Making mashed potatoes in a crockpot is so easy!
Crockpot mashed potatoes require no boiling – simply chop & season and let the slow cooker do the rest! Before serving mash them until smooth and enjoy.
Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes
A hearty meal is just never complete without a big ol’ bowl of mashed potatoes.
- Crockpot mashed potatoes are so easy to make, they practically cook themselves!
- No boiling, straining, or draining – these leave the stove open for Thanksgiving gravy.
- They can be prepared well ahead of time and left on warm in the slow cooker.
- Easy to make, you can add cheese, garlic, or other favorites to change them to your liking.
Potatoes for Mashing
For this crock pot mashed potatoes recipe, I prefer red or Yukon gold potatoes. They have a smooth texture and buttery flavor. This recipe will also work with russet potatoes, be sure to peel them first as the skins are tough.
How to Make Crockpot Mashed Potatoes
- Peel and chop the potatoes and add them to the slow cooker with seasonings and broth.
- Cook until fork tender.
- Mash with a potato masher to reach desired consistency.
If they’re done a little early, mash them and turn the slow cooker to warm.
Tips for Perfect Potatoes
- Slow cookers can vary – ensure that the potatoes are very soft before you start mashing.
- Opening the slow cooker lets out a lot of heat and increases the cooking time. If checking the potatoes for doneness, try close the lid quickly.
- This recipe is designed for a 4 quart slow cooker – if using a different size, your results may vary.
- You can add extra warm milk or heavy cream if needed (depending on the type of potato, you may not need it).
- To change the flavor, stir in shredded cheddar cheese, roasted garlic, crumbled bacon, green onions, or chives before serving.
More Crock Pot Side Dishes
This crockpot mashed potatoes recipe is a favorite as it’s hands off and out of the way! Here are more slow cooker sides we love.
Did your family love these No-Boil Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes? Leave us a rating and a comment below!
No Boil Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes
Equipment
Ingredients
- 5 pounds potatoes red, yellow or white
- ¾ cup chicken broth
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ cup melted butter
- ¼ cup sour cream
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
- 2 tablespoons cream cheese optional
- warm milk or cream to taste
- ½ teaspoon salt or to taste
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper or to taste
Instructions
- Peel the potatoes and cut into 1-inch chunks.
- In the bottom of a 4-quart slow cooker, add the potatoes, broth, garlic powder, and onion powder.
- Cover and cook on high for 3-4 hours or low for 6-7 hours or until fork tender. Each hour or so, very quickly stir the potatoes.
- Once tender, use a hand masher or hand mixer to mash the potatoes until smooth.
- Stir in the butter, sour cream, parsley, and cream cheese if using. Season with salt & pepper to taste. Add warmed milk or cream to reach the desired consistency if needed.
- Serve or keep on warm until serving.
Video
Notes
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Side Dish
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Question Do you peel potatoes if using either the red or Yukon gold varieties?
Five stars in advance, all of your recipes have been wonderful! Making your breaded pork chops for dinner today
You can if you’d like or you can leave it. If leaving the skins on, it will have a bit more of a rustic texture.
I made these potatoes and when they were done, I made the mistake of putting the lid on crock while keeping them warm. Water droplets had made the potatoes somewhat watery☹️
This was a life saver! It worked SO well, and it tasted great. I used 6 lbs of potatoes and 1 1/4 cup of russet, and they were perfectly cooked. I was so nervous, wondering if they’d be wet or dried out, but nope! Thank you!
Could I use Greek yogurt instead of sour creme??
That sounds like a great substitution, Natasha!
I’ve done this three times, really good. Added bonus of a bowl of soup with the liquid left after taking out the potatoes.
Can I peel the potatoes the night before and store them in water?
That should work just fine MCR!
You have cream or milk in the ingredients, but no mention of it in the video or in your cooking instructions? When do you add it?
To make these creamy, add a splash of milk or heavy cream if needed (depending on the type of potato, you may not need it). The milk or cream is to make the potatoes the consistency that you prefer. If you enjoy thicker mashed potatoes, you may not add any milk or cream (or just a small amount), or if you like them a bit more smooth and creamy, you can add more cream or milk. Hope that helps!
Hi there.. can I double the recipe? I am going to ask the same question on the crock pot stuffing page too :)
It should be okay to double Faye, but you will want to make sure your slow cooker is maximum 3/4 full and there is enough liquid. I’d suggest you make it earlier because it may need extra time and if it’s done early you can set it to warm to keep hot for serving.
Easiest mashed potato recipe! I used russet potatoes and cooked on high for about 3 hours – I stirred every hour. Also easy to tweak the flavor how you want – I added extra garlic and more milk at the end when I was stirring it all together.
Do you pour off the liquid before you start mashing the potatoes?
The liquid is mashed along with the potatoes.
Wonderful, especially when you have a small kitchen and limited stovetop area. I wish 5lbs would feed my family dinners. That would feed 3-4 of my mashed tater loving family. But no worries, I have a big crockpot. Thank you so much for the recipe.
I love that, Dorie! I hope you can fit enough in your slow cooker.
Comment only: what did I do wrong? I have used so many of your recipes with great success; and they’ve become “go-tos”. I did increase the potatoes slightly and upped the broth proportionately, but the potatoes turned brownish. I went ahead and mashed with the butter, sour cream etc, but they were barely edible, and tasted funny. Is it the broth? If the broth I used? Could I have used water instead?
Hey Marianne, sorry to hear that happened. Potatoes turn brown when exposed to oxygen so that could be the culprit. We stir them every hour or so in the crockpot to keep them coated in broth and help prevent this browning. As for the taste, I am not sure what happened. It could be the flavor of the broth you used or maybe the potatoes were starting to turn bad. Hope that helps!
I have made these for the past 3 years and am now the “mashed potatoes queen”. No one else is allowed to make them but me hahaha! Definitely a home run!
I love how easy the mashed potatoes are in the slow cooker. A go-to recipe. And they come out very rich.
Using the slow cooker to make mashed potatoes is genius! Such a foolproof way to get the job done. These were so creamy and full of flavour, I’ll never go back to boiling potatoes again.
These slow cooker mashed potatoes are fool proof. Super easy to make and they come out perfectly creamy.
This recipe is a must on the dinner table! Thank you so much for sharing this awesome recipe!
These potatoes look so easy to make! I love that you used a slow cooker. Such a great idea!
Ooh, mashed potatoes with sour cream are always fantastic! I’d love to try these out soon.
These mash potatoes look really good and I will definitely make this as a side dish! Thank you for sharing this recipe, I cant wait to try this out!