Instant Pot Colcannon is an Irish potato and cabbage dish, that’s made in under 20 minutes. It’s the perfect side dish come St. Patricks day, or enjoy with dinner any day of the year. Gluten-free.
Colcannon is a traditional Irish dish made of boiled and mashed potatoes and cabbage. There are many ways to cook this dish but making it in the Instant Pot is definitely my favorite cooking method. While I am making this recipe specifically for St. Patrick’s Day this March, I am positive that it will end up on the dinner table a few more times this year.
Related: A Beginners Guide To Everything You Need To Know About Your Instant Pot & How To Use An Instant Pot
HOW TO MAKE
- Set Instant Pot to sauté.
- Melt butter and sauté onions and cabbage until softened – about 5 minutes.
- Add potatoes and broth and season with salt and pepper.
- Cook high pressure for 5 minutes.
- Quick release until the float valve falls.
- Add milk and mash.
- Season to taste.
- Serve with green onions, bacon bits or melted butter if desired.
Start by gathering your ingredients – Russet potatoes, green cabbage, onion, butter, chicken broth, milk, salt & pepper.
The fact that I can make a side dish that feeds the whole family with less than 10 ingredients is another reason that I make this recipe all year.
Next, turn on your Instant Pot to sauté and add your onions and butter.
Then, add the shredded cabbage and stir until the cabbage is softened and the onions are translucent – about 5 minutes.
I typically buy green cabbage for this recipe but other varieties could be swapped if you prefer.
Next, chop the potatoes into small chunks and add to the Instant Pot. Remember – the smaller the chunks, the more tender your potatoes will be!
Once all of the potatoes have been added, add the broth, salt and pepper and cook on high pressure for 5 minutes.
WHY CHOOSE RUSSET POTATOES?
When making mashed potatoes, it is important to pick a potato with a high starch content. A starchy potato will fall apart during cooking, which makes it easy to mash. Also, a high starch potato absorbs ingredients like butter and milk a lot easier than a waxy potato. So, using russet potatoes for this recipe is key if want creamy and fluffy Irish colcannon.
SHOPPING TIP: When buying starchy potatoes, look for potato bags labeled “Russet”, “Idaho”, or “Bakers”.
Lastly, add the milk and mash all ingredients together until you reach the desired consistency.
This is a great step to get your kids involved! I have learned through the years of having my kids help me in the kitchen that letting them count to 10 while mashing and then passing the masher to their sibling is the best way to make sure they share. Just a friendly tip for those that want to get kids involved 🙂
The last step is to add your toppings & serve. You can top your Instant Pot Colcannon with spring onions, bacon bits, sour cream or melted butter. If you are having a difficult time choosing one, just add them all!
Life has been a bit crazy the last few weeks and having dinner recipes that are easy to make have been a lifesaver.
I highly recommend Instant Pot Pulled Pork, Crock Pot Pasta, and Crock Pot Minestrone Soup if you are looking for quick & simple recipes.
CKC Features both Gluten-Free Guidance and Kids Cooking Instructions: If you’re new to eating gluten-free we understand it’s overwhelming trying to figure out which foods may contain gluten and which ones don’t. All of our gluten-free recipes marked with this symbol ✅ represent foods that need to be checked for gluten or cross-contamination.
The ⭐️ symbol in the recipe below denotes the steps in which kid cooks may need a helper (depending on age). If there is no ⭐️ symbol, that step (or recipe) doesn’t require a helper.
Instant Pot Colcannon
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon butter
- 1 large onion, diced
- 1 head green cabbage, sliced
- 4 pounds Russet potatoes, peeled and cut into large chunks
- 1 cup chicken broth ✅
- 1 cup milk
- salt and pepper to taste
- 4-5 slices bacon, chopped, optional ✅
- green onions, sliced, optional
Instructions
- Saute onions and cabbage. Set instant pot to saute. Melt butter and saute onions and cabbage until softened – about 5 minutes. Add potatoes and broth and season with salt and pepper.4 pounds Russet potatoes, peeled and cut into large chunks, 1 head green cabbage, sliced, 1 large onion, diced, 2 tablespoon butter, 1 cup chicken broth, salt and pepper to taste
- Cook. Cook high pressure for 5 minutes. Do a quick release until the float valve falls then add the milk and mash the potatoes. Season to taste.1 cup milk
- Serve. Sprinkle with bacon, green onions and extra butter if desired.4-5 slices bacon, chopped, optional, green onions, sliced, optional
Notes
Nutrition
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Tricia says
I made this for St. Patrick’s day, and to be honest, I didn’t think anyone would actually like it. ? I was wrong! It was a hit! Thanks for sharing this simple recipe.
Rose says
Looks like a recipe everyone would love, but that’s a lot of potatoes. Is it possible to cut the recipe in half? If so, do you know uf I would have to reduce the cooking time? Thanks in advance for your help.
Jodi Danen, RDN says
Hi Rose! You can certainly halve the recipe. I think I would leave the cooking time to make sure the potatoes are cooked through as the cooking time is only 5 minutes. I’d love to hear how it turns out if you give it a try!
Nikki Krakauer says
We didn’t care for the bacon. We’ve never experienced it in Colcannon in all of Ireland (BIG pub and potluck food)!!! With potatoes, drain & return to hot pan for 45-60 seconds to rid leftover water. Add butter. On the subject of milk/cream, warm your milk!!! I don’t use my instant pot for boiling potatoes, simply because cleaning it back up is huge overkill. Use a dutch oven sized pot, and easy peezy clean up! I’m “almost 80, and a retired Dietitian and chef. Instant pots are great for pressure cooking, but not a timesaver for other meals, because of the pressure release rules! Cheaper than 3 hours in an oven, but potatoes/side dishes and most vegetables are better steamed on stove top.