These Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes are full of flavor from garlic and herbs. Making them in the slow cooker frees up oven and stovetop space—perfect for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or any busy holiday meal.
When holiday cooking squeezes your oven and stovetop, the slow cooker becomes a kitchen lifesaver. These slow cooker mashed potatoes are simple, reliably delicious, and a great way to keep hot sides off the range while you finish the main dishes. The method is easy: dice potatoes, place them in a greased slow cooker, and let low, slow heat do the work while you prep other parts of the meal.
You can cook potatoes in the slow cooker with or without skin. I prefer leaving the skin on for texture and flavor, but peeled potatoes work fine too. Cook on HIGH for about 2 to 3 hours or on LOW for 5 to 6 hours, depending on potato size and variety. Check for fork tenderness—avoid overcooking so the potatoes don’t become overly starchy.
Once the potatoes are fork-tender, add butter, garlic, herbs, sour cream (or Greek yogurt), and milk. Mash by hand or use a hand mixer. If you use a mixer, transfer potatoes to a large bowl first or ensure the slow cooker is only half full—mixing in a full crock can cause splatter. After mashing, return the potatoes to the slow cooker to keep them warm until serving.
These mashed potatoes are rich, buttery, and garlicky with bright herb notes—comforting and flavorful without much fuss. They keep well in the slow cooker and are easy to scale for larger gatherings.
Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes
Ingredients
- 2 pounds potatoes (russet, red, yellow, etc.) — approximately 5 to 6 potatoes, washed and diced (peeled or unpeeled)
- ½ cup salted butter (1 stick)
- ½ cup sour cream or plain Greek yogurt
- 1 Tbsp minced garlic
- 1 Tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley (or 2 tsp dried parsley)
- ½ tsp dried basil
- ½ tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp pepper
- ¼ cup milk
Instructions
- Add diced potatoes to a greased slow cooker. Cover and cook on HIGH for 2 to 3 hours or LOW for 5 to 6 hours, until potatoes are fork-tender.
- When potatoes are tender, add butter and let it melt for a couple of minutes. Stir in sour cream (or Greek yogurt), garlic, parsley, dried basil, dried oregano, salt, pepper, and milk.
- Mash with a potato masher or use a hand mixer. If using a mixer, transfer potatoes to a large bowl or ensure the crock is only half full to avoid splatter. Return mashed potatoes to the slow cooker to keep warm and serve.
Notes
Recipe adapted from Creme De La Crumb.
Tips: Do not over-mix the mashed potatoes. Overworking them can make the texture gluey or starchy, especially with russet potatoes. Slightly lumpy mashed potatoes made from real potatoes have the best texture—use a potato masher by hand if you prefer.
To double the recipe, increase the cooking time by 1 to 2 hours as needed.
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