Baked Sweet Potato, when cooked properly, have a soft, sweet, and fluffy interior impossible to resist. An easy dinner side dish or light lunch, learn how to bake perfect, delicious sweet potatoes every single time with this easy to follow guide and recipe.
What are Sweet Potatoes?
Sweet potatoes come from the morning glory family. It has large, starchy, sweet-tasting, tuberous roots that are packed with vitamins and minerals. Considered a root vegetable, the sweet potato is only distantly related to the potato.
Sweet potatoes have an elongated shape with a tapered end and smooth skin that may range in color from red, brown, purple, yellow, orange, and beige. Its interior flesh, on the other hand, may range in color from beige to white, purple, orange, yellow, violet, pink, and red.
There are two main types of sweet potato grown in the U.S. (and the Yam is not one of them).
That’s right, the yam is NOT a sweet potato (but more on that in a second).
- Firm sweet potatoes. these guys have tan skin and a pale, off-white flesh. It is said that firm sweet potatoes still remain firm and somewhat waxy, even after cooking. I doubt it’s quite this black and white as I have not experienced this when I cooked lighter versions of sweet potatoes.
- Soft sweet potatoes. Copper skin and deep orange flesh. These are the sweet potatoes that we probably think of when we think about Thanksgiving sweet potato casserole.
Check out this article on the different shades of sweet potatoes.
What is the difference between a sweet potato and a yam?
Catching the difference between a sweet potato and a yam can be quite tricky if you don’t know what to look out for. But, if you take one thing away from this post (aside from how to bake a sweet potato, I hope), remember this- the yam and the sweet potato are not the same.
In fact, all those “yams” you see in the market probably aren’t yams at all.
Common U.S. Grocery Store Labeling-
- Yam. This is probably a soft sweet potato with copper skin and deep orange flesh.
- Sweet potato. This is probably a firm sweet potato with tan skin and pale, off-white flesh.
So, where’s the…Yam?
It’s pretty tough to find real deal yams in the U.S. But, you never know! Keep those eyes peeled.
How to Bake Sweet Potatoes
To bake sweet potatoes simply,
- Preheat oven. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or foil. Spray lightly with nonstick cooking spray.
- Prepare the sweet potatoes. Wash and scrub each sweet potato and dry thoroughly (this prevents the sweet potatoes from steaming rather than baking). Transfer to the baking sheet and, using a knife or a fork, stab each sweet potato at least 6-7 times (this will vary depending on the size of your potato).
- Bake. Transfer potatoes to the oven and bake for approximately 30 minutes. Rotate the pan 180 degrees to ensure even cooking and bake for an additional 15-30 minutes, or until you see some of the natural sugars have started to caramelize and a fork or knife is easily inserted into the thickest part of the potato.
- Serve. Remove from the oven and allow potatoes to rest for 5 minutes before seasoning with salt, pepper, butter, or maple syrup if desired.
Yes! It really is that easy!
How to bake sweet potatoes in foil
Personally, I prefer potatoes that are not baked wrapped in foil. This is all about personal preference as sweet potatoes that are not wrapped in foil have crispier skin whereas those that are cooked in aluminum foil have softer skin.
To bake in foil,
- Preheat oven. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or foil (optional) or you may place potatoes directly on the oven racks.
- Prepare the sweet potatoes. Wash and scrub each sweet potato and dry thoroughly (this prevents the sweet potatoes from steaming rather than baking). Use a knife or a fork to stab each sweet potato at least 6-7 times (this will vary depending on the size of your potato).
- Wrap in foil. Wrap each sweet potato individually in aluminum foil.
- Bake. Transfer potatoes to the oven and bake for approximately 30 minutes. Rotate the sweet potatoes 180 degrees to ensure even cooking and bake for an additional 15-30 minutes, or until you see some of the natural sugars have started to caramelize and a fork or knife is easily inserted into the thickest part of the potato.
