Just when you thought potatoes couldn't get any better. My garlic browned butter mashed potatoes take a classic side dish and give it a serious flavor upgrade. Browning salted butter creates a rich, nutty flavor, while plenty of garlic and a splash of heavy cream make the potatoes extra creamy without covering up those toasted butter notes.
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For the record, this is still an easy mashed potato recipe-just with a few smart techniques that make it worth pulling out for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Plus, you can make the brown butter in advance and warm it back up when needed.
The garlic is intentionally not shy in this recipe. Who are we kidding? I never shy away from big flavors. This recipe answers the questions "how can I amke mashed potatoes tastier?". I use four garlic cloves, but you can take the flavor in a sweeter, mellower direction with oven roasted garlic or by making a garlic confit.
While these brown butter potatoes obviously work with your favorite turkey recipe. You can pair them with cornish hens, lamb steaks, or sous vide prime rib.
📖Why My Recipe Works
- Brown the butter, don't just melt it. As the milk solids toast, ordinary butter develops a deeper, nutty flavor that gives these potatoes much more character without adding a long list of ingredients.
- Start with cold, salted water. This is the only way to make mashed potatoes.
- Heavy cream has a purpose. I normally make mashed potatoes with milk and butter, but during testing I found that adding a little heavy cream let the brown butter flavor come through better.
🧾Ingredient Notes
- Potatoes - Yukon Gold and Russet potatoes both work. Russets give you a lighter, fluffier mash, while Yukon Golds have a naturally creamier texture.
- Salted butter - I almost always cook with unsalted butter, but this is the exception. Salted browned butter simply tasted better here. If you use unsalted butter, taste and add salt as you mix the potatoes.
- Garlic - Four cloves give the potatoes a noticeable savory garlic flavor. For something softer and sweeter, swap in roasted garlic or garlic confit.
- Heavy cream and milk - Warming the dairy before adding it helps everything blend into the hot potatoes. Half-and-half works in a pinch; use it in place of both the milk and cream.
⏲️How to Make Potatoes with Brown Butter
- Cut the potatoes into large, roughly 2-inch pieces. Place them in a large pot, cover with cold water, and salt the water generously before turning on the heat.
- The butter will bubble and foam before the milk solids begin turning amber. Once the butter is browned, stir in the minced garlic. The residual heat cooks the garlic without letting it burn.
- Drain the cooked potatoes very well. For an even drier mash, return them to the warm pot for a minute or two. The residual heat helps evaporate water clinging to the potatoes.
- Run the potatoes through a ricer for a smoother result, or use a potato masher if you prefer a little more texture.
- Reserve about 3 tablespoons of browned butter for finishing, then gently mix the rest into the potatoes. Follow with the warm milk and heavy cream.
👩🏻🍳Jen's Testing Notes
- Salt the water generously. Potatoes need more seasoning than you might expect. If you forget to salt the cooking water, you will need considerably more salt when you finish the mash.
- Keep the potato pieces large. They take a little longer to cook, but they absorb less water than small cubes.
- Dry before you mash. After draining, put the potatoes back in the warm pot briefly and let the residual heat drive off excess moisture.
- Add the milk gradually if needed. Potatoes don't always absorb liquid identically. This is particularly important if you cut yours smaller than directed; you may not need the entire amount.
- Don't overmix. A ricer or hand masher gives you control without excessively working the starch.
- Watch the butter, not the clock. Foaming, amber milk solids, and a nutty aroma are better indicators of properly browned butter than an exact number of minutes.
- Skip black pepper. It isn't technically wrong, but I find that pepper muddies the nutty flavor of the browned butter rather than improving it.
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📖 Recipe Card
Garlic Browned Butter Mashed Potatoes
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons kosher salt
- 4 pounds russet or Yukon Gold potatoes peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces *see notes
- 1 ¼ cup salted butter 2 ½ sticks
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- ½ cup milk warm
- ¼ cup heavy cream warm
Instructions
- In a large pot, fill ⅔ full with cold water. Add the salt and the potatoes. Turn the heat on high heat. Once it boils, reduce the heat to medium to keep a gentle boil. Cook for about 20-25 minutes, or until fork tender. Drain the potatoes well once cooked.2 Tablespoons kosher salt, 4 pounds russet or Yukon Gold potatoes
- While the potatoes cook, make the browned butter.
- In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium heat then continue cooking for about 5-6 minutes, stirring once in a while, until the butter smells nutty, has foamed on top, and there are a lot of amber specks on the bottom. Add the garlic then remove from the heat, stirring the garlic in the hot butter for a minute. Remove from the heat and pour the browned butter into a heat proof bowl so it doesn't over cook and burn.1 ¼ cup salted butter, 4 cloves garlic
- Smash the potatoes with a potato masher or put them through a potato ricer. Add all the browned butter mixture except about 3 tablespoons followed by the warm milk and cream. Stir the potatoes together until just creamy and mixed through. Remove to a serving bowl and drizzle the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter over the top as garnish followed by a sprinkle of chopped parsley, if desired.½ cup milk, ¼ cup heavy cream
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