Instant Pot Breakfast Potatoes–-seasoned, buttery, cubed potatoes that are perfect to go with a hearty breakfast or when making breakfast for dinner.

Instant Pot Breakfast Potatoes (video)
I love all potatoes. Hash browns, mashed, fried, baked, tots, twice baked, funeral potatoes…all the potatoes, all the ways! Today’s potato recipe is no different. These cubed potatoes with plenty of seasoning and butter taste amazing and I could not stop myself from eating them. We served these at dinner time even though they are “breakfast potatoes.” Really you could serve these anytime…breakfast, snack, lunch or dinner. They are that good.
Topping ideas for Instant Pot breakfast potatoes
These potatoes are perfectly delicious plain but if you want to get creative you can add toppings. Here are a few ideas:
- Green onions
- Parsley
- Salsa or picante sauce or pico de gallo
- Ketchup
- Bacon bits or cubed ham
- Sour cream
- Cheese
- Tabasco
What equipment do I need to make this recipe?
You’ll need an Instant Pot (electric pressure cooker) and a steamer basket. I prefer this silicone steamer basket*. It is flexible and works perfectly with a 6 quart or 8 quart Instant Pot.
I love using this steamer basket for all my zero minute vegetables too. You can purchase this steamer basket on Amazon*.
More Instant Pot Breakfast Recipes…
Instant Pot Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal
Instant Pot Cheeseburger Breakfast Casserole
Instant Pot Sausage Gravy and Biscuits

Want more tried and true Instant Pot recipes?
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Instant Pot Breakfast Potatoes
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 2 minutes
- Total Time: 32 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
Description
Seasoned, buttery, cubed potatoes that are perfect to go with a hearty breakfast or when making breakfast for dinner.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds russet potatoes, cubed (peeled or unpeeled)
- 4 Tbsp butter
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- pinch of cayenne pepper
- Optional: green onions for garnish
Instructions
- Pour 1 cup of water into the bottom of your Instant Pot liner. Place the potatoes in a steamer basket. Lower the steamer basket into the Instant Pot liner.
- Cover the pot and secure the lid. Make sure valve is set to sealing. Set the manual/pressure cook button to 2 minutes (for firmer potatoes) or 3 minutes (for softer potatoes) on high pressure. When time is up move the valve to venting. Remove the lid.
- Remove the steamer basket. Dump out the water and dry the pot. Place liner back into the Instant Pot. Turn pot to the saute setting. When the display says HOT add in the butter and let it melt.
- Add in the steamed potatoes, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, salt, pepper and cayenne. Toss the seasonings on the potatoes. Taste test and add more seasonings to taste.
- Turn off the Instant Pot and then serve the potatoes and enjoy. Garnish with green onions, if desired.
Notes
I used my 6 quart Instant Pot. For the 8 quart pot increase the amount of water you add under the steamer basket to 1.5 cups. For a 3 quart pot, follow recipe as written.
- Category: Potatoes
- 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.
This was a great way to cook the potatoes (mostly) through, for “fried” potatoes. The seasonings were perfect. Prepared per the recipe, the potatoes would be perfectly done and soft, for breakfast tacos. I wanted mine crispier, though, so I dumped them into the air fryer at 400° for about 5 minutes, after sautéing in the instant pot. Yum! Thanks for another keeper, Karen!
★★★★★
Good idea! Thanks for the tip!
I’ve made these so many times and I love them. The spice blend is so good I filled a little container with it to always have it on hand. I’ve had the potatoes with eggs and I’ve put them in breakfast burritos.
I just made some for dinner to accompany grilled chicken and steamed broccoli and remembered I should come say thanks. Thank you!
★★★★★
Ahhh, thanks Ricardo! This is fun to hear! I love that you have enjoyed them so many times.
Great recipe but I prefer them much more crispy. Could I first or second air fry and or then saute? I normally pan fry on high to get crispy outsides and then med to low to cook till inner is cooked? How can I translate that in insta pot language. Ty
You could pressure cook in steamer basket for 2 minutes. Then toss in the butter and seasonings and then air fry?? i’m not sure if they’ll get crispy enough
Yvonne, I cooked mine per the recipe through the final stage, then put into my preheated (400°) air fryer I’d sprayed with avocado oil and cooked for about 5 minutes. Perfectly crispy!
Hi Karen, I love your site and have made many of your recipes. In fact, I love them so much I bought your cookbook. It’s great you put it in a binder format and my only criticism is that the font is way too small and not dark enough. I have trouble reading the book and this is not usually a problem for me. So, the next time you either remake this one or come out with a new one please use a larger font (I know some recipes might go two pages but I would rather that than not be able to read them comfortably) and a darker font. The writing is too faint. Again, thank you for all your hard work! You do a great job and I frequently go to your site when looking for a new recipe.
Thanks for following along! I’m sorry about the book. I’ll make sure the next time I do a book it has larger, darker font.
When I do this in 8 qt should I used 1 1/2 cups water on bottom ? Also do u have Af that u could crispy them up more then brown them in main pan. Thank you for having a u tube channel
★★★★★
Yes I’d use 1.5 cups in bottom of 8 quart. You can use saute button to crisp up if wanted!
Would like to try this. Do you set the basket on a trivet?
Thanks
I don’t. My steamer basket has little legs on the bottom.
I don’t have a steamer basket – will they still turn out if I omit it? I’d rather not purchase one just for one recipe!
I cook my potatoes whole, in the pot without a steamer basket or trivet just sitting in the water. I put the lid on and pc on high 5 min then nr. I take the lid off and use tongs to remove the potatoes then dice them up. I am then ready to follow the recipe. Delicious!
