Instant Pot Bacon Parmesan Smashed Potatoes—caramelized onions, red potatoes, bacon and parmesan bring a potato side dish to a whole new level.
Instant Pot Bacon Parmesan Smashed Potatoes
If you want to take potatoes to a whole new level then you need to try Instant Pot bacon parmesan smashed potatoes. With crispy bacon pieces, flavor from caramelized onions and parmesan cheese you won’t believe how good these potatoes are.
Greg was skeptical when he saw these potatoes because they were “brown.” Why are they brown? They look weird. I told him it was because there were caramelized onions in the potatoes and that even though they don’t look like “normal” potatoes they would still taste amazing. I was right. He loved them.
Even if you think you don’t like onions I would give these potatoes a shot. The caramelized onions make the result intensely and wonderfully flavorful. By using the pressure cooker you can complete the caramelization process in a fraction of the time it would usually take on the stove. And if you’re wondering why the recipe calls for baking soda it’s because it raises the PH of the onions which also assists in speeding up the Maillard reaction (the browning process of onions that gives it that sweet, golden flavor).
I used red potatoes in this recipe but I think that Russets or Yukons would work as well. I do love the chunky texture from the peels of the red potatoes and the bits of color and fiber they provide.
More Amazing Instant Pot Potato Recipes…
Instant Pot Mississippi Mud Potatoes–Danielle said, “This is so good! I will be making again!”
Instant Pot Total Dude Casserole–Hailey said, “So delicious and so easy to make! Highly recommended for an easy dinner!”
Instant Pot Basque Potatoes–Steve said, “These potatoes are incredible! Followed the recipe exactly, with russets I had on hand. The potatoes ended up so creamy, and just melted in your mouth. Anxious to try it with Yukon gold potatoes, but don’t know how they could be any better!”
Want more tried and true Instant Pot recipes?
Receive FREE daily Instant Pot recipes and tips in your email box. Sign up by filling out the gray form below. Other ways to follow: join the 365 Days of Instant Pot Recipes Facebook group and subscribe to my YouTube channel where I share Instant Pot stuff with you weekly.
Instant Pot Bacon Parmesan Smashed Potatoes
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
Description
Caramelized onions, red potatoes, bacon and parmesan bring a potato side dish to a whole new level.
Ingredients
- 4 Tbsp butter
- 1 large sweet Vidalia onion, halved and thinly sliced
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp dried thyme
- 1 cup water
- 2 1/2 pounds medium red potatoes, quartered
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese
- 7 strips of crispy bacon, cut into 1 inch pieces
Instructions
- Turn Instant Pot to sauté setting. When display says HOT add in the butter and let it melt. Add in the onions, salt, garlic powder, pepper, baking soda and thyme. Cook until onions start releasing moisture and yellowing. Pour in the water. Scrape bottom of pot so that nothing is sticking. Turn off Instant Pot.
- Toss in the potatoes.
- Cover Instant Pot and secure the lid. Make sure valve is set to sealing. Set the manual/pressure cook button to 10 minutes.
- When time is up move valve to venting and remove the lid.
- Use a potato masher to smash the potatoes. They should be chunky, with texture. Stir in the buttermilk, parmesan cheese and bacon. Serve and enjoy.
Notes
I used my 6 quart Instant Pot Duo 60 7 in 1*.
- Category: Side
- Method: Instant Pot
*Karen Petersen is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.
For some reason this turned out watery for me but I just let it saute longer to cook off some of the liquid. No worries, the flavor was amazing! Nobody used the gravy from the pot roast. Pause for a moment. The kids didn’t use gravy. Wow! The recipe was declared a keeper. Thank you.
★★★★
No gravy needed! Wow that is saying something!
Ok thanks
Can I substitute califlower for potatoes?
Yes but I would keep the cauliflower whole instead of florets or cut the cooking time down to 5 minutes
Fantabulous smashed potatoes! As if this delicious recipe was not easy enough, I made them early in the day, leaving out only the bacon. At dinner time I used the sensor “reheat” button in my microwave oven, and when ready, then I stirred in the crispy bacon. I hope I did not take away from the recipe by doing this, but they were wonderful.
★★★★★
Sounds like a great plan! I’m glad you liked it.
When the potatoes are done cooking and you open the lid, will there be any water left? If so, should you discard it before mashing the potatoes?
You can just mash everything up, no need to discard water.
Could regular milk be substituted for the buttermilk? I would love to make these but I don’t get buttermilk a lot. Also could I use russets as long as they are cut into smaller pieces?
Yes regular milk will be great. Yes Russets should be fine!
Awesome! Very excited to try!