Active Time
15 minutes
Total Time
1 hour
We hate to pick sides, but if you forced us to choose our absolute best mashed potatoes recipe, this one would top the list of contenders. It produces a supremely fluffy mash and might just be the creamiest side dish around.
Yukon Golds are hands down the best potatoes for mashing; they have a rich buttery flavor and creamy mouthfeel before introducing them to any dairy. (But yes, you can use russet potatoes if you must.) It’s important to cook the potatoes in well-salted water; anything less and the spuds will never taste fully seasoned. Boiling them with their skins on keeps them from taking on too much moisture too soon, allowing for a higher ratio of milk and cream later on. (Read more in our guide to boiling potatoes.)
For the perfect mashed potatoes, a ricer or food mill is a necessity. For one thing, they’ll catch all those skins, and secondly, they have the ability to process the potatoes to a fine purée without turning them gummy or gluey. (A potato masher could never; for more pro tips, watch Andy make them here.)
If you’re tight on time on Thanksgiving or any other day you plan to serve this comfort food classic; you can make this recipe a day in advance and tuck it into the refrigerator. And while you’re at it, you could get a head start on this turkey gravy, which you can reheat in the roasting pan (along with any drippings) once the turkey comes out of the oven.
On days when your gravy boat is dry, a dollop of sour cream and some thinly sliced green onions or a little extra melted butter gild these mashed potatoes nicely.
As we said at the top, there are many ways to go with homemade mashed potatoes. If you want to branch out, consider these roasted-garlic mashed potatoes with miso, an extra-silky mash topped with a crispy, crunchy garnish, mashed baked potatoes finished with half-and-half and chives, or check two recipes off your list by making mashed sweet potatoes instead.
Ingredients
8 servings
4
4
1½
½
1
3
1
Special Equipment
Preparation
Step 1
Place 4 lb. medium Yukon Gold potatoes, scrubbed, in a large pot and pour in cold water to cover by 1". Add a large handful of kosher salt (water should taste briny, like the ocean) and bring to a boil on the stovetop over high heat. Reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are very tender but not crumbly, 30–35 minutes. Drain, briefly rinse with cool water to remove any excess starch, and return potatoes to warm pot (off heat) to dry while you heat the milk mixture.
Step 2
Warm 1½ cups whole milk, ½ cup heavy cream, 1 head of garlic, halved crosswise, and 3 sprigs rosemary in a small saucepan over medium until fragrant, about 5 minutes. Remove pan from heat.
Step 3
Pass hot potatoes through ricer or food mill into a large bowl (cold potatoes will become gummy). Add 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature, cut into pieces, and 4 tsp. Diamond Crystal or 2½ tsp. Morton kosher salt and stir until butter is completely incorporated. Strain warm milk mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a large measuring glass. Pour into potatoes ½-cupful at a time, stirring after each addition until liquid is fully incorporated and mixture is smooth before adding more.
Step 4
Serve mashed potatoes topped with a few grinds of freshly ground black pepper.
Do ahead: Mashed potatoes can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill. Reheat over medium, stirring often and adding ¼ cup milk or stock to thin out if needed.
Editor’s note: This recipe was first printed in our November 2017 issue. Head this way for more of our favorite potato recipes →
Leave a Review
Reviews (90)
Back to TopI’d go for half the salt and half the garlic. Too much of each, and we’re garlic lovers. Just overwhelming
A cook from Buffalo
Buffalo, NY
2/4/2024
This mashed potato is delicious, you can taste all the ingredients differently
Beth
Naples , Fl
12/25/2023
In case you’re using a food mill, I’ve used all of the sizes of graders and I found the middle plate to be the best suited. Otherwise a perfect recipe.
Anonymous
12/5/2023
Home run! My family is super critical of my mashed potatoes each year, but this was easy and delicious and satisfied the whole family. I might have increased the garlic a bit, but the subtle rosemary was delicious. I noted the comments from one reviewer about the dish not being as good the second day—after I whipped up the potatoes I left them in the mixer bowl and the day I served them I mixed the, again, adding a bit more warm butter and cream, and then popped the, n the oven for about an hour at 325. They were lift and fluffy, just like they had been just made.
KLD
Virginia
11/24/2023
Has anyone had success making these the night before?
Megan
94937
11/23/2023
This is simply the best and worth the effort. Steep that milk/cream for longer than 5 minutes! By the time you've riced the potatoes, the steeping should be long enough. We have made this ever since it was printed, and we won't go back to any other recipe. I will say it is better made the same day. We did make it the day before one time, but it is not as great. We've made it Thanksgiving or Christmas morning and reheated before the big meal, which was fine, but the day before, not so much.
Mojoqe2
Virginia Beach, VA
11/15/2023
For Sandra O in Santa Clarita, yes, you should buy a River or just mash by hand if you don’t feel like doing that. Putting potatoes in a mixer or food processor is always going to give you a gummy texture, unfortunately. The ricer gives you soft, fluffy, cloud-like potatoes and takes all of the work out of mixing. It is an extra step but yields a really nice result. I bought a cheaper ricer/spaëtzle maker combo for maybe $15.
Faye S
Philadelphia, PA
11/15/2023
I tried these but don't have a ricer so I used my Kitchen Aid mixer. They came out so gummy they were inedible. Went to the store and bought Russets and made them my regular way. I am wondering if the gummy texture was due to mixing instead of ricing? I thought it was the Yukons and couldn't understand how everyone was raving. Now this recipe pops up again this year and I'd like to give it another shot. Do I need to go buy a ricer?
Sandra O
Santa Clarita, CA
11/14/2023
My recommendation is to only add the salt after the water has come to a boil and stir. If you add salt to the cold water it an "pit" your pots.
Anonymous
Savannah, GA
11/14/2023
Bill and Lia, if you watch the video online, he says ricing it removes the skins naturally. You'll have to pick it out but it actually works. I've used this recipe for the last 6 years and its always a hit!
Anonymous
Brooklyn, NY
11/11/2023
I don't know why nobody at BA answers questions raised in these reviews, so I'll ask it again: When do the skins come off, since they don't go through the ricer?
Bill
11/10/2023
So, when do I take the skins off? They are not going through the ricer!
Lia
Carmel NY
10/31/2023
Best riced potato recipe ever!!!
Anonymous
2/10/2023
“By far the best mashed potatoes I’ve ever had.” I made as directed with russets. Then added a few scoops of sour cream. A must in my opinion. Enjoy!
AspenZ
Aspen
12/27/2022
To confirm - the potatoes are not peeled? Put them through the ricer with skins on?
Emily S.
11/24/2022