How To Cook Sweet Potatoes

Want to try planting your own sweet potato crop at home? Get plenty of advice for how to grow sweet potatoes, at GardenersWorld.com.

Discover our sweet potato recipes, baked sweet potato recipes, healthy sweet potato recipes and vegan sweet potato recipes for even more inspiration. Our baked potato toppings will provide plenty of delicious ways to jazz up your dinners.

Sweet potato and lentil cottage pie in a white oven proof baking dish

Health benefits of sweet potato

In terms of carbohydrate and calories, sweet potatoes are similar to ordinary potatoes. When it comes to vitamins, however, sweet potatoes are a good source of fibre and vitamins B and C. They are also high in an antioxidant known as beta-carotene, which converts to vitamin A once eaten. You need 80g sweet potato to count as one of your five a day – ordinary potatoes don’t count at all.

Read more about the health benefits of sweet potatoes.

What is the best way to cook sweet potatoes?

When it comes to cooking, sweet potatoes are highly versatile. You can bake them in the oven whole or as wedges, microwave them and air fry them. Whereas microwaving is quick, baking gives them a nice crisp texture or skin. Using the air fryer for perfectly crisp sweet potato fries uses less energy and cooking time as well as oil compared with an oven.

How to prepare sweet potatoes

You can leave the skin on sweet potatoes if you plan on baking or frying them, otherwise peel it off first (keep it to make vegetable crisps). If you peel sweet potatoes, bear in mind that they will start to discolour so make sure you have everything else ready to cook at the same time, or soak them in cold water until you are ready. They make excellent fries and wedges (see below) and even curly fries.

Baked sweet potatoes

Serves 4

4 sweet potatoes
1 tbsp rapeseed oil

1. Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6.

2. Rub each potato with 1 tsp of the oil and some seasoning. Put them on a baking tray and bake for 50-55 mins until the skin feels crisp and they are tender all the way through.

Microwaved sweet potatoes

Serves 4

4 sweet potatoes
1 tbsp rapeseed oil

1. Pierce the sweet potatoes a few times with a fork or skewer. Rub each with 1 tsp of the oil and some seasoning.

2. Cook them in the microwave on high for 6-8 mins or until soft, test them after 6 mins with the point of a knife or a skewer.

Sweet potato wedges

Serves 2-3

500g sweet potato
½ tbsp harissa paste, chipotle paste or barbecue seasoning (optional)
1 tbsp rapeseed oil
soured cream or natural yogurt mixed with chopped chives or coriander and mint, to serve

1. Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Cut the sweet potatoes into wedges, making them as thick or as thin as you like.

2. Combine the wedges with the harissa, chipotle or barbecue seasoning (if using) and the oil, toss everything together well.

3. Transfer them to a baking tray and cook for 35-45 mins depending on the thickness of the wedges or until the potatoes are tender and crisp at the edges. Serve with the herby soured cream on the side.

Can you cook sweet potatoes in the air fryer?

Cooking sweet potatoes in the air fryer is a great way to achieve a crisp finish, without the need for using too much cooking oil. It will also use less energy than in a traditional oven, making them more energy- and cost-efficient.

Try our air fryer sweet potato fries.