How to Reheat Cooked Potatoes - The Best Way

Boiled potatoes are another type of food that doesn’t get enough credit. You can do many things with cooked potatoes. Boiled potatoes go way beyond making mashed potatoes. They can be flavorful and delicious simply boiled, seasoned, and served.

Boiling potatoes ahead of time and storing them is a great way to cut down on time later when you need a quick meal option. You can easily store your boiled potatoes, allowing you to cook a large quantity at once. You can also can your cooked potatoes and save them for long-term storage.

The question is: how do you reheat cooked potatoes? Won’t they get mushy and fall apart?  The good news is that if you boil and store them well, they’re pretty easy to reheat. Boiled potatoes reheat very well in the oven at 300 degrees. 

We have prepared a simple guide so that you know the details of how to reheat boiled potatoes. We’ll walk you through the proper storage procedures so you can reheat your cooked potatoes without any hassle.

Read on for all the information on reheating cooked potatoes, and much more!

Your guide to reheating boiled potatoes

Some people consider boiled potatoes simply a means to an end. It is true that potatoes usually have to be boiled to mash them. It is also true that you can use cooked potatoes for other things besides mashing them.

Boiled potatoes can be very tasty, especially if you add some butter and seasoning to them. And they are super soft and easy to eat. The key to boiling potatoes is not to overboil them. You want them to be soft without turning to mush.

Boiled potatoes are really very versatile. You can do many things with them. Here are some ideas: 

• Baked potatoes with butter and garlic
• Boiled potatoes with chives
• Mashed potatoes
• Potato salad
• potato casseroles
• potatoes for breakfast
• keep them in a can

There are many things you can do with cooked potatoes. These are just some inspiring ideas for your palate.

The process of boiling potatoes

The art of reheating boiled potatoes is to boil them correctly to begin with. If you boil them to puree them, you may boil them for longer than if you boil them for other purposes.

We would like to point out that the best potatoes for boiling are red, white and new. You can boil other potatoes, only these seem to give the best results.

In an effort to better prepare you for the process of reheating boiled potatoes, we believe that it is essential to start by boiling the potatoes. You want to make sure you don’t overcook them, as you risk making them mushy.

Boiling potatoes isn’t too difficult, just make sure you don’t over-boil them. It is quite simple to boil them properly, you just have to be aware of the time. You’ll also want to keep an eye on them and check them throughout the process.

We share a basic recipe for boiling potatoes. This recipe does not include any seasoning tactics or alternatives that you can use. It is simply a matter of walking you through the basic cooking process.

Boiling potatoes cooks them evenly throughout and doesn’t take long. You can peel them first or boil them with the skin on. If you don’t like the skins, they are usually peeled right after the potatoes are boiled.

Also, you can cut the potatoes into cubes or boil them whole. We recommend dicing the potatoes as this is easier to store. However, you can do whatever you prefer and the methods will work more or less the same.

1. Clean the potatoes: rinse and scrub if you leave the skin on.
2. Cut the potatoes into cubes (optional).
3. Arrange the potatoes in a section large enough to fit all of them and cover with water.
4. Cover the potatoes with cold water. Add about two more inches of water.
5. Add salt to the water and stir the salt to dissolve (salt is optional).
6. Bring the water to a boil.
7. Reduce heat to a simmer. Do not cover the pot on low heat.
8. Check the potatoes at 5 minutes. Normally, potatoes take between 10 and 20 minutes. However, diced or small potatoes may cook faster.
9. You will know the potatoes are done when they are completely tender. You can check it by pricking them with a fork or a fine utensil. If the fork slides to the center, they’re done!

Remember that this process does not involve specific seasonings or processes. We share it just to give you a simple example of how potatoes are boiled.

From this point you can do a lot of different things with your potatoes. Whether you choose to puree, season, or can, you’re ready to go.

Storage of cooked potatoes

Let’s talk storage. If you want to reheat potatoes, you have to make sure you store them properly. You can store potatoes by refrigerating, freezing, or canning them.

Here we are going to share the best way to refrigerate or freeze your cooked potatoes. If you intend to can them, be sure to refer to the instructions for proper canning. However, we are not going to share those specific instructions here.

Storing cooked potatoes in the fridge

Let’s start with the basics. After boiling the potatoes, you can easily store them in the fridge.

1. Let the potatoes cool to room temperature. Don’t leave them out for more than 1-2 hours.
2. Place the potatoes in a small airtight container or a tight-fitting plastic bag.
3. Put them in the fridge.
4. Store cooked potatoes in the fridge for 3-5 days.

Storing cooked potatoes in the freezer

You can also freeze cooked potatoes if you want to keep them for a long time. We recommend that you freeze them beforehand.

1. Prefreeze the potatoes by placing them on parchment paper on a cookie sheet.
2. Freeze for 2-4 hours.
3. Transfer the potatoes to an airtight container or heavy-duty freezer bag.
4. Freeze cooked potatoes for up to 6 months.

reheat cooked potatoes

Here we are at the heart of the matter. If you’ve followed all the procedures correctly up to this point, you should have no problem reheating your cooked potatoes.

If you used cubed potatoes, there is no need to defrost them. However, if you have used whole potatoes, we recommend that you take them to the fridge and let them thaw overnight.

Reheating cooked potatoes will not take you long. The best method for reheating them depends on what you are going to use them for.

If you are adding them to a dish, you should add them when the dish is almost finished cooking. This is so the potatoes don’t get mushy or soggy.

Cooked potatoes reheat best in the oven.  These are the recommended steps for reheating cooked potatoes.

1. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or use a glass baking dish.
2. Coat the tray or plate with a small amount of olive oil or cooking spray.
3. Heat oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit
4. Place the potatoes in the oven and bake for about 10 minutes. Test them after 10 minutes to see if they are hot enough. Add 2 to 4 minutes until done.
5. Serve or prepare and enjoy.

Reheating cooked potatoes is really easy. We recommend the oven because it keeps the potatoes intact so they don’t fall apart or get soft. Baking also does not compromise the intended boiled texture.

You can try reheating boiled potatoes in the microwave, but we don’t recommend it . If you don’t want your potatoes to become soggy or mushy, there’s no guarantee of success with the microwave.

If you insist on trying the microwave, try covering the potatoes with a paper towel to help absorb some of the moisture that the potatoes naturally present.

Related questions

We hope you find this guide to reheating boiled potatoes useful and informative for your needs. We also hope that you feel fully prepared to carry out the task.

In the next section, you will find some common questions with their answers. Do not hesitate to consult it for additional information.

Are there alternative cooking methods for reheating?

Although we have shared the most common method, you can also try wrapping the potatoes in aluminum foil and baking them at 400 degrees for about 10-15 minutes.

The end result of both methods should be more or less the same.

How do I know if my potatoes are good to boil?

You can boil any potato you have on hand. When freezing or storing and reheating, some work better than others.

We recommend using red, yellow, or new potatoes for the process.  Any potato that has a waxy finish should work fine.