- Serve. Remove from the oven and allow potatoes to rest for 5 minutes before seasoning with salt, pepper, butter, or maple syrup if desired.
So, you’re basically doing the same thing as you would without foil, simply wrap each in aluminum foil before baking.
Tips and Tricks
- Stay away from the fat guys. Sweet potatoes, that is. Here’s the thing, the bigger and rounder they are, the longer it will take to bake and the more likely you will end up with a sweet potato that is not baked evenly. The fat guys do not necessarily mean more soft and fluffy evenly baked inside. Look for long, uniform, skinny sweet potatoes.
- Thoroughly wash and dry before baking. Seriously, guys. Dry your potato.
- Line your baking sheet with foil or parchment paper and lightly spray with non-stick cooking spray. When you cook sweet potatoes they will ooze out their natural sweet caramelized sugars. Sugars like to solidify and stick to things…like baking sheets.
- Don’t forget to poke each potato at least 6-8 times.
- Rub the skin before baking with oil and coarse sea salt for extra flavorful skin.
- Unless you plan to wrap them in aluminum foil, always place your potatoes on a baking sheet.
How long to bake a sweet potato?
The length of time it will take to bake a sweet potato isn’t an exact science. It depends on two main factors- oven temperature and size of the potato.
The potatoes shown in these images took approximately 40-45 minutes at 425 degrees F. Larger potatoes or a lower oven temperature would take a much longer amount of time. Use this as a rough guide-
- 75+ minutes at 375 degrees F
- 60-75 minutes at 400 degrees F
- 45-60 minutes at 425 degrees F
Are sweet potatoes good for you?
YES! Sweet potatoes are, without question, incredibly good for you. Here’s the nutritional takeaway.
- One cup provides half of your daily vitamin C and 400% of recommended daily intake of vitamin A. Each play a vital role in the immune system, while vitamin A also helps support healthy skin, vision, and organ function.
- Vitamin A and C which sweet potatoes are so full of are also antioxidant powerhouses and help protect cells against aging and disease.
- Manganese. One serving delivers one-third of your daily intake of manganese, a mineral that produces collagen.
- They are a natural anti-inflammatory food.
- High in fiber. Yes, sweet potatoes are a starchy vegetable, BUT, they are also loaded with fiber. This makes them a slow-burning starch. In other words, they will not spike blood sugar levels.
- They help regulate blood pressure. One cup (with skin) provides 950 mg of potassium. Potassium helps eliminate excess sodium and fluid from our body, which, as a result, lowers blood pressure and reduces strain on the heart.
Now, will eating a whole bunch of baked sweet potatoes make you super skinny? Probably not.
How to serve a baked sweet potato
That wonderful thing about baked sweet potatoes is that they can be enjoyed in so many different ways!
As a side, sweet potatoes taste awesome with beef, chicken, pork, and seafood, or veggie dishes. For example, shredded buffalo chicken, Instant Pot pork tenderloin, or Cajun shrimp.
Leftover baked sweet potato? Mash them and turn them into mashed sweet potatoes or blend them into soups or muffins!
Of course, you can always stuff em’. You guys, stuffed sweet potatoes, like these Holiday Leftovers Stuffed Sweet Potatoes are perfect after the holidays and a much healthier way to enjoy sweet potatoes than sugar-filled sweet potato casseroles.
If you’re not into all of that, one of my favorite ways to enjoy this humble, yet super delicious vegetable is with a tablespoon of butter. That’s it.
How to store sweet Potatoes
- Raw, uncooked sweet potatoes – keep stored in a cool, dry, dark, well-ventilated place. Potatoes will keep for a surprising amount of time especially when they are kept out of the refrigerator and away from direct sun. Places to consider include the garage (not in the summertime), basement, or cellar. It is also recommended that you avoid storing sweet potatoes with fruits or vegetables such as onions, bananas, and apples as they can cause them to rot faster.
