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Instant Pot Loaded Baked Potato Soup with Crispy Bacon

Instant Pot loaded baked potato soup gets its creamy texture from mashed russet potatoes, cream cheese, and heavy cream. Pressure-cooked with onion and garlic, it’s finished with crispy bacon, cheddar, sour cream, and green onions.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 31 minutes
Total Time 46 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: American
Calories: 780
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the bacon topping
  • 8 oz bacon thick-cut, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
For the soup
  • 1 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 1 yellow onion medium, diced
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
  • 2.5 lb russet potatoes peeled and cut into 3/4-inch cubes
  • 0.5 tsp kosher salt
  • 0.25 tsp black pepper
  • 4 oz cream cheese softened and cut into cubes
  • 0.5 cup heavy cream
For the toppings
  • 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese shredded
  • 0.5 cup sour cream
  • 3 green onions thinly sliced

Equipment

  • 1 6-quart Instant Pot

Method
 

Cook the bacon
  1. Set a 6-quart Instant Pot to Sauté, add the bacon, and cook for 8–10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until crisp.
  2. Transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate and leave 1 tablespoon of drippings in the pot.
Pressure-cook the soup
  1. Add the butter and onion to the pot and cook for 3–4 minutes, stirring, until softened.
  2. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
  3. Pour in the broth and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
  4. Stir in the potatoes, salt, and pepper.
  5. Lock the lid, set the valve to Sealing, and cook at High pressure for 8 minutes.
  6. Let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes, then carefully quick-release any remaining pressure.
Finish and serve
  1. Turn off the Instant Pot and mash about half of the potatoes in the pot.
  2. Stir in the cream cheese and heavy cream until the cream cheese has melted and the soup is creamy.
  3. Ladle the soup into bowls and top with the crispy bacon, cheddar, sour cream, and green onions.

Notes

For the creamiest texture, mash only about half of the potatoes as directed. Refrigerate leftovers for up to 4 days; freezing is not recommended because the dairy can separate. For a lighter version, use half-and-half instead of heavy cream.