Mashed Potatoes with Dill and Sour Cream

Mashed Potatoes with Dill and Sour Cream are floury, smooth potatoes combined with fresh, vibrant dill and tangy sour cream. They have the beloved flavor of sour cream and onion chips, and I didn’t even mean to do that! These mashed potatoes are so good that you won’t even ask for gravy.

You’ll love serving this side dish, as well, especially since it’s so easy to prepare.

Mashed potatoes, or mash, is a dish of boiled potatoes, smashed until smooth before being flavored with dairy like milk, cream, butter, or, in this recipe, sour cream. You can add fresh herbs to mashed potatoes or leave them without. Some folks like to add chicken or vegetable stock to their potatoes to make them dairy-free, as well. 

And everyone has their preferred type of potato to use for mashing, also. 

What are the best spuds for mashing?

For me, Russet potatoes are the best potatoes for mashing. They have a firm, floury texture that becomes fluffy when mashed. 

I’m also a fan of combining spuds. You can use half-Russet potatoes and half-Yukon Gold potatoes to give your mashed potatoes more texture and flavor. 

However, avoid waxy potatoes, like new potatoes, redskin, or fingerling, when making mashed potatoes. Because they’re packed with moisture and starch, they’re not going to mash down to that smooth consistency you want in this recipe. 

What do I need to make these Mashed Potatoes with Dill and Sour Cream?

To make this dish, you need Russet potatoes, sour cream, unsalted butter, onion powder, granulated garlic powder, kosher salt, black pepper, and fresh dill. 

Most importantly, this recipe can be a one-pot dish. Just make sure it’s a large pot you’re working with. You’ll also need something to mash the spuds with, which I’ll get to soon. 

How long do I need to boil the potatoes?

First, peel the potatoes. You can mash the potatoes with the peel on, which will also increase the nutrients in this recipe. I just decided to peel these because they look better in pictures. Cut the Russet potatoes into eighths. So, cut it in half down its length, then cut each half in half (lengthwise) again. Next, cut the four wedges in half widthwise. 

Fill a large stockpot 3/4s of the way with cold water and cover it. Bring the water in the pot to a gentle boil over medium-high heat. Carefully add the potatoes to the pot once the water begins to boil. Stir the spuds into the water and allow them to cook in the gently boiling water for 15 minutes or until very tender when pierced with a fork. 

Strain the potatoes through a colander once they’re nice and tender. Let them drain and return the pot to the stove.

What’s the best way to mash the potatoes?

Turn the stove to warm and add the butter to the pot. Allow it to melt over medium heat for 1-2 minutes. 

For the smoothest mashed potatoes, use a potato ricer to mash them. A potato ricer presses the tender potatoes (or other food) through a disc of small holes. Fine, feathery shreds of potatoes are produced in doing so, producing lighter and fluffier mashed potatoes. 

Use a spoon or pair of tongs to add the chunks of cooked potatoes to the ricer. Use the plunger to press down on the spuds to extrude them from the device into the pot with the melted butter. Continue ricing the potatoes until they’re all broken down. 

What if I like my Mashed Potatoes chunky?

A potato masher is the best tool to use if you want to make chunky mashed potatoes. Because it has an s-like shape, the wire used to mash the potatoes leaves them in bigger pieces. Just mash them to your preferred consistency.

You can get smooth potatoes using a masher, but it will take more time and effort than with a ricer. 

Can I swap out the sour cream for something low-fat?

Stir the mashed potatoes into the melted butter in the pot. Next, use a spoon or a rubber spatula to fold the sour cream into the potatoes. 

Sour cream makes mashed potatoes creamy and gives them a lovely tangy flavor. You can swap sour cream in your mashed potatoes for plain Greek yogurt, regular yogurt, or even a dairy-free yogurt. If calories don’t faze you, you can replace the sour cream with 1 1/4 cups of heavy cream. They won’t be “sour cream” potatoes anymore, but it’s no biggie. 

You can turn the stove off at this point. The residual heat will heat the remaining ingredients. 

How do I make my Mashed Potatoes creamier?

