Here’s how to cook sweet potatoes in the oven or microwave to yield the absolute best roasted sweet potatoes you will ever taste!
Tips and tricks for how to cook sweet potatoes
Tip #1: Choose thinner sweet potatoes
This may sound counter intuitive, as conventional wisdom will tell you to go for the plumpest, juiciest looking sweet potatoes at the store instead of the thin ones.
But that advice is a mistake, and here is why.
While baking, the heat will evenly cook even the very center of the thinner potatoes, getting them all hot and caramelized.
In contrast, the outsides of thicker potatoes will be done well before the centers have a chance to lose their firm texture and cook through fully.
Tip #2: Let the steam vent while roasting
Instead of simply poking a few holes in the skin with a fork, use a large knife to slash about a third of the way into the potato, eight to ten times on both sides.
Why does this work?
Th answer is that it helps the heat get all the way into the centers of the sweet potatoes or yams, once again ensuring they will cook evenly.
This cooking trick also allows moisture to escape, resulting in candied roasted sweet potatoes instead of steamed and watered down results.
Tip #3: Cook longer at a higher temperature
Forget all of the tutorials that tell you to bake at 350 degrees.
Go big or go home.
How big? Try 450 degrees Fahrenheit. And start cooking the starchy winter vegetables in a non preheated oven, which cooks them more evenly and also saves energy.
Baking at a higher oven temperature will really caramelize the natural sugars in the superfood healthy sweet potatoes.
Sweet potato baking guide – Step by step
To roast sweet potatoes in the oven, the first step is to line a large baking pan with parchment paper. Then set this pan aside.
As the vegetables caramelize in the oven, their natural sugars release. Using parchment paper makes easy clean up a breeze.
Start with thin, evenly shaped sweet potatoes. Wash them in room temperature or cold water, and pat fully dry with cloth or paper towels.
On a cutting board, carefully slice a knife into the skins about eight to ten times per potato. Score about a third of the way down with each cut.
Place the sweet potatoes on the baking pan. There is no need to wrap them in foil.
Transfer the pan to the center rack of a non preheated oven. Close the door, and only now turn the oven on to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.
Bake for thirty minutes. Turn the potatoes over, and continue to bake for another twenty minutes or until they are fully soft and caramelized. Baking time will depend greatly on the sizes and shapes.
Serve and enjoy hot. Or let cool before refrigerating in a covered container.
Try baking three or four during Sunday meal prep to have on hand for quick lunches or dinners throughout the week.
One of the best things about baked sweet potatoes is that you can freeze leftovers for up to four months in an airtight container. Any time you are in need of a fast meal, simply thaw in the microwave or in a pan on the stove top before enjoying.
I always make sure to keep at least one Pyrex of frozen sweet potatoes in my freezer to eat as part of an easy vegetarian meal on rushed evenings.