There’s so much flavor in this recipe for easy smoked mashed potatoes with garlic on the Traeger. My version of smoking mashed potatoes can be made creamy or smooth, and finished with a heaping handful of melty, smoked cheese. Let’s cook ‘em…
HEY THERE — Connect for more easy smoker side dish recipes on Instagram @sipbitego.
Why try this recipe for smoked garlic mashed potatoes?
- So addictive!! Tasty roasted garlic in each bite.
- Feeds a crowd. Great for a BBQ menu.
- Easy to smoke at the same time as smoked steaks – see recipe ideas at the bottom of the page.
- The garlic flavor is rich and roasted – thanks to quick prep on the stove.
- New to smoking foods? See my step by step video for beginners (scroll to bottom of page).
See this recipe for smoked baked potatoes…
Ingredients
Here’s what you need to make this easy smoked potato recipe.
- Yukon gold potatoes
- Olive oil
- Garlic
- Cream cheese
- Butter
- Heavy cream
For topping smoked mashed potatoes
- Cheddar cheese
- Chives
- Smoked bacon (optional)
Check out these popular toppings for baked potatoes…
How to make smoked mashed potatoes
Now I’ll walk you through it…
Quick look at this smoked potato recipe
- Boil potatoes and make garlic oil on the stove.
- Mash potatoes and mix with dairy ingredients.
- Smoke mashed potatoes in a cast iron skillet at 225 degrees F for an hour or so.
- Serve with a sprinkle of cheddar cheese and chives.
See which recipes to smoke with turkey blend Traeger pellets….
Detailed recipe steps
- Boil potatoes before smoking them. Bring a large pot of water, filled with diced potatoes and a heaping tablespoon of salt, to a boil. Boil potatoes until fork-tender, about 10 minutes. Strain potatoes and set aside.
- Roast garlic while potatoes boil. To do this, add garlic and olive oil to a small pan on the stove on medium heat. Stir regularly, until garlic becomes fragrant and translucent. Add in a stick of butter (½ cup) and turn off the heat, before the garlic begins to brown. Transfer to a large bowl for mixing.
- Preheat Traeger Grills or Pitt Boss or whatever pellet grill you’re using to 225 degrees F for 15 minutes..
- Mash potatoes. Add potatoes to the large mixing boil with garlic olive oil. For chunky smoked potatoes, use the back of a large fork or a potato masher to smash them. For very smooth smoked mashed potatoes, use an electric beater.
- Fold in cream cheese and heavy cream with a spatula or spoon until combined. You don’t need to overmix. At this point you can add some salt and pepper to taste.
- Transfer prepared mashed potatoes to a large cast iron skillet or smoker-safe casserole dish. Top with diced butter.
- Smoke mashed potatoes at 225 degrees F for 1-2 hours. The longer you smoke, the more smokey they become. (I usually smoke them for about 1 hour.)
- Garnish smoker mashed potatoes with freshly grated cheddar cheese and chives. Serve when cooled and enjoy.
Other ways to make smoked mashed potatoes
- Change up the cheese with others that melt easily, like smoked gouda (which is in this tasty smoked mac and cheese), or fontina cheese.
- Add some heat by folding in diced jalapenos before smoking the potatoes.
- Make loaded mashed potatoes by adding in bacon, caramelized onions, and plenty of cheese.
- For a simple flavor enhancement, sprinkle in some seasonings like BBQ rub or a little paprika.
FAQs
Another recipe to smoke on the Traeger at 225 degrees F is this side dish for smoked asparagus. It cooks in about an hour.
Traeger smoker mashed potatoes and smoked flank steak go really well together, too. Both cook at the same temp on the pellet grill, 225 degrees F, for about 1.5 hrs. 
Something lighter light Traeger signature blend or Traeger Apple Pellets, which are lighter in flavor are a good idea. But I’ve also used stronger smoke flavor pellets like Traeger Hickory Pellets and loved the results.
This recipe calls for diced potatoes because they’ll cook in about half the time. If you’re using whole potatoes, they’ll cook for about 15-20 minutes.
I recommend using yellow gold potatoes because, like seen in the Sip Bite Go video demonstration, they contain less starch than red potatoes or russet potatoes. And that makes them smoother and better for mashing.
