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These Browned Butter Mashed Potatoes are creamy, savory, and full of nutty, toasted butter flavor. Browning the butter takes a few extra minutes, but makes them taste richer than classic mashed potatoes without making the recipe complicated.
I like these mashed potatoes with browned butter for holiday plates, steak dinners, and meals with gravy or pan juices. My Steak Seasoning adds salt, garlic, herbs, and spices without measuring several seasonings separately. And, my Air Fryer Roasted Garlic (which is optional) gives them a smooth garlicky taste.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Nutty browned butter: The butter cooks until it turns amber, smells nutty, and has browned bits at the bottom of the pan. Those bits give the potatoes their toasted butter flavor.
- Creamy, not gluey: Using a potato masher helps you get smooth potatoes without overmixing them.
- Great for bigger meals: These work well for Thanksgiving, Christmas, Sunday dinner, steak night, or any meal with gravy.
- Easy to adjust: Add sage, thyme, Parmesan, chives, or extra roasted garlic depending on what you’re serving.
Ingredients That Make the Difference
Here are the main ingredients you’ll need to make this brown butter mashed potatoes recipe. Exact amounts are in the recipe card.
- Yukon Gold potatoes: These mash up creamy and naturally buttery. I peel them here so the potatoes have a smoother texture and the browned butter and roasted garlic stand out.
- Unsalted butter: Unsalted butter gives you more control because the steak seasoning already has salt. Browning it gives the potatoes their nutty, toasted butter flavor.
- Steak seasoning: This adds savory flavor quickly. Since seasoning blends can vary, mix everything first, then taste before adding more salt.
- Roasted garlic: Roasted garlic is soft, mellow, and easy to mash into the potatoes. It gives you garlic flavor without tasting sharp. This recipe tastes delicious with and without this so it’s optional.
- Heavy cream: Warm heavy cream blends into the potatoes more smoothly than cold cream.
How to Make Browned Butter Mashed Potatoes
This recipe starts like regular mashed potatoes, then the browned butter and roasted garlic add more flavor. The main things to watch are the potato texture, the color of the butter, and how much you mix after adding the cream.
Start the potatoes in cold salted water
Wash and scrub the potatoes, then peel and cut them into even pieces. Add them to a large pot with cold salted water. Starting with cold water helps the potatoes cook evenly from the outside to the center.
Simmer until fork tender
Bring the potatoes to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer until they are fork tender. A fork should slide in easily, but the potatoes should not be falling apart in the water. If they break down too much, they can hold extra water after draining.
Brown the butter
While the potatoes cook, melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. It will melt, foam, and then turn amber. Stir or swirl the pan so it browns evenly. Once it smells nutty and you see browned bits at the bottom, take it off the heat so it does not burn.
Drain the potatoes well
Drain the potatoes, then let them sit for a minute so extra steam can escape. This keeps the mashed potatoes from turning watery and helps the brown butter flavor come through.
Mash with the browned butter and garlic
Add the browned butter, including the browned bits, roasted garlic cloves, steak seasoning, and warm heavy cream. Use a potato masher to break everything down until the potatoes are mostly smooth.
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Stir gently and serve warm
Switch to a spoon and stir just until everything is mixed in. Taste and adjust if needed. For a nice finish, save a little browned butter to drizzle over the top before serving.
Tips for Creamy, Not Gluey Mashed Potatoes
These tips help you get creamy potatoes with real browned butter flavor.
- Use Yukon Golds for a creamier mash: They mash smoothly without needing a lot of extra mixing.
- Cut the potatoes the same size: This helps them cook at the same pace, so you do not end up with firm pieces mixed with overcooked ones.
- Watch the butter near the end: Brown butter can go from toasted to burnt quickly. Pull it off the heat once it smells nutty and the bits are amber.
- Use the browned bits: Do not leave them behind. They add the toasted butter flavor.
- Drain the potatoes well: Extra water can make the potatoes loose and dull the flavor.
- Warm the cream: Cold cream can cool the potatoes and make everything harder to mix.
- Mash, then stir: Use the masher to break down the potatoes, then switch to a spoon. Too much mixing can make mashed potatoes gluey.
Flavor Variations
Use these ideas when you want to change the flavor without changing the basic method.
- Brown butter sage mashed potatoes: Add fresh sage leaves to the butter as it browns. Once crisp, crumble them over the finished potatoes.
- Fresh herb mashed potatoes: Add chives, thyme, parsley, or rosemary.
- Tangier potatoes: Add a spoonful of sour cream for a little tang.
- Lighter option: Swap the heavy cream for half-and-half.
