These Instant Pot Crispy Potatoes are a fast and easy way to get these delicious spuds on your dinner table!

An overhead shot of a plate of Instant Pot (Pressure Cooker) Crispy Potatoes

“But…but…but…potatoes aren’t Paleo!”

Once again, with feeling: It all depends on what you mean when you say “Paleo.” There is, after all, no such thing as one definitive Paleo diet. Potatoes may not have been available to cavemen, but I really don’t care. Historical re-enactment ain’t my cup of tea. (Besides, it’s not like our prehistoric ancestors snacked on dark chocolate bars, either.)

My personal template for Paleo eating focuses on nutrient-packed whole foods that don’t hurt me. For me, potatoes fall into that category. After checking out Bill and Hayley’s post on the Paleosity of potatoes, listening to the safe starch debate, and soaking in Mat Lalonde’s talk about nutrient density at the 2012 Ancestral Health Symposium (during which Mat pointed out that peeled potatoes are actually more nutrient dense than sweet potatoes, save for the beta-carotene in the latter), I’ve decided that an occasional portion of peeled potatoes are a-OK on my plate. Your circumstances may be different; for instance, if you’re on a super-low-carb protocol at the moment, you’re probably not looking to down a bowl of spuds.

(July 18, 2014 UPDATE: White potatoes are now Whole30 approved!)

Blah, blah, blah, science, science, science, blah, blah, blah.

With that pesky business out of the way, let me show you how to use a pressure cooker to make spuds with crispy exteriors and fluffy interiors in no time flat.

Time to make Instant Pot Crispy Potatoes!

A closeup of small brown-skinned potatoes, freshly scrubbed

Serves 4

Ingredients:

  • 1 pound fingerling or Yukon Gold potatoes, cut into uniform 1—1½ inch cubes (whether you peel ’em is up to you)
  • 2 tablespoons of ghee, avocado oil, or favorite cooking fat
  • Kosher salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • ¼ cup minced chives or Italian parsley (optional)
  • Juice from ½ medium lemon (optional)

Equipment:

Method:

Add ½ cup of water (or the minimum recommended by the manufacturer) to the cooking insert of an Instant Pot or 6-quart stove top pressure cooker fitted with a steamer insert.

Adding a silicone steamer into an Instant Pot

Dump in the potatoes.

An open Instant Pot with cut potatoes in a green silicone steamer.

If you’re using an electric pressure cooker like an Instant Pot, simply press the Manual or Pressure Cook button and program it cook for 5 minutes under high pressure. Lock the lid, with the valve in the sealing position and let the Instant Pot do its thing.

Placing the lid on the Instant Pot to make crispy potatoes

When the potatoes are done cooking, turn off the Instant Pot and let the pressure release naturally (~10 minutes). Instant Pot users can manually release the pressure manually at the 10 minute mark if the pressure hasn’t completely dropped by then. You can fry the cooked potatoes right away or refrigerate them in a covered container for up to a week.

A closeup of cooked potatoes right out of the Instant Pot

Melt the ghee or butter over medium high heat in a large skillet. Once it starts sputtering, carefully add the potatoes to the pan. Season generously with salt and pepper. Leave the potatoes undisturbed for 1 minute before flipping to brown the other side for an additional minute.

Frying the cooked potatoes in a cast iron skillet until crispy.

If desired, season with the juice from half a lemon and toss with fresh chives or Italian parsley. Serve!

An overhead shot of Instant Pot Crispy Potatoes on a white platter

P.S. Just ‘cause I’m posting a recipe for a side dish of potatoes doesn’t mean you have license to gorge on potato chips and French fries, which are just vehicles for delivering vegetable oil badness into your system. Yes, I know you already know that, but I’m a mother, and my job is to nag.


Looking for more recipe ideas? Head on over to my Recipe Index. You’ll also find exclusive recipes on my iPhone and iPad app, and in my cookbooks, Nom Nom Paleo: Food for Humans (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2013) and Ready or Not! (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2017)!


PRINTER-FRIENDLY RECIPE CARD

Instant Pot (Pressure Cooker) Crispy Potatoes

4.73 from 29 votes
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time11 minutes
Total Time40 minutes
Servings 4 servings
Let me show you how to use an Instant Pot or pressure cooker to make spuds with crispy exteriors and fluffy interiors in no time flat.

Ingredients 
 

  • 1 pound fingerling or Yukon Gold potatoes peeled and cut into uniform 1 – 1½ inch cubes
  • 2 tablespoons ghee
  • Diamond Crystal kosher salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • ¼ cup minced chives or Italian parsley optional
  • Juice from ½ medium lemon optional

Instructions 

  • Add ½ cup of water (or the minimum recommended by the manufacturer) to the cooking insert of an Instant Pot or 6-quart stove top pressure cooker fitted with a steamer insert. Dump in the potatoes.
  • If you’re using an electric pressure cooker like an Instant Pot, simply press the Manual or Pressure Cook button and program it cook for 5 minutes under high pressure. Lock the lid, with the valve in the sealing position and let the Instant Pot do it's thing.
  • When the potatoes are done cooking, turn off the Instant Pot and let the pressure release naturally (~10 minutes). Instant Pot users can manually release the pressure manually at the 10 minute mark if the pressure hasn’t completely dropped by then. You can fry the cooked potatoes right away or refrigerate them in a covered container for up to a week.
  • Melt the ghee or butter over medium high heat in a large skillet. Once it starts sputtering, carefully add the potatoes to the pan.
  • Season generously with salt and pepper. Leave the potatoes undisturbed for 1 minute before flipping to brown the other side for an additional minute.
  • Squeeze on the juice from half a lemon and toss with fresh chives or Italian parsley.

Video

Notes

I keep the pressure cooked potatoes in the fridge in a sealed container for up to four days and fry them to order whenever I want to eat crispy potatoes.

Nutrition

Calories: 154kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 8g | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 1g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Like this? Leave a comment below!

About Michelle Tam

Hello! My name is Michelle Tam, and I love to eat. I think about food all the time. It borders on obsession. I’ve always loved the sights and smells of the kitchen. My mother was (and is) an excellent cook, and as a kid, I was her little shadow as she prepared supper each night. From her, I gained a deep, abiding love for magically transforming pantry items into mouth-watering family meals.

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13 Comments

  1. I looked for this recipe in the app but can’t find it. Can you direct me or perhaps add it? I like having all your amazing recipes in one place and this one is a good one!

    1. It’s not on the app. All of our newer recipes are added to the app but many of our older recipes just can’t be formatted for the app.

  2. Hi! Is the steamer insert essential to have, to make this dish turn out crispy? Wondering if I should put the steamer insert on my Christmas list.

    Thank you!

  3. 5 stars
    I am always having the crispy goodness sticking to the pan. Is there a way to air fry them after you pressure cook? Thanks for your help and amazing recipes!

    1. Yes! I toss the potatoes in some avocado oil or EVOO and air fry at 400F for about 5 to 8 minutes, tossing at the halfway point, or until browned on the outside.

  4. 4 stars
    Turned out crunchity, crisply, deliciousy! Took much longer than 1 minute to crisp on each side, but that may have been an error on my part. Well worth the time!