Creamy Garlic Mashed Potatoes
These garlic mashed potatoes are thick and creamy, with red skin flecks and a few small potato pieces rather than a whipped-smooth finish. The garlic cooks briefly in butter for a mellow flavor, and a pat of butter melts into a hollow at the center of the serving bowl.
The key is to cook the potatoes until fully tender, dry them after draining, and add warm milk gradually. That keeps the mash soft enough to swirl with a spoon without letting it turn loose or gummy.
Prep: 15 minutes | Cook: About 25 minutes | Total: About 40 minutes; allow longer if the pot takes longer to heat | Servings: 6 side-dish servings
Ingredients for Creamy Garlic Mashed Potatoes

- 2 lb red potatoes, scrubbed and left unpeeled (900g)
- About 2 teaspoons kosher salt for the cooking water, plus 1/2 teaspoon to start in the mash and more to taste
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided (70g)
- 4 garlic cloves, finely minced (about 12g)
- 1/2 cup whole milk, added as needed (120g)
- 1/4 cup sour cream (60g)
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus a little for serving
How to Make Garlic Mashed Potatoes

- Start the potatoes: Cut the unpeeled potatoes into similar-sized, 1- to 1 1/2-inch pieces. Place them in a large pot, cover with cold water by about 1 inch, and add about 2 teaspoons kosher salt. Bring to a boil over high heat.
- Simmer until tender: Reduce the heat to a gentle simmer and cook uncovered or partially covered for about 15 to 20 minutes. Start checking after 15 minutes. A fork should slide through the center of a piece with little resistance.
- Warm the garlic butter and milk: Near the end of the simmer, melt 4 tablespoons butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Add the garlic and cook for about 1 minute, until fragrant but not browned. Add the milk and warm it gently without boiling.
- Drain and dry: Drain the potatoes thoroughly. Return them to the pot over low heat and shake or stir gently for about 1 minute, until no water pools in the pot and the potatoes look less wet. Turn off the heat.
- Mash and season: Mash by hand until no firm centers remain. Add the warm garlic-butter milk in portions, stopping when the mash is creamy but still holds soft spoon ridges; you may not need it all. Gently fold in the sour cream, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Taste and add more salt if needed.
- Finish with butter: Spoon the potatoes into a serving bowl. Make loose swirls and a shallow hollow in the center, leaving the red skin flecks visible. Add the remaining tablespoon of butter to the hollow, scatter a little pepper over the top, and serve hot as the butter melts.
How to Keep Red-Skin Mashed Potatoes Creamy
Leave the thin red skins on for the lightly rustic texture, but make sure the potato centers are fully tender before draining. Drying the potatoes briefly in the warm pot removes surface water that would thin the mash. Use a handheld masher and stop once the potatoes are creamy with a few small pieces remaining; beating or processing them further can make them gummy.
The full 1/2 cup of milk may not be needed. Add the warmed mixture gradually and use the spoon ridges as your guide: the potatoes should hold their shape rather than flow flat. Keeping the garlic pale as it cooks gives it a mellower flavor without a browned taste.
For a different texture, the same weight of Yukon Gold potatoes makes a smoother mash. Peeled russets make a fluffier mash and may need more milk. Neither will have this version’s red skin flecks.
Serving Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Serve hot alongside roast chicken, meatloaf, or a holiday roast. If offering gravy, serve it at the table rather than covering the butter-filled hollow. For a crisp potato side instead, try Garlic Parmesan smashed potatoes.
How to Store and Reheat
Refrigerate leftovers promptly in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Reheat in a covered saucepan over low heat with a splash of milk, stirring only as much as needed to warm them through. A food thermometer can confirm leftovers have reached 165°F (75°C).
Nutrition
Approximate per serving (1/6 of the recipe): 235 calories, 4g protein, 12g fat, and 29g carbohydrates. Approximate per 100g: 125 calories, 2g protein, 6g fat, and 15g carbohydrates. Values are estimates; the amount of milk used and the finished yield will affect them.
Equipment
- Large pot
- Small saucepan
- Handheld potato masher
- Serving bowl
Ingredients
- 2 lb red potatoes, scrubbed and left unpeeled (900 g)
- About 2 teaspoons kosher salt for the cooking water, plus 1/2 teaspoon for the mash and more to taste
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided (70 g)
- 4 garlic cloves, finely minced (about 12 g)
- 1/2 cup whole milk, added as needed (120 g)
- 1/4 cup sour cream (60 g)
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus a little for serving
Instructions
- Cut the potatoes into similar-sized 1- to 1 1/2-inch pieces. Place them in a large pot, cover with cold water by about 1 inch, and add about 2 teaspoons kosher salt.
- Bring the water to a boil over high heat, then reduce to a gentle simmer. Cook uncovered or partially covered for 15 to 20 minutes, checking after 15 minutes, until a fork slides through the potato centers with little resistance.
- Near the end of cooking, melt 4 tablespoons butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Add the garlic and cook for about 1 minute, until fragrant but not browned.
- Add the milk to the garlic butter and warm gently without boiling.
- Drain the potatoes thoroughly. Return them to the pot over low heat and shake or stir gently for about 1 minute, until no water pools in the pot. Turn off the heat.
- Mash by hand until no firm centers remain. Gradually add the warm garlic-butter milk, stopping when the potatoes are creamy and hold soft spoon ridges.
- Gently fold in the sour cream, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Taste and add more salt if needed.
- Spoon the potatoes into a serving bowl and make a shallow hollow in the center. Add the remaining tablespoon of butter and a little pepper, then serve hot.
Tips
- Cut the potatoes into similar-sized pieces so they cook evenly.
- Cook the potatoes until fully tender before draining.
- Dry the drained potatoes briefly in the warm pot to remove surface water.
- Add the warm milk gradually; you may not need the full amount.
- Use a handheld masher and stop when the potatoes are creamy with a few small pieces remaining.
- Keep the garlic pale as it cooks to maintain a mellow flavor.
Variations
- Yukon Gold Mashed Potatoes: Use the same weight of Yukon Gold potatoes for a smoother mash.
- Russet Mashed Potatoes: Use peeled russet potatoes for a fluffier mash; they may need more milk.



























