Loaded Baked Potato Soup (Instant Pot)

Loaded Baked Potato Soup tastes just like a baked potato! Make this creamy, comforting soup in the Instant Pot for the EASIEST one-pot meal.

Instant Pot Baked Potato Soup

This is a great beginner Instant Pot recipe because it’s all in one pot. There’s really minimal work involved. You can get this on the table in about 30, even 20 minutes, if you’re quick in the kitchen!

In my opinion, baked potato soup should be more than just potatoes swimming in milk.

The ingredient that gives this recipe that true “baked potato” flavor is the sour cream. Don’t skimp on it! Make sure to use full-fat sour cream.

HOW TO MAKE LOADED BAKED POTATO SOUP IN INSTANT POT

INGREDIENTS FOR LOADED BAKED POTATO SOUP

• 3-5 pieces thick cut bacon, sliced
• 5 cups peeled and diced potatoes (OR, one 2lb bag of frozen hash brown potatoes)

I usually use about five small russet potatoes, peeled and diced into small pieces. You may sub red potatoes, but I would stick with a brown or red (vs yellow) potato.

• 2 tablespoons dried onion flakes
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups chicken broth (I like using water with Better than Bouillon)

• 1 cup milk (2% or whole is best)
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 cup sour cream (full fat is best 😉)
• 1 cup medium or sharp cheddar cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• Sliced green onion, sour cream, extra cheddar cheese, and/or chives to garnish

PEELED OR UNPEELED POTATOES?

While I generally leave potatoes unpeeled for many recipes, I definitely recommend peeling the potatoes for this recipe.

As the potatoes cook down and get mashed, there will be a LOT of little peels floating around and mashing together in the soup.

If you want some peels, that’s totally fine! I’d recommend leaving 1-2 potato’s worth of peels in the soup, and peeling the rest.

HOW TO MAKE BAKED POTATO SOUP INSTANT POT

• To make this Instant Pot loaded baked potato soup recipe, start by first sauteing your bacon in the Instant Pot on high saute.

TIP: Freeze your bacon for about 20 minutes before you slice it into lardons! It’ll slice incredibly easily. I use the same technique for my Zuppa Toscana Soup.

• Once the bacon crisps up, take it out of the pot with a slotted spoon, leaving the grease.
• Add 5 cups of peeled and sliced potatoes, dried onion flakes (or saute some minced onion with the bacon if you use fresh), garlic, salt, pepper, and chicken broth.

I like using water with Better than Bouillon best. This concentrated paste is awesome to enhance the flavor in basically every soup or sauce.

• Pressure cook for only 3 minutes with a quick release! Open the lid and smash the potatoes a bit. Then add the milk, cream, and cheese. 

If you add cold cheese to boiling hot liquid, it could seize, curdle, or clump.

Smashing the potatoes after pressure-cooking should release some heat. Then add the cheese slowly while mixing. I do not recommend adding frozen cheese to the soup.

Tip: I leave my cheddar cheese on the counter for a bit so that it’s room temperature when I incorporate it into the soup.

• That’s it! Top it with the bacon bits, more cheese, sour cream, and green onions.

I like to add frozen vegetables into soup after cooking. This is my favorite trick to cool down hot meals to the right temperature for my kids.

The hot soup warms up the frozen veggies, and the frozen veggies cool down the soup. 

Frozen corn is a great addition to this recipe!

BEST LOADED BAKED POTATO SOUP FOR A CROWD

I have received many questions about doubling this recipe. This soup truly is a crowd pleaser! It’s an easy, satisfying recipe for a party, luncheon, or gathering.

If you’d like to double this recipe, simply double the ingredients and keep the same cook time. If your potatoes are larger (like quartered), you’ll have to add extra time. The smaller your potatoes are, the quicker it’ll cook.

How do you make potato soup thicker?

This loaded baked potato soup recipe is already perfectly thick, but it depends on how much you smash your potatoes after cooking.

If you like the soup a bit thinner with bigger chunks of potato, don’t smash as much.

If you like a super thick soup, add an extra potato or two to the recipe and smash it up a little more after cooking.

