Want to make the best mashed potatoes ever? Ditch the hand masher and use a potato ricer to make riced mashed potatoes. It's a game changer. You get fluffy, creamy, swoon-worthy mashed potatoes that will have everyone wanting seconds. Let me show you the easy step-by-step process. Riced mashed potatoes are ideal for holiday dinners and weeknight meals alike. There's not much better than homemade mashed potatoes.
When we have friends for dinner they inevitably end up in the kitchen with me to see how I do things and lend a hand. More than once when making mashed potatoes they'd never seen or used a potato ricer. I thought it was time I posted my riced mashed potatoes recipe and talked about why this terrific and inexpensive kitchen tool makes the best mashed potatoes.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Using a potato ricer makes the best riced mashed potatoes.
- Better results than a hand potato masher, electric mixer, or food processor (gluey potatoes)
- Non-dairy/vegan options.
- Make them ahead of time with four ways to re-heat.
Recipe Ingredients
- Potatoes: For fluffy mashed potatoes, use russet potatoes, not gold potatoes which have less starch. Figure a half pound per person.
- Milk: Low-fat milk, whole milk, half and half. Heavy cream to me gets a bit heavy and overly rich but it's personal preference.
- Butter: Use unsalted butter to control the salt level. If you only have salted butter, be careful adding salt when seasoning to serve.
- Fresh herbs: Both chives and parsley make a nice and easy garnish (optional).
Please see the recipe card for measurements, salt and black pepper or white pepper (no black specks).
For another buttery way to add flavor to riced mashed potatoes, add a few slices of this herbed compound butter.
The Best Potatoes for Mashed Potatoes
What are the best potatoes for mashed potatoes? My answer is russet but there are options. Here is a run down on types of potatoes:
- Russets have a high starch content so they are light and fluffy when cooked. Russets are ideal for riced mashed potatoes.
- Yellow and gold potatoes (like Yukon Golds) belong to the same broad category of yellow-fleshed potatoes. They used to be my preferred for mashed potatoes but I am back to russets these days. Gold potatoes are more velvety, moist, and dense when mashed. Try them mashed sometime to understand the difference. Gold potatoes are my preference for terrific potato salad and in potato gratins.
- White potatoes are medium starch, a combination of slightly creamy and slightly dense with thin, delicate skin, and white interiors. Can be used for mashed potatoes but not as fluffy. They hold their shape after cooking.
- Red potatoes: This variety is waxy, creamy, moist and smooth. Save them for baking and roasting, great in potato salad and soups. Terrific for air fryer red potatoes!
How many potatoes to buy? Figure about 2 pounds of potatoes for 4, 3 pounds for 6, etc.
Substitutions and Variations
- For no-dairy or vegan riced mashed potatoes, use either coconut milk, almond milk, oat milk, or you favorite plant-based milk, and plant butter.
- Add roasted garlic or finely grated Parmesan cheese.
- For sour cream mashed potatoes, add less milk and use sour cream.
For complimentary veggies side dishes try roasted brussels sprouts, green beans almondine, or roasted carrots with fresh thyme.
Chef's tip on buying a ricer: Ricers come made of metal and plastic and with different shapes of hoppers (round versus triangle). I had a large metal one for making bigger quantities when I was catering dinner parties but the bigger they are the more arm strength it takes to press the potatoes through the ricer. For home, here is the ricer I use. Take a look at this link if you prefer a stainless steel ricer. They work the same. It's not just another kitchen gadget that will collect dust. You'll use it for years to come!
How to Make Riced Mashed Potatoes
Chef's tip on using a potato ricer: Be sure your potatoes are cooked until tender but not falling apart or water-logged. After the potatoes are cooked and drained through a colander, dry the potatoes a bit to remove excess moisture for fluffy riced mashed potatoes by placing the colander on top of the warm pot for a for a minute or two, then rice back into the pot. Don't overload the hopper and try to do too much at once.
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Peeling Potatoes Ahead of Time
If you are making riced mashed potatoes for a crowd, you can peel your potatoes ahead of time, but they must be stored in cold water to prevent bacterial growth.
- Keep potatoes refrigerated: Always store the potatoes in cold water in the refrigerator to prevent bacterial growth:
- Change the Water if Needed: If soaking for more than a few hours, changing the water helps prevent the potatoes from becoming slimy or absorbing excess water.
