If you enjoyed how simple it is to cook spaghetti squash in the Instant Pot, you’ll discover baked potatoes are just as easy. Using the Instant Pot saves you from heating the oven for an hour or relying on the uneven results of a microwave. With the pot sitting on our counter, there’s rarely an excuse not to make a satisfying meal quickly.
Baked potatoes are convenient year-round. We often pick up one or two for a quick weeknight dinner or an easy lunch to take to work. When prepared in the Instant Pot, they come out flavorful and consistently cooked.
Tips for cooking baked potatoes in the Instant Pot
Choose potatoes that are similar in size when cooking several at once, since cooking time depends on their size.
Average russet potatoes need about 12 minutes at high pressure. Adjust by 1–2 minutes for larger or smaller potatoes.
Some sources say you can cook up to eight potatoes at once. We usually cook no more than three, so I can’t speak from experience about larger batches—just be aware cooking times may vary when you increase quantity.
Always pierce the potatoes all over with a fork to allow steam to escape while cooking.
Place the trivet in the Instant Pot before adding the potatoes so they sit above the water and steam evenly.
You should add cold water to the pot. Using warm or hot water changes how long the Instant Pot takes to reach pressure, which can affect the total cook time.
When cooking is complete, use a natural release rather than a quick release. Letting the pressure come down naturally helps prevent the potato flesh from becoming mealy or collapsing.
How Instant Pot potatoes compare to oven-baked
Potatoes cooked in the Instant Pot have a creamy, evenly cooked interior—often creamier than oven-baked potatoes. One difference is the skin: don’t expect the same crisp exterior you get from the oven. If you prefer crisp skin, finish the potato under a broiler for a few minutes or rub with oil and bake briefly. Even so, the Instant Pot method keeps the flesh moist and uniformly cooked through, which many people prefer.
Baked Potatoes in the Instant Pot
5 minutes
22 minutes
27 minutes
Ingredients
- 1–4 Russet potatoes
- 1 cup cold water
Instructions
- Place the trivet in your Instant Pot.
- Pierce each potato all around with a fork.
- Arrange the potatoes on the trivet and add 1 cup cold water to the bottom of the pot.
- Set to high pressure for 12 minutes (add or subtract 1–2 minutes depending on potato size) and start cooking.
- When the cook time ends, allow the pressure to release naturally.
- Serve hot with your favorite toppings.
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