- Cooked, leftover sweet potatoes – Simply transfer to a sealed container or wrap tightly with foil and transfer to the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
Delicious Sweet Potato Toppings
Although butter and a pinch of salt will forever be my favorite topping for these sweet orange tubers, here are a few other fun ideas to mix things up:
- Browned butter and maple syrup
- Sour cream, guacamole, and green onions
- Pulled pork – more specifically, this apple cider pulled pork.
- Marshmallows, pecans, and butter
- Shredded chicken – like this shredded salsa chicken or shredded buffalo chicken.
- Or, go extra crazy and pile on a big scoop of melty hot buffalo chicken dip or BBQ Chicken Dip.
- Chili! You can even add sausage to the middle and imagine it’s a super loaded chili dog!
For more sweet potato recipes check out,
- Sweet Potato and Sausage Egg Casserole Recipe
- Easy Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Sweet Potatoes with Tahini Sauce
- Easy Herb and Brown Sugar Roasted Sweet Potatoes
- Sweet Potato and Butternut Squash Shepherd’s Pie
- Vegetarian Beet Burgers with Avocado and Sweet Potato Fries
If you try making this Baked Sweet Potato, please leave me a comment and let me know how it turned out! I always love to hear your thoughts.
LOOKING FOR SOMETHING SPECIFIC? CLICK HERE TO SEARCH BY INGREDIENT
REMEMBER TO SUBSCRIBE TO THE FORKED SPOON NEWSLETTER FOR FREE AND RECEIVE WEEKLY RECIPE NOTIFICATIONS DELIVERED STRAIGHT TO YOUR INBOX!
Baked Sweet Potato (How to Bake Sweet Potatoes)
Ingredients
- 4 medium sweet potatoes - approximately the same size
- salt + pepper - for serving
- butter - for serving
Instructions
- Preheat oven. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Prepare the sweet potatoes. Wash and scrub each sweet potato and dry thoroughly. Transfer to the baking sheet and, using a knife or a fork, stab each sweet potato at least 6-7 times (this will vary depending on the size of your potato).
- Bake. Transfer potatoes to the oven and bake for approximately 30 minutes. Rotate the pan 180 degrees to ensure even cooking and bake for an additional 15-30 minutes, or until you see some of the natural sugars have started to caramelize and a fork or knife is easily inserted into the thickest part of the potato.
- Serve. Remove from the oven and allow potatoes to rest for 5 minutes before seasoning with salt, pepper, butter, or maple syrup if desired.
Notes
- Nutrition information is based on a 114-gram sweet potato without additional toppings such as butter or maple syrup.
- The best sweet potatoes for baking are the longer, thinner sweet potatoes. They cook faster and more evenly than the big, fat round ones.
Nutrition
I’m the only one in my household who likes sweet potatoes, so I bake 5 or 6 at a time, skin and mash them, and put the results in jumbo cupcake holders in a muffin tin, top each with a square of aluminum foil, and when they are cool, put them in the freezer.
When frozen, I transfer them to a large plastic box, and I’m set for 3- 4 weeks. I found your recipe helpful in being sure of my timing. Thank you.
If you were to use a meat thermometer, at what temperature would you take the potatoes out of the oven?
Hi Laura,
Good question. A quick google search gave me an internal cooking temperature of 210F for a sweet potato, but not to go over that temperature.
Thanks for the tutorial, the sweet potatoes came out perfecto!
I never did see the explanation of the difference between a yam and a sweet potato.
Hi Mary,
See section halfway through named: “WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A SWEET POTATO AND A YAM?”
The section just says that most things labeled yams are really sweet potato’s but not how to tell the difference between real yams and what is sweet potatoes misidentified as a yams
Jessica,
Thank you for your candid recipe of baking sweet potatoes. Yes yes YES sweet potatoes are great in muffins making them more moist and flavorful. I highly recommend Martha White’s Honey Bran muffin mix that yields to blueberries, chopped apples and of course sweet potatoes. Keep up the good work gal!
Sweet potato was wonderful thanks a lot
Nice to meet you too !!!