These Chipotle Mashed Potatoes are a healthy mashed potato recipe made with red-skinned potatoes that will add a little zip to your dinner plate! If you're looking for something a little different for your holiday meal, you'll love these spicy mashed potatoes. They are not only easy to make, but they are a nice change from regular mashed potatoes. My favorite part is that you don't even have to peel potatoes to make them!
Mashed potatoes are always popular during holidays and pretty much a staple at Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter holiday dinners, especially alongside a traditional Roasted turkey or Picnic Ham! These healthy mashed potatoes are also light and WW friendly and the perfect way to stay on track during the holiday season.
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This recipe was adapted from a recipe I found in a Weight Watchers magazine years ago.
🥘Ingredient Notes
You don't need cream cheese, sour cream, or butter to make a creamy mashed potato. For this Spicy Mashed Potatoes recipe, you'll need:
- Red potatoes. Using red-skinned potatoes gives these mashed potatoes a welcome hint of color (and the peels are healthy for you -see TOP TIP #1)
- 1% or not-fat milk and white vinegar. Combined, these make a great substitute for buttermilk.
- Canned chipotle chiles in adobo sauce (affiliate link) Gluten-free "chipotle peppers in adobo sauce" are sold under the La Costena brand in the U.S. and Canada. They are a convenient and economical way to eat chipotle chiles.
*See recipe card for full list of ingredients and quantities
📖Variations & Substitutions
- Spicier - these are a little spicy, but if you like additional spice, simply add more chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
- Potatoes - you could use Yukon gold potatoes or sweet potatoes and make chipotle mashed sweet potatoes instead of red potatoes.
- Lactose or Dairy-free - use lactose or dairy-free milk
Top Tip
These are no-peel mashed potatoes! Yes, you can eat your mashed potatoes with the peels. In fact, if you are peeling your potatoes, unless you really enjoy extra work, you can stop now. It's the most nutrient-filled part of the potato, so why would you want to peel all those nutrients away and add more unnecessary waste to the environment? Potato peels contain more iron than the flesh of the potatoes, and they're also a good source of fiber, vitamin B, and vitamin C.
🔪How to Make Chipotle Mashed Potatoes
- First, make your own light homemade buttermilk with 1 cup of milk and 1 teaspoon of vinegar and set aside.
- Place chopped potatoes in a large pot and cover with enough cold water to cover, plus 2 inches above. Bring potatoes to a boil, then reduce and simmer until potatoes are tender (a fork can easily go through- about 10 minutes).
- Drain well.
- Add chopped chipotle in adobo sauce to milk and stir until blended. Return the potatoes to the pot, and add the milk mixture, garlic and salt and pepper. Mash until blended.
- Garnish: Add additional chipotle on top, if desired, and sprinkle on parsley flakes.
Expert Recipe Tips
- Adjust the Spice to Taste: Start with 1 tablespoon of chopped chipotle in adobo and add more if you like it spicier. The heat can vary by brand and batch, so taste as you go.
- Don't Skip the Vinegar: Adding vinegar to milk mimics buttermilk and enhances flavor. It also adds a subtle tang that balances the smoky heat of the chipotle.
- Save a Bit of Cooking Water: If your mashed potatoes are too thick, add a splash of reserved potato water. It keeps the texture creamy without diluting the flavor.
- Use Fresh Garlic: For best flavor, use freshly minced garlic. If you're sensitive to raw garlic's sharpness, sauté it for a minute before adding it to the mash.
- Warm the Milk Mixture: Heat the milk and chipotle mixture slightly before adding it to the potatoes. This keeps the mash warm and helps everything blend more smoothly.
- Garnish for Presentation: Sprinkle extra chopped chipotle and fresh parsley or green onion on top for a pop of color and flavor-especially if serving at a holiday dinner!
🥗What to Serve with Chipotle Mashed Potatoes
They pair well with my Healthy Roasted Carrots with Brown Sugar and my Old Fashioned Gluten free & Dairy free Meatloaf (shown below).
