Roasted Sweet Potato Faqs
How long does it take to roast sweet potatoes?
The time it takes will depend on the size of the sweet potato, but we find for a medium sweet potato, 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 25-35 minutes is ideal. When you press the potatoes they should have a little give. Add more time, if needed.
How do you reheat roasted sweet potatoes?
We like to reheat them on the stovetop in a cast iron skillet until hot. To speed up the cooking process, you can slice them into chunks before adding to the skillet.
Do you need to peel sweet potatoes?
Not for this recipe! We prefer eating the skin , but you can scoop out the flesh and leave the skin, if preferred.
How long do they keep?
We recommend storing leftover roasted sweet potatoes covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Oven Roasted Sweet Potatoes Serving Suggestions
In the fall and winter, I make roasted sweet potatoes nonstop, but I never get bored with them. Thats because there are so many ways to use them! Here are a few of my favorites:
- As a side dish. I especially love to serve roasted sweet potatoes with veggie burgers or black bean burgers, BBQ jackfruit sandwiches, chili, and tacos, but really, theyre great with just about anything.
- In a grain bowl. Use them in this buddha bowl or this sweet potato quinoa bowl, or build your own bowl with the roasted sweet potatoes, a grain like farro, quinoa, or brown rice, a protein like baked tofu or lentils, and a punchy sauce. Cilantro lime dressing, chipotle sauce, chimichurri, and tahini sauce are some of my favorites. Round out your bowl with whatever veggies you like best!
- In a salad. Make your own salad with roasted sweet potatoes, greens, and a flavorful dressing like tahini dressing, homemade Italian dressing, or lemon vinaigrette, or try my Sweet Potato Salad or Farmhouse Farro Salad.
- On avocado toast. With pickled red onions, pepitas, and a dash of adobo sauce? Yes, please!
- For breakfast! A hidden layer of roasted sweet potatoes is what makes my moms Healthy Breakfast Casserole so darn good! I also love tossing them into mini frittata muffins or a regular frittata with fresh sage and feta cheese.
How do you like to eat roasted sweet potatoes? Let me know in the comments!
Try This Easy Recipe For Roasted Sweet Potato Cubes
Next time youre looking for a simple side dish, give these garlic and sage roasted sweet potatoes a try! Did you think it was the perfect side dish? Leave a comment below and give it a review for others to see what you thought of this great easy recipe.
On Instagram? Share your photo and tag me with @goodlifeeats and #goodlifeeatsrecipes. Id love to see your photo of your roasted sweet potato cubes!
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What Temperature Should A Sweet Potato Be Cooked To
Image by detoxinista
There is no one definitive answer to this question as different people have different preferences. Some people prefer their sweet potatoes to be cooked until they are soft and mushy, while others prefer them to be cooked until they are slightly firm to the touch. Ultimately, it is up to the individual to decide what temperature they prefer their sweet potatoes to be cooked to.
Serving Suggestions For Sweet Potato Side Dishes

Sweet potato is a root vegetable that is more commonly eaten cooked than raw. Many people enjoy sweet potato slices dipped in honey or caramelized in the oven. To bake sweet potato slices, first cut them into thin slices. You will need to bake them for at least 15 to 20 minutes, or until they turn brown. They will be ready when they are crispy on the outside. To serve them, you can serve them hot or cold. For a hot side dish, you can dip them in honey or caramelize them in the oven. For a cold side dish, you can simply serve them warm or cold.
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The Best Sweet Potato Recipe
What started as a time saver turned out to be the best-kept secret to roasted sweet potatoes.
- Cut the Sweet Potatoes into Large Chunks. I found 1-inch cubes to be ideal.
- Larger sweet potato pieces meant a longer baking time in the oven.
- The insides had time to become unbelievably velvety while the outsides fully crisped, all without drying the sweet potatoes out.
- Roast at a High Temperature. 425 degrees F is spot-on. Its hot enough to crisp the outsides and allows the flavors of the sweet potatoes to caramelize and concentrate .
- Dont Crowd the Pan. You need plenty of room around the pieces for air to circulate, otherwise they will steam and you lose the crispy outsides.
- Seasoning. Even simple kosher salt will give you great results, though you can amp them up in assorted ways. See below for suggestions.
- Add a Touch of Honey. Need to lure picky eaters into eating veggies? Try making honey roasted sweet potatoes. It increases the caramelization of the sweet potatoes further too. If you do add honey, be sure to line your sheet pan to prevent sticking.
Questions You Might Have
Is it better to roast or boil sweet potatoes?
