Name: Red Mashed Potatoes
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 35 min
Ingredients: 1 1/2 pound (about 8) red skin potatoes, rinsed and cut into 1"pieces; 1/2 cup unsalted butter (at room temperature); 1/4-1/2 cup milk, half and half or heavy whipping cream; 1 teaspoon Kosher salt; 1/2 teaspoon black pepper; 2 tablespoons minced chives ((optional))

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You can finally kiss your vegetable peeler goodbye--at least when it comes to mashed potatoes! Creamy, decadent, and beautifully speckled with pops of red, these buttery Red Mashed Potatoes are the perfect side dish for quick-fix dinners and holidays alike.

Overhead view of red skin mashed potatoes in a mixing bowl topped with two squares of butter and chopped chives. Bowl is on a white surface with both chopped and whole chives.

This is the comfort food side dish that goes with just about any meal. We especially love them with easy-baked pork chops and slow-cooker green beans for a simple yet wholesome weeknight dinner.

With holidays approaching, don't count these spuds out--they are perfect for your holiday meal drizzled with homemade gravy and served next to a giant slice of smoked turkey breast and warm yeast rolls on the side.

Overhead view of mashed potatoes topped with two squares of butter and chives in a mixing bowl.

Why This Recipe Works
What You'll Need for this Red Mashed Potatoes Recipe
How to Make Red Mashed Potatoes with Skin
Serving Suggestions for Red Skin Mashed Potatoes
Make Ahead and Storage
5 More Potato Recipes You'll Love

Why This Recipe Works

No peeling potatoes for this recipe, unlike our other mashed potato recipe made with russets! Red potatoes are waxy potatoes, meaning they have smooth, thin skin. The skins will add a welcomed texture and a lovely pop of color to your mashed potatoes.

Here's a trick I've used for years to achieve the perfect mash: wait to add the dairy! This helps to break up the potatoes quicker and easier and makes for a smoother, creamier bite. You'll be shocked at the difference this one little tip makes.

This red skin mashed potatoes recipe is extremely easy to execute; however, it's important to add this tip to your mashed potatoes with skin to-do list in order to ensure these taters are at their best:

Have the right amount of potatoes. But, wait...who actually weighs their potatoes at the grocery store? So here are some easy workarounds for you:

If you have more or less potatoes, know you'll need to slightly adjust the seasoning, butter, and dairy quantities.
This is why our recipe adds half the dairy at first and then advises you to add a splash at a time beyond that until you've reached the perfect desired consistency.
And don't be afraid to add more seasoning and butter to your liking--just make sure you add small. You can always add more, but you can't take away!

Mashed potatoes are the family favorite at any dinner table, and they for sure add all the comfort and joy vibes to the holidays. If you like the outcome of cooking with red potatoes, try another waxy potato variety and give garlic-parmesan roasted smashed potatoes a try. They give the same vibes in a totally fun and different way!

What You'll Need for this Red Mashed Potatoes Recipe

Potatoes | By now, you know that this recipe calls for red-skinned mashed potatoes. Their skin is smooth and thin and works great for those who despise the vegetable peeler. You can use russets but know the skin is thicker and will add more texture to the dish.

Milk | Milk, cream, or even half and half works for this recipe. The higher the fat content of your dairy, the richer your potatoes will be.

Butter | Use real, unsalted butter for these potatoes. You can use salted if it's all you have, but be careful not to over season. This is the major difference maker in the flavor of red-skin mashed potatoes. Don't be afraid to splurge here--the more butter you use, the better your potatoes will be.

Seasoning | Nothing too fancy here! Kosher salt and black pepper are all you need. If you have a pepper grinder, this is one of those recipes where fresh-cracked pepper goes a long, long way. Add chives or chopped green onions for an extra pop of color and flavor.

You'll notice there is zero cheese in this recipe. Hop on over to cheesy mashed potatoes or our loaded mashed potatoes to get your cheesy potato fix. We promise it's worth it.

Red skin mashed potatoes whipped in a mixing bowl topped with two squares of butter and chives.

How to Make Red Mashed Potatoes with Skin

Prep Potatoes | Rinse potatoes and cut them into 1-inch pieces. Weigh your potatoes for the best results...but if you don't weigh your potatoes, think back to our tips from above. Remember that the number/weight of potatoes directly affects how much dairy, butter, and salt you need to make the perfect red skin mash!

Boil Potatoes | Transfer potatoes to a pot and fill with cold water by 2 inches. Place over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce to simmer and simmer for 20-25 minutes until fork tender. If your potatoes aren't fork-tender, you'll end up with a lumpy mash. No one likes a lumpy mash.

Add Butter + Salt | Add in room temperature butter and salt.

Adding butter and salt to red mashed potatoes

Mash/Mix Potatoes | You can use a potato masher, handheld mixer, or stand mixer to mash potatoes. Take care not to over-mash your potatoes, or they will take on a gummy texture.

Mashing red potatoes with a potato masher

Add Remaining Ingredients | Add in the dairy, pepper, and chives (If using. Take a note from twice-baked mashed potatoes on how chives can elevate a potato dish!). We recommend starting with half the dairy and adding more as you go.

Adding dairy to mashed potatoes with red skin

Stir + Serve | When your mashed potatoes with red skin have reached the desired consistency, serve those babies right up!

White bowl with red skin potatoes topped with two squares of butter and chopped chives.

Serving Suggestions for Red Skin Mashed Potatoes

This dish is ideal with a holiday meal alongside roasted turkey, cornbread dressing, and homemade gravy.

Mashed potatoes with skin are an amazing accompaniment to any comfort food dinner. Think pot roast, whole roasted chicken, smothered pork chops sitting right next to this creamy side dish!

And, of course, these potatoes are so quick and easy to make, they're perfectly served alongside other quick-fix dinner items like Salisbury steak, pork tenderloin, or traditional meatloaf.

Make Ahead and Storage

Make Ahead | Cut the potatoes and keep them in cold water in the saucepan for up to 2 hours in advance. The water will keep them from browning. Serve right away for the best results, but if you need to get the cooking out of the way, it is ok to keep your red skinned mashed potatoes covered with aluminum foil in a warmer drawer or an oven on the warm setting for up to 30 minutes. You can also reheat these potatoes next day with no problem. See below if must make in advance

Store | Store for up to 3 days in an airtight container in the fridge.

Reheat | If the dish must be made in advance, you can microwave at 1-minute intervals, stirring between each stint in the microwave until hot. You might want to stir in a couple of tablespoons of milk and butter and an added pinch of salt to rejuvenate the potatoes.

If you end up with a lot of leftovers, potato patties (fried potato cakes) are a super-fun way to give your red potato mash new life.

White bowl with mashed potatoes topped with two squares of butter and chopped chives.

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