And if you are looking for a completely gluten-free wonderful Thanksgiving dinner, try my Slow Cooker Turkey breast with Quinoa Cranberry Dressing, alongside these potatoes.
👪 Serving Size
This spicy mashed potatoes recipe makes 8 servings (about ⅔ cup each). However, you can also cut this recipe in half or double it by adjusting the serving size on the recipe card. Just click on the serving size and select the number of servings you'd like, and the ingredient amounts will adjust accordingly.
🔢WW Points
These Weight Watchers Mashed Potatoes are Weight Watchers friendly @ 1 WW point per serving (⅔ cup), using 1% milk.
🌡️Storage
Store this healthy mashed potato recipe in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 3 days. You can make this in advance. I do not recommend freezing, as mashed potatoes tend to get watery when defrosted.
You are going to have leftover chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, so it can be stored or use it to make my Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas? You need ½ a can for this recipe - perfect!
So if you are looking for a great side dish with a nice kick of spice, and one that's a unique and healthy mashed potato recipe for your holiday dinner, then you'll love these Chipotle Mashed Potatoes!
❔ Recipe FAQ's
Yes! You can make them up to 3 days in advance and store them in the refrigerator in an airtight container. Just reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop before serving. Add a splash of milk to loosen them up if needed.
The red potato skins are thin, tender, and full of nutrients like iron, fiber, and vitamin C. Leaving them on saves time, adds texture, and reduces food waste.
You can refrigerate leftover chipotle peppers in an airtight container for up to a week or freeze them in small portions (like in an ice cube tray). Use them in recipes like my Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas or to spice up soups, sauces, or marinades.
🍲More Healthy Holiday Side Dishes
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📋 Chipotle Mashed Potatoes Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup 1 % milk
- 1 tsp white vinegar
- 2 lb red potatoes, scrubbed and cut into 2 inch chunks (do not peel) 6-8 medium potatoes
- 1 tablespoon chopped, canned chipotles in adobo sauce *add more if desired
- 3 tsp minced garlic about 3 cloves of garlic
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon peppper
Instructions
- Add vinegar to milk and set aside in 1 cup liquid measuring cup.1 cup 1 % milk, 1 teaspoon white vinegar
- Place chopped potatoes in a large pot and cover with enough cold water to cover plus 2 inches above. Bring potatoes to a boil over high heat, then reduce and simmer on low heat until potatoes are tender (a fork can easily go through- about 10 minutes).2 lb red potatoes, scrubbed and cut into 2 inch chunks (do not peel)
- Drain well.
- Add chopped chipotle in adobo sauce to milk and stir until blended. Return the potatoes to the pot, add milk mixture, garlic and salt and pepper. Mash until blended.1 tablespoon chopped, canned chipotles in adobo sauce, 3 teaspoon minced garlic, 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon peppper
- Garnish: add additional chipotle on top, if desired and sprinkle on parsley flakes.
Notes
- Adjust the Spice to Taste: Start with 1 tablespoon of chopped chipotle in adobo and add more if you like it spicier. The heat can vary by brand and batch, so taste as you go.
- Don't Skip the Vinegar: Adding vinegar to milk mimics buttermilk and enhances flavor. It also adds a subtle tang that balances the smoky heat of the chipotle.
- Save a Bit of Cooking Water: If your mashed potatoes are too thick, add a splash of reserved potato water. It keeps the texture creamy without diluting the flavor.
- Use Fresh Garlic: For best flavor, use freshly minced garlic. If you're sensitive to raw garlic's sharpness, sauté it for a minute before adding to the mash.
- Warm the Milk Mixture: Heat the milk and chipotle mixture slightly before adding it to the potatoes. This keeps the mash warm and helps everything blend more smoothly.
- Garnish for Presentation: Sprinkle extra chopped chipotle and fresh parsley or green onion on top for a pop of color and flavor-especially if serving at a holiday dinner!
Terri Gilson
I love how these Chipotle Mashed Potatoes add a spicy twist to a classic side dish. The fact that I don't have to peel the potatoes is a huge time-saver, and keeping the skins on adds both nutrition and a pop of color. It's amazing how creamy they turn out without cream cheese or butter!