Instant Pot Boiled Potatoes (How to Boil Potatoes in Instant Pot)

a close up of fork-tender boiled potatoes placed on a trivet inside the instant pot.

Instant Pot Boiled Potatoes (How to Boil Potatoes in Instant Pot)

A step by step guide for boiling potatoes in the Instant Pot to get perfect fork-tender boiled potatoes - every single time!

Course Beginner Recipes, Kitchen Basics

Cuisine Indian

Cook Time 14

Additional time 20

Total Time 34

Servings boiled potatoes

Calories 673kcal

Author Shantala Shenoy Nayak

Equipment

Instant Pot Duo Nova
Short Trivet

Ingredients

4 potatoes (weighing about 6 oz each, so a total of 24 oz / 1½ pounds)
2 cups water

Instructions

In the main steel insert of the Instant Pot - add 2 cups of water, and place a regular short trivet in it.
Place the potatoes on the trivet.
Close the Instant Pot lid, ensuring to seal it.
Pressure cook for 14 minutes on high, and then let all the pressure release naturally from the pot.
Instant Pot boiled potatoes are ready!

Video

Notes

I prefer to use the regular pressure cook function to boil potatoes. But you can also use the steam function. I haven't found much difference either way.
Also, I find it best to keep potatoes directly on the trivet. But you can also keep them in a container on the trivet. Just ensure to not put any water inside the container. I usually do this for baby potatoes, as it's easier to contain them in a container.
Adjust pressure cook time by a few minutes up or down, based on if you want more well boiled or more firmer boiled potatoes, depending on what you will be using the boiled potatoes for.
Also while it is ideal to get potatoes of approximately the same size to get an even boil, they usually come in all different shapes and sizes. And during such times, it's usually best to adjust pressure cook time by weight. For instance, like I mentioned in this recipe - it takes about 14 minutes to boil 1½ pounds of potatoes. 1 pound might take 10 minutes or so, and 2 pounds might take about 14-16 minutes.
You can also adjust the pressure cook time by a minute or so, depending on the size of the potatoes. For the same weight, bigger size potatoes might take an additional minute, and smaller ones might take a little lesser.
Some also poke holes in bigger potatoes using a fork, to get them to boil faster. I personally haven't found it to help a lot, especially when all the potatoes are about the same size, so I usually rely on adjusting the pressure cooking time. But if you are boiling a batch that contains big as well as small potatoes, then it helps to poke holes in the bigger ones, and leave the small ones as is, to get them to boil somewhat evenly.

Please note: The nutrition values are best estimates provided as a courtesy. The exact values can vary depending on the exact ingredients or brands used. If you rely on them for your specific diet and/or health issues, please consult a registered dietician or nutritionist.

Nutrition