Potato Swaps
I prefer Yukon Gold potatoes because they make creamy mashed potatoes without much fuss. If you enjoy the extra texture from potato skins like my husband does, you can also skip peeling them since the skin is thin. Russet potatoes also work if you want a fluffier texture, but they can turn gluey faster if they are overmixed.
Make-Ahead Notes
You can make these browned butter mashed potatoes earlier in the day and keep them warm until serving. If they thicken as they sit, stir in a splash of warm cream before serving.
For holiday prep, roast the garlic ahead of time and keep it in the refrigerator. You can also peel and cut the potatoes earlier in the day, then keep them covered in cold water until you’re ready to cook. Drain them and add fresh salted water before boiling.
What to Serve With Browned Butter Mashed Potatoes
Browned butter mashed potatoes work best with mains that have gravy, pan juices, or a buttery sauce. Serve them with Oven Baked Hamburger Steaks, Garlic Butter Pork Chops, Slow Cooker Ribs, Pressure Cooker Turkey Breast, or Garlic Butter Steak Bites.
- For a steakhouse-style dinner, enjoy these with my pan seared steak. The nutty butter and roasted garlic pair well with the rosemary pan juices.
- For a holiday plate, serve these with turkey gravy and cornbread dressing. The browned butter gives the potatoes a toasted butter flavor, while the gravy keeps the plate classic.
- For vegetable sides, try Green Beans with Bacon, Creamed Spinach, or Roasted Brussels sprouts with bacon.
How to Store and Reheat
- Store: Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days.
- Freeze: You can freeze mashed potatoes, but the texture may change a little after thawing. Freeze in smaller portions for easier reheating.
- Reheat: Warm leftovers gently in the microwave or on the stovetop with a splash of cream. Stir as they heat so the potatoes loosen back up. If reheating a larger batch, cover the dish so the top does not dry out.
FAQs
Browned butter adds a nutty, toasted flavor that makes mashed potatoes taste richer than using regular melted butter.
The butter will foam, then turn amber with browned bits at the bottom of the pan. It should smell nutty. If it smells burnt or the bits turn black, it has gone too far.
They were probably overmixed. Use a potato masher to break down the potatoes, then switch to a spoon once the cream and butter are added.
Yes. You can skip the garlic, but roasted garlic adds smooth, savory flavor that works well with the browned butter.
Yes. Make them earlier in the day, keep them warm, and loosen with a splash of warm cream before serving if needed.
Brown Butter Mashed Potatoes
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Ingredients
- 3 lbs Yukon Gold potatoes, skins removed and cut into quarters for boiling
- 12 tbsp Butter, unsalted
- 2 tbsp Steak seasoning, click for my recipe
- 3 cloves garlic, roasted, I used my air fryer roasted garlic recipe
- 1 cup heavy cream
Instructions
- Prep the potatoes: Wash & scrub the potatoes to remove the dirt. Use a potato skin peeler to remove the skin. Cut the potatoes into quarters
- Add the potatoes to a large pot with cold salted water. The water should be covering the potatoes completely.
- Bring the potatoes to a boil: Cover the pot with a lid and bring the potatoes to a boil over high heat
- Simmer until fork tender: Once boiling, turn the heat to low/simmer. Simmer for 16-20 minutes, until the potatoes are fork tender.
- While the potatoes simmer, brown the butter: add the butter to a small saucepan on medium heat. Allow the butter to melt then brown until it turns an amber color (about 5 minutes). Remove from the heat.
- Drain the potatoes and add them to a mixing bowl.
- Add the browned butter, including the bits, roasted garlic cloves, steak seasoning and heavy cream to the bowl with the potatoes.
- Use a potato masher to mash the potatoes and other ingredients. Then use a spoon to stir and make sure everything is evenly mixed.
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Recipe Notes
- Start with cold salted water: Add the potatoes before turning on the heat so they cook evenly and have flavor from the start.
- Brown the butter carefully: Cook until the butter turns amber, smells nutty, and has browned bits at the bottom of the pan. Remove it from the heat before it burns.
- Use the browned bits: Pour them into the potatoes with the butter. They add the toasted butter flavor.
- Roast the garlic until soft: The cloves should mash easily. If they still feel firm, cook them a little longer.
- Taste before adding salt: Steak seasoning usually includes salt, so mix everything first, then adjust.
- Mash, then stir: Use a potato masher first, then switch to a spoon once the cream and butter are added. This helps keep the potatoes creamy instead of gluey.
- Save some butter for topping: A small drizzle of browned butter with chives or thyme makes the potatoes look finished for holiday meals.
The nutrition facts come from entering the recipe ingredients into a database of food ingredients. They may vary for any recipe based on the exact product used.
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