These decadent Garlic Mashed Potatoes are the ultimate creamy and garlicky side dish. Loaded with sour cream and heavy cream for richness, and finished with just the right amount of garlic, you will definitely want seconds!
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Easy Garlic Mashed Potatoes Recipe
These are not your ordinary mashed potatoes! Not that we consider mashed potatoes to be bland – after all, they are one of the ultimate comfort foods – but sometimes it’s nice to change things up a bit. For a subtle variation on a classic, try adding garlic! It elevates your mashed potatoes by giving them a good depth of flavor, but still delivers the familiar mashed potato taste we all love.
Three kinds of dairy including tangy sour cream, smooth and rich heavy cream, and plenty of butter bring amazing flavor and texture to the potatoes in this dish. We like to use red potatoes in this recipe and add a whole clove of garlic to bring a well balanced and flavorful punch.
This is a great recipe for when you’re craving mashed potatoes but want to try something slightly less traditional. It’s also super homey and comforting – and who doesn’t love mashed potatoes? Plus, they are ready in just 25 minutes!
Why You’ll Love These Mashed Potatoes
There’s a lot going for these garlic mashed potatoes. Read on for a few of our top reasons why we love this recipe.
- Smooth and creamy. As mentioned, the heavy cream in this recipe is just so perfect. It adds such a wonderful richness and smooth texture to the potatoes. You might want to start using heavy cream every time you make mashed potatoes.
- A subtle, slightly sweet note of garlic. Raw garlic is quite pungent and spicy. But when it’s simmered or roasted it turns almost sweet and buttery. You’ll cook the fresh garlic along with the potatoes in this recipe, which will mellow it and give these mashed potatoes a nice garlic undertone.
- Comforting and satisfying. I think mashed potatoes are great any day, but they are especially good on a rainy or chilly night. It just feels right to dig into something soothing, and these garlic mashed potatoes really fit the bill in that regard.
What You’ll Need to Make Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Obviously, you’ll need potatoes and garlic to make this recipe! Here’s a quick outline of all the ingredients you’ll need. Be sure to scroll to the recipe card at the end of this post for the full ingredient amounts.
- Potatoes: We use small red potatoes in this recipe. You could also use Yukon Gold potatoes.
- Garlic: You’ll use a whole garlic clove.
- Butter: You can use salted or unsalted butter.
- Sour Cream: I like whole fat sour cream.
- Heavy Cream: You can substitute half-and-half if you don’t have heavy cream.
- Salt and Pepper: Use freshly cracked black pepper for the most flavor.
How to Make Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Follow our method below to make the best garlic mashed potatoes.
- Cook the potatoes and garlic. place the potatoes and garlic in a large Dutch oven or a large stock pot. Pour in enough water to fully cover the potatoes. Place on the stovetop and bring to a boil. Cook for about 15-20 minutes, or until the potatoes are fork-tender.
- Drain and mash the potatoes. Turn the burner off, drain the potatoes and garlic, and add them back to the pot. Place the pot back on the burner – make sure it is off but the burner grate is still warm. Roughly mash the potatoes and garlic together.
- Stir in the butter, sour cream, and heavy cream. Add the butter to the potatoes a tablespoon at a time. It will melt and blend easily while you are mashing. Then stir in the sour cream and heavy cream, mixing until well combined.
- Season and serve. Season the mashed potatoes with salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.
Tips for Success
Making mashed potatoes is straightforward, and I’m sure we’ve all done it dozens of times. But I have a few tips to ensure success every time:
- Don’t peel the potatoes before cooking. I never peel red potatoes for my recipes unless it is absolutely necessary. The skin contains nutritional value such as fiber, B vitamins, iron, and potassium. In fact, half of the fiber in a potato comes from its skin. In this recipe, I use red potatoes, which have very thin skin. So if you don’t peel the potatoes it won’t affect the taste of the mashed potatoes.
- Use sour cream and heavy cream! The sour cream in these mashed potatoes adds a little tanginess and the heavy cream gives an incredible creaminess to your potatoes.
- Substitute half-and-half. If you’re out of heavy cream or can’t get any at the store, you can swap in half-and-half for the cream. Your mashed potatoes will still be rich and creamy and you’ll get the general effect of the heavy cream from the half-and-half.
Variation Suggestions
I love these add-ins to boost the flavor of this garlic mashed potatoes recipe.
- Stir in cheddar cheese. Try adding shredded cheddar cheese for more flavor. Stir it into the pureed potatoes until it melts fully.
