Instant Pot Mediterranean Mashed Potatoes Recipe (2024)

Mediterranean-style mashed potatoes recipe is an easy side dish to make in the Instant Pot. Made with red potatoes, these creamy mashed potatoes are the ultimate comfort food. Very little prep time and is made with pantry ingredients.

Is there a potato dish that needs a makeover?

Yes, mashed potatoes are in desperate need of it!

They need color!

These Mediterranean-style mashed potatoes are the perfect way to change up plain old colorless potatoes!

Originally published on November 17, 2017 at 4:33 pm. Click here to see why this new recipe was made.

🛒 Ingredients

Here is a quick look at the ingredients. It is to understand why these specific ingredients were chosen. To get the full recipe, go to the bottom of this post.

Red potatoes – I think the best kind of potato to use is the mighty red potato. I prefer them over regular potatoes like Yukon gold they are creamier and easier to mash! I leave the Yukon gold potatoes for french fries.

Kalamata olives – Olives are the top healthiest food item in the world. They are packed with good fats, antioxidants, and heart-healthy ingredients. Source: Eating Well. I like to make an olive salad for a fun lunch recipe.

Roasted Red Peppers – They add so much flavor and a subtle tang to this potato recipe. Plus, they are packed with fiber and good fats. Source: Nutritionix.com. I use roasted red peppers from a jar and turn leftovers into the best bell pepper pesto.

Heavy cream – This cream is often used in the Mediterranean diet, but sparingly because of its high-fat content. I like using it because it makes the potatoes so moist and creamy.

🌿 Substitution tip: Want to make a vegan version? Sub the butter with plant-based butter and use nut milk instead of heavy cream.

🪜 Step-by-step Instructions

If you are using a food scale, see the precise weight of the ingredients in the recipe card below.

1. Cooking the Potatoes

Wash the red potatoes thoroughly in cold water and then cut them into halves. Place them in the Instant Pot, add 1 cup of water and choose the “rice” option. Also, Turn off the “keep warm” option.

Side note: You can place the potatoes directly in the container, as I did, or use (Affiliate Link) a steamer basket.

2. Mashing the Potatoes

Wait for the Instant Pot’s valve to drop before opening the lid. From the time you press the “rice” button to the time the valve drops will be about 20 minutes.

Gently remove the mashed potatoes, being careful of the hot water. If they are too hot, give them under a very gentle cold water rinse for 15 seconds. Peel and discard their skin. Then, place them in a large bowl.

Add the grass-fed butter, ½ tsp of salt, and heavy cream to the bowl. Use a hand blender which I find to be better than a potato masher. Mash until you reach your desired texture. I like it silky smooth, so, I mash it for about 5 minutes.

3. Making the olive mixture

While the potatoes are going through the cooking process, prepare the olive mixture. Dice the bell pepper and olives into small pieces.

Put them in a small bowl. My bell peppers were marinated in garlic, but, you can also add additional garlic cloves (or use roasted garlic too). Add the pink salt (or sea salt) and black pepper. Mix well and set aside.

Add the olives mixture to the mashed potato and mix well. Garnish with fresh basil, fresh Rosemary, or mint (optional). Now, it’s ready to serve.

🌪 Handy Tip: Whip the butter using a hand blender or a paddle attachment of your food processor. It will give the potatoes a very silky texture.

? Answering Common Questions

🔥 Handy Tip: If you are boiling the potatoes stovetop, use either low heat or medium heat, never high heat. They will splatter and they will cook unevenly.

Making ahead and storing leftovers

To make these mash potatoes recipes ahead of time, only cook the potatoes and peel them. Pressure cook them for 6 minutes only. Store the cooked potatoes in a glass airtight container.

When you are ready to serve them, place the potatoes back in the Instant Pot and finish cooking them (2-4 minutes). Wait for the valve to drop before opening the Instant Pot. Now, follow from step X below.

Leftovers can be refrigerated, but not frozen. Place them in an oven-safe container and refrigerate for no more than 4 days. You can heat them in the oven at 200°F or 93°C for 5-10 minutes, depending on the amount.

👩‍🍳 Cooking tip: Always wait for the valve to drop on your Instant Pot. The pressure cooker is still cooking the ingredients even after the signing beeps.

How to serve them

This Mediterranean mashed potatoes recipe is the perfect cheap Thanksgiving side dish or can be served with weeknight dinners like this roasted whole cauliflower or air fryer tempeh.

What kind of mashed potato recipes do you like to make?

Love potatoes?

Try some of my favorite potato recipes like these smashed potatoes, Instant Pot chunky potato soup, or these kale and potatoes recipe.

Try these Mediterranean recipes

Instant Pot Mediterranean lentil salad is ready in just 17 minutes! Packed with protein, this is a very filling recipe.

Beetroot hummus is a very easy appetizer to make. It’s one of my favorite keto friendly recipes because it’s packed with so much nutrition.

Mediterranean Brussels sprouts are cooked in a skillet! It’s a similar recipe to these mashed potatoes because it has kalamat olives and sun-dried tomatoes.

Sharing is caring

Don’t be shy, chime in below in the comments. Let me hear your opinion on this Mediterranean mashed potatoes recipe. If you enjoyed this, please give it 5 stars and share it on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, and Instagram.

Version 1

From time to time, I will go through old recipes to update the content. Sometimes, I update just the images and sometimes, I give the recipe a complete makeover.

In this case, the images were a big part of the makeover.

Additionally, this recipe was originally vegan. It was made with hazelnut milk and plant-based milk. I no longer use plant-based butters because they have so many bad ingredients. Read my soap-box reason for why grass-fed butter is the better choice.

Also, I have loved using heavy cream because it makes the potatoes so creamy.

Have you checked out my guide to veganism?

If you want the original recipe, check it out here.