Master the Art of Creamy Perfection: The Ultimate Sous Vide Mashed Potatoes Recipe

Discover the secret to the most incredibly creamy, rich, and flavorful mashed potatoes you’ve ever tasted, all thanks to the magic of sous vide cooking. This foolproof method ensures buttery smooth potatoes that are perfect alongside any meal.

Mashed potatoes are a timeless comfort food, a versatile side dish cherished across countless cuisines and gatherings. Whether gracing your holiday table next to a succulent Prime Rib or complementing a hearty Meatloaf, their comforting presence is always welcome. Every cook has their go-to method, striving for that ideal balance of fluffy texture and deep, satisfying flavor. But what if we told you there’s a technique that elevates this classic dish to an entirely new level, making it not only more delicious but also remarkably easier to prepare? Enter sous vide mashed potatoes – a culinary game-changer that promises to redefine your expectations.

The sous vide method transforms ordinary mashed potatoes into an extraordinary side dish. This innovative cooking style ensures that every single potato piece is cooked to absolute perfection, resulting in an unmatched creaminess and an intensified potato flavor. Once you experience the superior taste and texture achieved with sous vide, you might just find yourself abandoning traditional boiling methods forever.

Traditionally, mashed potatoes are made by boiling peeled potatoes in a pot of water. While this method is common, it has a significant drawback: a substantial amount of the potato’s natural starches, flavors, and nutrients leach into the boiling water, which is then typically discarded. This process often dilutes the potato’s inherent taste, leaving you with a good, but not truly exceptional, mash. With sous vide cooking, this flavor loss is entirely eliminated. By sealing the potatoes in a vacuum bag, all the delicate flavors and starches are trapped within, intensifying the potato’s natural essence. No cloudy, starchy water goes down the drain; instead, 100% of that pure potato goodness remains, creating an incredibly rich and profoundly flavorful dish. It might sound unconventional at first, but the results speak for themselves – prepare for the best mashed potatoes of your life.

Understanding Sous Vide Cooking

The term “Sous Vide” literally translates from French to “under vacuum.” This sophisticated cooking technique involves vacuum-sealing food in a bag and then immersing it in a precisely controlled water bath. A sous vide immersion circulator maintains the water at an exact temperature, ensuring that the food cooks evenly and to its desired doneness without any risk of overcooking.

This method is renowned for its incredible precision and consistency, particularly when cooking proteins like steak or pork, where it guarantees a perfect internal temperature from edge to edge. For vegetables, and especially potatoes, sous vide offers unique advantages. Just as it delivers incredibly fluffy and creamy Sous Vide Egg Bites by cooking them slowly and gently at the ideal temperature, it tenderizes potatoes while preserving all their natural moisture and flavor, leading to an unparalleled texture and taste.

Selecting the Best Potatoes for Sous Vide Mashing

Choosing the right potato variety is crucial for achieving the perfect mashed potato consistency, and this holds especially true for sous vide cooking. For this particular method, I highly recommend using Russet Potatoes. These potatoes are known for their high starch content and relatively low moisture, which makes them incredibly fluffy and absorbent when mashed. Their robust flavor also shines through beautifully with the sous vide technique, resulting in a deeply satisfying taste.

Another excellent choice is Yukon Gold Potatoes. These golden-hued potatoes offer a naturally buttery flavor and a creamy texture that mashes wonderfully. They strike a great balance between starchy and waxy, providing a rich and smooth consistency that’s hard to beat. While other potato varieties can be used, Russets and Yukon Golds consistently deliver the superior taste and texture you’re aiming for in sous vide mashed potatoes.

scoop of mashed potatoes on a plate with steak

How to Make the Creamiest Sous Vide Mashed Potatoes

Creating these incredible mashed potatoes is surprisingly straightforward. The sous vide method takes much of the guesswork out of cooking, allowing you to focus on developing the perfect flavor and consistency. Here’s a detailed breakdown of the steps:

