Instant Pot Colcannon {Irish Mashed Potatoes & Kale) [Recipe & Video] (2024)

Instant Pot Colcannon is a traditional Irish mashed potato and kale side dish, typically eaten on St. Paddy’s day but enjoyed all year round.

Colcannon is typically eaten on St. Paddy’s day but enjoyed all year round.

Typically, Irish Colcannon is made on the stove by first boiling the potatoes in one pot and then sautéing the greens in a second pot and then mashing them in a mixing bowl. I am going to teach you to make Instant Pot Colcannon using only one pot!

One of the really cool things about using an Instant Pot or Ninja Foodi is that there are more than one use for just this one appliance.Yes, even a stand alone Pressure Cooker can sauté, steam, make eggs, cake, boil and make rice.

Similar to my Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes, recipe, my one pot Instant Pot Colcannon recipes starts out using the steaming method for the potatoes.

The ingredients are few, but Instant Pot Colcannon packs a big punch. If you are not a kale lover (it’s really good here though), there are good substitutes, which I talk about below.

Ingredients for Instant Pot Colcannon

• Potatoes
• Kale
• Cream, Milk or Half & Half
• Butter,Salt and Pepper
• Scallions, also called “green onions”

Instant Pot Colcannon is an awesome side dish to make for St. Patrick’s day and goes especially well with my Instant Pot Corned Beef and Cabbage!

Pro Tip: When potatoes are first soaked in water for about 30 minutes, much of the starch is removed and this allows for a fluffier and nicer tasting potato. I do this in most of my recipes where potatoes are used.

For instance, my Pressure Cooker Japanese Beef Curry Stew {Instant Pot}, which is one of my favorite recipes, also talks about soaking the potatoes. It does make a difference. The potatoes are peeled and cut and then added to my Salbree Steamer Basket (which I recommend). I then place the steamer basket into a large mixing bowl. When I am ready to use the potatoes, it’s easy to just grab the handle and pull the potatoes from the soaking water.

What you will see left behind in the soaking water is fresh potato starch. The fresh potato starch is great for when making my Air Fryer Potato Latkes. In my Instant Pot Baked Potato recipe for example, you will notice that I do not first soak the potatoes. Check out the recipe to see that no additional potato starch is added.

Water is added to the cooking pot with a glass (liquid) measuring cup, so that the potatoes can steam above.

The potatoes sit above the water and won’t become waterlogged and mealy.

Along with soaking the potatoes in the steamer basket, for me, the easiest way to cook potatoes is also in a steamer basket like the one you see above.

It is also very easy to just remove the basket of chopped potatoes right from the Instant Pot, Ninja Foodi or Ninja Foodi. So, basically, get a steamer basket like you see above for yourself! It comes in handy and I use mine all the time.

Pro Tip: Russet and Yukon Gold potatoes are best for Instant Pot Colcannon, as they mash nicely and absorb the butter and milk really well, while becoming very creamy. However, red potatoes can be used as well.

What is Colcannon?

• Traditionally, it is an old Irish peasant recipe made from leftovers.
• Colcannon combines mashed potatoes and kale or cabbage and even sautéed leeks.

Other greens such as mustard greens and turnip greens can be used in place of kale.We will use butter for this recipe, although back then, butter was expensive and not used as much. Traditionally, I believe the recipe was very simple due to it being “peasant” food and using leftovers.

For this Instant Pot Colcannon recipe, we are going to use just the the pressure cooker feature to first make potatoes and then we will mash them with the kale, which is sautéed right in the same pot.

While the potatoes are draining the Kale will quickly sauté in some butter.

How to Sauté the Kale for Instant Pot Colcannon

• Using the Instant Pot Sauté button or other button, like “Meat” on non multicookers, the pot is heated up completely.
• Butter is added to the hot cooking pot and then kale is added.
• The kale will wilt down pretty quickly.

Some people like to use bacon grease for sautéing the kale.

Pro Tip: Chicken fat (schmaltz) or duck fat would be great for sautéing the kale add fantastic flavor.

From what I understand, kale is used most often in Ireland. They love the curly kale.Remember, it shrinks up so much, so make sure you buy enough curly kale.

Can Colcannon be Frozen?

• Yes, quite easily.
• Using a FoodSaver Vacuum Sealing System, or freezer container is the best way to go. Make sure there is no air in the container. The colcannon can stay in the freezer for a couple of months.
• You will love the Instant Pot Colcannon so much you might want to make a double batch.

It is so wonderful, to make colcannon in just one pot. This is one of the things I love so much about my Instant Pot, Ninja Foodi or Pressure Cooker. I don’t have to turn on my stove and heat up a skillet.

As with any recipe, seasonings and the amount of seasonings are very personal.

Pro Tip: My recipes usually start with a bit less salt and pepper in order to give you room to add more. You cannot undo the amount, but you can always add more.

So many people ask about my pepper grinder, so click her to buy one for yourself: Gravity Electric Salt and Pepper Grinder. It is so wonderful to have the grinder do all the work!

For kale lovers, try my Instant Pot Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana Italian Soup. I took their recipe and made it better.

Quickly, the kale is now a fraction of its raw self. Remember the photo from above?

The amount I add to Instant Pot Colcannon varies. If I have more kale, I add more, or if I want to stretch the recipe, I also add more.

How to Reheat Colcannon

• Place frozen Instant Pot Colcannon into a mixing bowl or into one of the pans from the Ekovana Stainless Steel Pressure Cooker Stackable Pans Set. For reheating stuff, the mixing bowl is fine. When cooking rice or other things pot in pot (“PIP”) the Ekovana is best for an even cook.
• Add a cup of water to the cooking pot and place a trivet with a pan into the pot.
• Just use the Pressure Cook or Manual button and set the time for 6 minutes. Let it release naturally and that should reheat your colcannon without over cooking the potatoes.

If you have used a Vacuum Sealer Bags, you would first cut open the bag and add it to the bowl.

There are so many colcannon recipes around, as every family will customize the recipe.

I like to mix in scallions towards the end of mashing to give the Instant Pot Colcannon some texture and a bit of an onion flavor.

As you are mashing, the colcannon will absorb the milk. For a thinner finish, feel free to add more milk than what is stated on the recipe below.

What are variations to Instant Pot Colcannon?

• Celeriac can be used in place of potatoes to make a low carb version of colcannon.
• Leeks, spinach, gai lan, mustard greens, cabbage, can all be used, along with the potatoes. One of my favorite recipes use gai lan. It is Thai Pad See Ew (Stir-Fried Noodles) and it is so delish.

Cooking the greens or cabbage in bacon grease would be delish. Then use the bacon to garnish the finished dish.

Nothing makes me happier than when someone as picky as Ed, enjoys my cooking.

Now, go make Instant Pot Irish Colcannon.

Start off your St. Patrick’s Day celebration with a pint of Guinness!

More Instant Pot Potato Recipes to Make:

• Instant Pot Baked Potato Soup + Video!
• Instant Pot Salt Potatoes [Syracuse, New York]
• Pressure Cooker Sweet Potato Casserole (Instant Pot)
• Asian Mashed Potatoes and Gravy

Anything we can do in just one pot is great! Don’t you agree?

Kitchen Equipment and Essentials

• J.A. Henckels Classic 8 inch Chef’s Knife
• Salbree Steamer/Strainer Basket
• Gravity Electric Salt and Pepper Grinder
• OXO Good Grips Potato Masher