This is hands down my family’s favorite mashed potatoes recipe. This recipe guarantees extra creamy potatoes thanks to a few simple ingredients and tricks.
My family loves homemade mashed potatoes! Our recipe changes slightly depending on who makes it in our household. Adam uses unpeeled potatoes for skin-on mashed potatoes, and I usually peel them.
We include either method in our recipe below! To use sweet potatoes, see our savory mashed sweet potatoes. I also love mashed potatoes on top of this Shepherd’s pie!
Key Ingredients
- Potatoes: The secret to the creamiest, most delicious mashed potatoes is to use the right potatoes. Thin-skinned potatoes like creamers, baby potatoes, and Yukon Gold are the best potatoes for mashing. Small yellow, white, or red potatoes are perfect. Russet potatoes are fine, but I prefer to peel them. Mashed potatoes made with Russets will be lighter and more fluffy.
- Milk or broth: I love equal parts milk and chicken broth, but use what you have. The broth adds flavor, and the milk keeps them creamy.
- Butter: I’m generous with the butter in this recipe and love the flavor it adds to our potatoes. You can use olive oil to substitute the butter, which tastes different but very delicious.
- Cream: It is optional, but when I have it in the fridge, I love adding a small splash of cream to make them extra creamy and luxurious. When I don’t have cream, I love a dollop of sour cream or mascarpone cheese.
Find the full recipe with measurements below.
How to Make the Best Mashed Potatoes
Tip 1: Simmer in salted water. I cut the potatoes into chunks, and then simmer them in salted water. Medium chunks (1 to 2 inches) work well and take about 15 minutes. Similar to seasoning pasta water, use salted water to cook your potatoes. The seasoned water makes the potatoes taste better. I use 1 tablespoon of salt for a large pot of water.
Tip 2: Cook until fork tender. I know my potatoes are ready for mashing when a fork can easily pierce them. Cooking them longer will make them too soft and sticky.
Tip 3: Cover with a dishtowel. After draining, return the cooked potatoes to your saucepan and cover with a clean dishtowel for about 5 minutes to help absorb excess moisture that can make the potatoes watery.
Tip 4: Use a potato masher, but a food mill is even better. If you have a food mill in your kitchen we highly recommend using it. It gives the potatoes a wonderful texture! That said, a potato masher is easier to clean, so we use it just as often. After mashing, stir in your milk (or broth) and butter. I like adding softened (or melted) butter.
Tip 5: Extras to take mashed potatoes to the next level. To make them extra creamy, add a splash of cream. You can even add extras like roasted garlic, fresh chives, scallions, shredded cheese, and crumbled cooked bacon. These crispy fried shallots are amazing sprinkled on top, too.
Serving Suggestions
I can eat these potatoes without anything else on the plate. They are fantastic with homemade gravy on top. I love them with roasted chicken, pork chops, and pork tenderloin. Mashed potatoes are classic with meatloaf (or this ground turkey meatloaf).
Every Thanksgiving, you’ll see these potatoes with turkey gravy, amazing mushroom stuffing, and roasted garlic on the table. And just in case you need one, here’s my favorite roast turkey recipe!
More Potato Recipes
- Roasted Fingerling Potatoes
- Oven Roasted Potatoes
- Baked French Fries
- Au Gratin Potatoes
- Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes
- Browse all of our potato recipes
Perfect Mashed Potatoes
- PREP
- COOK
- TOTAL
This is how to make my family’s favorite mashed potatoes. The recipe is flexible and can be adjusted based on the ingredients you have on hand. You’ll add about 1 cup of liquid to the potatoes. I love equal parts milk and chicken broth, but use what you have. For extra creamy potatoes, add an extra splash of cream.
Watch Us Make the Recipe
You Will Need
2 pounds (900g) Yukon Gold potatoes, red potatoes, or white potatoes
Salt
1 cup (235ml) whole milk or broth, try homemade chicken broth
3 tablespoons (40g) butter or olive oil
¼ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
Splash of cream or a dollop of sour cream, optional
Directions
1Scrub and dice the potatoes, keeping them a similar size. We often leave the skin on the potatoes, but it is completely up to you.
2Add the potatoes to a large saucepan, add a tablespoon of salt, and cover with water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce to a low simmer.
