This restaurant-style homemade mashed potatoes with sour cream recipe is so easy to make! They're buttery, thick, incredibly satisfying, and pair with practically any meal.
Love mashed potatoes? Try these Cream Cheese Mashed Potatoes or my classic Garlic Mashed Potatoes.
Sour cream mashed potatoes
If you're a fan of baked potatoes with onions and sour cream, I think you're going to really enjoy these mashed potatoes. They have similar vibes, and every single bite is loaded with flavor. You'll be so excited to make thick, creamy restaurant quality mashed potatoes easily in your own kitchen!
I'm always glad to add more mashed potato recipes to the blog. Let's face it, mashed potatoes are irresistible. This sour cream mashed potatoes recipe is fantastic when you crave a change from the regular ones or need to impress for a holiday like Thanksgiving. Or for any old weeknight. Make it a complete weeknight meal and serve these mashed potatoes with my Creamy Garlic Parmesan Chicken and Maple Roasted Carrots.
Pro tip
- These mashed potatoes aren't light and fluffy mashed potatoes. They're rich and fairly dense and taste amazing. Perfect if you're craving totally cozy mashed potatoes!
What goes into these rich mashed potatoes
- Russet potatoes - this is normally my go-to variety for mashed potatoes, but you can use Yukon gold as well
- Butter - it's a key base ingredient to making dreamy mashed potatoes
- Heavy cream - I wouldn't recommend subbing for something lower fat. You just won't get the full flavor, so don't compromise.
- Garlic - it's an essential component to mashed potatoes, in my opinion. I like to mince the cloves using a garlic press so that it's faster and avoids sticky fingers.
- Scallions - a mild green onion that gives a fresh addition to these creamy mashed potatoes
- Sour cream - the ingredient that sets these mashed potatoes apart from the others. It adds even more creaminess and a slight tang!
Did you know?
- Yes, these potatoes have heavy cream as well as full-fat sour cream and butter. Mashed potatoes are not the recipe for skimping on these ingredients. Wonder why they taste so good in restaurants? That's why! They're also very well salted. Mashed potatoes need moisture and fat to get that silky texture we all love.
How to make mashed potatoes with sour cream
This is an overview with step-by-step photos. Full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below.
Boil the potatoes, and when they're almost cooked, add the butter, cream, garlic, scallions, and salt & pepper to a small saucepan. Let it warm through. Drain the potatoes, and add them back to the pot they were cooked in. Pour the cream mixture over top.
Mash the potatoes until they're almost smooth with a hand-held masher, and then finish by adding in the sour cream and continuing to mash until you achieve the desired texture without overworking them.
Tips for success
- Mashing potatoes by hand vs. using an electric hand mixer gives you more control and is less likely to result in gluey mashed potatoes, so I typically do it the old-fashioned way.
- Either Russets or Yukon Golds will work fine in this recipe. Russets are typically a bit more fluffy than Yukon Golds. You could try red potatoes, but they're more waxy and tend to be less creamy when mashed and require a bit more elbow grease, so you need to be a bit more careful not to overwork them.
- I find the flavors to be nicely balanced, but feel free to up the amount of garlic and/or scallions (or take them out altogether if needed). The sour cream adds tanginess, which also helps this recipe not taste one-dimensional.
What to serve with these mashed potatoes
- These potatoes will go with virtually any main course. Craving chicken? Pair it with my Easy Roast Chicken (Lemon & Herb). Beef? Garlic Butter Steak Bites. Seafood? They're awesome with my Easy Creamy Tuscan Shrimp Recipe. Enjoy them with any dinner!
- If you're serving them as a holiday side dish, you'll want to check out my entire collection of Thanksgiving and Christmas recipes to make your festivities totally delicious.
Leftovers and storage
- Leftovers should keep for a few days in the fridge just fine in an airtight container.
- If you're wondering how to reheat mashed potatoes, simply warm them over a low heat in a covered saucepan and add a splash more cream if needed, and then re-mash them.
- I typically don't recommend freezing mashed potato leftovers because of the dairy content. The texture may change.
Questions about this heavenly sour cream mashed potatoes recipe or want to drop a review? Talk to me in the comments below. Hope you love 'em! You can also find me on Instagram.
Mashed Potatoes with Sour Cream
Ingredients
- 3 pounds Russet or Yukon Gold potatoes peeled
- 1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
- 1/4 cup heavy/whipping cream
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1/2 cup scallions chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- Pepper to taste
- 1 cup sour cream full fat
Instructions
- Prep the potatoes. You don't have to peel the potatoes (I don't usually peel Yukon Golds), but if you're opting not to peel Russets, be sure to scrub them well. Cut the potatoes into halves (or thirds if they're large). Add them to a large pot of salted water and boil until a sharp knife easily pierces them.
- Meanwhile, when the potatoes are almost done cooking, add the butter, cream, garlic, scallions, and salt & pepper to a small saucepan over low heat. Turn off the heat once the butter has melted and it's warmed through.
- Drain the potatoes and leave them in the pot they were cooked in. Pour in the cream mixture and mash them until they're almost completely mashed, then mash in the sour cream to finish them. Try not to over-mash or they may end up gluey.
- Serve potatoes immediately with extra pats of butter on top if desired.
Notes
- Serves 6-8 depending on portion size.
- Feel free to leave out the garlic or scallions (or add more!).
- Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy only and should be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. Ingredients can vary and Salt & Lavender makes no guarantees to the accuracy of this information.
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