5 WAYS TO
COOK A
SWEET POTATO
Sweet potatoes are nutritious, delicious, and incredibly versatile in the kitchen. As a dietitian, I love how they’re packed with nutrients like vitamin A, manganese, and fiber.
Another great thing about sweet potatoes is there’s so many ways to prepare them. That means if you’re not a fan of one cooking method or don’t have access to certain appliances, you can always try another! Here are 5 different ways to cook a sweet potato including baked, grilled, boiled, microwaved, and air fried.
Whole:
The great part about Bako Sweet is all of their products are triple washed so there’s no need to rinse the skin.
Simply preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit, wash and dry the skins of the sweet potatoes, then pierce the skin a few times with a fork.
Place one or multiple whole potatoes on a baking sheet and bake for about 45-60 minutes.
After baking, you can slice the sweet potato in half and add over any toppings of your choice. Baking sweet potatoes allows them to get super soft and creamy on the inside and brings out their natural sweetness. I enjoy topping them with a dollop of butter or a sprinkle of cinnamon brown sugar for a sweet snack. You can even make it a meal by topping whole potatoes with veggies, protein, and a sauce like in this Loaded Mediterranean Stuffed Sweet Potatoes!
Cubed:
You can also bake sweet potato cubes or slices.
To do this, cut your sweet potato into the desired shape
Coat it with oil and seasonings
Spread out into an even layer on a sheet pan.
Bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for about 30-35 minutes. This allows the sweet potatoes to get tender, caramelized, and golden brown.
BAKED
Baking sweet potatoes is the all-time classic cooking method. It’s also one of the easiest–making it perfect for someone looking to try out sweet potatoes without much prep work.
GRILLED
Grilling sweet potatoes is another popular way to cook them, especially during the warmer months. Grilled sweet potatoes are perfect for camping adventures or outdoor entertaining.
To grill them, first slice your sweet potatoes into rounds or wedges. If you’re not sure how to do this, be sure to check out our How to Cut a Sweet Potato page!
Then, brush the prepared sweet potatoes with a bit of oil and season them with any spices or seasonings you like. I’ll often mix it up and use different spices–like bagel seasoning, Italian seasoning, or curry powder–depending on the meal.
Once you’ve seasoned the sweet potatoes, place them on a preheated grill and cook for 5-7 minutes on each side, or until they are tender and have grill marks.
Grilled sweet potatoes make an ideal side dish alongside any grilled proteins like fish, steak, chicken, tofu, or tempeh. You can even get creative and grill foil packets or vegetable kabobs.
BOILED
Boiling sweet potatoes is a quick way to be able to soften or mash sweet potatoes.
It’s typically best to peel and chop your sweet potatoes into 2-inch cubes before placing them in a pot of boiling water.
Then boil for about 15-20 minutes, or until you can easily pierce the potato with a fork.
Finally, drain the water and mash the sweet potatoes with a fork, potato masher, or stand mixer.
Boiled and mashed sweet potatoes are perfect to add to baked goods, hash browns, or meal prep friendly veggie bites.
MICROWAVED
Microwaving sweet potatoes gives you that similar creamy texture of whole baked sweet potatoes. It only takes a few minutes to microwave sweet potatoes, so it’s a great option if you’re running short on time.
Raw:
Pierce your sweet potato a few times with a fork.
Place the whole sweet potato on a plate and microwave on high for 5-8 minutes, turning it over half way through cooking. The microwave time will depend on the size of your sweet potato. For a smaller sweet potato (~2-inches thick) it may take closer to 5 minutes; whereas a larger sweet potato (~3 inches thick) may take 8+ minutes to get tender.
To check if it’s done, insert a fork into the flesh of the sweet–it should slide in easily and the potato should feel soft to the touch.
Bako SweetⓇ:
Don’t feel like going through the hassle of washing and piercing your potato? Luckily Bako Sweet has ready to go options like their Steam Bag or Single Sweets–both triple washed and ready to microwave!
Microwaved sweet potatoes can be enjoyed as a snack or mashed and added to sweet potato pie, pancakes, or energy bites.
Air frying sweet potatoes is a healthy alternative to deep frying. Plus, it takes less time than baking and helps you achieve a crispy texture. You can air fry sweet potatoes in cubes, rounds, wedges, fries, or whole forms. If air-frying chopped sweet potatoes:
Toss them in a bit of oil and seasonings and place in an air fryer basket.
Depending on the shape and size, air fry at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 10-12 minutes, or until they’re crispy and golden brown.
To help the sweet potatoes cook evenly, it can help to shake the air fryer basket halfway through.
AIR FRIED
I love making air fried sweet potato fries to serve with burgers; air fried sweet potato cubes to sprinkle over grain bowls; or crispy smashed sweet potatoes to dip in sauces.
You can air fry sweet potatoes whole too! Simply pierce the sweet potato a few times with a fork, add to an air fryer basket, and cook at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for about 30 minutes. Once cooked through and tender, remove the sweet potato, slice down the middle, and serve with any savory additions like butter, chopped chives, guacamole, sour cream, or cheese.
Whichever way you prefer to prepare your sweet potatoes, this versatile veggie is a nutritious addition to any meal. Try experimenting with different cooking methods and recipes to find your favorite!
MACKENZIE BURGESS, RDN
Mackenzie Burgess, RDN is a registered dietitian and recipe developer in the Denver area. She focuses on customizable recipes with ingredients of your choice. Mackenzie is passionate about improving peoples’ cooking confidence through easy meals, kitchen hacks, and her hands-on “Coaching + Cooking” program. Connect with her on social media @cheerfulchoices or on her website at CheerfulChoices.com.