3Cook until the potatoes fall apart when pierced with a fork, 15 to 20 minutes.
4While the potatoes cook, heat the milk, broth, and butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat until warm and the butter melts.
5Drain the potatoes, return them to the pot, and cover them with a clean dishtowel. Leave them for about 5 minutes to absorb excess steam that can make mashed potatoes watery.
6Pour in the warm butter mixture, and then mash the potatoes until creamy. The potatoes seem thin at first, but they absorb the liquid after a minute or two. Stir in the pepper and splash of cream (optional).
7Taste for seasoning and adjust with additional salt and pepper. Let stand for 5 minutes so the potatoes thicken, then serve.
Adam and Joanne's Tips
- Storing: Homemade mashed potatoes can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. To freeze them, let them cool completely, then place them in a freezer-safe, airtight container.
- Reheating: To reheat mashed potatoes, do so in the microwave or on the stovetop over low heat. Consider adding an extra splash of milk or cream before reheating to prevent them from drying out.
- Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before reheating.
- You can use russet (baking) potatoes. The mashed potatoes will be a bit fluffier.
- Substitute brown butter for the butter to make brown butter mashed potatoes.
- For stiffer mashed potatoes, reduce the amount of liquid called for in the recipe to ¾ cup from 1 cup.
- For extra creamy potatoes, use a food mill. Pass the cooked potatoes through the smallest disk of a food mill then stir in milk or chicken stock and butter. (It’s best the potatoes are peeled for this).
- The nutrition facts provided below are estimates. We assumed ½ milk to ½ stock and added a splash of cream.
This recipe turned out amazing. I have always “winged it” but thought I’d try an actual recipe. I’m so glad I tried this one. I used half milk and half chicken stock. I made ahead and then made the rest of the components of my dinner and then used the last bit of liquid to reheat when ready. Worked great.
While russetts and Yukon gold are very good for mashing, I find that red potatoes are even better if you like your mashed potatoes a little bit heavier
10/10 highly recommend. I used red potatoes, added fresh bacon and chives. I used course sea salt, garlic salt and pepper for my seasonings. Thank you!
Mashed Potatoes are the ultimate comfort food! This version, with its nutty brown butter and aromatic herbs, takes the classic to a whole new level. It’s a must-try for anyone looking to elevate their side dish game.
Really delicious & easy, thank you! I appreciate you explaining the different types of potatoes. I used baby potatoes and it turned out so well (No cream even needed. :P). I used a plant-based milk, and no broth. Also I mashed by hand as I also like some chunks to remain, like you pictured.
Your the best. Love your recipes. So complete and so wonderful.
Hi Linda, you have made our day 🙂
Excellent! They came out DELICIOUS when I made them for thanksgiving and everyone is asking me to make them again for Christmas!
I love your tips, they were super helpful!! Thank you 😊
This was my first time attempting to make mashed potatoes and my family was so impressed! There were no leftovers. Thanks for sharing this brilliant and easy recipe!
Can you make this recipe a couple hours ahead of time? Trying to prep for a for a dinner party and pairing it with meatloaf. Can’t to try them!!!!
Hi Michelle, you can make this ahead of time. You can keep it in the refrigerator until your dinner party.
Can these be made ahead of time and re-heated? Cant wait to try them! Thanks!
Yes, absolutely. I’d keep them covered in the refrigerator.
For the nutrition facts, what do you consider a serving of these? They’re delicious!!
Hi Ashley, The recipe makes 6 servings.
I would change one thing about this recipe. I was taught a long time ago that the less you cut up the potatoes the less water they will absorb. Thus a creamier mashed potatoes. I’ve had mashed potatoes that seemed soggy before. Haven’t you? I betchya it was bc they were cut up into small pieces so each piece more easily absorbed more water. I used to do this to make them cook as quickly as possible. Make the time to be able to throw in the potato whole. Big diff. Trust me.
Would you recommend low sodium chicken broth? And how about the butter? Salted or unsalted?
We usually reach for low sodium broth and often use unsalted butter, but you can use what you have in your kitchen. When it comes to seasoning the final dish, taste first then adjust with additional salt if you feel it necessary.
this was the easiest and yummmiest mashed potatoes i have ever made!!! 🙂 thank you again inspired by taste! I also cant remember where i read about it but i used a hand held mixer to mash the potatoes and mix it with the milk mixture! the result was great – it was creamy and fluffy even if it splattered initially.