Stir in a 1/4 cup of sour cream, milk, or heavy cream for creamier potatoes. If your mashed potatoes are too thick, adding a few tablespoons of whole milk, heavy cream, or sour cream will help thin them out.

What if they’re too thin?

If your mashed potatoes are too runny, you can an additional cooked Russet potato to the mix. It should thicken them up well. If you have instant mashed potatoes, you can toss a cup of them into runny mashed potatoes to thicken them up. 

Can I use a different herb if I don’t like dill?

Add the chopped dill, onion powder, granulated garlic, kosher salt, and black pepper to the pot. Stir these in well to combine. 

In recipes, you can replace dill with similar, tender-leaf herbs like basil, chives, cilantro, Italian parsley, or oregano. Just use the same amount, chop them up, and add them to the pot. You can use herbs with firmer leaves in mashed potatoes, but they may not be as palatable as those with more tender leaves. Herbs like rosemary, sage, and thyme, when fresh, just have a firmer tooth feel but can be used. 

What dishes go well with these Mashed Potatoes?

Serve your mashed potatoes with dill and sour cream with your favorite entree. Here are my go-tos:

• Ham with Spiced Brown Sugar Pineapple Glaze
• Coffee-Rubbed Smoked Beef Brisket
• Chicken Fried Chicken with Pan Gravy

Mashed potatoes go well with roast turkey or chicken, fried chicken, meatloaf, catfish, or sausages. It really is a versatile side dish. 

How do I store leftovers?

Transfer leftover mashed potatoes to a food storage container and store them in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. 

To reheat leftover mashed potatoes, put them into a microwave-safe container and heat them for 1 minute at a time, stirring after heating, until warmed through. 

Can I freeze Mashed Potatoes?

You can freeze mashed potatoes for 6 months. Transfer them to a freezer-safe container once they cool down. Freeze the spuds and allow them to thaw completely before reheating as instructed above. 

Can I make this recipe in the Instant Pot?

You can make this recipe in an 8-quart Instant Pot. I prefer to do it on the stove because it’s less fussy. 

To make Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes:

1. Add the cut potatoes to the metal insert of the Instant Pot. Cover the spuds with water up to the “max” fill line.
2. Cover the Instant Pot with the lid, then seal the valve.
3. Cook the potatoes on manual pressure for 8 minutes.
4. Turn the Instant Pot off once the cooking time is finished, and use the quick-release button to depressurize the pot.
5. Drain the potatoes in a colander and return the insert to the Instant Pot. Add the butter to the insert.
6. Process the potatoes through the ricer and into the Instant Pot over the butter. 
7. Use a spoon to stir in the sour cream, onion powder, granulated garlic, kosher salt, and pepper to the potatoes. (If you’re not using a ricer, mash the potatoes until smooth using a potato masher).
8. Lastly, fold in the chopped dill. 

I hope you’ll try out this Mashed Potatoes with Dill and Sour Cream recipe. It’s become the twins’ new favorite side dish, so it’s on a regular rotation here. Tag me in your pictures @senseandedibility if you do try it. And don’t forget to pin it to your side dishes board!

Mashed Potatoes with Dill and Sour Cream

Marta Rivera at Sense & Edibility

5 from 16 votes

These fluffy mashed potatoes will win your heart with their creaminess and bright dill flavor.

Helpful Tip: Begin boiling the water for the potatoes before prepping the ingredients for the recipe.

Servings: 8

Print Pin Recipe SaveSaved!

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 30 minutes mins

Equipment

• 12-quart stock pot
• potato ricer or potato masher

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 5 large (about 3-4 pounds or 1 .4 kilograms) Russet potatoes peeled and cut into eighths
• 1/2 cup (1 stick or 113 grams) unsalted butter sliced
• 1 3/4 cups (16 ounces or 454 grams) sour cream
• 1 tablespoon (10 grams) granulated onion powder
• 2 teaspoons (8 grams) granulated garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon (18 grams) Morton's kosher salt *use less to taste, if desired
• 1 1/2 teaspoons (3 grams) black pepper *use less to taste, if desired
• 2 bunches (1/4 cup or 15 grams) fresh dill chopped, stems removed

Instructions 

Boil the Potatoes

• Fill a 12-quart stockpot 3/4s of the way with cold water, then cover.

