipes for the slow cooker to the instant pot? I have literally dozens of crock pot recipes that I’d like to convert for making in my newly acquired I.P., but don’t know how. I wondered if there was an easy conversion table or something like that to be able to do it. Thanks!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.There isn’t anything that will work across the board to make conversion, but you can use the chart in this post to start figuring out the new times for your Instant Pot. http://jillee.co/2tATaFP :-)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Is this instant pot a pressured cooker?
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Where do you get in Canada ?
Looks yummy & healthier, thank you!
Yes, it’s an electric pressure cooker! You can find one by clicking on the underlined words “instant pot” in the post :-)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.You’re my favorite blogger!
Is there a way to print these? I don’t see a print button when there are multiple recipes in a post. Thx.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Yes, there’s a green button at the bottom of every post! :-) It’s right next to the Pinterest and Facebook buttons.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Jillee, Love your blog too, but I am finding the same problem with a print option on many of the posts. Including this one. My options are Facebook, Pintrest, Instagram, or you tube. No Print option.
There is a no drain way to make mashed potatoes. I love the ease of it. If they are a bit “wet” I just add a bit of potato flakes. http://woodhavenpl.com/recipe/recipe-instant-pot-mashed-potatoes/
Please log in or create a free account to comment.These recipes look good. We may have to try these with our insta-pot.
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