Smoked Mashed Potatoes

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Smoked mashed potatoes are the ultimate comfort food. These fluffy potatoes are mixed with classic ingredients and smoked for a tasty twist on a classic side dish.

Smoked mashed potatoes in a cast iron skillet with text overlay - Smoked Mashed Potatoes.

Smoked Mashed Potatoes

Whether you’re smoking these up for the holidays, or you just have a hankering for creamy and delicious taters, these smoked mashed potatoes are the best of the best. They’re easy to make and taste totally incredible.

Buttery Yukon gold potatoes combine with simple ingredients of butter, cream cheese, heavy cream, and salt for the perfect holiday side. 

Best Potatoes for Mashed Potatoes

The only mashed potatoes I ever knew growing up were russet potatoes, but the first time I ever tried to make them on my own, they ended up so watery and thin we had to eat them with a spoon. I’ve since learned that russets are great for making baked potatoes, but not so good for boiling. The best potatoes for mashing are definitely Yukon Gold potatoes.

Yukon Gold potatoes are firm, but not too starchy. They are perfect for boiling, mashing, then smoking! Plus, the flavor of these potatoes is already a little bit buttery so it makes that finished bite of mashed potato so rich and flavorful. Red potatoes can also work for mashed potatoes, but make sure you gently mash them instead of whip them (like this recipe calls for) or they will get gummy and pasty.

Potatoes, butter, and cream cheese in a stand mixer.

Ingredients for Smoked Mashed Potatoes

You only need 5 simple ingredients to make these mashed potatoes. Here’s what you’ll need to grab from the pantry or grocery store:

  • 5 pounds Yukon gold potatoes
  • 8 Tablespoons salted butter
  • 8 Tablespoons cream cheese
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

As you start to mix up your mashed potatoes, you might find you need more heavy cream or salt to get the right texture and flavor. Feel free to tweak these ingredient amounts a bit until you get your mashed potatoes exactly how you like them.

Mashed potatoes in a cast iron skillet on the grill grates of a smoker.

How to Smoke Mashed Potatoes

Making smoked mashed potatoes is probably the easiest process ever. Simply boil, mash, and smoke! Here’s how to smoke mashed potatoes.

  1. Boil the potatoes. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add washed whole potatoes to the pot. Boil the potatoes for 15-20 minutes until they are fork tender.
  2. Get mashing! Mash the potatoes until they are about 75% broken down. Add butter, cream cheese, and heavy cream and mix until they are to your preferred consistency. Add salt to taste.
  3. Prep to smoke. After mixing your mashed potatoes, spread them into a cast iron skillet. Place your skillet into the smoker of your choice, preheated to about 225 degrees F with your favorite hardwood. I prefer something light for these potatoes like pecan or alder wood. The porous potatoes will take on quite a bit of smoke flavor in a short amount of time, so something light is best.
  4. Smoke the potatoes. Let your potatoes smoke for about 1 hour. This will give the mashed potatoes that kiss of smoke they need without drying them out or overcooking them.

This method is fantastic for big family gatherings or dinners (Easter, Thanksgiving, etc.) because you can have those potatoes prepped and finished an hour in advance. The smoker will keep them warm until it is time to serve while infusing them with extra smoky flavor. It’s a win-win!

Smoked mashed potatoes in a cast iron skillet.

Smoked Potato Recipes

If you like these smoked mashed potatoes, you may also like these other awesome potato recipes you can cook on your smoker!

Smoked Mashed Potatoes Recipe

Watch the video below and I’ll show you step-by-step how I make these smoked mashed potatoes at home. You can find more of my smoking and grilling recipe videos on YouTube, Instagram, or our Facebook Page. Follow along and let’s make awesome food together!

This post was originally published in February 2019. We recently updated it with more information and helpful tips. The recipe remains the same.

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Smoked Mashed Potatoes

By: Susie Bulloch (heygrillhey.com)
0 from 0 votes
Smoked mashed potatoes are the ultimate comfort food. These fluffy potatoes are smoked for a tasty twist on a classic side dish.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time1 hour 45 minutes
Servings10 people

Video

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Ingredients
 

  • 5 pounds Yukon gold potatoes
  • 8 Tablespoons salted butter softened
  • 8 Tablespoons cream cheese softened
  • ½ cup heavy cream more, as needed
  • ½ teaspoon salt more, as needed

Instructions
 

  • Boil the potatoes. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add 2 teaspoons of salt to the water and then slowly add in your washed potatoes with the skin still on. Boil the potatoes for 15-20 minutes, or until fork tender. Remove the potatoes from the water and place them in a large mixing bowl.
  • Preheat. Preheat your smoker to 225 degrees F with a mild hardwood like pecan or alder. 
  • Mash. Using electric beaters or a potato masher, mash the potatoes until they are about 75% broken down. Add in the butter, cream cheese, and heavy cream. Mix again until they reach your desired consistency. Don't over-whip. Add salt to taste.
  • Smoke. Spread the mashed potatoes into a 12-inch cast iron skillet. Place the skillet in the smoker and close the lid. Smoke for 1 hour.
  • Enjoy. Serve warm with additional melted butter, if desired.

Nutrition

Calories: 292kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 53mg | Sodium: 260mg | Potassium: 961mg | Fiber: 5g | Vitamin A: 610IU | Vitamin C: 25.8mg | Calcium: 90mg | Iron: 7.4mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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About

FOUNDER/BBQ BOSS LADY

Susie is the BBQ Brain behind the Hey Grill Hey website. Her passion for smoked meats and developing fun, new recipes have landed her on the Food Network, cooking turkeys with Shaq, and on a couple of Guinness World Records. When she’s not grilling, she is hanging out with Todd and their three kids, preferably outdoors!

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Reader Reviews

12 Reviews

  1. Gabe says:

    I don’t want potatoes any other way.

  2. GinaB Thinagain says:

    We had these with smoked pork tenderloins and the only thing I did differently was added some Parisien Bonnes Herbes from The Spice House for color and a little added flavor.Our guest said, “These are probably the best mashed potaotes I’ve ever had!”

  3. Victoria says:

    Can you do this is anything other than a cast iron skillet? Thank you!!

    1. Hey Grill Hey says:

      Sure! Disposable aluminum pans work great as well!

  4. Mark says:

    Do you peel the potatoes or leave the skin in? Times like this I wish I hadn’t give up my other smokers lol. Turkey is going on for most of the day.

  5. Jade says:

    We made these with the jacked up meatloaf at the same time and they came out amazing!!! We substituted sour cream for the cream cheese but other than that followed directions to a T! They were so good!!! I will definitely be making these again!

  6. Ray Johnston says:

    I traded the cream cheese and heavy cream with cheddar cheese and sour cream. The kiss of smoke across the top was great!

  7. John says:

    hello… can these be made in advance then reheated?

  8. TC says:

    If you are smoking as meat part of the same meal, would you recommend smoking the potatoes at the end of the smoke time along with the meat or separately after the meat is complete?

    1. Hey Grill Hey says:

      I would smoke them at the same time!

  9. Brian Wood says:

    I am enjoying your recipes and waiting for Spring! Thanks for your endeavours. Brian from the UK

    1. Hey Grill Hey says:

      Thanks so much Brian!! We too can’t wait for Spring!!