  Place the pot on the stove and turn the heat to medium-high. Bring the water up to a gentle boil.
• Carefully add the potatoes to the pot once the water begins to boil and stir them into the water.

  Allow them to cook in the gently boiling water, uncovered, for 15 minutes or until very tender when pierced with a fork. 

Strain, then Mash the Potatoes

• Strain the potatoes through a colander once they're fork-tender.  Leave them to drain in the sink and return the pot to the stove.

  Turn the stove to warm and add the butter to the pot. Allow it to melt over medium heat for 1-2 minutes. 
• Use a spoon or pair of tongs to add the chunks of cooked potatoes to the potato ricer.

  Use the plunger to press down on the spuds to extrude them from the device into the pot with the melted butter. Continue ricing the potatoes until they're all broken down. 

  Stir the mashed potatoes into the melted butter in the pot.

Flavor the Mashed Potatoes

• Next, use a spoon or a rubber spatula to fold the sour cream into the potatoes. 

  You can turn the stove off at this point. The residual heat will heat the remaining ingredients. 
• Add the chopped dill, onion powder, granulated garlic, kosher salt, and black pepper to the pot.

  Stir these in well to combine. 
• Serve your mashed potatoes with dill and sour cream with roast turkey or chicken, fried chicken, meatloaf, catfish, or grilled sausages.

Notes

Swaps and Substitutions:

• You can use half-Russet potatoes and half-Yukon Gold potatoes to give your mashed potatoes more texture and flavor. 
• You can swap out the sour cream for plain Greek yogurt, regular yogurt, or even a dairy-free yogurt to make this a lower-calorie recipe.
• For more calories, you can replace the sour cream with 1 1/4 cups heavy cream. They won't be "sour cream" potatoes anymore, though. 
• Replace the dill with basil, chives, cilantro, Italian parsley, oregano, rosemary, sage, or thyme, 

Tips and Techniques:

• If you don't have a potato ricer or if you prefer chunky mashed potatoes, you can use a potato masher to mash the potatoes with the butter. 
• Stir in a 1/4 cup of sour cream, milk, or heavy cream for creamier mashed potatoes.
• If your mashed potatoes are too thick, stir in a few tablespoons of whole milk, heavy cream, or sour cream to thin them out.
• If your mashed potatoes are too runny, you can stir in an additional cooked, shredded Russet potato or 1 cup of instant potatoes to the mixture.

Storage and Reheating Instructions:

• Transfer leftover mashed potatoes to a food storage container and store them in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
• To reheat leftover mashed potatoes, put them into a microwave-safe container and heat them for 1 minute at a time, stirring after heating, until warmed through. 

Freezing Instructions:

• Transfer the cooled mashed potatoes to a freezer-safe container and freeze them for 6 months.
• Allow them to thaw completely before reheating as instructed above. 

Instant Pot Potatoes:

1. Add the cut potatoes to the metal insert of the Instant Pot. Cover the spuds with water up to the "max" fill line.
2. Cover the Instant Pot with the lid, then seal the valve. Cook the potatoes on manual pressure for 8 minutes.
3. Turn the Instant Pot off once the cooking time is finished, and use the quick-release button to depressurize the pot.
4. Drain the potatoes in a colander and return the insert to the Instant Pot. Add the butter to the insert.
5. Process the potatoes through the ricer and into the Instant Pot over the butter.
6. Use a spoon to stir in the sour cream, onion powder, granulated garlic, kosher salt, and pepper to the potatoes. (If you're not using a ricer, mash the potatoes until smooth using a potato masher).
7. Lastly, fold in the chopped dill. 

Nutrition

Calories: 222kcalCarbohydrates: 5gProtein: 2gFat: 22gSaturated Fat: 13gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 62mgSodium: 737mgPotassium: 118mgFiber: 1gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 716IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 69mgIron: 1mg

Course Side Dish

Cuisine African American, European, North American, Soul Food

Keyword dill, mashed potatoes, potato, side dish, sour cream

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