Creamy, buttery, and just a little rustic, this Red Skin Mashed Potatoes recipe is the one I have been making on repeat. The tender skin stays on, and every bite has that hearty, homestyle feel that has everyone going back for seconds!
Because there’s no need to use a mixer or a potato ricer, this is a really easy mashed potato recipe, which is perfect for an easy home cooked side dish or for the holidays.
Quick Look at the Recipe
- Prep Time: 15 minutes, Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Method: Boiled, mashed
- Main Ingredients: Red potatoes, butter, half-and-half
- Flavor Profile: Savory, buttery, creamy
- Ideal for: Weeknight dinners, easy side dishes, holiday sides
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Ingredient Notes
- Red potatoes: Look for red skin potatoes that feel firm with no spuds. Use a brush to scrub them clean before cooking.
- Unsalted butter: Adds richness. If you use salted butter, just reduce the seasoning at the end.
- Half-and-half: Since red potatoes are naturally a bit dense, half-and-half works best here without the heaviness of straight cream.
- Garlic powder, salt, black ground pepper: Season generously to taste.
- Fresh chives: Chives are optional, but I love the fresh bite and pop of color on top.
As always, ingredient quantities can be found in the recipe card down below.
Substitutions and Variations
- Swap the half-and-half with whole milk for a lighter result. You can also use heavy cream, but use a little less since it is thicker.
- Stir in a spoonful of sour cream for a little tang and extra creaminess.
- Extra garlic! Stir in some mashed roasted whole garlic. My roasted garlic mashed potatoes recipe is a great alternative if you’re a garlic lover.
How to Make Red Skin Mashed Potatoes
- Cook the potatoes. Cut potatoes into 1½-inch cubes. In a large pot, cover with water and bring to a boil. Cook over medium-high heat for about 20 minutes, or until soft. Drain and return the potatoes to the pot. Tip: A fork should pierce through easily with no resistance.
- Warm the dairy and butter. While the potatoes cook, microwave the half-and-half and butter together in a heat-proof bowl for about 1 minute or longer until melted and warmed through. Stir to combine.
- Mash with a potato masher, gradually adding the half-and-half and butter mixture until you get the desired consistency, adding more liquid as needed. Tip: Add the liquid little by little as needed.
- Season and serve. Season generously with garlic powder, salt and pepper. Give everything a stir without overmixing. Garnish with chives and a few dollops of softened butter on top.
Tips for Success
- Cut the potatoes evenly so they all finish cooking at the same time and for a more uniform texture.
- Drain well. Leftover cooking water can water down the mashed potatoes.
- Add the liquid gradually. You can always add more, but you can’t remove it.
- Don’t overmix. Red potatoes are waxier than russets, so too much mixing turns them gummy. This is why I prefer to use just a basic potato masher rather than a
How to Keep Mashed Potatoes Warm
Use your slow cooker to keep mashed potatoes warm! This trick comes in handy for the holidays or any time you’re juggling multiple dishes at once! Transfer the mashed potatoes to a slow cooker and keep them covered on the “warm” setting, with a few dollops of butter on top to keep them from drying out. If they thicken, stir in a small splash of warm milk or half-and-half before serving.
Recipe FAQs
It comes down to texture and preference!. Russets are starchier and make lighter, fluffier mashed potatoes, while red potatoes are waxier and make a denser, creamier, slightly chunky mash.
Overcooking or overmixing is usually the culprit. Cook them until fork-tender and soft, then mash gently by hand using a basic potato masher.
You can, but it isn’t necessary here. If you do, make sure to not overmix, otherwise they can turn gummy and dense. A regular potato masher leaves some skins and small chunks intact, which is exactly what gives this recipe its character.
Make Ahead and Freezing
- Make ahead: Make the red skin mashed potatoes from start to finish up to 2 days ahead and refrigerate in an airtight container. Reheat on the stovetop, adding a splash of milk or half-and-half and a little more butter until creamy.
- Storage: Leftovers can be kept in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.
- Freezing: Cool completely, then freeze in a freezer-safe container for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating on the stovetop.
Pairing and Serving Ideas
Roast Chicken: Serve alongside my classic Dutch Oven Chicken or this easy spatchcock chicken recipe.
Weeknight Chicken Dinners: Creamy Lemon Chicken, Honey Mustard Chicken, Creamy Garlic Parmesan Chicken.
Pork: Try these mashed potatoes with my Pork Chops with Apples, perfect for fall.
