The ultimate comforting side dish, mashed red skinned potatoes are a cinch to make since there’s no peeling involved. You’re guaranteed creamy, buttery mashed potatoes in 30 minutes, and unlike other recipes, this one comes together in one just pot. The perfect simple, yet delicious side dish, it’s the best way to prepare mashed potatoes with red potatoes.

Overhead shot mashed potatoes in a white bowl. Bowl is surrounded by bowls of butter, salt and pepper, and chopped chives.

5 star review

“These were the tastiest mashed potatoes I have ever made myself. They cooked up perfectly and didn’t take a lot of work. I really appreciate the “one-pot” aspect.”

– Heather
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Visual Guide: Let’s Make Mashed Potatoes with Red Skinned Potatoes

Jump to Recipe Instructions
Overhead shot of the following ingredients: milk, salt, butter, raw potatoes, and sour cream.
Gather ingredients.
Overhead image of raw, chopped potatoes in a white pot with water.
Add potatoes & water to pot and boil.
Overhead shot testing cooked potatoes with a knife. Pot is surrounded by butter, milk, sour cream, salt, and a potato masher.
Cook until tender & drain.
Overhead image of milk being poured into a pot with cooked potatoes, sour cream, butter, and salt.
Add remaining ingredients.
Overhead shot of mashing potatoes.
Mash all ingredients together.
Overhead shot of serving mashed potatoes out of a white bowl. Bowl is surrounded by bowls of butter, salt and pepper, and chopped chives.
Serve with black pepper & chives.

Creamy Mashed Red Potatoes in One-Pot!

Mashed potatoes are always a hit, but they can be a bit time consuming. I mean, if I can avoid peeling potatoes, I will! That’s why I set out to create an easy mashed potato recipe that tastes just as creamy and buttery as good old classic mashed potatoes but with less effort. And boy did I deliver! The secret? Using red skinned potatoes (which you don’t have to peel!) and also preparing everything in one pot.

I’m serious! You can have the best mashed potatoes in just 30 minutes with little to no fuss. Red skinned potatoes (as well as yukon gold potatoes) have thinner skins than russets, so when cooked the skins blend beautifully into the mashed potatoes without compromising texture or flavor. Plus it saves you so much time and effort!

In testing this recipe I tried the method of heating up the milk and butter in a separate pot before adding to the cooked potatoes that many recipes swear by, and you know what? It’s not necessary, especially if you’re trying to save on dishes and cleanup. To save time and effort, I added the milk, butter, and sour cream directly to the drained potatoes while they were hot, and I found that everything blended perfectly. Now I call that a win. P.S. If you prefer to make mashed red potatoes in your slow cooker without boiling or peeling first, try my super easy slow cooker mashed potatoes.

Mix it Up with Garlic Red Skin Mashed Potatoes

I left garlic out of these mashed potatoes to keep the flavor simple enough for any main dish, but garlic is an excellent addition! You can either add 1 teaspoon of granulated garlic or 1-2 cloves of fresh minced garlic when you add the milk, butter, and sour cream.

Overhead image of mashing cooked potatoes, sour cream, butter, and salt.

Simple Ingredient Substitutions

  • Potatoes: Use any thin skinned potato, such as red potatoes or yukon gold potatoes.
  • Milk: For the best creamy and buttery flavor and texture, use 2% or whole milk, but nothing lower than 2% as the consistency will be too watery.
  • Sour Cream: Sour cream makes mashed potatoes so creamy and adds a delicious tangy flavor. I use full-fat sour cream, but you can use light sour cream if you want.
  • Salt: As always, adjust the amount of salt to your preference. The amount I give in the recipe is on the lower side, so feel free to add more if you like.
Overhead shot of mashed potatoes in a pot with chopped chives and melted butter on top, and a wooden spoon in the pot.

The Side Dish that Goes with Everything

Mashed red skinned potatoes are the quintessential side dish to any comfort meal. Since these potatoes are made on the stove top, I especially love to pair them with a slow cooker or gilled meal like:

Make Ahead Tips

Mashed red skinned potatoes are best served right away. However, if you want to make them ahead of time or have leftovers, simply heat them up on the stove with a splash of milk, a bit of butter, and a pinch of salt.

Close up overhead image of mashed potatoes with chives and melted butter in a white bowl with a gold spoon.

This Recipe Is…

Overhead shot mashed potatoes in a white bowl. Bowl is surrounded by bowls of butter, salt and pepper, and chopped chives.
5 stars (3 ratings)

Mashed Red Skinned Potatoes (One-Pot!)

by Robyn Conley Downs
Servings: 6 servings
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 25 minutes
Total: 30 minutes
The ultimate comforting side dish, mashed red skinned potatoes are a cinch to make with no peeling involved.
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Ingredients

  • 2 ½ pounds red skinned potatoes, scrubbed and cut into 2-inch chunks
  • ¾ cup 2% milk
  • ¼ cup sour cream
  • 4 tablespoons room-temperature butter
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste

Equipment

Instructions 

  • Fill a large pot or Dutch oven with cold water. Cover and bring to a boil. Carefully add the potatoes, reduce to a strong simmer, cover, and simmer until the potatoes are very tender when pierced with a knife, about 20-25 minutes.
  • When the potatoes are fork tender, strain, then add back to the warm pot over low heat. Immediately add the milk, sour cream, butter and salt. Mash with a potato masher until the desired consistency is reached. Taste and add additional salt, butter, or sour cream if desired. Serve with optional freshly ground pepper and chopped chives.

Notes

See blog post, above, for ingredient substitutions, storage, and more.
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American

Nutrition Information:

Serving: 1 (of 6), Calories: 233kcal, Carbohydrates: 32g, Protein: 5g, Fat: 10g, Saturated Fat: 6g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.5g, Monounsaturated Fat: 3g, Cholesterol: 28mg, Sodium: 498mg, Potassium: 916mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 4g, Vitamin A: 336IU, Vitamin C: 16mg, Calcium: 66mg, Iron: 1mg
Nutrition disclaimer
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