These Instant Pot Baked Potatoes are so easy, you’ll never go back to the oven! Use russet or red potatoes – includes cook times for various sizes!
No Instant Pot? Check out my oven Baked Potato Recipe or my Air Fryer Baked Potato!
Table of Contents
So here we are — right smack in the middle of an Instant Pot craze. I’ll be the first to admit that I haven’t always been on board with the thing, but I’ve given it a good shot and there are some things that I definitely love to cook in there.
These Instant Pot Baked Potatoes were one of my very first experiments in my pressure cooker, and one of the things that made me fall in love with it!
(Next was this Creamy Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup, this tutorial on How to Cook Frozen Chicken Breasts in the Instant Pot, and this recipe for Instant Pot Taco Meat from Frozen Ground Beef!)
I’ve used my Instant Pot 4 times in the last 3 days, and although there will be more Instant Pot recipes coming your way, I want them to be perfect before they show up here.
Pressure cooking has been a huge learning curve for me, as I’m sure it is for most people.
Thankfully, with electric pressure cookers it can be pretty easy, provided you have clear directions to follow — and follow them! (<– this one is difficult for me!)
With a skillet or the slow cooker, it’s pretty easy to just throw in random ingredients and see how it goes, and you can adjust things as you go.
With the Instant Pot, it’s not quite so easy, because it takes so long to build pressure and release pressure before and after cooking time, you really want to make sure you get it right the first time (or plan ahead and give yourself an extra 30-45 minutes before you need to eat, just in case!).
I’ve had my share of dinnertime disasters that end up only being cooked an hour or two after supper is finished! We’re going to try to avoid that here 🙂
I’ve made my share of things that are not that great. Instant Pot Baked Potatoes? Not the one I expected to win me over.
But they’re amazing.
Baked potatoes can take forever in the oven, we all know. But in the pressure cooker? Minutes!
How to make Instant Pot Baked Potatoes:
- Know your potatoes. To make good pressure cooker baked potatoes without having to put the lid back on to continue pressure cooking, you will need to figure out the cook time needed depending on the type and size of potato you have. See more details below about cook times.
- Wrap them in foil or just throw them right in the pot — I know a lot of people don’t like cooking in foil and that is fine! I do foil sometimes when feeding a crowd because it makes it easy for everyone to grab one and go, but this is not necessary if it’s something you don’t like to do. Foil keeps the seasoning, heat and moisture in after cooking, but you may need to add a few minutes to the cook time if you choose to wrap them.
- Season before, or season after. You can slice the potatoes in half before wrapping and season with salt, pepper and other herbs and spices.
- Make a little, or make a lot! Stacking the potatoes won’t add any time to the cooking process.
- Use red or russet potatoes. I just love red potatoes, for pretty much everything, but I know traditionally russet potatoes are preferred for baked potatoes. Since these potatoes won’t get a crispy skin (thanks to all that steam), I prefer to use red potatoes because they have a smooth skin and creamy texture.
These potatoes turn out so creamy and fluffy thanks to the steam in the pressure cooker, I think they are 10 times better than any oven baked potatoes! If you try them, I’d love to hear how you like them or what your favorite Instant Pot recipes are!
Cook times for Instant Pot potatoes:
Since this recipe was originally posted, I wanted to clear up some confusion regarding cook times and types of potatoes.
Originally, I wrapped my baked potatoes in foil to cook, and I still do sometimes, especially when I want to add butter, seasonings or onion slices right to the packet (great for camping!), but they can take a few minutes longer to cook that way.
So I wanted to get back to the basics and get a little more specific with cook times for pressure cooked baked potatoes so that you can be successful the first time!
Instant Pot Baked Potatoes: Russet Potatoes
Russet potatoes are longer and thinner than red potatoes, so they cook more quickly.
- Small (approx. 150g): 16 minutes + natural pressure release of 10-12 minutes
- Medium (approx 200g): 20 minutes + natural pressure release of 10-12 minutes
- Large (approx 300-350g): 25 minutes + natural pressure release of 10-12 minutes
Instant Pot Baked Potatoes: Red Potatoes
Red potatoes tend to be rounder which makes them wider in the middle and they take a little longer to cook.
- Small (130-135g): 18 minutes + NPR 10-12 minutes
- Medium (240-250g): 23 minutes + NPR 10-12 minutes
- Large (365g): 28 minutes + NPR 10-12 minutes
Three Ways to Make Instant Pot Baked Potatoes:
You sure love your Instant Pot potatoes! I wanted to throw out three different ways to do them up, but I’d love to hear what you pile on yours!
- Classic Loaded Baked Potato: with sour cream, bacon, cheddar cheese and green onions.
- Mexican: with taco ground beef, cheddar cheese, and tomato salsa (throw some sour cream on this one, too, if you like!)
- Broccoli Alfredo: with Alfredo sauce, steamed broccoli, and Parmesan cheese!
Want more Instant Pot potatoes?
- Easy Instant Pot Potato Salad
- Garlic Herb Instant Pot Potatoes
- Instant Pot Potato Soup Recipe
- Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes Recipe
Instant Pot Baked Potatoes Recipe
written by Ashley Fehr
Ingredients
- 8 medium red or russet potatoes
- 1 cup water or chicken broth
Instructions
- Place the rack in the bottom of the Instant Pot and pour 1 cup of water in the bottom.
- Optional: Wrap each potato in a small piece of foil and place on top of rack (stacking them is fine — I get about 7 flat on the rack), or skip the foil and just place them on the rack.
- Place the lid on the Instant Pot and switch the valve to sealing.
- Press Manual or Pressure Cook, leave the Instant Pot at high pressure (the default), and set the time at 20-23 minutes for medium potatoes (see post above for additional cook times). The Instant Pot will begin heating and building pressure, and this will take about 10 minutes. It will then begin counting down.
- When the timer beeps, press Cancel and either allow the Instant Pot 10 minutes to naturally release pressure before opening the valve to venting and removing the lid. Be careful because the potatoes are very hot!
Nutrition Information
Want to save this recipe?
Create an account easily save your favorite content, so you never forget a recipe again.
Tried this recipe?
Tag @thereciperebel or hashtag #thereciperebel — I love to see what you’re making!
Tag @thereciperebel
Chris says
I love my instant pot, and find it advantageous on some things, but if you’re going to spend 40 mins in a pressure cooker, heck, just stick them in the microwave or regular oven, lol. A pressure cooker is only good if it saves you time, it it doesn’t, then the item your cooking wasn’t meant to be in a pressure cooker.