Baked Sweet Potato

This Baked Sweet Potatoes recipe is perfect! Here’s how long to cook sweet potatoes until they’re moist and tender.

When it comes to dinner, there’s no root vegetable we love more than sweet potatoes. It’s simple, deliciously tender, and easily loaded with flavorful toppings to make a meal out of. Of course, if you prefer sweet toppings, that works too…or just a stick of butter! The baked sweet potato Recipe makes perfectly tender potatoes with deliciously fluffy orange flesh, perfect as a side dish or stuffed with black beans for a healthy meal!

How long to cook sweet potatoes?

First of all, how long to cook sweet potatoes? There are two ways to work: cook whole or cut in half. How long it takes for each method:

• It takes 40 to 60 minutes to cook whole sweet potatoes at 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Small potatoes take 40 minutes and large potatoes 60 minutes or more.
• It takes 25 to 35 minutes to cook halved sweet potatoes at 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Small potatoes take 25 minutes and large potatoes about 35 minutes.

Most of the time we use the fast method! The only difference is that the resulting potato looks a little flatter, but it’s just as tasty in almost half the time.

How to bake sweet potatoes (whole).

Here’s our master method for making a whole baked sweet potato! This is the whole potato method (read on for our quick method). tips? Very high heat will make the potatoes perfectly moist on the inside and rubbing them with oil will make the skin crispy. Here’s what to do:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Using high heat results in a tender interior and crispy skin.
• Prick them and brush with olive oil. Grate the sweet potatoes and prick all over with a fork. Rub each potato with olive oil.
• Bake for 40 minutes to 1 hour (or longer), turning once. Bake the potatoes for 20 minutes and turn them over with tongs. Bake an additional 20 minutes, checking for tenderness with a fork. The fork should easily pierce the potato through the center. If they are not soft, continue cooking for up to 20 minutes, depending on the size of the potato.

Avoid using very large potatoes

This recipe works best with medium to large sized sweet potatoes. The ideal size is about 1 pound per potato. Some sweet potatoes are very, very large and take a long time to roast. We recommend using medium to large potatoes as they are the quickest and easiest to eat. If you have a very large potato, you can use it, but keep in mind that it can take over an hour to cook.

Baked Sweet Potatoes: the quick method (halved)!

Don’t have 1 hour? Here’s a shortcut! To make a quick baked sweet potato, just cut it in half before cooking! By half, it will be thinner, which will significantly reduce cooking time. How to make halved potatoes in half the time:

• Use high heat: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Halve the potatoes and season: Wash and halve the potatoes, then place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Rub them with olive oil and sprinkle with kosher salt. Turn the potatoes cut-side down and prick the top several times with a fork.
• Cook for 25 to 35 minutes: Bake until tender and lightly browned around the edges, about 25 to 35 minutes.
• Mash with a fork: To serve, mash the top of each half with a fork.

Ways to serve a sweet potato in the oven

There are so many ways to serve these delicious potatoes! Baked sweet potatoes make a great side dish with a knob of butter. However, we prefer them as a spicy main dish! Here are some ideas on how to serve a baked sweet potato:

More sweet potato recipes

Sweet potatoes are one of our favorite veggies for meals and side dishes! Here are some of our best recipes:

This recipe is…

Vegetarian, vegan, plant-based, dairy-free and gluten-free.