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Learn how to make Instant Pot salt potatoes for a perfect summer dish you can bring to a barbecue, picnic or family lunch. You can serve them hot or cold and we opted for a delicious herb butter that you can smother and melt into the potatoes.

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WHAT ARE SALT POTATOES?

Salt potatoes are a speciality dish of Syracuse, New York, where it was invented by local salt mine workers who would boil whole potatoes in very salty water or brine for an inexpensive, tasty lunch. The salt crust would form around the potatoes are they boiled, which prevented them from getting watery and resulted in fluffy texture and lots of flavor.

Salt potatoes are still popular today and are particularly enjoyed during summer when new potatoes are in season. They are a staple at fairs, picnics, barbecues and can be enjoyed as a lovely side dish.

The key to proper salt potatoes is lots and lots of salt! Usually, the general ratio for the brine is one cup of kosher salt to six cups water, although you can use any type of salt. It might seem like a lot of salt but the skin of the potato protects the flesh so only the skin gets very salty, which works really well with creamy, starchy, fluffy, sweeter flesh of the potato. The flesh is well seasoned but not salty, so it’s a nice contrast to the salty coating on the skin.

Our Instant Pot salt potatoes recipe uses regular whole small potatoes and sea salt and the herb butter is made with thyme, parsley and scallions.

HERB BUTTER

For our herb butter, we used a combination of parsley, thyme and scallions. You can also use chives, basil, cilantro, or dill. Making flavored butter is super fun and you can get pretty creative. How about a Cajun-inspired butter or lemon zest and garlic butter, or perhaps smoked paprika or chipotle butter. We often make a larger batch as it keeps well in the fridge and you can use it for a couple of weeks or freeze the leftovers.

HOW TO MAKE SALT POTATOES IN INSTANT POT

When it comes to salt potatoes, Instant Pot is a great way to cook them. First of all, pressure cooking locks in more nutrients and is quicker than using a stovetop method. Plus, in the summer months, it allows you to avoid excess heat in the kitchen.

Here is a handy video showing you how to make salt potatoes with the Instant Pot, as well as the herb butter, and you will find the full list of ingredients, instructions and nutritional breakdown in the recipe card below.

MORE INSTANT POT POTATO RECIPES

Instant Pot Salt Potatoes With Herb Butter

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Author: Instant Pot Eats
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Yield: 6 1x
Category: Side
Method: Instant Pot
Cuisine: American
Diet: Gluten Free

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Description

Instant Pot salt potatoes with herb butter are super easy to make and are perfect for summer picnics, potlucks and as a nutritious side dish. Salty potato skin is contrasted by sweet, creamy and starchy flesh with butter and herbs melting into it releasing beautiful aromas and freshness.

Ingredients

Scale

1 litre water (or as much as you need to just cover the potatoes)

2 lbs / about 1 kg small to medium boiling potatoes (new potatoes are best)

3/4 cup salt (kosher salt, fine salt or sea salt, about 3 ounces / 90 grams)

Herb butter

4 ounces butter / 120 g (1/2 cup), softened

1 teaspoon dried thyme

2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley

2 tablespoons finely chopped scallions or chives

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Instructions

Cook the salt potatoes in Instant Pot. Add potatoes, water and salt to the inner pot and stir through. Pop the lid on top and lock, making sure the top valve is pointing to Sealing. Press Manual/Pressure Cook and set to 5 minutes at HIGH pressure. The Instant Pot will take about 10 minutes to come to pressure. Once the timer is done, use the quick release to let off the pressure (point the top valve to Venting). Strain the potatoes through a sieve and transfer to a serving plate. Don’t rinse the potatoes!
Make the herb butter. Leave the butter out at room temperature to soften or pop in a microwave for a few seconds. Using a fork, combine the butter with the herbs until smooth. Set aside. If you like, you can also add some garlic.
Serve salt potatoes hot or cold with herbed butter on the side. We love them warm or hot so that the butter can melt into the potatoes. Another option is to serve salt potatoes with aioli (garlic mayo).