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Homemade Yukon Gold Mashed Potatoes are the ultimate comfort food. They make the perfect side dish to serve for busy weeknight meals, Sunday dinners with the family, special occasions and holiday feasts. This Yukon gold mashed potatoes recipe is made with Yukon gold potatoes, butter, milk, salt and freshly ground black pepper. 

Yukon Gold Mashed Potatoes with melted butter in a bowl and a serving spoon.

These golden Yukon mashed potatoes are deliciously creamy, fluffy and light, and they come together with just a handful of simple pantry ingredients.

Yukon gold potatoes next to a stick of butter, a cup of milk and salt and black pepper.

Why You Will Love This Recipe

  • Simple To Make. These golden Yukon mashed potatoes are super easy to make and they pull together in about 30 minutes. They’re great potatoes to whip up on busy weeknights with little fuss. There’s nothing fancy about them, but they are SO good and everyone will love them.
  • Family Favorite. Your family will love how deliciously light and fluffy these Yukon gold mashed potatoes are.
  • Great For Sharing. This recipe is perfect for busy weeknight meals, Sunday dinners, special occasions and holiday feasts.

Yukon Gold Mashed Potatoes Recipe Ingredients

Yukon Gold potatoes cut into chunks on a wood cutting board for a Yukon gold mashed potatoes recipe.

  • Yukon Gold Potatoes. We use Yukon gold potatoes for this recipe.
  • Butter. Use unsalted butter. We season the potatoes with salt, so no need for salted butter. Cut the butter into slices and set it out at room temperature so it mashes into the potatoes easily.
  • Milk. We use whole milk. You can use cream if you want. If you don’t have milk (or cream) on hand, save 1 cup of the liquid that you boiled the potatoes in and use that instead. 
  • Seasoning. Season with salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste.
  • Chives.  Garnish the potatoes with snipped chives if you like.

Mashed Yukon Gold Potatoes in a pot with melted butter,

How to Make Yukon Gold Mashed Potatoes

  1. Boil Potatoes. The potatoes are simmered in a pot of water for about 15-20 minutes, or until they are fork tender. Drain the potatoes, reserving 1 cup of the liquid they cooked in. Put the pot back on the stove on low heat and dry the potatoes for 1-2 minutes to remove excess liquids.
  2. Heat Milk. While the potatoes are drying out, heat the milk in a small saucepan until warmed through. . 
  3. Mash Potatoes. Using a hand potato masher or an electric mixer and mash the potatoes. Add the pieces of butter and mash into the potatoes. Add just enough of the warm milk into the potatoes a little at a time until you achieve the desired consistency.  Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Don’t over-mash the potatoes or they can turn gummy.
  4. Garnish. Garnish with snipped chives if you like.

Tips For Making The Best Yukon Gold Mashed Potatoes

  • Cut the potatoes into pieces of similar size (roughly 1″ chunks) so they all cook at the same time.
  • Drain the cooked potatoes well.
  • Dry the cooked potatoes well. After draining the potatoes, put the pot back on the burner over low heat and dry the potatoes 1-3 minutes to absorb all of the liquid. Be sure to turn the potatoes a couple of times so they all get dry and to prevent them from burning on the bottom.
  • Mash the room temperature butter into the potatoes while the potatoes are still hot/warm. 
  • Add the warmed milk to the potatoes slowly as you mash, only adding enough to achieve desired consistency.
  • Use reserved liquids that the potatoes were boiled in instead of milk or cream for lighter mashed potatoes. Again, only adding enough to achieve desired consistency. Add the liquids slowly.

Golden Yukon Mashed Potatoes in a bowl with melted butter and a serving spoon.

Serving Suggestions

These creamy mashed potatoes with just about anything you want, but a few of our favorites are our Grilled Lemon Chicken, Air Fryer Chicken Thighs, Baked BBQ Chicken Thighs, and Marinated Greek Chicken.  These Make Ahead Mashed Potatoes are the best mashed potatoes to make for holiday meals.

Storing And Reheating Leftovers

  • Store leftover potatoes in an airtight container in the refrigerator. If properly stored, they should last up to 5 days.
  • To reheat any leftovers, heat 2-3 tablespoons of butter and a splash of milk to a skillet, add the potatoes and reheat them slowly over low heat until they’re heated through. 

Mashed Yukon Gold Potatoes in a pot with melted butter.

More Potato Side Dish Recipes

5.0 Stars (1 Review)
Yield: 8 servings

Yukon Gold Mashed Potatoes

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes

Homemade Yukon Gold Mashed Potatoes are the ultimate comfort food. They make the perfect side dish to serve for busy weeknight meals, Sunday dinners with the family, special occasions and holiday feasts. This Yukon gold mashed potatoes recipe is made with Yukon gold potatoes, butter, milk, salt and freshly ground black pepper. 

Ingredients

  • 5 pounds Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 1 cup whole milk, warmed
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add potatoes and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook for 12-15 minutes or until the potatoes are fork tender but still slightly firm, Drain the pot and reserve 1 cup cooking liquid if you're using it instead of whole milk. Return the potatoes to a pot and heat over low heat for 1-2 minutes to absorb all of the liquid left in the pot. Be careful not to burn the potatoes.
  2. While the potatoes are drying out, heat the milk in a small saucepan until warmed through.
  3. Using a hand potato masher or an electric mixer and mash the potatoes. Add the pieces of butter and mash into the potatoes. Add just enough of the warm milk into the potatoes a little at a time until you achieve the desired consistency.  Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
  4. Garnish with snipped chives if you like.

Notes

Tips For Making The Best Yukon Gold Mashed Potatoes

  • Cut the potatoes into pieces of similar size (roughly 1″ chunks) so they all cook at the same time.
  • Drain the cooked potatoes well.
  • Dry the cooked potatoes well. After draining the potatoes, put the pot back on the burner over low heat and dry the potatoes 1-3 minutes to absorb all of the liquid. Be sure to turn the potatoes a couple of times so they all get dry and to prevent them from burning on the bottom.
  • Mash the room temperature butter into the potatoes while the potatoes are still hot/warm. 
  • Add the warmed milk to the potatoes slowly as you mash, only adding enough to achieve desired consistency.
  • Use reserved liquids that the potatoes were boiled in instead of milk for lighter mashed potatoes.

Storing And Reheating Leftovers

  • Store leftover potatoes in an airtight container in the refrigerator. If properly stored, they should last up to 5 days.
  • To reheat any leftovers, heat 2-3 tablespoons of butter and a splash of milk to a skillet, add the potatoes and reheat them slowly over low heat until they’re heated through. 

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

8

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 399Total Fat: 14gSaturated Fat: 9gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 36mgSodium: 180mgCarbohydrates: 62gFiber: 6gSugar: 5gProtein: 8g

theharvestkitchen.com attempts to provide accurate information, however, this nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. The nutritional information provided comes from online sources and calculations. See full disclaimer on About page.

© Deborah Duncan
Cuisine: American / Category: Sides