Its really a personal preference. Boiling sweet potatoes will make them soft and tender and roasting sweet potatoes will give you a tender inside with a crispy outside.
Why are my roasted sweet potatoes mushy?
If you dont allow enough space on the pan your potatoes will become steamy and mushy instead of caramelized and crispy. Make sure you are using a large enough pan to space out your potatoes.
Do you need to blanch sweet potatoes before roasting?
Its not necessary. If you want to you can, however, I do not because it adds additional steps, dishes, and time to the process.
Should you peel sweet potatoes?
This is truly personal preference. Some people like the skin and others do not. I like to leave it on because it only ends up on a few sweet potato cubes and removing it only adds an additional step.
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Do You Leave The Skin On Sweet Potatoes When Roasting
Whether or not you leave the skin on a sweet potato prior to roasting is entirely up to you!
You do not need to peel a sweet potato prior to cooking it in the oven. The skins of sweet potatoes are safe to eat, both raw and cooked, and contain nutrients such as fiber and antioxidants.
Here are a few things to consider:
- Leaving the skin on sweet potatoes is a time saver since you dont need to peel them .
- If you leave the skin on the sweet potatoes, it becomes lightly crispy and crinkly when the sweet potatoes roast .
- The flavor of the skin is mild, but it does have a slight texture.
- If you are cooking for picky eaters, peeling the sweet potato may be a good idea.
- The skin will be visible on some sides of the potato pieces, so if you are looking for a clean presentation, remove the skin.
Choosing And Storing Sweet Potatoes
Picking the right sweet potato can make all the difference when you’re trying to achieve that perfect baked sweet potato. So how do you end up with the right one? Go for thinner, uniform sweet potatoes.
Although you may be tempted to pick the more meatier potato, thinner sweet potatoes will cook evenly all the way through to the center. With fatter sweet potatoes, the outsides will be done before the centers have been fully cooked. If you’ve ever encountered this problem when baking sweet potatoes, it’s probably because you’re cooking with the wrong size.
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How To Roast Sweet Potatoes In The Oven
This section shows how to make roasted sweet potatoes, with step-by-step photos and details about the technique, to help you visualize it. For full instructions, including amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card below.
Baking Sweet Potatoes: To Foil Or Not To Foil
It can be useful to bake sweet potatoes without foil, but there are some disadvantages. The foil helps to keep the potatoes warm and the skin tender, but this is not required. If youre going to cook more than one potato at a time, make sure theyre about the same size and evenly distribute them throughout the pan. Parchment paper, which is non-stick, can also be used as a food prep material.
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How Long To Bake A Sweet Potato
There is no one definitive answer to this question as it depends on a number of factors, such as the size and type of sweet potato, the desired level of doneness, and the oven temperature. In general, however, most sweet potatoes will be done baking after about 45 minutes to 1 hour at 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
To get the best results with sweet potatoes, youll have to be creative. Depending on the size of the potato, you can bake sweet potatoes in an oven at 400F to 425F for 30 to 75 minutes, or until they are lightly golden. Here are some delicious sweet potato recipes that you can make in the oven. Regular potatoes can be baked in the same amount of time as sweet potatoes. They are baked on a large baking sheet after being prepared by combining them with oil and seasonings. Sweet potatoes can be prepared in this recipe by either baking them plain or roasting them in seasoned spice. Sweet Potatoes are glazed with a sweet maple syrup glaze, and caramelized sweet potatoes are served.
In addition to being a nutritious and healthy carbohydrate, baked sweet potatoes can be eaten all year round due to their complex carbohydrate content. This sweet and savory top potato has a lot of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and fiber, making it a tasty addition to any menu. Sweet potatoes can be mashed and served as a side dish, as well as in casseroles and sliced and baked sweet potatoes. Sweet potatoes are a nutritious and healthy carbohydrate that is a perfect addition to any diet.
Make Extras If You Want Leftovers Theyre Just That Good

If I even want to think about having leftovers, I have to make double the amount of roasted sweet potatoes. And I really dont even know how to give an accurate serving size for the recipe here. I have to count in Kendall-sized servings, which are usually like HALF of the pan.
Moral of the story: Definitely make these Roasted Sweet Potato Cubes with Garlic and Sage. Because if kids age 13, 11, 9 and 9 love them, who wouldnt?
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How To Pick A Good Sweet Potato
- Red and orange sweet potatoes are often labeled as yams at the grocery store which is actually inaccurate. True yams are starchier and drier than sweet potatoes with a thick and fibrous skin.
- There are lots of different varieties of sweet potatoes: Heres an article that describes some of the different varieties and characteristics.