If you like potatoes, you will definitely enjoy Instant Pot Salt Potatoes, Instant Pot Baked Potatoes, Twice Baked Potato Casserole and my Instant Pot Colcannon Recipe!

How do you thicken potato soup with instant potatoes?

After you finish cooking your loaded baked potato soup, if you decide you want it thicker, you can also stir in some dried instant mashed potato flakes to thicken it up. 

Just sprinkle in 1/4 cup at a time and stir thoroughly until you get the desired texture.

This’ll be a family favorite for sure!

CAN LOADED BAKED POTATO SOUP BE FROZEN?

Does loaded baked potato soup freeze well?

Yes!

Simply place cooled soup in an airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months.  

When thawed, there might be some separation which is totally normal. Use your immersion blender to re-blend if needed.

Just remember that frozen liquids expand, so leave about a ½ inch of extra room in the container.

LOADED BAKED POTATO SOUP HASH BROWNS

I’ve tested this recipe as an Instant Pot freezer meal, and found that frozen hash brown potato cubes work PERFECTLY as a shortcut to fresh peeled and cubed potatoes!

Simply use 2 bags of frozen potatoes (from frozen) in place of the potatoes for this recipe.

This shortcut really saves time!

This recipe makes a great, easy freezer meal to prepare! Just assemble the ingredients and freeze.

When you’re ready to eat, you just have to dump and cook. 

Loaded baked potato soup is the best freezer meal to have on hand for a comfort meal, or for a friend or neighbor in need.

I show you how in this YouTube video about 4 Super Simple Instant Pot Freezer Meal Soups!

INSTANT POT FROZEN LOADED BAKED POTATO SOUP INSTRUCTIONS

TIPS FOR MAKING FREEZER MEALS

• Use good quality freezer bags, like Ziploc. Cheaper, off brand storage bags are sometimes less thick and sturdy. 

Trust me, you don’t want the bag to rip. It’s a disaster to clean up. The extra cents for a really good quality freezer bag are worth it! 

• Write the cooking instructions on the bag BEFORE you add any ingredients. This makes a nice, dry, and flat surface to write on.
• Use these nifty bag holders! The right tools make all the difference when cooking. These bag holders are a game changer for freezer meal prep! It frees up your hands and reduces spills. 

LOADED BAKED POTATO SOUP FREEZER MEAL PREP INSTRUCTIONS

Add the following ingredients to a gallon Ziploc bag:

• 32 ounce bag frozen cubed potatoes
• 3-5 slices pre cooked bacon, chopped
• 2 tablespoons dried onion flakes, or ¼ – ½ cup fresh onion
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 2 teaspoons Better than Bullion or dried bullion
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon pepper

Lay the freezer bag with ingredients flat and freeze. There are no wet ingredients in this freezer meal prep. It should easily lay flat and break up. 

LOADED BAKED POTATO SOUP FREEZER MEAL COOK INSTRUCTIONS

• Dump the contents of the freezer bag into the Instant Pot. Add 2 cups of water.
• Seal the Instant Pot and cook on Manual High for 5 minutes with a quick release.
• Stir the soup. 

I usually just have to stir to incorporate everything because the frozen hash browns are small. But you can mash the potatoes as needed, until you reach desired consistency. 

• Add 1 cup milk, 1 cup heavy cream, 1 cup sour cream, and 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese.
• Mix until smooth. Then top with extra cheese, sour cream, bacon, and chives.

HEALTHY BAKED POTATO SOUP

I wouldn’t classify this recipe as healthy. It gets so much flavor from the bacon and full-fat ingredients. 

If you’re watching your calories, I recommend having a smaller serving of this soup. Serve it on the side with a healthy main dish, like a hearty salad. Try my Cobb Salad with Homemade Croutons and Herby Ranch or Pizzeria Limone Cantana Salad!

LOW SODIUM LOADED BAKED POTATO SOUP 

Our bodies actually only need a small amount of sodium to function properly. Too much sodium can be bad for your health, increasing blood pressure and the risk of stroke and heart disease. 

