Learn how to make Instant Pot stuffed baked potatoes with this easy recipe. The pressure cooker is great (and quick) for making perfectly cooked whole potatoes, which you can top with one of our four delicious stuffings: tuna corn and mayo, BBQ sausage and onions, mushroom spinach and feta or Reuben inspired combo. Finish in the oven for that drool-worthy grilled cheese finish! The stuffing ingredients below are for two whole potatoes (four halves, two serves), so you can multiply or divide for the amount you need to make.
5oz.ground sausage140 g, Italian sausage or meat from sausages
1medium onionsliced
¼cupBBQ Sauce
⅔cupcheese
¼cupsour cream
Mushroom Spinach & Feta Stuffing
1.5cupssliced button mushrooms
½onionsliced
1teaspoonbutter
2cupsbaby spinach leaves
⅔cupgrated cheese
⅓cupcrumbled feta
Reuben Stuffing
3-4oz.Swiss or Cheddar cheese100 g, sliced
4slicespastrami
½cupsauerkraut
⅓cupto ½ cup Russian dressingsee notes for homemade https://amzn.to/3m98rZY or Thousand Islands
Instructions
Cooking potatoes in the Instant Pot
You can use the following method for cooking most whole potatoes in the Instant Pot, not just the ones for stuffing and baking.
Wash potatoes well using a brush to scrub off any soil. You can also cut away any spoilt bits. The potatoes we used were about 8.5-9 oz each and cooked 5 at the same time.
Add a cup of water to the Instant Pot and place the trivet inside. Layer whole potatoes on top of the trivet, stacking them on top of each other if cooking more than 4-5 potatoes. The water amount is the same if you cook 2 potatoes or 8 potatoes.
Use a fork or a knife to pierce each potato once or twice. This will prevent the potato from splitting or bursting while cooking.
Secure and lock the lid. Set the Instant Pot to Pressure Cook/Manual and adjust the time to 15 minutes at high pressure. The Instant Pot will take about 5-10 minutes to come to pressure and then the timer will kick-off. Once done, allow the pressure to release naturally (about 15 minutes).
Remove the trivet with the potatoes from the Instant Pot. You can enjoy the spuds as they are with some simple seasoning and butter or olive oil, or you can do a second bake or grill in the oven with cheese on top or stuffed with one of your favorite fillings. See the next few steps for making stuffed baked potatoes.
Stuffing & baking potatoes
Cut cooked whole potatoes in halves and scoop out some of the flesh to make wells to hold the filling. This is a good time to season the potato with some salt and pepper. This step will be the same for all of the stuffed potato ideas below! You can fill the potatoes with your favorite toppings without further baking or cooking OR you can top each half with grated cheese of choice and pop in a 400 F / 205 C oven for 10-15 minutes. Place on a rack closer to the broil for an extra golden-brown crust.
Tuna Mayo Corn: Combine tuna, corn, mayo and a little pepper in a bowl and mix. Top each potato half with the creamy tuna and scallions on top.
BBQ Sausage & Onion: While potatoes and cheese are baking, fry up the sausage meat in a medium-hot pan for about 4-5 minutes until browned. Saute/fry the onions until golden brown, season with a little salt. You can do this in the same large frying pan or separate skillets. Once the cheese has melted, top each half of the potato with a tablespoon of BBQ sauce followed by cooked sausage meat and grilled onions. Finish with a dollop of sour cream.
Mushroom spinach & feta: Pan-fry sliced mushrooms and sliced onions in a little olive oil and butter for 4-5 minutes over medium heat, until golden brown. Season with salt and pepper. In a small pot, melt a little butter and add the baby spinach. Cook over medium heat until wilted.
Reuben: Cut cooked potatoes in halves and scoop out the flesh to make a little well inside. Season potatoes with salt and pepper and top each half with grated cheese. Fill each potato with a little bit of the dressing, sauerkraut and a few slices of pastrami. Place two slices of cheese on top (grated cheese is also fine). Pop in a hot oven (400 F / 205 C) for 10-15 minutes until the cheese is melted. Once the cheese is melted, top the potatoes with more pastrami and sauerkraut and drizzle generously with the Russian dressing.
If making your Russian dressing (see notes below), combine and whisk the ingredients while potatoes are in the oven.
Notes
Russian dressing: ⅓ cup mayonnaise, 1 tablespoon ketchup, 1 teaspoon hot sauce, 1 teaspoon horseradish if available, 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce, ¼ teaspoon paprika and ¼ teaspoon onion powderStorage: You can store leftover cooked whole potatoes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 5 days. Reheat the potatoes in the Instant Pot on a trivet over 1 cup of water for 3 minutes on HIGH pressure; microwave for 1 to 2 minutes or heat in a hot oven for 15-20 minutes. Cooking times for different size potatoes in the Instant Pot:
Small potatoes (4-5 ounces, 2 inches in diameter) - 10 minutes on HIGH with natural release.
Medium potatoes (5-7 ounces, 2-3 inches in diameter) - 12-13 minutes on HIGH with natural release.
Large potatoes (8-9 ounces, 3-4 inches in diameter) - 15-16 minutes on HIGH with natural release.
Extra-large potatoes (11-13 ounces, 4-4.5 inches) - 20 minutes on HIGH with NPR.
Cooking time and amount of water is the same if you cook 4 potatoes or 8 potatoes. If cooking at a higher elevation, be sure to refer to Instant Pot Altitude Adjustments.Nutrition information for 2 stuffed potatoes with the following fillings (1 potato per serve)
Tuna & Corn Stuffed Potatoes: 626 cal, 50 g carbs, 30 g protein, 32 g fat
BBQ Sausage & Onions: 690 cal, 64 g carbs, 24.5 g protein, 37 g fat
Mushroom Spinach & Feta: 420 cal, 48 g carbs, 18.2 g protein, 18.8 g fat
Reuben Stuffed Potatoes: 430 cal, 60 g carbs, 17 g protein, 14.4 g fat