How to Make Baked Potatoes in the Instant Pot

Written by Jessica Published on November 16, 2023

In this post, you will find out how to make baked potatoes in the instant pot the easiest way! Baked potatoes in the instant pot have come to be my preferred way to bake potatoes. Just like I always do hard boiled eggs in my instant pot because the shells peel off every single time! And corn on the cob in the instant pot literally is done in just a few minutes. I like doing potatoes in the instant pot because then I don’t have to turn on the oven and heat up the house, especially during the summer.

Baked potatoes make a good side dish paired with steak or chicken, but they also make a great main dish meal. Top them with chili, cheese and sour cream or broccoli and a cheese sauce. You can have an easy weeknight dinner in minutes, but it can still be hearty, healthy and filling.

:: PIN IT ::

How to Make Baked Potatoes in the Instant Pot

If you are new to using an instant pot you may want to familiarize yourself with some instant pot basics. Believe me, I know it can feel overwhelming if you are new to using an instant pot. Like what is venting, what is natural release, pressure cook, etc. ? New user? I’d check out this post from Simply Recipes on instant pot basics.

Once I learned the basics of the instant pot, I found that it is so easy to use! It’s pretty much a dump and let it do its thing type of appliance. (like a crockpot, only much faster, haha!) 🙂

If you’ve followed us long enough you know we like to use our instant pot for everything possible, whether that is yogurt, hard-boiled eggs, breakfast foods, soups….. It’s great!

How to Make Baked Potatoes in the Instant Pot

First off, you need to wash your potatoes, pat them dry and prick the potatoes with a fork. This allows the steam and pressure to escape when they are cooking.

Next, you need to place about 3/4 – 1 cup of water in the bottom of the instant pot. It should cover the bottom of the instant pot.

Place the trivet in the bottom of the pot.

Add the potatoes, stacking as needed. Make sure the potatoes are on the trivet as you don’t want the potatoes IN the water.

Place the lid on the instant pot and make sure it is set to SEALING.

Pressure cook according to the size of the potatoes.

(See below for a chart with more details.)

After the potatoes are done, allow the pressure to release naturally for about 10 minutes. Then, move the button from the SEALING position to the VENTING position to release any remaining pressure.

The pin should be down before you open the lid.

Using tongs, carefully remove the potatoes from the instant pot. Top with your favorite toppings including cheese, sour cream, bacon crumbles, green onions, chives, chili……the list goes on and on!

COOKING TIMES FOR BAKED POTATOES:

The cooking time for baked potatoes in the instant pot is going to vary according to the size of the potatoes. Try to pick potatoes all about the same size for even cooking. If I’m making five potatoes for dinner, I’ll pick the five potatoes closest in size so that they all are the same done-ness.

Small Potatoes: 15 minutes at high pressure, plus 8 minutes natural release

small potatoes would be about 2-2.25″ wide

Medium Potatoes: 18 minutes at high pressure, plus 8 minutes natural release

medium potatoes are bout 2.5″ wide; these would be the typical size you find in a bag of russet potatoes at the grocery store

Large Potatoes: 21 minutes at high pressure, plus 8 minutes natural release

large potatoes are about 3″ wide

Remember, if you’re unsure of your potato size or they’re kind of in between sizes, it’s always better to add a couple of extra minutes to the high pressure cooking time and have the potatoes a little more done rather than not done enough and you have to bring the pot up to pressure again.

Instant Pot Baked Potatoes

Ingredients

russet potatoes (whatever size you've chosen)

Instructions

Wash the potatoes.
Prick each potato with a fork a few times.
Place 1 cup of water in the bottom of the instant pot.
Add the trivet to the instant pot.
Place the potatoes on the trivet stacking as necessary.
Place the lid on the pot and make sure it is set to SEALING.
Pressure cook according to the size of your potatoes.
Naturally release the pressure for 8 minutes; then, change to VENTING to release any excess pressure.
Remove the lid and carefully remove the potatoes with tongs.

Notes

SMALL POTATOES are about 2-2.25" in width and take about 15 minutes on high pressure.

MEDIUM POTATOES are about 2.5" in width and take about 18 minutes on high pressure. These are the typical potatoes that come in a 5 or 10 lb bag at your local grocery store.

LARGE POTATOES are about 3" in width and take about 21 minutes on high pressure. These would be the ones you'd typically buy in bulk at your local grocery store.

NOTE: It took my instant pot about 5-6 minutes to build up to pressure, so keep that in mind when you're calculating your time.