How to Cook Instant Pot Baked Potatoes
Cooking potatoes in your Instant Pot is as easy as pouring a cup of water into the bottom, adding a trivet (I use the one that comes in the Instant Pot box), and then placing your potatoes on top of that to keep them out of the water.
Instant Pot baked potatoes are technically steamed, rather than baked, so the skin won’t get crispy like they might in the oven, but that also means you never have to worry about the potatoes burning or over-cooking, either. The Instant Pot will automatically stop the cooking cycle when it’s complete, and it will keep the potatoes warm until you’re ready to serve them. It’s an easy, hands-off process!
How Many Potatoes Can You Cook in an Instant Pot?
Since potatoes don’t create foam, the way Instant Pot brown rice can, you don’t have to worry about the pot becoming over-pressurized or overflowing. In theory, you can fill the pot up with potatoes, as long as they don’t touch the lid. Keep in mind that the more full your pot is the longer it will take for the pot to come to pressure. So, the more potatoes you cook, the longer the overall process will take. When I cook 2 to 4 potatoes at a time, it takes my Instant Pot about 10 minutes to come to pressure. It will take longer if you add more potatoes, so just keep that in mind if you’re trying to time your meal correctly. I recommend starting earlier than you need to, since the Instant Pot will keep your potatoes warm until you’re ready to serve them, anyway.
How Long Do you Cook Potatoes in the Instant Pot?
I’ve experimented with tons of potatoes to determine the perfect cooking time for the Instant Pot. Since potatoes can vary in size so much, I’ve come up with this fool-proof formula: for every ounce a potato weighs, multiply it by 5 minutes to get the perfect cooking time. Here are a few examples:
an 8-ounce potato (8 ounces x 5 minutes) cooks for 40 minutes a 12-ounce potato (12 ounces x 5 minutes) cooks for 60 minutes a 16-ounce potato (16 ounces x 5 minutes) cooks for 80 minutes
All of these times are cooking at high pressure, and you’ll give the potatoes a natural release of at least 10 minutes before opening the pot. Keep in mind that the pot will also have to come to pressure before the cooking cycle begins, which takes another 10 minutes or so. Keep this timing in mind when you’re planning your meal, so you’re not waiting on your Instant Pot when you’re ready to eat! Time-Saving Tip: You can cut the cooking time in half by slicing the potatoes in half! If you have a 16-ounce potato and you cut it into two 8-ounce halves, you can use the timing for cooking an 8-ounce potato.
Can You Put Aluminum Foil in the Instant Pot?
I’ve seen several recipes for the Instant Pot and slow cookers where you wrap the potatoes you want to cook in foil first. I know it’s common to do this in the oven, but I don’t recommend using foil for this purpose because studies show that cooking with aluminum can increase the aluminum content in your food. (source) From a practical standpoint, the foil may slow down the cooking process in the Instant Pot, because the heat won’t reach the potatoes as quickly as if they are unwrapped. In the oven, it makes sense that you’d want to cover the potatoes so that the outside doesn’t dry out before the inside gets tender, but in the Instant Pot you never have to worry about your potatoes drying out or the skins burning. After all, they’re being cooked in a sealed pot with steam pressure! So, in this case skip the foil and let your Instant Pot do all the work.
Benefits of Potatoes
I make these Instant Pot baked potatoes nearly every week because I love how comforting and satisfying they are. And they pack some pretty awesome vitamins and minerals, like vitamin C, vitamin B6, and potassium. Here’s what else I love about potatoes:
Potatoes are rich in antioxidants that may help to prevent the growth of cancer cells in your liver and colon. (source) Potatoes contain resistant starch, which may help to remove excess blood sugar and reduce insulin resistance. (source) The resistant starch in potatoes may help to feed the beneficial bacteria in your gut. The gut bacteria can turn it into a short-chain fatty acid called butyrate, and studies have shown that this may help to reduce inflammation in the colon. (source) They keep you feeling full. A protein in potatoes called potato proteinase inhibitor 2 may help to curb your appetite by boosting the release of a hormone that promotes a feeling of fullness. (source)
I hope you’ll enjoy these Instant Pot potatoes as much as I do. Top them with green onions, salt, and pepper for a simple presentation, or make them a meal by filling them with my Instant Pot Vegan Chili. Either way, they’re totally delicious!
How to Make Instant Pot Baked Potatoes (3-Minute Video):
Recipe Notes:
If you’re looking to cook a sweet potato, check out my Instant Pot Sweet Potatoes tutorial for full details. This method should work with nearly any type of white potato, including Yukon Gold and Russet potatoes. Let me know if you experiment with any other varieties!
If you try this recipe, please leave a comment below and let me know how to works for you. We can all benefit from your experience! – Reader Feedback: What do you use your Instant Pot for most often? We probably make Instant Pot Quinoa at least once a week, and my Chipotle Burrito Bowls are a staple, too!
