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Yield: 6 servings
Ready In: 25 mins
This is my secret to the perfect instant pot potatoes: Steam them for a few minutes on a steamer rack or trivet (vs submerging them in water), then drain and lightly sauté them in butter and herbs for the ultimate flavor. They are incredibly quick to make and come out wonderfully fluffy and so flavorful.I use a homemade Ranch seasoning mix to season the potatoes for a wonderful garlic ranch flavor, but you can use pretty much any seasoning mix you enjoy on potatoes – or just use some garlic powder and chopped herbs, if you preferIf you want to cook your meat right alongside your potatoes, try my Instant Pot Chicken Thighs and Potatoes, or my Instant Pot Pork Chops and Potatoes!
Recommended Equipment:
Ingredients
- 1 cup water
- 1 1/2 pounds baby potatoes (large ones cut in half)
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 tablespoon ranch seasoning mix (or your favorite dried herbs and garlic powder)
- salt & pepper (to taste)
Instructions
- Pressure cook: Place 1 cup water in the inner pot of your instant pot. Set a trivet or steamer basket in the inner pot and place the potatoes on top. Close the lid, set the valve to "sealing" and select "pressure cook" (or "manual" on some models). Set the timer to 3 minutes. It will take about 5 minutes for the instant pot to come to pressure, then the timer will start counting down.
- Release pressure: Once the cooking time is up, do a 5 minute pressure release (just switch off the instant pot and leave it alone). Then, release any remaining pressure manually according to manufacturer's instructions.
- Drain: Drain the potatoes and remove the trivet. Rinse the inner pot in hot water to remove any starch residue (no need to scrub it, just rinse it once), then place the potatoes back in and fit it into the instant pot.
- Sauté: Set the instant pot to "sauté" and add the butter and seasoning mix. Toss well to evenly coat the potatoes with butter, then brown until the potatoes are lightly crispy – watch closely so they don't burn, then serve immediately.
Nora’s Tips
Step by Step Photos:
Make sure to add one cup of water to your instant pot before adding the potatoes to the trivet (if you don’t have a 6 quart instant pot, check the instructions for minimum liquid requirements).
When you place the potatoes in the instant pot on the trivet (it’s fine to use the trivet that comes with your instant pot!), make sure to add the larger, wider potatoes on the bottom, then pile the smaller ones on top – that way the small ones will not fall through the gaps in the trivet. 
Once you open the instant pot, quickly check a few potatoes by piercing them with a fork (or, you know, by eating one or possibly seven). Thy should be absolutely creamy and delicious, but by the off-chance they’re not done, close the instant pot again and cook them for another minute. 
You can just add the butter and all seasoning on top of the potatoes, then gently toss until they’re all evenly coated. 
Ingredient Notes:
Potatoes: If you don’t have any baby potatoes, you can use Yukon Gold you cut into about 1 inch pieces. They tend to fall apart a little more easily during sautéing, because they don’t have a skin all around them. Butter: You can use olive oil or coconut oil in place of the butter, if you like. This will alter the taste considerably, so make sure you’re OK with that. Seasoning: I really love these with Ranch seasoning, but there are many seasoning mixes that are terrific on potatoes – even taco seasoning or Cajun seasoning. I make my own mixes, but if you prefer you can just add some garlic powder and chopped herbs (fresh or dried doesn’t really matter all that much here) to the potatoes.Nutrition
Calories: 128kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 10mg | Sodium: 230mg | Potassium: 477mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 117IU | Vitamin C: 22mg | Calcium: 14mg | Iron: 1mg
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