Author: Lisa Childs
Comments: 28
Category: Instant Pot Dump and Go Recipes
Published Date: September 25, 2019
Updated Date: January 12, 2023
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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
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
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.
This was the BEST Baked Potato Soup I’ve ever had. It has so much flavor! I even took it to share with some friends and they also said it was so good! It was also super easy and quick to make. I will definitely make this again & again!
Author
Michelle!! I was sitting here working and feeling so depressed because I was feeling like a brine shrimp in such a ginormous ocean. Then I checked my email and got your sweet comment. It totally has turned my night around. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for taking the time to come back and leave a review! It truly helps so much. I’m so glad you loved it too! Thanks again, friend!! – Lisa
I feel like this is always my go-to with my insta pot. Pleeeeez inspire me to loose that weight with your recipes and your weight loss plans! I’m at an all time high of 251 pounds. I NEED this so I can enjoy my grandbabies and my upcoming retirement.
Our family liked this soup a lot. The bacon is a must! We ate it in bread bowls and thought it had great flavor and texture.
Lisa, I followed your recipe and it was perfect and delicious!
I decided to deglaze the inner pot (scrape the browned bits) before I added the ingredients just so I could see the bottom of the pan and what I was working with.
I liked “Step 3” the reminder to turn the knob to “SEALING.” That was a welcomed reminder.
I went “whole” and “full fat” on everything and didn’t regret it.
Thank you for sharing this recipe. I encourage readers to try it. It was easy and good. We even have leftovers for today!
I’ve made this before and it is DELICIOUS!! But I have a question: If I wanted to freeze individual servings (making a gift for my father in law), could I top each container with some bacon or maybe or stir it in? Or would if overcook in the microwave?
Lisa,
Wondering about doubling this in an 8 quart Instantpot, is that possible?
Author
Yes for sure!
My family acted like I had never before made them a yummy dinner…this soup is so good! The bacon adds a great smokey flavor and the soup really tastes like a loaded baked potato. And it was soooo easy. I actually used 2 cups of 1% milk in place of the whole milk and cream, and it was still creamy and indulgent. So impressive that I would feel confident making this for a crowd. Thank you!
Author
Yay, Cassidy!! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review! – Lisa
Delicious!!! Made the leftovers into potato cakes and those were just as tasty!
Author
so glad you loved it! thanks, Jenna!
Hi! I just got an 8 qt Instant Pot today for my anniversary. Which size of Instant Pot is this made for? Thank you and can’t wait to try it!
Author
This was made and tested in a 6 quart, but no modifications are needed for an 8 quart!
I just got a 6 qt pot can I double this recipient in the 6 qt one?
Author
You should be able to!
This soup was amazing! I had a bad experience with an instant pot baked potato soup so I was hesitant to try but I made it exactly as written and it was perfect, thank you!
Author
Yay! Thanks, Kayla! SO glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for taking the time to comment 🙂 – Lisa
Really good and really easy, I used fresh onion and garlic in mine and let them sweat in the bacon grease first. I recommend doing this because it adds a entirely new element to the dish.
Hi, how much weigh the slices of bacon? For here in the Netherlands, that isn’t a regular thing. We have bacon in lardons though, so that’s what I’ll be using. I’m just not sure how much (appox)
Author
Hi Linda! From what I have found, it’s about 1/2 cup of bacon or 115 grams. just a small handful!
I’m an Instant Pot newbie. Did the water test, then made a cup of rice just to try it out. This was my first real recipe to try. Full disclosure, I am not sure I’m going to love the Instant Pot, but wanted to try it. I have a few questions about this particular recipe. I should tell you that I have a crockpot loaded baked potato soup that we love. It’s thick and delicious. To me, this soup had great flavor but was definitely a much runnier consistency than what I’m used to. How do I keep it hot? According to the directions, after you lift the lid, mash all the potatoes, you add the cold ingredients. The soup was lukewarm, and by the end of my bowl, it was actually cold. Do you turn it back to saute to heat while you incorporate the cold ingredients? With a new appliance, it just never occurred to me to do anything but follow the recipe! Is there a place to find more helpful directions in general for the Instant Pot than what comes with it in the box? I had to watch your videos to leanr more. They’ve been helpful so far, so thanks!
Author
Hi Allayne!
If you prefer a thicker soup, you’ll want to add more potatoes to the recipe. You could also take a shortcut and add mashed potato flakes to the soup to thicken. I find this soup to be pretty thick if you use full fat sour cream, whipping cream, and cheese. You could also use less milk or broth to make it thicker, or mash more of the potatoes. If you remove the lid after pressure cooking, the Instant Pot should stay on Keep Warm mode (unless you have manually turned it off yourself) which keeps it at a servable temperature for me. If you’d like to warm up your soup more, then yes, please press the Saute button and you can warm it further. If you have already watched all my videos on Youtube, you may find the Instant Pot Community on Facebook or the Instant Pot Website to be a good resource. Hope that helps!
This soup is simple delicious. Looking to make double batch. Would cook time be the same? Or does it need to go a little longer do to extra potatoes?thanks
Author
I’d maybe add 2-5 minutes for a double batch! Just make sure your potatoes are cut the same size throughout!
Can I use red skin potatoes for this recipe
Author
yes
Wow! This soup is amazing! My while family loved it. Thank you.