Good idea! Thanks!
hi karen – I would like to make these but dont have the steamer basket & really dont plan on purchasing one. I suppose i could use my colander if it will fit. But if not, do you think this recipe wont turn out properly if I just omit the basket/colander? thanks
I’m so confused about what to do after it vents . You say to take out steamer basket and put to sauté and melt butter when says hot .. and THEN add potatoes and turn off ? So the pot only has the butter in while it’s sautéing ? Why do I add the potatoes back and turn it off .. I’m so lost lol
So you take out the steamer basket full of potatoes. And you dump out remaining water in the Instant Pot liner. Then you turn the IP to saute setting. When it heats up it will say HOT. Then you add in butter and melt it. Then you dump in the potatoes and toss them in the butter and seasonings.
I had problems with the potatoes sticking to the bottom of the instant pot. They tasted good.
Shoot! Sorry they stuck but I’m glad they tasted good.
I always finish in a cast iron pan to get the crunch.
Nom nom!!
Do the silicone things come sized for a 4 quart IP?
★★★★★
I’ve never heard of a 4 quart instant pot. Is it a different brand of pressure cooker? I have heard some people say they have silicone molds for their 3 quart pots so I suspect you could use those.
The 4-qt is from Crockpot. It’s the Crockpot Express.
Karen another super recipe Thanks. One suggestion please add the pressure to use besides the time on each recipe. Sometimes is not there and I have no idea what pressure to use. Thanks.
Hi James, I will try to do that! Always use high pressure for my recipes though. I literally have one recipe that uses low pressure out of 400 plus recipes.
Love this recipe but mine came out part hart and part mushy. What do I need to do?
Did you use a steamer basket? What kind of potatoes did you use? Were they uniformly cut?
I meant to click 5 stars. Please accept my apologies.
★★★★★
It’s ok. I’m going to delete your first comment so that the ratings don’t get skewed! I’ll quote your first comment here: “These are the best potatoes ever. Much easier than boiling and frying on the stovetop. I used fresh garlic rather than powdered because I had it to use up. I wouldn’t change a thing in the recipe. My husband and I would have them every night.”
These were awesome!! I let them sit in the pot to keep warm and the longer they sat the more delicious they got. Another home run, Karen!
★★★★★
Thanks Denise! Glad you liked them!!
Karen… you’re the bomb
★★★★★
Haha! Thanks David. I’ll take the compliment 🙂
Delicious!! My whole family loved these potatoes! Love your recipes. ❤️ Thank you!
★★★★★
You’re welcome Virgie! Thank you for being here 🙂
How long do you saute the potatoes after they have steamed in the IP? I didn’t see any time listed in the directions!
Thanks for all your amazing recipes!
Not too long, just enough time to get the seasonings and butter coated all over the potatoes. Probably 2-3 minutes.
These are fantastic and are so easy to make. My whole family loved them! I have an 8-qt. IP Ultra and doubled this recipe (except the water). It turned out perfect. Thanks for another reliable, delicious recipe. I have tried a lot of your recipes since I got my IP for Christmas 2018 and you never disappoint. You are my go-to source for IP and slow cooker recipes. Thanks!
★★★★★
Yay!! So happy to hear you all enjoyed it 🙂 Thanks for being here Bethany!
Hi, would this work with yellow potatoes? Would the time change? Thanks for all of the awesome recipes!!
Yes it would work with the yellow potatoes! They do cook a little faster so maybe use a 1 or 2 minute pressure cooking time 🙂
Thanks!
My husband this was great potato salad, he called it. Win win!
ha! Yay glad he liked it Nancy!
I love the recipe but these pop up ads are extremely distracting. The ad constantly blocks what I am reading.
Please ease off on the ads. I know you are making money off these ads but if people stop going to your site because of ads what good are they then?
★★★★★
The ads are frustrating yet are on most every site I visit, cooking or for anything else. I X them out and remind myself of the helpful, free content. I’ve never liked cooking, and the IP and Karen and a couple others have transformed my dislike to “not so bad,” and even enjoyment, and from almost daily carry out (healthy and not) to home cooked meals most days for my husband and me. If the price is ads, so be it. But I feel your pain!
Signed,
A realist, not a Pollyanna or optimist!
Unfortunately, YouTube requires the ads. Karen can’t change their rules even if she wanted. You can pay to get sites without having to watch them, but I can’t afford that myself. It’s annoying, I agree, but worth the recipes from good people like Karen. Their hard work is worth a few taps of “skip ads” for the recipe benefits. Best wishes!
Which steamer basket do you use?
If you look above the recipe there’s a link to the steamer basket in the section called “ “What Equipment Do I Need To Make This Recipe?” There’s a video showing it. Look for the video below it in the lime green box. I bought the same steamer basket and like it a lot. The price has gone up since the video was made but it’s still thought it a good deal.
Yep do what Beth said! Thanks!
How big do you cube the potatoes?
About 1 inch cubes.
Excellent spices, great side dish for any meal
★★★★★
Thanks Nancy!
You are a mind reader! I’ve been looking for a russet potato recipe before ours go bad. Would it work to double the recipe? Thank you!
Try using the 2X function on the top right of the ingredients list. Should do the trick!
Thanks, I never noticed that! (Duh) But I was more wondering if the 6-quart might be too full doubling the recipe.
I never noticed that. Thanks
yes you can! There will be plenty of room 🙂
Thank you as usual, Karen. Question: is there something I’m missing to check off that alerts me when there’s a response to a question or comment? I’m using an iPad with Safari but can switch to Chrome. Thanks!