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Here’s how to make a perfectly baked sweet potato — fast! This trick cuts down the baking time: it’s a total game changer.
Hi there. 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 curries to stews to fries. Oddly enough, we’ve never shared our go-to, simple weeknight trick for the perfect quick baked sweet potato. This method lets you bake it less time than the standard: making it feasible for weeknight cooking.
The same method works for russet potatoes! Go to Quick Baked Potatoes.
How to make a baked sweet potato: a tutorial
Making a baked sweet potato is seriously simple: you don’t even really need a recipe. Of course, we’ve got one below. But follow these basic steps and you’ll be baking these up in your sleep. Now, want to hear our time saving secret? Cut the sweet potatoes in half before you bake them. Yes, this simple step seriously cuts down on baking time. Keep reading for more about it.
Step 1: Cut the sweet potatoes in half.
Yep, that’s our time saver to make this a quick baked potato recipe! 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. But cut them in half, and it takes just 25 to 35 minutes. That’s an invaluable time savings for a weeknight!
Step 2: Rub with olive oil & sprinkle with salt.
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 3: Bake at 450 degrees for 25 to 35 minutes.
The hard part is over! Now all you have to do is bake. Bake for about 25 to 35 minutes at 450 degrees until they’re tender when pricked with a fork. That’s it!
10 ways to 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:
- Mexican-style. Make our Mexican sweet potatoes by topping with black bean salsa and creamy cilantro sauce.
- Sour cream & fresh dill. They become a stellar side.
- Thai-style. Add Thai peanut butter sauce and tangy pepper 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 & goat cheese. Topping with lentils and goat cheese makes a stunning fall 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.
Are sweet potatoes healthy?
Indeed they are! This vibrant orange tuber is rich in vitamins, potassium and fiber. The flesh of a medium baked sweet potato has only about 100 calories and enough vitamin A to meet your daily allowance. They’re also a rich source of beta carotene. According to the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health, sweet potatoes do have a high glycemic index, but they haven’t been found to be a cause of weight gain and diabetes. Bottom line: yes! Sweet potatoes are a great way to get lots of nutrients into your diet.
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.
This baked sweet potato recipe is…
Vegetarian, gluten-free, vegan, plant-based, and dairy free.
Quick Baked Sweet Potato
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
Description
Here’s how to make a perfectly baked sweet potato — fast! This trick cuts down the baking time: it’s a total game changer.
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!)
- Category: Essentials
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: Vegetables
Can I bake them in the air fryer? If so what temperature/time do you recommend?
We don’t have experience, sorry!
I made baked pork chops and forgot to put in the sweet potatoes to bake with the pork chops! Can I boil the sweet potatoes and try to bake them in the oven?
They would end up mushy i think. Sorry!
Which rack in my toaster oven. My Black n Decker has 3 positions.
Middle.
My parchment paper says not safe over 425 degrees.
To J. Cricket,
I agree. My parchment paper also informs that it “Withstands temperatures UP TO 425°F”.
It is the well known name brand Reynolds Kitchens. Actually when I used that parchment paper for baking some frozen TGIF potatoes, the baking directions said to set oven to 450°! 🥺I didn’t follow that direction🥴, I chose 425° max, even then I didn’t want to bake at those high of temperatures… Anywho, the parchment paper started to slightly brown after only 10 minutes, the directions had called for 20 min. at 450°! Yikes.
I don’t know if even at 425° was too high for parchment paper because my stove & oven is electric, or if the info printed on the parchment paper box of “Withstanding temperatures UP TO 425°” really means: •temperatures over 400° not recommended• 🤔🤭
Could not have been easier, and very good.
Can I use aluminum foil if I don’t have parchment paper?
Yes.
Perfect! Great for cooking in a pinch. And perfect portions to grab. Thanks!
Loved your sweet potato recipes!
To bake sweet (or russet) potatoes whole in 25 minutes or less depending on the size of course – run a thick blade skewer through the center lengthwise. Enjoy a nice soft potato on the inside, and crispy skin on the outside.
Perfect last minute side dish to go with your delicious Perfect Fried Pan Cod!
Great idea!
When baking are they cut side up or down?
Hi! Bake them cut side up.
This worked beautifully! So excited to have baked sweet potato in half the time.