Prepare the Potatoes: Begin by thoroughly washing and then peeling your chosen potatoes. While you can certainly leave the peels on for a more rustic texture, I prefer to remove them for the ultimate creamy result. Once peeled, slice the potatoes into uniform 1/2-inch thick disks. This ensures even cooking in the water bath. For convenience, you can stack about 4 slices high on your cutting board before adding them to the bag.
Bag and Season: Carefully arrange the potato disks into a vacuum-sealable bag. Distribute pats of butter, peeled and crushed garlic cloves, and a generous sprinkle of salt evenly throughout the bag with the potatoes. These ingredients will infuse directly into the potatoes during cooking, maximizing flavor.
Seal the Bag: For best results, use a food saver or a dedicated vacuum sealer to remove as much air as possible from the bag. This ensures maximum contact with the water and efficient heat transfer. If you don’t have a vacuum sealer, a high-quality zip-top bag can work. To use a zip-top bag, seal it almost completely, leaving a small corner open. Slowly lower the bag into the water bath, allowing the water pressure to force the air out around the potatoes. Just before the opening goes under water, seal the remaining corner.
Cook Sous Vide: Once your sous vide water bath reaches the target temperature of 194°F (90°C), carefully place the sealed bag of potatoes into the water. Cook for a full 60 minutes. If your sous vide device doesn’t reach this high temperature, don’t worry! You can cook the potatoes at 185°F (85°C) for a slightly longer duration of 90 minutes, achieving equally fantastic results.
Finish and Mash: After the cooking time, carefully remove the bag from the hot water bath. Be cautious as the contents will be very hot. Cut open the top of the bag and pour the cooked potatoes, along with all the melted butter and garlic, into a large mixing bowl.
Achieve Desired Consistency: Using a potato masher, begin mashing the potatoes. Gradually pour in the heavy cream as you mash, stirring and incorporating it until you reach your desired level of creaminess. For an extra smooth and lump-free texture, you can also use an electric mixer on a low setting for this step.
Season to Taste: Remember, you added some salt during the initial bagging process, but now is the time to taste your mashed potatoes and adjust the seasoning as needed. Add more salt, freshly cracked black pepper, or any other seasonings to perfect the flavor profile before serving.

Expert Tips for Unforgettable Sous Vide Mashed Potatoes

Hold the Cream During Cooking: While some recipes suggest adding cream directly to the bag with the potatoes during sous vide cooking, I strongly advise against it. The reason is simple: you might not need all the cream, and any excess will absorb the valuable melted butter and potato flavors, which would then be discarded. By adding the heavy cream *after* cooking and while mashing, you have complete control over the consistency and ensure that all the rich butter and intense potato flavor are retained in your final dish. This approach yields richer, more delicious potatoes.
Make Ahead and Keep Warm: One of the greatest advantages of sous vide is its ability to hold food at a perfect serving temperature for extended periods. You can easily prepare these mashed potatoes ahead of time. Once mashed, seal them back into a bag (either vacuum-sealed or with as much air removed as possible using the water displacement method) and place them back into a sous vide bath set to 135°F (57°C). They will stay perfectly warm and ready to serve for up to 6 hours, making them an ideal stress-free side for busy holidays or dinner parties.
Embrace Customization and Variations: This base recipe for sous vide mashed potatoes is incredibly versatile. Don’t hesitate to personalize it with your favorite mix-ins! After mashing, consider stirring in ingredients like finely diced jalapeños for a kick, shredded cheese for extra richness, crispy bacon bits for a smoky crunch, chopped chives for freshness, or a dollop of sour cream for tang. The possibilities are endless, allowing you to create a unique side dish every time.
Always Taste and Adjust Seasoning: While you’ll add initial salt to the bag, the final seasoning is paramount. As you mash and incorporate the cream, make sure to taste the potatoes frequently. Your palate is the best judge! Adjust with additional kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper until the flavors are perfectly balanced to your liking. Don’t be shy; proper seasoning makes all the difference.

looking down on a bowl of mashed potatoes with a spoon in it

Sous vide mashed potatoes are genuinely a revelation. They are incredibly simple to prepare, yet they yield a depth of flavor and a silky-smooth texture that traditional methods simply can’t replicate. The intense potato taste, combined with the creamy richness, will make you wonder how you ever made them any other way. Trust me, once you go sous vide, you won’t want to revert to boiling!

Beyond the phenomenal taste, the hands-off nature of sous vide cooking is a significant benefit. Imagine the convenience during the bustling holiday season when you’re meticulously ensuring your Sausage Stuffing is perfectly baked and taking the golden Roasted Turkey out of the oven. With sous vide, your mashed potatoes can cook precisely and then hold at temperature, freeing up valuable stove-top space and mental energy. It’s one less thing to worry about, allowing you to enjoy your special meals even more.

