Name: Homemade Mashed Potatoes
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 25 min
Ingredients: 8 red potatoes, (unpeeled and diced); 2 Tablespoons butter, (unsalted); 1/2 cup milk, (2%); 1 teaspoon salt; 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper

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Best homemade mashed potatoes you'll ever have! And they are so easy to make and oh so good! These creamy mashed potatoes are full of flavor and perfect for any weeknight meal. Ready and on the table in 20 minutes!

And they pair perfectly with my Instant Pot Tuscan Chicken and this Steak Marinade Recipe!!

White bowl containing homemade mashed potatoes topped with chives, sitting on a white table with a teal napkin, red potatoes in background.

When you think of homemade mashed potatoes, you probably think of holiday meals served at Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter. But these y'all...I make them at least twice a week! This is the best-mashed potatoes recipe and I guarantee you're going to love this version. And it pairs well with so many recipes, like this smoked pork tenderloin and this baked salmon with dill sauce.

Why This Recipe Works:

these are red skin mashed potatoes which means the texture will be extra creamy,
it only takes minutes to prepare and I use only the simplest ingredients you already have a home,
it's been proven by time. This is my mom's recipe that's been in my family for 50 years!

You're about to learn how to make mashed potatoes from scratch that will WOW your taste buds every single time!

White bowl containing homemade mashed potatoes sitting on a white table with a teal napkin, chives scattered on table.

5 Expert Tips For Making Perfect Mashed Potatoes

Just like there are multiple ways to skin a cat, there are multiple ways to make mashed potatoes. Here are 5 essential things you need to know in order to get the best results:

Best Potatoes for Mashed Potatoes: use red potatoes. They are less starchy and when mashed, they have more of a velvety texture. Mashed red potatoes will give you that rich, creamy, and indulgently buttery consistency you typically find in restaurants.
Don't completely peel the entire potato: mashed potatoes with skin add texture and taste delicious. The nutrition is in the peelings so make sure you leave some of the peelings on.
Cut the potatoes before boiling and fill the pot with just enough water: In my potato salad recipe, I boil the whole potato. In this recipe, I dice the potatoes and put them in a pot. Fill the pot with water, just enough to cover the potatoes.
Boiling time: I don't keep track of the actual minutes it takes to boil potatoes for this recipe, but the key is once a fork can smoothly penetrate through a potato, they're done. Just don't lose track of time because if you over-boil, they'll be mushy when you mash them and you won't get that velvety texture.
Invest in both an electric mixer and a handheld masher. Depending on what meat I'm serving, I'll switch up my method of mashing. With chicken breast recipes, like my One Pan Garlic Baked Chicken with Mozzarella, I like to use the electric handheld mixer because it yields that smooth velvety texture. But when I make steak dishes, like my 10 Garlic Clove Marinated Grilled Filet, I use a handheld masher. I like a "chunkier" texture in my potatoes when eating steak.

White bowl containing mashed potatoes topped with chives sitting on a wooden table, teal napkin and red potatoes in background.

Ingredients You'll Need

You only need 5 ingredients for this recipe...that's it! Red potatoes are key, but I've also used yukon gold potatoes. Yukon gold mashed potatoes have a similar consistency and texture to mashed red potatoes.

Using unsalted butter is best. If you need to use margarine you can, but unsalted butter helps get the texture you want.

Red potatoes, salt, pepper, milk and butter on a granite counter.

Making Mashed Potatoes

First, partially peel the red potatoes with a vegetable peeler. Leave about half the peels on. Rinse well to get rid of the extra starch and any dirt.

Half peeled red potatoes on a white counter table.

Chop the potatoes into cubes and place them into a medium pot. Fill with just enough water to cover the potatoes. Boil until done and then drain all the water in a colander.

Pot containing diced potatoes filled with water.

Place the cooked potatoes in a large bowl and add the milk, butter, salt, and pepper. There's no need to melt the butter. Since the potatoes are still hot, the butter will melt as you mix.

