Creamy garlic mashed red potatoes with buttery sautéed garlic, tender red potato skins, and fresh chives. This easy, no-peel side dish comes together in about 20 minutes!
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These creamy garlic mashed red potatoes are rich, buttery, and full of fresh garlic flavor. I leave the thin skins on for a rustic texture and sauté the garlic in butter while the potatoes boil, creating a flavorful side dish in about 20 minutes. Finished with half-and-half and fresh chives, they're an easy addition to weeknight dinners or holiday meals.
These will be the hit at any Thanksgiving table, along with my vegetarian mushroom stuffing and homemade green bean casserole.
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⭐️ Why You'll Love These Mashed Red Potatoes
- Rich garlic-butter flavor: Sautéing the garlic in butter adds flavor without the extra time needed to roast a whole head of garlic.
- Creamy, rustic texture: Red potatoes have thin, delicate skins and a naturally creamy texture, so there's no peeling required.
- Quick and easy: Five main ingredients and about 20 minutes are all you need for this versatile side dish.
🥔 Ingredient Notes
- Red potatoes: Their thin skins and naturally creamy flesh are ideal for rustic mashed potatoes. Scrub them thoroughly and leave the skins on.
- Garlic: Fresh minced garlic is sautéed in butter for a rich, savory flavor without the sharpness of raw garlic.
- Unsalted butter: Adds richness and allows you to control the salt.
- Half and half: Creates a creamy texture without making the potatoes overly heavy. Whole milk or heavy cream can be substituted.
- Fresh chives: Adds a mild onion flavor and a pop of color. If you don't have fresh chives, substitute 1 tablespoon of dried chives.
🔪 How To Make Garlic Mashed Red Potatoes
*See recipe card below for printable instructions.
Cook potatoes: Place cut potatoes in a large saucepan and cover with cold water. Add large pinch of salt and bring to a boil over high heat. Adjust heat to medium-high and cook potatoes until fork tender, about 10-12 minutes.
Make the garlic butter: While the potatoes are cooking, melt butter in a small frying pan over low heat. Once completely melted, add minced garlic and cook for an additional minute. Remove from heat.
Drain and mash potatoes: After potatoes have finished cooking, drain completely and return potatoes to the pot. Pour in garlic butter and half & half, and mash potatoes until well combined and mashed to your desired consistency.
Season and serve: Add chives, salt, and pepper, and give the potatoes another good stir. Serve while hot.
👩🏼🍳 Expert Tips for Creamy Mashed Red Potatoes
- Start with cold water. Cut the potatoes into evenly sized pieces and start them in cold, salted water so they cook evenly.
- Drain thoroughly. After draining, let the potatoes sit in the warm pot for a minute to evaporate excess moisture.
- Use warm half-and-half. Cold dairy can cool the potatoes and make it harder to incorporate the liquid evenly.
- Don't overmix. Red potatoes are relatively low in starch and can become gummy when overworked. Use a handheld potato masher rather than a blender or food processor, and leave a few small lumps for a rustic texture.
- Keep the garlic on low heat. Cook it just until fragrant. Browned or burnt garlic can create a bitter flavor.
- Don't over boil. For this amount of mashed potatoes (which serves around 6 people), you should boil your potatoes 10-12 minutes. Don't over boil or your potatoes will turn gummy.
Make-Ahead, Storage, & Reheating
Make ahead: Prepare the potatoes up to one day in advance. Refrigerate in an airtight container and gently reheat before serving.
Storage: Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3-4 days.
Reheating: Warm the potatoes in a covered saucepan over low heat, stirring occasionally. Add a splash of milk or half-and-half to restore their creamy texture.
Freezing: Freeze cooled potatoes in airtight portions for up to one month. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
What To Serve with Mashed Red Potatoes
These creamy potatoes pair beautifully with holiday favorites like my meatless mushroom stuffing or green bean casserole with no canned soup. For a weeknight dinner, serve them alongside creamy stuffed salmon with spinach or roasted carrots with cumin.
🍽 More Thanksgiving Side Dishes
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Mashed Red Potatoes Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 pounds red skin potatoes, scrubbed and cut into 1.5-inch pieces
- large pinch of salt
- 5 Tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- ½ cup half & half
- ½ cup fresh chives, chopped
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Place cut potatoes in a large saucepan and cover with cold water. Add large pinch of salt and bring to a boil over high heat. Adjust heat to medium-high and cook potatoes until fork tender, about 10-12 minutes.
- While the potatoes are cooking, melt butter in a small frying pan over low heat. Once completely melted, add minced garlic and cook for an additional minute. Remove from heat.
- After potatoes have finished cooking, drain completely and return potatoes to the pot. Pour in garlic butter and half & half, and mash potatoes until well combined and mashed to your desired consistency.
- Add chives, salt, and pepper, and give the potatoes another good stir. Serve while hot.
Lynn says
These mashed potatoes totally hit the spot! I added about 1/2 cup of blue cheese crumbles at the end, and the whole family agreed that I should make this again and soon!
Gastronotherapy says
Yay! So glad your family enjoyed this recipe, Lynn! I love adding blue cheese to this every once in a while, too. It makes for an extra decadent side dish!
Lauren says
So deliciously creamy and buttery while still feeling rustic! My family requested this again at Thanksgiving!
MaryAnne says
So glad to hear that, Lauren!