My garlic mashed potatoes recipe is an incredibly simple yet comforting side dish. A big dish of these is a guaranteed crowd-pleaser and is so easy to make! Following my recipe, you’ll end up with the creamiest potatoes ever, with an addictive tang from sour cream and generously scented with nutty garlic.
These garlic mashed potatoes are fluffy and light every time! If you’re worried about your mash turning out gluey, don’t worry, because I have tips below to avoid that. (Spoiler alert: It’s easier than you think!) For more side dish recipes, try my air fryer green beans, glazed carrots, and baked mac and cheese.
What You Need To Make This Recipe
Potatoes — peeled Yukon gold potatoes are my go-to for fluffy, creamy garlic mashed potatoes.
Garlic — I went with 6 cloves of garlic so the potatoes have a good garlic flavor. You can use more or less garlic, depending on your taste.
Salt — garlic mashed potatoes can be bland without a generous amount of salt, so don’t skip it.
Milk — whole milk makes potatoes with a creamy texture and loosens them a bit so they are lighter and less dense or sticky.
Butter — butter adds richness. Use unsalted butter and add salt to taste.
Sour cream — sour cream adds a subtle tang and also enhances the addictively creamy nature of these garlic mashed potatoes.
How To Make Garlic Mashed Potatoes
1. Cut the potatoes into large, even pieces and place them in a large pot with the peeled garlic cloves and salt. Cover the potatoes by 1 inch with cold water. Place the pot on the stovetop over high heat and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer the potatoes for about 20 minutes or until they are fork-tender. For the best results, they should still have structure to them and should not be falling apart.
2. While the potatoes boil, Meanwhile, heat milk and butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Once the butter has melted, remove from the heat and keep warm.
3. Drain the boiled potatoes and garlic and return them to the cooking pot.
4. Pour the milk and butter mixture over the potatoes.
5. Mash the potato mixture just until smooth using a potato masher or wooden spoon.
6. Stir in the sour cream and black pepper. Season the potatoes to taste with more salt and black pepper. Serve them warm, topped with a pat of butter.
The Best Potatoes To Use
Yukon gold potatoes are my ultimate favorite type of potato for any kind of mashed potato recipe. If you can’t find Yukon gold potatoes, russet potatoes are a good swap. You can also use red potatoes, but be careful not to mash them too much as they more easily become gummy when overmixed.
How To Get The Creamiest Mashed Potatoes
Perhaps the most important way to get creamy, dreamy garlic mashed potatoes is to not over-mix or over-mash them. Once the potatoes are mostly smooth, stop working on them. Over-mashing causes more starch to be released from the potatoes, which turns them gummy.
Adding butter and whole milk also helps you achieve rich, creamy mashed potatoes. I like adding sour cream for a bit of tang, and it has the added perk of adding extra creaminess. For even more richness, you can use heavy cream instead of milk, but I think these potatoes are perfect as is!
If you want to go an extra step or don’t like any lumps in your mashed potatoes, press the cooked potatoes through a potato ricer! This will create perfectly smooth mashed potatoes.
How Many Potatoes Should You Cook Per Person?
You need approximately 1 to 2 potatoes per person, depending on their size. Assume each person will eat roughly ⅓ to ½ pound of potatoes. This recipe calls for 2½ pounds of potatoes, which means each person gets just under ½ pound each.
Can I Sub Greek Yogurt For Sour Cream?
Yes, you can swap sour cream for plain full-fat Greek yogurt. The taste might be slightly different, but it will still be absolutely delicious!
Can This Recipe Be Made Ahead And Frozen?
Yes. Prepare the garlic mash from start to finish and allow it to cool completely. Transfer to a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge. You will need to add a good splash of milk and more melted butter when you reheat the mash so it isn’t dry and crumbly.
How To Store
Once cooled to room temperature, transfer the mash to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
Pro Tips For Making Garlic Mashed Potatoes
- To use roasted garlic: Instead of boiling garlic cloves with the potatoes, you can roast a whole head of garlic and use that instead for a deeper flavor. Roasting garlic is really easy! Remove most of the papery skin from the garlic and trim off the head so you can see the cloves within. Drizzle some olive oil over so that the cloves are coated. Wrap the head of garlic in foil and roast at 400°F for about 40 minutes until soft and golden brown. Let it cool, then squeeze the roasted garlic out of the skin and add it to the pot with the potatoes when you’re ready to start mashing.
- Serving idea: Serve these potatoes topped with extra melted butter and finely chopped chives. Or take the toppings to another level with crumbled bacon or shredded cheese.
- Cook the potatoes in an Instant Pot! Follow the method for cooking potatoes in my Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes recipes for an easy, hands-off way to boil potatoes.
Frequently Asked Questions
I peel the potatoes because I prefer smoother mashed potatoes. For a more rustic mash, feel free to leave the peels on. If you use russet potatoes, I recommend peeling them because the peels are a bit thicker and slightly rougher in texture than Yukon gold potatoes.
The number 1 reason for gummy mashed potatoes is over-mashing and over-mixing. When you mash the potatoes excessively, they release more and more starch, causing them to veer towards sticky and gummy instead of fluffy and creamy.
I typically reheat mash in the oven or the microwave. To use the oven, transfer the potatoes to an oven-safe dish. Add a splash of milk and a bit of butter. Reheat at 350°F until warmed through. The microwave is a faster option. Heat the mash in 30-second increments, stirring occasionally, until heated through.
If you love this recipe try these out!
If you’ve tried this garlic mashed potatoes recipe, then don’t forget to rate it and let me know how you got on in the comments below. I love hearing from you!
Garlic Mashed Potatoes Recipe
Video
Equipment
- Small saucepan or pot
- Potato masher or ricer
Ingredients
- 2½ pounds Yukon gold potatoes peeled (1.1kg)
- 6 garlic cloves smashed and peeled
- 2 teaspoons salt
- ⅔ cup whole milk (160mL)
- ¼ cup unsalted butter (56g)
- ¼ cup sour cream (60g)
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Cut the potatoes into large, even pieces (about 1½-inches). Place them in a pot with the garlic cloves and salt. Cover the potatoes with cold water by 1-inch.
- Place the pot over high heat and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer the potatoes for about 20 minutes, or until they are fork-tender (but not falling apart).
- Meanwhile, heat a small saucepan with the milk and butter over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes, until the milk is warm and the butter has melted. Remove from the heat and hold the mixture warm.
- Drain the potatoes and garlic and return them to the large pot. Pour the milk mixture over the potatoes. Using a potato masher, mash the potato mixture just until smooth. (Don’t overmash or overmix, or the mixture will be gummy).
- Stir in the sour cream and black pepper. Season the potatoes to taste with more salt and black pepper. Serve them warm topped with more butter.
Notes
- To use roasted garlic: Instead of boiling garlic cloves with the potatoes, you can roast a whole head of garlic and use that instead for a deeper flavor. Roasting garlic is really easy! Remove most of the papery skin from the garlic and trim off the head so you can see the cloves within. Drizzle some olive oil over so that the cloves are coated. Wrap the head of garlic in foil and roast at 400°F for about 40 minutes until soft and golden brown. Let it cool, then squeeze the roasted garlic out of the skin and add it to the pot with the potatoes when you’re ready to start mashing.
- Serving idea: Serve these potatoes topped with extra melted butter and finely chopped chives. Or take the toppings to another level with crumbled bacon or shredded cheese.
- Cook the potatoes in an Instant Pot! Follow the method for cooking potatoes in my Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes recipes for an easy, hands-off way to boil potatoes.
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