I used russet potatoes because that is all I had on hand. The recipe is super simple and tastes great! I do add a little bit of garlic because I prefer garlic potatoes over regular. The skins on the russet potatoes are a little bit tougher so I am going to try red or yellow potatoes next time. I also added half a block of cream cheese and they were super creamy. Definitely my new favorite recipe, thank you!
I love the addition of cream cheese!
Made with equal parts red potatoes, peeled (baby) carrots, and peeled turnips. Don’t bother with foods mill or overly mashing, the lumpy heterogeneity is the whole idea. I didn’t need all the liquid, so don’t add all at once. Seasoned with equal parts herb salt (google NPR tuscan herb salt) and smoked
salt, but could be seasoned however you like to taste. Result was a unique delicious rustic root vegetable blend with lots more character than traditional mashed potatoes! So good.
Will try this recipe! I made mashed potatoes for thanksgiving and used white potatoes but they came out too gluey. I think I overprocessed them?
Next time, if you love extra smooth fluffy potatoes, try using a food mill.
I love this recipe! I did the butter, 1/2 cup heavy cream 1/2 cup whole milk and cup of veggie broth. It’s so delicious and I left the skins on the red potatoes-excellent!
I used this recipe for my thanksgiving dinner tonight and the taters were a HIT! After dinner I looked over your recipe again and noticed you were from Walla Walla. So am I! Small world.. thank you for this great recipe!
A wonderful simple recipe. I made it a couple days ago. My boyfriend refilled it 3 rounds. Love it !
hi i love this recipe!!! just have one question, the “cream” is heavy cream?
You can use heavy cream, milk or a combination.
These sound great. I would like to make them for Thanksgiving. I want to make them the night before and warm them in my crock pot the day of. Do you think that will work with this recipe. If so, is there anything I would need to do to them before serving? Thanks.
Hi Sheila, This will work great. I’d keep a little extra milk/broth on hand for splashing into the crockpot just in case the potatoes seem too thick the next day. Otherwise, it should work really well for you.
Great recipe. I’ve made these many times using a recipe very similar to this but I’ve never heard of covering them with a dishtowel. When you return the potatoes to the saucepan and cover, is the saucepan still on a burner at low temp or is it off? I have an electric stovetop so the burner stays hot for quite a long time. Thanks!
We slide the pan off of the heat.
First timer on this site, made them last night, skin off and added crushed garlic with liquids.
Delicious. Thanks for the recipe.
Best mashed potatoes. Had it with steak and corn. Left them with the skin on & family really enjoyed.
Great technique. Your recipes are always winners and I appreciate the level of detail you go to. Can’t fail. I just made these, and need to quit eating them to save some for the turkey I’m roasting. Used red potatoes, skins on. Also added a tad of garlic at the end.
5 Stars
Thank you for this recipe!! Made it last night to go with a rotisserie chicken and some corn. Hubby works late so I wasn’t awake to see his reaction, but when I woke up this morning I found that he had polished off the rest of the pot! Sure sign that it was a hit! I’m definitely adding this to my rotation. (Oh, and I kept the skins on ;D)
Made these for thanksgiving and now dreaming of them for christmas. So so so good, everyone loved them. It was the one thing that was not leftover and i made double your recommendation per person! p.s. With skins 😉
I love your style….”you can do it this way but you can also do it that way”….spoken like a true cook! I love adaptable recipes. I usually don’t like to comment on things I haven’t made yet, but I couldn’t resist saying how much I appreciate what I have read so far. I have you bookmarked and I look forward to trying your recipes!
So yummy!!!! Best mash I have ever made!!! This went well with the turkey meatloaf recipe from this site- dinner was a hit!
Glad you loved it!
Your forgetting the most important ingredient, if you like of course. Buy a bulk Garlic, ( use a whole one) cut the top off, drizzle with olive oil and kosher salt, wrap up in tin foil twice, bake for 30mins, or until caramelized. Carefully squeeze out caramelized garlue and mix in with all of the above. I also sometime use garlic butter, instead of butter. You will not regret, its the best tasting Garlic mash potatoes you will ever eat. :)))