- I recommend skipping tan or purple skinned sweet potatoes and sticking with orange or red skinned sweet potatoes. This variety are sweeter and have a creamier texture.
- My favorite sweet potatoes for roasting? Either Red Garnet or Jewel.
- When picking a sweet potato at the grocery store look for firm potatoes without growths or discolorations on their skins. Avoid soft or wet potatoes.
- For questions on freshness/how long a sweet potato lasts, check out this article.
Now that youve got some sweet potatoes, lets talk cutting.
There are a lot of different ways that you can cut sweet potatoes for roasting you can make roasted sweet potatoes wedges or crispy roasted sweet potatoes fries. You can even roast sweet potato halves! Thicker, bigger cuts will need a longer bake time, and thinner cuts will need a shorter amount of time in the oven. For this particular recipe, were making roasted sweet potato cubes, and I recommend cutting the sweet potato into ½ inch chunks.
While there isnt one single way to cut a sweet potato into cubes, Ill share my favorite way to cut them below.
How To Bake A Sweet Potato Fast
Baking a sweet potato is a fast and easy way to enjoy this delicious and nutritious vegetable. Sweet potatoes can be baked in the oven, microwaved, or even cooked in the slow cooker. To bake a sweet potato in the oven, simply preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Cut the sweet potato in half lengthwise and place it on a baking sheet. Bake for 20-30 minutes, or until the sweet potato is tender. Microwaving is another quick and easy option for cooking sweet potatoes. Simply place the sweet potato on a microwave-safe plate and cook for 4-6 minutes, or until tender. Slow cookers are also a great option for cooking sweet potatoes. Simply add the sweet potatoes to the slow cooker with a little water or broth and cook on low for 6-8 hours, or until tender.
The first step is to cut the sweet potatoes in half. After rubbing them with olive oil, salt, and a pinch of salt, place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 25 to 35 minutes at 450 degrees, or until tender after being pierced with a fork. The sweet potato has a lot of nutrients, which is an excellent source of nutrition. baked sweet potatoes contain only about 100 calories and a trace of vitamin A, which is sufficient to meet daily requirements. Sweet potatoes work well with soups and stews, as well as fries, hash browns, and other dishes.
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Season Them All The Way
This recipe calls for 4 spices which are cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg and paprika. These spices have a warm nature and work well with the sweet potatoes. I enjoy using smoked paprika tor roasting vegetables, however, regular paprika would work, too.
I also like to add some aromatic herbs such as rosemary, thyme or oregano to this recipe. The earthy flavor of these herbs complements the sweet potato well.
Some other spices you can use are cayenne pepper, cumin, coriander, garlic powder and chili powder. Any combination of these spices would add a lot of flavor to this dish.
Best Types Of Sweet Potatoes For Roasting
- Jewel or Garnet are the best types of sweet potatoes to bake or roast, and theyre what youre most likely to find in your supermarket. Both are described as moist by growers and wholesalers, as opposed to dry-fleshed Japanese and Latin American varieties, such as boniato.
- Either type will have reddish-brown to deep copper-colored skins and vibrant orange flesh. They have a meltingly soft texture youd also find in a roasted delicata squash, and loads of natural honey-like sweetness when cooked.
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Tips For Roasting Sweet Potatoes
How To Bake Sweet Potatoes Without Foil
To bake sweet potatoes without foil, you will need to preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. Next, wash your sweet potatoes and slice them into thin wedges. Then, toss the sweet potato wedges in olive oil and sea salt. Next, bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes. Enjoy!
Potato has long been one of the most popular vegetables on the planet. Cooking potatoes can be done in a variety of ways, including by foiling them. People dislike the use of foil in the oven for a variety of reasons. If you tend to line your baking pan with foil, you may want to consider looking for alternatives. Silicone baking sheets are reusable, last several years, and can be worn for years at a time before being worn out. Grilling vegetables and seafood on cedar wraps is an excellent way to prepare them. Sarah founded Baking Kneads, LLC, a blog where people can learn how to bake and share their recipes and tips. She spent much of her childhood learning the fundamentals of baking in a local bakery, where she was raised as the daughter of a baker. If you know what to do, you can prepare your sweet potato right away.
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How To Boil Sweet Potatoes
Boiling sweet potatoes is one of the best methods for making mashed or pureed sweet potatoes. Cutting your sweet potatoes into cubes first will help them cook faster be sure to cut the sweet potatoes into the same size pieces to ensure consistent, even cooking. You can also boil whole, peeled sweet potatoes, but to minimize cooking time, opt for medium-sized potatoes.