Make lower sodium baked potato soup by using low sodium bacon (or omitting bacon completely, although that will change the flavor), low sodium chicken broth, and omitting the salt.

Instant Pot Soup Recipes

Don’t forget to try some of my other insanely delicious, easy, and popular soup recipes! Seriously, don’t go another week without making my Chicken Noodle Soup!

• Instant Pot Cauliflower Soup
• Instant Pot Hot and Sour Soup
• Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup with Homemade Egg Noodles
• Instant Pot White Chicken Chili
• Tomato Basil Soup
• Instant Pot Beef Stew
• Super Simple Miso Soup
• Instant Pot Potato Ham Chowder
• Instant Pot Clam Chowder
• Instant Pot Chicken Enchilada Soup
• Instant Pot Lasagna Soup
• Instant Pot Potato Ham Chowder
• Egg Drop Soup
• Instant Pot Beef Stew

Loaded Baked Potato Soup

Loaded Baked Potato Soup tastes just like a baked potato! Make this creamy, comforting soup in the Instant Pot for the EASIEST one-pot dinners ever.

5 from 6 votes

Print Pin Rate

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 3 minutes minutes

Total Time: 18 minutes minutes

Servings: 4 -5 servings

Calories: 718kcal

Author: Lisa Childs

INGREDIENTS

• 3-5 pieces thick cut bacon sliced
• 5 cups peeled and diced potatoes about 5 small russets diced into small pieces OR one 2lb bag of frozen hash brown potatoes
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons dried onion flakes
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 cup milk 2% or whole is best
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 cup sour cream full fat is best
• 1 cup medium or sharp cheddar cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• sliced green onion sour cream, and/or cheddar cheese to top

INSTRUCTIONS

• Preheat the Instant Pot on HIGH saute. Add the bacon pieces and let cook until crispy, about 5-8 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside. There should be about 1/4 cup of bacon grease left in the pot. Remove any excess.
• To the bacon grease, add diced potatoes, chicken broth, onion, garlic, salt, and pepper. Using a wooden spoon or flat whisk, scrape the bottom of the pot to remove all the browned pieces off the bottom. Turn off Saute Mode.
• Lock the lid and turn the sealing knob to SEALING.
• Pressure cook on Manual High pressure for 3 minutes. Once pressure cooking has completed, immediately turn the sealing knob to venting for a quick pressure release. If any liquid starts spurting out, close the knob and continue by releasing the pressure in short bursts.
• Open the lid and smash the potatoes about 5-8 times with a potato masher. Add the milk, cream, sour cream, and one cup of cheese. Stir completely.
• Enjoy by topping each bowl with the reserved crispy bacon, extra cheese, sour cream, and chives or green onions.

PRODUCTS WE LOVE

• OXO 26291 Good Grips Stainless Steel Potato Masher with Cushioned Handle, Single
• Better Than Bouillon Organic Chicken Base, Reduced Sodium – 16 oz
• Instant Pot Duo 7-in-1 Electric Pressure Cooker, Sterilizer, Slow Cooker, Rice Cooker, Steamer, Saute, Yogurt Maker, and Warmer, 6 Quart, 14 One-Touch Programs

NOTES

• Freeze the bacon for about 20 minutes before you slice it into lardons! It’ll slice incredibly easily.
• I like using water with Better than Bouillon as my chicken broth. I use this concentrated paste to enhance the flavor in basically every soup or sauce.

• If you do not have a potato masher, use the beater from your hand mixer. Or remove 2 cups of potatoes after pressure cooking into a separate bowl and smash with a fork before returning them to the pot to thicken.
• Leave cheddar cheese on the counter for a bit so that it’s room temperature when incorporating into the soup.
• Stir frozen vegetables, such as corn, into the soup before serving. This will cool down the soup to just the right temperature for kids.

NUTRITION

Serving: 1g | Calories: 718kcal | Carbohydrates: 45g | Protein: 26g | Fat: 49g | Saturated Fat: 28g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 16g | Trans Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 151mg | Sodium: 1395mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 6g

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