Beef: Great for these Garlic Butter Steak Bites or my favorite Oven Chuck Roast recipe!
Salmon: Red mashed potatoes pair really well with my Salmon Piccata.
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Red Skin Mashed Potatoes
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 ½ to 3 pounds red potatoes
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter - cut into chunks
- ⅔ cup half-and-half - plus more as needed
- 1 teaspoon Garlic powder - plus more to taste
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Chopped chives - for garnish
Instructions
- Clean and cut potatoes. Scrub the potatoes clean and cut them into 1½ -inch cubes evenly. Don't peel the potatoes.
- Cook potatoes: In a large pot, bring water to a boil, enough to fully cover the potatoes. Add the potatoes, bring back to a boil, and cook for about 20 minutes or until soft and tender. Drain the water and return potatoes to the pot. Tip: The potatoes are ready when a fork easily pierces through. If there is resistance, it needs more time.
- Warm up dairy: In a heat-proof bowl, add the half-and-half and butter. Microwave for about 1 minute or longer until melted and warmed up. Give it a stir to combine fully.
- Mash the potatoes: Using a potato masher, mash the potatoes while gradually adding the warmed half-and-half and butter mixture. Add more liquid as needed until you reach your desired consistency. Tip: Add the liquid little by little until you get the desired consistency. Adjust as needed.
- Season and stir: Season with garlic powder, salt and pepper to taste and stir a few more times until just combined. Do not overmix, otherwise it can turn a little too dense.
- Garnish with chopped chives. I also like to serve with a few dollops of softened butter on top. Serve warm.
Notes
- The potatoes are done boiling when a fork pierces easily through, without resistance. For 1-inch chunks, this takes about 20 minutes. You can also taste it – if it’s not ready, it will have a slight raw taste.
- Don’t use an electric mixer. A simple potato masher tool will work just fine, especially if you want to keep the skin on. Definitely don’t use a food processor.
- Warming up the dairy will make it much easier to mix and will get you a better texture.
- Make ahead: Make the mashed potatoes up to 2 days ahead and keep refrigerated. Reheat over the stovetop with an extra splash of half-and-half and extra butter.
- Reheat in oven: Cover with aluminum foil. Reheat in the oven at 300°F until warm. Uncover and stir in some warm heavy cream and butter, and return to the oven to reheat for an additional 10 minutes.
- Leftovers can be stored for 3-4 days.
- Freezing: Freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight and reheat as directed.
- Half-and-half: Whole milk works well here. If using heavy cream, you may need to use less since it is thicker and richer.
Kelly Ryan Moser says
Good recipe. Found out daughter didn’t like sour cream so I was thrilled to find this recipe. Dill can be used as garnish ( my error but it turned out ok. Dill butter is good) I roasted the garlic- used 6 cloves. Could use more. I needed it for your green bean bacon recipe. Also very good.
Christie says
Compliments given by hubby and adult son, serious steak eaters. Thank you! This will be in our rotation.
Greg Popp says
Fantastic gourmet recipe. Instead of garlic powder, I used 10 peeled garlic cloves per 2 pounds of potatoes (sounds like a lot – it’s not) right in the boiling water with the potatoes. No need to pre-roast the garlic. The cooked cloves mash right with the potatoes. One thing that didn’t work – reheating. At 30 minutes at 300 degrees, the potatoes were still nearly as cold as when they came out of the refrigerator. I think better to avoid reheating (as all the stirring did change the texture a bit), or bring to room temperature an hour or more before putting in the oven. Will make this recipe again and again.
Kathleen says
I made this recipe and my family loved it.
I never knew about warming the
butter and half and half. I used light cream and it worked fine. Thank you
Rachel says
Family loved this recipe! Easy to make. Followed the tips and instructions, including the super helpful tip about using a slow cooker to keep the potatoes warm. Will be making again soon!
Nita Glover says
Delicious and so easy to make! I steamed the potatoes (1 lb.) for 20-25 minutes instead of boiling them.
Barb says
Can u substitute buttermilk for half & half
Tania says
I don’t see why not 🙂
Ellison F Keller says
How much garlic powder is required to get garlic mashed potatoes from this recipe?
Tania says
Hi Ellison! You can just adjust to taste. I usually add 1-2 teaspoons at a time, mix it, and taste it to see if it needs more.
Patty says
Sooo sooo good. Loved the texture and flavor. Will make again for the holidays this year
Tania says
Thank you!
Bri says
I tried your recipe an loved it!! Can’t wait to try more !!