Dinner Recipes To Serve With Mashed Potatoes

These creamy sous vide mashed potatoes are the perfect accompaniment to a wide variety of main courses. Their rich, buttery flavor and smooth texture make them a versatile pairing for almost any protein or hearty dish. Here are some of my favorite dinner recipes that truly shine when served alongside this exquisite mash:

Braised Short Ribs: The tender, rich short ribs with their savory sauce are beautifully complemented by the light and creamy potatoes.
Turkey Meatloaf: A comforting classic that pairs wonderfully with a side of equally comforting mashed potatoes.
Baked Ham: The sweet and savory notes of a glazed ham are perfectly balanced by the neutral yet rich flavor of the mash.
Crock Pot Pork Roast: A melt-in-your-mouth pork roast begs for a creamy bed of mashed potatoes to soak up its delicious juices.
Chicken Madeira: The delicate flavors of chicken Madeira, with its mushroom sauce, are enhanced by a side of smooth potatoes.
Sous Vide Chicken Breast: Keep the sous vide theme going! Perfectly cooked chicken breast and creamy potatoes make for a simple yet elegant meal.

cropped mashed potatoes on a white plate with steak

5 from 1 vote

Sous Vide Mashed Potatoes

By

Erin Sellin

These Sous Vide Mashed Potatoes are celebrated as some of the BEST and easiest you’ll ever make. They are incredibly creamy, rich with butter, and an utterly perfect side dish for any meal.

Prep:

10 minutes

Cook:

1 hour

Total:

1 hour

10 minutes

Servings:
6

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Ingredients

▢

2 1/2
pound

potatoes
,
Russets or Yukon Gold
▢

1/2
cup

butter
,
cut into tablespoons
▢

3
cloves

garlic
,
peeled and crushed
▢

2
teaspoons

kosher salt
▢

3/4
cup

heavy cream
,
approximately

Instructions

Fill a large container or a sturdy pot with water. Attach your sous vide precision cooker to the side of the container and set the desired temperature to 194ºF (90ºC). Allow it to heat up while you prepare the potatoes.
Thoroughly wash your potatoes. If you prefer a smoother, creamier mash, proceed to peel them. For a more rustic touch, you can leave the peels on. Once clean (and peeled, if desired), slice the potatoes into uniform 1/2-inch thick disks. These consistent slices will ensure even cooking. You can stack them in small piles of about 4 slices on your cutting board for easier handling.
Carefully arrange the potato stacks into a durable, vacuum-sealable bag. Add the pats of butter, the peeled and lightly crushed garlic cloves, and a generous sprinkle of kosher salt directly into the bag with the potatoes, distributing them as evenly as possible.
Seal the bag. If you possess a food saver or a dedicated vacuum sealer, use it to remove virtually all the air from the bag – this is the most effective method. Should you not have one, a high-quality zip-top bag can be used. For this, seal the bag almost completely, leaving a small corner open. Gradually lower the bag into the water bath, allowing the water pressure to push the air out. Once nearly all the air is expelled, seal the remaining corner of the bag just before it fully submerges.
Once your water bath has reached the precise temperature of 194ºF (90ºC), gently place the sealed bag of potatoes into the circulating water. Cook the potatoes for a total of 1 hour. This ensures they become perfectly tender.
When the cooking time is complete, carefully remove the bag from the water bath. Be mindful of steam and hot contents. Using scissors or a knife, cut open the top of the bag and pour the cooked potatoes, along with all the flavorful melted butter and garlic, into a large mixing bowl.
Begin mashing the potatoes using a potato masher or a large fork. While mashing, gradually stir in the heavy cream. Continue to mash and stir until you achieve your desired consistency – whether you prefer a slightly chunky texture or an incredibly smooth, velvety mash.
Before serving, always taste your mashed potatoes. Adjust the seasoning as needed with additional kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to perfect the flavor profile. Serve warm and enjoy!

Notes

If your sous vide device is unable to reach the higher temperature of 194ºF (90ºC), you can still achieve fantastic results by cooking the potatoes at 185ºF (85ºC) for a slightly extended period of 90 minutes.

Nutrition

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

Additional Info

Author:

Erin Sellin

Prep Time:

10 minutes

Cook Time:

1 hour

Total Time:

1 hour

10 minutes

Course:
Side Dish Recipes

Cuisine:
American

Servings:
6

Calories:
415

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