These rich and creamy Brown Butter Mashed Potatoes Recipe take your favorite comfort food up a notch with a swirl of nutty, toasted butter. With only 5 ingredients and tips to keep them from ever turning gummy, they're perfect for weeknights, weekends, or holiday feasts like Thanksgiving and Christmas.
All our truly delicious potato recipes can be found in this collection that gives over-the-top flavor to every spud. Nothing boring or bland here!
There's nothing wrong with classic mashed potatoes, but sometimes you just want to take them over the top. That's where these come in - layered with the rich, nutty flavor of brown butter drizzled right on top. Around here, brown butter is a staple, but what makes this recipe different is that peeling is totally optional - especially if you're using red or yellow potatoes!
Don't just save these for alongside Sunday dinners or when company's over - these mashed potatoes will win a spot on your list of tried-and-true Thanksgiving recipes. They look super impressive, but only take a couple extra minutes of effort.
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Why this recipe is great
- So rich and buttery and nutty that everyone will be impressed!
- They are simple! We give all the tips, but this recipe is doesn't require any special steps or tools - no peeling necessary! The secret is in the cooking process.
- Special! Sometimes you need to take a classic and turn it into something new and different. This is that!
Brown butter mashed potato ingredients
This recipe only calls for the usually cast of characters, it is the cooking process that makes this recipe stand out.
- Potatoes: Our preference is to use yukon golds or red potatoes so that the skins disappear into the final product, but russets potatoes will also work!
- Milk: Whole milk offers the most amount of creaminess and the very best flavor, but whatever you have on hand will do the job.
- Butter: Salted butter is the only kind we buy, but if you choose unsalted butter, just add in an extra pinch or two of salt at the end.
- Seasoning: Simple, but classic kosher salt and ground black pepper finish these off perfectly.
Helpful kitchen tools
How to make easy brown butter mashed potatoes
For the creamiest mashed potatoes, be sure to follow all the step-by-step instructions below.
Start by placing all the diced potatoes into a large pot and cover with water. Swish the potatoes all around. The goal is to release as much starch as possible to keep the final dish from being gummy. Dump the potatoes into a strainer and give a final rinse.
Place the rinsed potatoes back into the pot and fill with enough cold water to cover them by an inch. Place on the stove and bring to a gentle boil, cooking the potatoes until they are super tender. That can take anywhere between 15 and 25 minutes depending on the size of the potatoes.
To toast to butter, set a medium saucepan over medium heat and let the butter melt. After melting it will begin to foam. After foaming the milk solids begin to turn into golden brown flecks. For step-by-step instructions see How To Brown Butter. Set aside until needed.
Once the potatoes are tender, drain in a colander. Shake vigorously to make sure that as much as the water is removed from the potatoes as possible. Add the potatoes back to the hot pot and allow the steam to escape for another 5 minutes.
Pour in the brown butter, salt, and black pepper. Be sure to scrape all the little brown bits off the bottom of the skillet and into the potatoes.
Use the electric hand mixers (or use a potato masher) to mash the potatoes in the pot, without turning them on. We just want to start the process of getting them mixed together. At this point taste the mixture and see if it is seasoned enough. If not, add more to taste.
Turn on the hand beaters and mix until the potatoes are mostly mashed and only small chunks of potatoes remain. Pour in one cup of milk.
Turn the beaters back on and whip until smooth. If the mixture is too thick, add more warm milk a little bit at a time until it is the desired consistency.
Hint: These taste amazing straight out of the pan, but for a little extra pizzaz, scoop into a large serving bowl, drizzle a little extra of the rich brown butter on the top of the potatoes and sprinkle with herbs.
Variations
- Add in some roasted garlic.
- Fry some chopped sage leaves in the last couple minutes of toasting the butter.
- Try sour cream for a little tang.
- Freshly grated parmesan cheese gives a earthy flavor.
- Cover the top with caramelized onions.
What to serve with
Besides the classic turkey dinner, this mashed potato recipes goes with beef, chicken, or pork!
How to store
Allow the potatoes to cool before placing in an airtight container. Store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. To reheat, microwave gently, stirring every minute or so. To reheat a larger amount, place them in a sauce pan, with a little extra milk and stir occasionally.
FAQs
The darkness of the butter depends upon how nutty you want the finished product to be. Light golden brown won't impart quite as much flavor as dark browned butter. We like to shoot for a medium golden brown. Just enough toasted flavor without making the potatoes appear discolored.
Yes! The salty, nutty addition really adds a note to regular mashed potatoes that jazzes them up. A really fun twist on the classic comfort food!
Tips & tricks
- Potatoes are a little bit finicky. There is no exact way to say how much liquid potatoes will need in order to achieve smoothness. Once the milk goes in, watch carefully. If it begins to look too gummy or thick, stop. Add in some more milk and slowly beat until they are the perfect creaminess.
- If you want a really smooth look like pictured, peel the potatoes first.
- Rinse well, boil in clean water, don't add milk until the potatoes are half mashed and seasoned the way you want.
More potato recipes
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Recipe
Simple Brown Butter Mashed Potatoes Recipe
Equipment
- 8 quart pot
- hand held beaters
Ingredients
- 3 lbs potatoes russet, red, or golden (about 10-12 medium size), cut into 1-1.5 size pieces
- 8 tablespoon butter
- 1 cup milk warmed plus additional if needed
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Add cut potatoes to a large pot and fill with water. Use your hand to vigorously swish to release any starch. Drain the potatoes in a colander and rinse well with fresh water. Place the potatoes back in the pot and cover with fresh water.3 lbs potatoes
- Bring pot to a gentle boil, uncovered. Cook until the potatoes are super tender. This can take anywhere from 15-25 minutes depending on the size of potatoes.
- While the potatoes are simmering, brown butter in a skillet until deeply golden brown. For step by step instructions see how to brown butter. Once the foam has subsided and the butter is the desired color, remove from heat.8 tablespoon butter
- Once the potatoes are tender, drain into a colander. Shake vigorously, removing as much water as possible. Add potatoes back to hot pot. Allow potatoes to sit uncovered for 5 minutes.
- Pour in the butter, salt, and pepper. Using hand held beaters that have not been turned on, manually mash the potatoes, mixing in the butter and seasonings. Taste mixture to see if it is well seasoned. If not adjust according to taste.1 cup milk, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon pepper
- Once they are flavored how you like them, turn on the hand beaters and mix until the potatoes are mostly mashed and only small chunks of potatoes remain. Pour in one cup of milk. Adjust with more milk until desired consistency is reached.
Notes
- Potatoes are a little bit finicky. There is no exact way to say how much liquid potatoes will need in order to achieve smoothness. Once the milk goes in, watch carefully. If it begins to look too gummy or thick, stop. Add in some more milk and slowly beat until they are the perfect creaminess.
- If you want a really smooth look like pictured, peel the potatoes first.
- Rinse well, boil in clean water, don't add milk until the potatoes are half mashed and seasoned the way you want.
Add Your Own Notes
Nutrition
All nutrition information is provided by a third party and is an estimate only. Use your own nutritional calculator for more specific measurements.
Danielle says
This recipe adds an extra layer of flavor to a delicious side dish!