- Avoid Over-Soaking: For best texture and flavor, soak potatoes for no more than 8–12 hours. Longer soaking can lead to waterlogged potatoes, which may make mashed potatoes gluey.
- Drain and Dry Before Cooking: Thoroughly drain and pat the potatoes dry before boiling to avoid diluting the cooking water.
Follow these tips and your peeled potatoes will stay fresh and ready for perfectly creamy riced mashed potatoes.
Serving Suggestions
A classic side dish, perfect mashed potatoes go with many main dishes. Try riced mashed potatoes along side:
- Roast bone-in chicken breasts.
- Crispy seared suck breasts.
- Mediterranean chicken thighs with lots of veggies and juices.
- Roast beef tenderloin is a classic pairing.
- Pork tenderloin with Dijon mustard sauce.
For more buttery flavor, drizzle extra melted butter over the top to serve. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for 3-4 days. To freeze, use a freezer-safe container.
Four Ways to Re-heat
If you are making riced mashed potatoes ahead of time and refrigerating, here are four ways to re-heat mashed potatoes. The colder they are the longer it will take. Get them out of the refrigerator an hour ahead of time to help get the chill off. Re-heating time depends on the quantity of mashed potatoes you have.
- Stovetop method: Place the mashed potatoes in a large pot over low heat. Add a little milk and stir frequently to prevent sticking or burning on the bottom. Partially cover and stir occasionally until they’re heated through. You may need to add more milk as they warm to keep the potatoes creamy.
- Oven method: Transfer the mashed potatoes to an oven-safe dish and cover with foil to prevent drying out. Bake for about 20-30 minutes in a pre-heated 350°F oven until warmed through, stirring halfway. Add a little more butter or milk if needed for extra creaminess. Heat potatoes until they reach 165°F (use a digital thermometer).
- Slow cooker method: This is how I kept mashed potatoes hot for catered parties and it works great. Put the mashed potatoes in a slow cooker on the low setting, stirring every 20-30 minutes. Add a splash of milk to maintain the texture, if needed. I place a clean kitchen towel between the lid and the top of the slow cooker to absorb moisture so it does not drip into the potatoes.
- Microwave method: Place the mashed potatoes in a microwave-safe dish and cover with a lid or damp paper towel to keep them from drying out. Reheat in 1-minute increments, stirring between each until fully warmed. Add a small amount of butter or milk to refresh the texture if needed.
Recipe FAQs
Russet potatoes are best for fluffy, creamy riced mashed potatoes because of their higher starch content. You can use gold potatoes if preferred. The potatoes will be more dense in texture due to their waxier
For riced mashed potatoes, peel before cooking and ricing for a smooth texture and easier time ricing.
Yes, you can add flavors but start with a little and add, tasting as you go for both flavor and texture. Two good options are roasted garlic and Parmesan cheese.
I start with 4 ounces of milk per pound of potatoes and 3-4 tablespoons of butter, then taste and mix in more as I go to achieve the perfect balance and texture. Start with less and add more is the best approach so mashed potatoes don't get to thin from too much milk or overly buttery. Cream is not the only option. I prefer whole milk or half and half so potatoes don't get too rich and heavy.
More Potato Recipes
Love potatoes? Me too! Here are more delicious potato recipes.
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📖 Recipe
Riced Mashed Potatoes
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 pound russet potatoes 6 medium
- 6 ounces milk: whole milk, low fat, or half and half or non-dairy
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon sea salt for cooking water
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon white pepper optional
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Instructions
- Peel potatoes and chop into approximately 1-inch pieces, keeping the pieces the same size.
- Add potatoes to a medium pot and add cold water to cover by 1-inch. Add 1 tablespoon sea salt. Bring almost to a boil then turn down to simmer and cook until potatoes are tender when pierced through with a paring knife, 10-15 minutes.Warm the milk so cold milk doesn't chill your hot mashed potatoes, and be sure the butter is at room temperature or melted.
- Drain potatoes through a colander then place the colander back on the warm pot on the stovetop to dry for a minute. Place ricer over top of the pot and spoon potatoes into the hopper. Press the potatoes through the ricer. When done, add butter and milk gradually, stirring, until you get to the perfect taste and texture. Season with salt and a little white pepper if using. Keep potatoes warm for serving or cool completely and refrigerate to be re-heated. Leftover riced mashed potatoes last 4-5 days in the refrigerator in an airtight container. They can be frozen for up to a month but may not be as creamy upon thawing.
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