The best Sour Cream Mashed Potatoes you will ever make are these right here! With just three ingredients and 30 minutes, everyone will want your secret recipe with how fluffy and creamy these potatoes will be!
What's not to love about mashed potatoes? They're everyone's favorite side dish. These are especially creamy and delicious thanks to my secret ingredient, sour cream.
Rather than put the sour cream on top, we substitute it for the cream or milk in traditional mashed potatoes. These Sour Cream Mashed Potatoes have a great tang plus a luscious texture. We recommend using Russet potatoes for a fluffier mash or Yukon Gold for a creamier texture.
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Mix in or top with your favorite herbs, bacon bits, spices, etc. for a 30 minute side dish recipe that your family and friends will request time and time again. If you love potato recipes, then you have to try our Italian Roasted Potatoes, Ranch Roasted Potatoes, and Crispy Parmesan Potatoes.
Table of Contents
Why You'll Love this Recipe
- 3 Ingredient Potatoes. There's no excuse not to have a side dish at dinnertime. These fluffy mashed potatoes are just three ingredients. The sour cream makes them the perfect texture every single time.
- 30 Minute Side Dish. This recipe takes almost no time to throw together. With just 10 minutes of hands on prep time, it's a great recipe for beginner cooks.
- Easy to Customize for a Crowd. Add cheese, spices, herbs - make it yours any way you desire!
Laura Ashley's Tip: A hand mixer is the best tool when it comes to making mashed potatoes. It makes them fluffy, yet creamy, and never gluey!
Ingredients
Scroll Down for Ingredient Amounts Listed in the Recipe Card Below
- Russet or Yukon Gold potatoes: Both are best for mashed potatoes. Russet are more fluffy in texture while Yukon Gold are more creamy.
- Sour cream: We love full fat sour cream, but you can use low fat too as desired.
- Salted butter: Salted butter is preferred to add a bit of extra seasoning to each bite!
- Optional garnishes: Thin butter slices, sliced green onions, or chives are all great options for topping the mashed potatoes.
TOOLS YOU'LL NEED
How to Make Sour Cream Mashed Potatoes
- Add potatoes to a large saucepan and 2 cups of water. Turn the heat to medium-high heat and cook covered at a rolling simmer 15-20 minutes, or until you can easily pierce the potatoes with a fork. Drain the potatoes.
- To a medium bowl, add the sour cream and butter. Pour the drained hot potatoes on top, and leave the both untouched for 3-5 minutes.
- Add ½ teaspoon salt. Mix with a hand mixer, starting with low speed and building the speed to high as the ingredients start to blend. Mix just until the potatoes are smooth and ingredients cohesive.
- Taste and add more salt or milk, if desired. If you’d rather have a lumpier texture or don’t have a hand mixer, you can also mash with a masher or ricer tool.
- Garnish with additional butter or sliced green onions or chives, if desired.
Recipe Tips for Success
- Use a hand mixer for mashing. Skip the potato masher, the hand mixer does all the work for you so easily! Plus it makes the perfect texture too.
- Sour Cream Lover Tip: If your a BIG Sour Cream Lover…use a little more sour cream and a little less butter.
- Make sure the sour cream and butter are room temperature. You don't want them too cold when stirring into the hot potatoes or the consistency will become runny. Be sure to allow both ingredients to sit out on the counter for 30 minutes to 1 hour in advance.
- Over boil the potatoes. This is key for the ultimate mashed potatoes recipe! When you pierce the tip of a paring knife into the cooked potatoes, it should easily glide through - you want the potatoes extra tender!
What to Serve with Mashed Potatoes with Sour Cream
Being one of the best side dishes all year round, there are so many things to pair with these fluffy potatoes. Here are some of our favorites:
- Beef Tips and Gravy
- Slow Cooker Country Style Pork Ribs
- Pork Bites and Gravy
- Easy Salisbury Steak
- Crockpot Chicken and Stuffing Casserole
Storage
Store these potatoes in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. You can also freeze these potatoes for up to 2 months and thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
Reheat potatoes in the microwave for a few minutes until warmed through or on the stovetop. Add a splash of milk or dollop of sour cream if they are too thick after reheating.
Variations
- Use cream cheese instead of sour cream. This adds for a cheesy and creamy mashed potato that's a little different than sour cream.
- Use Greek yogurt instead of sour cream. This is a bit of a lighter option and works just as well!
- Substitute heavy cream or whole milk instead of sour cream. The classic way of making fluffy potatoes is using part milk and part cream and we still think it's very delicious.
- Add your favorite cheese. We suggest goat cheese, cheddar cheese, or pepper Jack cheese for a bit of spice!
- Season it up with spices! Add a dash of smoked paprika, dried thyme, or herbs de Provence for a new spin.
- Mix it up with toppings. Add scallions, bacon bits, fresh chopped herbs, the options are endless!
Frequently Asked Questions
Using lots of butter and stirring in sour cream. It makes the creamiest mashed potatoes.
It should be melted or room temperature. This allows for it to mix in and incorporate evenly for the smoothest mashed potatoes out there.
Red bliss and fingerling potatoes since they are a bit waxier in texture.
More Simple Side Dish Recipes
Sour Cream Mashed Potatoes (3 Ingredients!)
Ingredients
- 2 pounds peeled and cubed Russet or Yukon Gold potatoes
- ¾ cup sour cream room temperature - see note
- 6 tablespoons salted butter room temperature - see note
- ½-1 teaspoons salt
- Garnishes: thin butter slices, sliced green onions or chives optional
Instructions
- Add potatoes to a large saucepan and 2 cups of water. Turn the heat to medium-high heat and cook covered at a rolling simmer 15-20 minutes, or until you can easily pierce the potatoes with a fork. Drain the potatoes.
- To a medium bowl, add the sour cream and butter. Pour the drained hot potatoes on top, and leave the both untouched for 3-5 minutes.
- Add ½ teaspoon salt. Mix with a hand mixer, starting with low speed and building the speed to high as the ingredients start to blend. Mix just until the potatoes are smooth and ingredients cohesive.
- Taste and add more salt or milk, if desired. If you’d rather have a lumpier texture or don’t have a hand mixer, you can also mash with a masher or ricer tool.
- Garnish with additional butter or sliced green onions or chives, if desired.
Video
Notes
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- Use a hand mixer for mashing. Skip the potato masher, the hand mixer does all the work for you so easily! Plus it makes the perfect texture too.
-
- Make sure the sour cream and butter are room temperature. You don't want them too cold when stirring into the hot potatoes or the consistency will become runny. Be sure to allow both ingredients to sit out on the counter for 30 minutes to 1 hour in advance.
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- Over boil the potatoes. This is key for the ultimate mashed potatoes recipe! When you pierce the tip of a paring knife into the cooked potatoes, it should easily glide through - you want the potatoes extra tender!
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