This Popeyes Mashed Potatoes recipe copycat is going to become your new family favorite! It's loaded with Cajun flavor like garlic and cayenne pepper and goes great with fried chicken, seafood, and steak. Cooks up in less than 30 minutes making it great for a weeknight dinner.
Learn how to make gravy with bacon grease. Tastes great with this recipe!
We love secret recipes around here. We love treating our taste buds to our favorite restaurant flavors without ever leaving our homes.
This Popeyes mashed potatoes recipe is the perfect side dish to serve with your best comfort food main dish. It's creamy, buttery, and has just a touch of spice making it a good option for chicken and seafood.
This popular side dish is also a great vegetarian option as long as you serve it with a gravy recipe that is also meat free.
The perfect way to get a taste of New Orleans is to serve this copycat recipe. It may become your go-to mashed potatoes recipe from now on!
Ingredients
Potatoes - I used gold potatoes (Yukon gold) for a more dense and creamy texture. I think that matches the original recipe best.
Fresh garlic cloves - this is a must! You can't substitute jarred garlic for this recipes (lol). Fresh cloves will give you the best flavor. But you can use substitutes like jarred or garlic powder.
Cajun seasoning - a little bit of Creole seasoning goes a long way! Really makes these the best-mashed potatoes. I use my Louisiana Rub recipe.
Butter - I used salted, but unsalted butter will also work. You can also try some extra-virgin olive oil for added flavor, or for a dairy free option.
Milk - whole or 2% work here, or choose what you are used to. Swap milk and cream with vegetable or chicken broth for a dairy free option.
Heavy cream - optional. I love the added richness heavy cream gives to mashed potatoes, but you can skip this and just use milk.
Salt and pepper to taste - since there are no black pepper flakes in original, you can go with white pepper. Both taste delicious!
Equipment
- Stock pot, large saucepan, or Dutch oven
- Strainer or colander
- Potato masher
- Wooden spoon
- Mixing bowls
- Serving bowls
- Airtight containers
Instructions
Scrub potatoes under cool running water. Pat dry. Peel potatoes and dice into 2 inch pieces.
Add diced potatoes, garlic cloves, and kosher salt to a large pot of water. Bring to a boil over high heat and cook until potatoes can be easily pieced with a knife, about 15-20 minutes.
If water is boiling too rapidly and spilling over the edge of the pot, reduce heat to medium high.
When potatoes have cooked, turn off the heat. Remove pot from the stove and drain potatoes over a large colander or strainer in the sink. Return cooked potatoes back to the pot and set back on the stove.
You may choose to add potatoes to a large bowl instead.
Add Cajun/Creole seasoning to potatoes and mash.
Melt butter and warm milk in the microwave. Now, add melted butter and half of the warmed milk and heavy cream. Whip with a wooden spoon until smooth. Add more liquid to meet your liking. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Cover and keep warm over low heat, stirring occasionally to keep if from sticking to the bottom of the pot.
Kitchen tips
- We like peeled potatoes for this Popeyes mashed potatoes recipe, since that's similar to the original, but you may choose to keep the skins on.
- A Dutch oven can be used to cook and serve.
- Don't add liquids all at once to reach your desired consistency.
Quick facts
There are different ways to make Cajun seasoning, but it typically contains onion powder, garlic powder, oregano, thyme, cayenne pepper, and paprika.
Yukon gold potatoes and Russet potatoes are great for mashing. Yukons are dense and have a creamy, buttery texture. Russets are lighter in texture and whip up beautifully.
Owner Alvin C. Copeland Sr. opened "Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen" after a failed attempt with a previous restaurant called "Chicken on the Run", which served traditional southern fried chicken.
Popeyes is named after a fictional character, Jimmy Popeye Doyle, from the 1971 movie The French Connection. The character was played by actor Gene Hackman.
How to store
For best results, store leftover mashed potatoes in airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to five days.
Freeze in freezer safe containers for up to three months.
How to reheat
You can warm these air fryer mashed potatoes up in the microwave, oven, air fryer or stove top.
In the microwave, cover leftover potatoes and heat on high power. Time will depend on how much you're reheating. It's best to warm them up part way, stir, then heat the rest of the way. If potatoes are drying out, add a splash of milk or cream. Let stand one minute.
In the oven, place in a casserole or oven safe dish. Dot with butter if desired.Cover with foil tightly and heat in a preheated 350 degree F oven for 15 or 20 minutes, or until hot.
In the air fryer, place in an oven safe dish. Dot with butter if desired. Cover with foil and heat at 320 degrees F. Time will vary depending on how much you're warming up. Check on them and add a splash or milk or cream if they are drying out.
Gravy recipes to serve with mashed potatoes
More Cajun inspired recipes
- Creamy Cajun Sauce
- Cajun Baked Salmon
- Vegetarian Dirty Rice
- Air Fryer Blackened Chicken
- Louisiana Rub Recipe
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Popeyes Mashed Potatoes Recipe Copycat
Ingredients
- 2.5 lbs potatoes, gold
- 3 garlic cloves, large
- 2 teaspoon kosher salt or 1 teaspoon table salt
- 1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning or to taste
- ¼ cup butter, melted more if desired
- ½ cup milk, warmed whole, 2%, add more to preference
- ¼ cup heavy cream, warmed
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Scrub potatoes under cool running water. Pat dry. Peel potatoes and dice into 2 inch pieces.
- Add diced potatoes, garlic cloves, and salt to a large pot of water. Bring to a boil over high heat and cook until potatoes can be easily pieced with a knife, about 15-20 minutes.
- Drain potatoes over a large colander or strainer in the sink. Return cooked potatoes back to the pot and set back on the stove. You may choose to add potatoes to a large bowl instead.
- Add Cajun/Creole seasoning and melted butter to the potatoes and mash.
- Heat milk and heavy cream together. Add about half to the potatoes and whip with a wooden spoon until smooth. Add more milk and cream until desired consistency is reached. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Keep warm over low heat, stirring occasionally.
Did you make the recipe? Share a tip here!