- Add garlic powder. If you really love garlic and want a more pungent garlic flavor, stir in about a teaspoon of garlic powder while the potatoes are boiling.
- Sprinkle parmesan cheese in with the cream. This will also bring a nice, cheesy flavor and a little extra saltiness which goes so well with the potatoes.
- Fresh herbs. A little fresh herbs add a lot of flavor when sprinkled on top or mixed in. Rosemary, parsley or chives are all delicious with mashed potatoes.
Mashed Potato Mistakes to Avoid
There’s nothing worse than the anticipation of diving into a steaming bowl of creamy mashed potatoes only to discover that they are sub-par. Here are a few common mistakes that can ruin your mashed potatoes, and how to avoid them.
- Lumpy mashed potatoes. This is arguably the worst one! It is so disappointing to take a forkful of beautiful mashed potatoes only to discover that they’re full of large lumps. Lumpy mashed potatoes are a result of undercooking potatoes. To avoid this, make sure that you cut up your potatoes into roughly the same-size pieces and start cooking them in cold water.
- Soggy mashed potatoes. Like lumpy mashed potatoes, soggy mashed potatoes are super disappointing. Make sure to cook the potatoes at a gentle, not vigorous, boil. Leave the top of the pan off so you can check to see how they are cooking. Drain them really well too, as extra water can lead to a soggier end result.
- Not prepping the potatoes well enough. In this recipe, we don’t peel the potatoes. So it’s important to really scrub them before cooking to remove any surface debris. You should also remove any “eyes” if you see them. This prep work will help keep your mashed potatoes smooth and pretty once they’re cooked.
Serving Suggestions
What doesn’t go with garlic mashed potatoes? Here are some of our favorite ways to serve them:
- Seasoned chicken. Try my Lemon Pepper Chicken, Easy Pan Seared Chicken Breasts, or Easy Chicken Parmesan Recipes for the perfect chicken pairings with garlic mashed potatoes.
- A simple beef main. These garlic mashed potatoes taste great with my Air Fryer London Broil or my Beef Tips and Gravy recipes.
- On top of shepherd’s pie. Swap the mashed potatoes in my Easy Shepherd’s Pie for garlic mashed potatoes for a flavor boost.
- With vegetables. Pick one of my meat mains and then add vegetables like Air Fryer Green Beans or crispy Air Fryer Brussels Sprouts. Round out your dinner with a heaping spoon of garlic mashed potatoes.
Storage and Reheating Options
Leftover garlic mashed potatoes are a little gift for another time. Here’s how to store them:
- Fridge – Store leftover garlic mashed potatoes in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Freezer – Place leftover mashed potatoes in a freezer-safe bag and press to flatten so you can store them laying flat to save room. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Defrost in the fridge before reheating them.
- To Reheat – Place the potatoes in a microwave-safe dish and heat in the microwave, stirring once or twice to make sure they’re heated through.
Garlic Mashed Potatoes Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 pounds red potatoes, cut into quarters
- 1 whole head of garlic, peeled and separated
- 8 tablespoons butter, sliced
- ¾ cup sour cream
- 1 cup heavy cream, or half and half
- Salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- In a large Dutch oven (or a large stock pot) add the potatoes and garlic. Add enough water to cover the potatoes fully. Place on the stovetop and bring to a boil. Cook for about 15-20 minutes, or until the potatoes are fork-tender.
- Turn the burner off, drain the potatoes and garlic, and add them back to the pot. Place the pot back on the burner (making sure it is off but the burner grate is still warm). Roughly mash the potatoes and garlic together with a potato masher. (Keep in mind you will mash/stir them more as you add the other ingredients.)
- Add the butter a tablespoon at a time, so that it melts and blends easily while you are mashing. Then add sour cream and heavy cream, mixing until well combined.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Storage: Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container up to 3 days or freeze up to 3 months. We freeze ours in a ziplock laying flat to save room. To reheat use the microwave.
- I did not peel the potatoes, I never peel potatoes unless it is absolutely necessary. The skins add nutritional value, fiber, B vitamins, iron and potassium. Half of the fiber of a potato comes from the skin. Red potatoes have very thin skin so it will not affect the taste of the mashed potatoes.
- The sour cream in these mash potatoes adds a little tanginess and the heavy cream gives an incredible creaminess to your potatoes.
- Try adding shredded cheddar cheese to these potatoes, it’s delicious!
- If you are a BIG garlic fan, you can add 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of garlic powder while the potatoes are boiling to really up the garlic flavor.
