Name: Instant Pot Baked Potatoes
Prep time: 2 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 22 min
Ingredients: 1 cup water; 3 lbs medium potatoes (all about the same size); 2 tbsp olive oil

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These Instant Pot Baked Potatoes can be make in just 1/3 of the time compared to cooking them in the oven, and I’ve got a trick to get the skin crispy to serve up on a baked potato bar.

A close up of an Instant Pot Baked Potato on a white plate topped with bacon

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Who else loves baked potatoes? Yep, me too! We serve them up on a baked potato bar once a week complete with all the fixings, like bacon, chives, shredded cheese and sour cream. Yum!

chopped oninos, carrots, celery in small bowls next to spoons with herbs next to an Instant Pot

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Not only are baked potatoes delicious, they’re easy to make too and I’ve got a cooking hack to make them in just 1/3 of the time over cooking them in the oven. Oh yes, it’s time to bring out the Instant Pot.

Wait, what?! You can make Instant Pot baked potatoes? Yes! It’s so easy and really cuts down the cooking time. So how do you get the skins crispy? Just finish the potatoes off in the oven for about 10 minutes to give it that crispy texture. No one will even know you didn’t cook it in the oven the whole time.

So what’s so special about the Instant Pot?

It’s a 7-in-1 Multi-Functional Cooker – including a pressure cooker, slow cooker, rice cooker, saute/browning, yogurt maker, steamer and warmer. Plus, it has a stainless steel cooking pot and steam rack. It does so much in one little kitchen appliance

If you’re just getting started with the Instant Pot, check out my quick start guide Top 10 Instant Pot Tips and Tricks You Need to Know.

With this recipe, you can make up to 5 lbs in the Instant Pot easily so you can practically serve up an army (I like to call them teenagers and pre-teens in my house who eat EVERYTHING). So it’s perfect for big family gatherings, parties with kids, get-togethers, etc. Just set out all the fixings and let everyone help themselves.

Why Make Baked Potatoes in the Instant Pot?

It’s a huge time-saver. Instead of taking an hour to bake in the oven, you can put them in the Instant Pot or electric pressure cooker for just 20 minutes and then finish in the oven on broil for about 3-5 minutes to get that oven-baked texture on the potato skin.

Baked potatoes stacked on a metal trivet

How to Make Instant Pot Baked Potatoes

Gather your ingredients and the Instant Pot.
Place the steam rack or metal trivet in the inner stainless steel pot. Add 1 cup of water.
Place potatoes on top of the steam rack. Close lid and turn the steam vent to “sealed”. Set to Manual at High Pressure for 10 minutes. Remember it takes an additional 10-12 minutes for the Intstant Pot to come to pressure.
When the Instant Pot beeps when it’s done, turn the steam vent to do a Quick Release of the pressure. Carefully remove the potatoes. You can serve potatoes as is. Or if you want the potatoes to have a crispy skin, brush them with olive or avocado oil and broil in the oven for 3-5 minutes.
Remove from the oven and serve up with your favorite fixings.

Baked Potato Filling Ideas

There are so many options with filling ideas for baked potatoes. I cook bacon in the oven while the potatoes are in the Instant Pot for 20 minutes. The timing works out perfectly so both are done at the same time.

Sour cream, chives and bacon
Beef chili and shredded cheddar cheese
Cottage cheese
shredded cheddar cheese and butter

Instant Pot Baked Potatoes on a white plate cut open and topped with bacon

Make a Baked Potato Bar

Serve up these baked potatoes with a fixing bar. Have bowls of chopped chives or green onions, shredded cheddar cheese, crumbled bacon, butter, salt and pepper, and sour cream. Let the family grab their own plain baked potato and add their own fillings. It’s like a taco bar but with baked potatoes and their fixings instead.

This is great for a large family meal, reunion party, kids party, etc.

Quick Tips to Make These Baked Potatoes

Be sure to add 1 full cup of water to the Instant Pot inner pot. If you don’t have water, the potatoes won’t cook properly and it’s not safe for the Instant Pot.
Use a a metal trivet and stack potatoes in the inner pot above the water. I can usually fit about 6-7 medium-sized potatoes.
Use Russet potatoes for the best bet, but other options are Yukon gold or even sweet potatoes.
Remember it takes about 10-12 minutes for the Instant Pot to get to pressure. So let it go and then the actual 10 minute cooking time will start after that.
When you take them out of the Instant Pot, finish them in the oven on broil (brush olive oil on the skin) for 3-5 minutes, or to your own taste.

Brushing baked potatoes with olive oil to go into an oven

More Instant Pot Meals You Might Like

Did you try these instant pot baked potatoes? Don’t forget to rate the recipe and comment below to let me know how it went. You can also FOLLOW ME on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest to see what other fun things I’m getting up to.