Mix on low speed, increasing to medium speed once the ingredients are well mixed. Grab a spoon and taste test! Expert Tip: If you need more salt or pepper, add some. If you like creamed potatoes, add a little more milk and butter.

Electric mixer whipping mashed potatoes in a white bowl.

Serve warm and top with your favorite toppings, such as scallions, ground pepper, and of course, more melted butter!

White bowl sitting on a white marble table containing mashed potatoes topped with chives, teal napkin on table.

Freezing and Reheating

Freezing mashed potatoes is not a good idea. I definitely do not recommend freezing them. The consistency will be weird when they thaw. But reheating them is easy. Any leftovers should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 days. Here's a couple of methods you can use to reheat:

In the Microwave - place the leftover potatoes in a microwave-safe container and cover. Heat for 2-3 minutes until heated through. If they are too thick in consistency, add a Tablespoon of milk before heating.
In the Oven - place the potatoes in an oven-safe dish and bake on 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes, or until hot.
In a Slow Cooker - the slow cooker is a wonderful mechanism for reheating food. Add the potatoes to the slow cooker and cover. Set the temperature to high and cook for 1 hour.

Bowl of homemade mashed potatoes in a white bowl sitting on a marble table; teal napkin, chives and 3 red potatoes in background.

This truly is a simple mashed potato recipe that anyone can make.

Other Favorite Potato Recipes

If you're looking for more potato recipes you just can't go wrong with these Zesty Italian Roasted Potatoes. They are a crowd favorite and I even made you a video on how to make them. If you don't have a lot of time, you can make these easy crock pot potatoes. You will literally set them and forget them.

Oh, and if you're into smoker recipes, you're going to love this garlic and herb smoked potatoes. Crazy flavorful and super moist and velvety! And, this is the best mashed sweet potato recipe! Sweet and savory, these are perfect for any dinner!

Homemade Mashed Potatoes

4.63 from 8 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 5

Cook Time: 20

Total Time: 25

Servings: people

Calories: 245kcal

Author: Amanda Mason

Ingredients

Instructions

Take all 8 of the red potatoes and dice them into chunks. Make sure you leave some of the peel on.
Once diced, rinse in the strainer to get all the dirt off and extra starch and then add to a large pot.
Fill the large pot with just enough water so that the potatoes are covered. You'll want to make sure there is at least a half inch of water over them so they have room to boil.
Set the large pot of potatoes on the stovetop and bring to a boil. Bring to a boil for about 15 to 20 minutes, just until the potatoes are done.
Once done, drain the water and place the cooked potatoes in a large bowl.
Add in the butter, milk, salt ,and pepper and mix with an electric mixer until smooth and velvety. You may need to add in a bit more milk to ensure your potatoes are wet enough to mix.
Once the potatoes are mashed, add any additional salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.

Notes

Best Potatoes for Mashed Potatoes: use red potatoes. They are less starchy and when mashed, they have more of a velvety texture. Mashed red potatoes will give you that rich, creamy, and indulgently buttery consistency you typically find in restaurants.
Don't completely peel the entire potato: mashed potatoes with skin add texture and taste delicious. The nutrition is in the peelings so make sure you leave some of the peelings on.
Cut the potatoes before boiling and fill the pot with just enough water: dice the potatoes and put them in a pot. Fill the pot with water, just enough to cover the potatoes.
Boiling time: I don't keep track of the actual minutes it takes to boil potatoes for this recipe, but the key is once a fork can smoothly penetrate through a potato, they're done. Just don't lose track of time because if you over boil, they'll be mushy when you mash them and you won't get that velvety texture.
Invest in both an electric mixer and a handheld masher. Depending on what meat I'm serving, I'll switch up my method of mashing. With chicken breast recipes, I like to use the electric handheld mixer because it yields that smooth velvety texture. But when I make steak dishes, I use a handheld masher. I like a "chunkier" texture in my potatoes when eating steak.

Nutrition

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Update Notes: This post was originally published in November 2017, but was re-published with updated step-by-step instructions, pictures, and tips in April 2020.