This instant pot colcannon is made entirely in the instant pot in minutes and features perfectly fluffy mashed potatoes with buttery sauteed greens.
St. Patrick’s Day is just around the corner and we’ve got the ultimate side dish on deck today if you’re looking for something to serve alongside that corned beef!
Colcannon is a traditional Irish side dish that generally features creamy mashed potatoes with greens folded inside. It’s very hearty and goes well alongside a variety of meats.
Our version today is utilizing the almighty instant pot and taking most of the grunt work out of this easy side dish!
The end result? A bowl of pure creamy potato GOLD!
This Colcannon features…
- Fluffy and buttery mashed potatoes
- Tender sauteed kale and green onion
- Made entirely in the instant pot in minutes
Making the Colcannon
(scroll down to the bottom of the post for the full recipe)
Ingredients You Will Need
- Potatoes
- Garlic
- Unsalted butter
- Kale or green cabbage
- Green onions
- Heavy whipping cream
- 2% or skim milk
Choosing Your Potatoes
We recommend using russet potatoes for this recipe as traditional colcannon almost always uses russets. This recipe will also work with yellow or red potatoes, but you may not end up with quite as fluffy a texture.
Tips for Perfect Colcannon
- Peel potatoes and dice into 1-inch cubes – try to get the potatoes in uniform size so they cook evenly.
- Cook potatoes on high pressure – the potatoes will only take 4 minutes to cook in the instant pot (this time doesn’t include heating instant pot) and there’s no need to release pressure naturally. Quick-release instant pot and proceed with recipe.
- Dry potatoes before mashing – drain the potatoes well, place in a large bowl, and cover with a kitchen towel to dry potatoes out for a few minutes. This dry time makes for a fluffier mash.
- Saute kale and green onions in instant pot – use the BROWN/SAUTE function of instant pot to cook the greens.
- Adjust creaminess of colcannon with milk – start with 3/4 cup milk and fold in more as needed until you get a creamy texture.
Recipe Variations
Try these ideas for a different twist on this recipe.
- Use a different green – colcannon is typically made with either kale or cabbage. You can also use a mix of both for more texture!
- Add cheese – fold in 1/2 cup grated Parmesan or cheddar cheese.
- Garnish with fresh herbs – try minced parsley or chives.
Stovetop Instructions
Don’t have an instant pot? This recipe is easy to convert into a stovetop version instead with a few minor adjustments.
- Place potatoes, garlic, and salt in a medium pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, reduce heat to medium-low, and allow potatoes to simmer 10-15 minutes until tender. Follow recipe instructions for draining/drying/mashing potatoes.
- In same pot, saute kale and green onion in butter until tender. Fold in mashed potatoes, garlic, heavy cream, and milk until evenly combined and season with salt and pepper to taste.
If you’ve never tried colcannon before, I highly recommend you give it a try this year for St. Patrick’s Day or honestly just any ol’ day! The creaminess of the potatoes pairs so well with the buttery sauteed greens and you’ve just gotta plop another pat of butter in your own personal bowl.
Meet your new favorite side dish!
Save this recipe using the ‘save to recipe box’ button below. If you make it, please let us know! Leave a comment + star rating below, or take a photo and tag it on Instagram with #wholeandheavenlyoven.
Watch this colcannon made step-by-step on Google web stories.
More St. Patrick’s Day favorites to try next!
Instant Pot Colcannon
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Ingredients
- 3 lbs russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
- 3 medium whole cloves garlic
- 3 cups water
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 4 cups chopped kale or green cabbage
- 1 cup sliced green onions
- 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
- 3/4-1 cup 2% or skim milk
Instructions
- Place potatoes and garlic cloves in a 4-quart instant pot, cover with water, and sprinkle salt over top. Fasten lid into place, close vent, and cook potatoes at high pressure 4 minutes.
- Quick-release steam from instant pot and remove lid. Drain liquid from instant pot and transfer potatoes to a large bowl. Cover bowl with a kitchen towel to allow potatoes to dry out a bit. Transfer garlic to a cutting board and mash with a fork.
- While potatoes are drying out, set instant pot to BROWN/SAUTE function. Add butter and swirl to coat bottom of instant pot. Add kale or cabbage to instant pot and sauté until greens are tender and wilted. Add green onions and cook 1-2 additional minutes until fragrant. Turn off instant pot.
- Mash potatoes with a potato masher then transfer to instant pot and fold into sautéed greens with mashed garlic, heavy cream and just enough milk until potatoes are creamy. Season colcannon with salt and pepper to taste and serve warm (colcannon may be kept in instant pot on 'warm' setting up to 2 hours). Enjoy!
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