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Here’s how to make a quick baked sweet potato! This time-saving trick cuts down precious minutes in the oven: it’s a total game changer.
Hi, we’re Alex and Sonja, and we’ve made just about every sweet potato recipe known to man. Yes, we’re obsessed with this healthy vegetable, making into everything from curry to stew to sweet potato fries.
But here’s something we use even more often: our go-to, simple weeknight trick for the perfect quick baked sweet potato! This method lets you bake it much faster than the standard—making it work for a weeknight dinner!
What’s the secret?
The secret to a quick baked sweet potato? Cut it in half lengthwise. Yes, that’s our time saving trick! But it does wonders.
- Depending on the size, a whole baked potato can take anywhere from 45 to 60 minutes. It can take even longer if you’ve got one of those massive sweet potatoes.
- Cut in half, it takes just 25 to 35 minutes to roast a sweet potato. That’s an invaluable time savings for a weeknight!
Basic steps for a quick baked sweet potato
Making a baked sweet potato is seriously simple: you don’t even really need a recipe. Follow these basic steps and you’ll be baking these up in your sleep.
Step 1: Cut the sweet potatoes in half. Rub the sweet potatoes with olive oil (you can use your hands for this!). Then sprinkle them with kosher salt. Place them onto a parchment lined baking sheet. Using parchment paper makes for easy cleanup later.
Step 2: Bake for about 25 to 35 minutes at 450°F until they’re tender when pricked with a fork.
The same method works for russet potatoes! Go to Quick Baked Potatoes.
Serve a baked sweet potato
There are endless ways to serve a baked sweet potato, both as a vegetarian main dish or as a side. In our opinion, the best way to compliment the sweetness of the potato is with savory compliments. So, you won’t see any marshmallows or cinnamon here! Here are the best ways to serve a baked sweet potato:
- Salsa and black beans. Make Mexican sweet potatoes by topping with black bean salsa and creamy cilantro sauce.
- Sour cream and fresh dill. They become a stellar side.
- Thai-style. Add Thai peanut butter sauce and tangy slaw.
- Tahini sauce. Drizzle with lemon tahini sauce and sprinkle with fresh cilantro.
- Broccoli cheese sauce. Make our broccoli cheese sauce and drizzle on top!
- Lentils and goat cheese. Topping with lentils and goat cheese makes a stunning dinner.
- Moroccan-style. Top with Moroccan lentils and tahini sauce.
- Chipotle sauce. Add spicy chipotle sauce and black beans.
- Chili. Make a batch of healthy chili or Instant Pot chili and use it for topping.
- Chorizo eggs. Make the chorizo eggs from these 5 minute tacos and top with salsa.
Dietary notes
This baked sweet potato recipe is vegetarian, gluten-free, vegan, plant-based, and dairy free.
Quick Baked Sweet Potato
Here’s how to make a perfectly baked sweet potato — fast! This trick cuts down the baking time: it’s a total game changer.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
- Category: Essentials
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: Vegetables
Ingredients
- 4 medium sweet potatoes
- Olive oil
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Farenheit.
- Wash the sweet potatoes and slice them in half. Place them on a parchment paper lined baking sheet and rub them with olive oil, just enough to coat. Sprinkle with kosher salt.
- Bake until tender and lightly browned on the edges, about 25 to 35 minutes depending on the size of the potatoes. (Prick with a fork to assess doneness!)
More sweet potato recipes
Yes, we’ve got a load more sweet potato recipes outside of baking them! Sweet potatoes are perfect in soups and stews, fries, hash browns, and more. Here are a few of our most popular ways to use them:
- Sweet Potato Wedges The best ever! Serve as a side or dinner topped with chili
- Stuffed Sweet Potatoes Make them into a meal topped with black beans and salsa!
- Roasted Sweet Potatoes Try classic, tender cubed potatoes!
- Crispy Sweet Potato Fries What’s tastier than sweet potato fries? Here’s our trick for getting them crispy in the oven…
- Sweet Potato Hash Browns These hash browns are easy to make and oven baked: perfect for brunch!
- Best Sweet Potato Chili Sweet potatoes add just the right sweetness to savory chili.
Can I bake them in the air fryer? If so what temperature/time do you recommend?
We don’t have experience, sorry!