I used shredded cheddar cheese with chopped scallions. Feel free to be very creative with your toppings. For example, another variation could be smoked gouda mashed potatoes. Or smoked brats or smoked sausage mashed potatoes. That sounds delicious, so I’ll be doing that next time!
More Tasty Grill + Smoker Recipes
- Smoked mac and cheese
- Smoked cream cheese
- Smoked brisket flat
- 321 ribs
- Beer can chicken on the smoker
- Smoked wings
- Smoked tomahawk steak
- Traeger tri tip
- Smoked turkey breast
- Smoked turkey legs
- Whole smoked turkey
- Smoked Traeger pizza
- Smoked onion rings
- Traeger smoked ham
- Smoked whole chicken
- Smoked jalapeno poppers
- Smoked corn on the cob
- Traeger beef ribs
- Smoked leg of lamb
- Smoked shrimp
- Roasted chicken
- Grilled chicken wings
- Grilled skirt steak
- Flank steak marinade
- Grilled potato wedges
- Smoked pulled pork
- Want more? See my lineup of easy smoker recipes
See this Traeger Flatrock grill review.
See my favorite smoker tools and seasonings in my Amazon Storefront.
Meat thermometer recommendations
Every home chef needs a reliable meat thermometer to cook food perfectly.
On Sip Bite Go, you’ll often see me using:
- Meater thermometer – a fancy wireless thermometer that connects to a phone app – gifted to me from a Traeger partnership.
- ThermoPro digital thermometer – which has a wire that connects the thermometer to a display box outside the oven/grill.
It’s like being psychic! The great thing about either of the thermometers above is that I don’t have to take the food out of the oven to know the temperature.
How to use ‘em… What I do is stick the digital thermometer in steak, pork, chicken, whatever… Then put the food in the oven, on the smoker, or grill.
While the meat cooks, it reads the temperature so I know exactly what temp meat is as it’s cooking. Without having to take it out and check. It’s really difficult to overcook food when you know exactly what temp it is inside!
Are you a foodie, too?
Hey home chefs, hope that answers all your questions about making cheesy garlic mashed potatoes on the pellet grill.
This is a favorite side dish in our house, right up there with smoked queso and smoked corn on the cob.
See how to get more smoke flavor from your favorite Traeger dishes and check out these game day smoker recipes including this smoked cream cheese appetizer. It’s so good!
Connect…
- Instagram / TikTok / YouTube
- Browse the Sip Bite Go recipe collection
Garlic Smoked Mashed Potatoes Recipe | Sip Bite Go
Ingredients
- 6 pounds Yukon gold potatoes blemishes removed, peeled if desired, diced in 2-3” chunks
- 2 tbsp garlic chopped
- 2 tbsp olive oil extra virgin
- ½ cup butter salted
- 8 tbsp cream cheese
- ⅓ cup heavy cream
- 2 tbsp butter salted, diced in large chunks
For topping smoked mashed potatoes
- ½ cup cheddar cheese freshly grated
- 1 tbsp chives fresh chopped (substitute green onions)
Instructions
- Boil potatoes before smoking them. Bring a large pot of water, filled with diced potatoes and a heaping tablespoon of salt, to a boil. Boil potatoes until fork-tender, about 10 minutes. Strain potatoes and set aside.
- Roast garlic while potatoes boil. To do this, add garlic and olive oil to a small pan on the stove on medium heat. Stir regularly, until garlic becomes fragrant and translucent. Add in a stick of butter (½ cup) and turn off the heat, before the garlic begins to brown. Transfer to a large bowl for mixing.
- Preheat Traeger Grills or Pitt Boss or whatever pellet grill you’re using to 225 degrees F for 15 minutes..
- Mash potatoes. Add potatoes to the large mixing boil with garlic olive oil. For chunky smoked potatoes, use the back of a large fork or a potato masher to smash them. For very smooth smoked mashed potatoes, use an electric beater.
- Fold in cream cheese and heavy cream with a spatula or spoon until combined. You don’t need to over-mix. At this point you can add some salt and pepper to taste.
- Transfer prepared mashed potatoes to a large cast iron skillet or smoker-safe casserole dish. Top with diced butter.
- Smoke mashed potatoes at 225 degrees F for 1-2 hours. The longer you smoke, the more smokey they become. (I usually smoke them for about 1 hour.)
- Garnish smoker mashed potatoes with freshly grated cheddar cheese and chives. Serve when cooled and enjoy.
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