Your Most Pressing Sweet Potato Questions, Answered
Sweet potatoes are the poster child of the cold-weather vegetable family. They’re comforting, cheap, filling, and endlessly versatile (if you didn’t know about sweet potato hummus, now you know). Here, we present a brief compendium of tips and techniques for cooking with this root veg all season long—without suffering from the dreaded sweet potato fatigue.
Photograph by Chelsie Craig1/9So uh, how do I know I’m picking a good sweet potato?
Sweet potatoes are available year-round, but the peak growing season runs from fall through early winter. Choose tubers with smooth skins, firm pointed ends, and no soft spots. And while they may look tough, sweet potatoes can bruise quite easily. Keep them in a cool, dry place and use within a week. If using unpeeled, just give them a scrub first.
Photo by Kristin Teig2/9What’s the difference between a yam and a sweet potato?
Orange: Chances are when you think of sweet potatoes, you think of these. Use them for everything from marshmallow-topped casseroles to curries to oven fries.
Japanese: These white-fleshed sweet potatoes have reddish-purple skins and a chestnut-like flavor. Steam or bake whole to prevent them from drying out.
Purple: Purple inside and out, these spuds sport dense flesh that’s full of antioxidants. Roast, sauté, or fry them rather than boil to preserve their pretty color.
Read more: Yams vs. Sweet Potatoes
3/9How do you get them all crispy?
Oven-roasted sweet potatoes are the no-fail, throw-together weeknight side. Toss ½"-thick wedges with olive oil and salt and roast in a single layer at 425°, turning occasionally, for 40–45 minutes until crisp and golden brown. Make a quick dipping sauce out of storebought mayo mixed with lime and chopped cilantro, Sriracha and grated garlic, or fresh lemon juice. Or, plate them them atop this addictive miso-tahini sauce.
Photo by Alex Lau4/9Got it. What else can I do with them?
For creamy insides and crispy skins, try the twice-roasted method from this recipe for Twice-Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Hot Honey: Toss whole medium sweet potatoes with olive oil and roast at 350° until tender, 50–60 minutes. Let cool slightly, then tear into irregular pieces. Crank the oven to 450° and bake 20–25 minutes until browned. (And, for what it's worth, the twice-roasted method also works with squash, the other winter veg on heavy rotation right now.) Looking for other ideas? We have plenty more sweet potato recipes where this one comes from.
Image courtesy of OXO5/9How can I tell when they’re done cooking?
A metal cake tester (we like Oxo) should easily pierce through the flesh of a fully cooked sweet potato. By the way, you can also use that cake tester to check the doneness of fish, beets, squash, and, yes, cake. You should definitely get one. Buy it for $3 on surlatable.com.
Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Anna Stockwell, prop styling by Emily Eisen6/9Can I treat them like baked potatoes?
Absolutely. Scrub whole sweet potatoes, wrap in foil, and bake at 425° for 60–75 minutes (a cake tester or the tip of a knife should pierce the flesh with no resistance). Then top away! A few combos to try: crispy chickpeas, roasted broccoli, and crumbled feta; black beans, cheddar, scallions, and diced avocado; or cooked sausage, lentils, and crème fraîche. The Sweet Potato Bowls with Spiced Lamb and Mushrooms above call for steamed sweet potatoes, but they would be equally delicious with roasted spuds, too.
Photo courtesy of Instant Pot.7/9Can I cook them in an Instant Pot?
Yes! The Instant Pot isn’t just good for fall-apart chicken and beans; it also steams vegetables in record time. Fill the base of the pressure cooker with a half-inch of water, then fit with a steaming rack. Add scrubbed skin-on sweet potatoes, seal pot, and cook on high until tender (start with 8 minutes for medium sweet potatoes).
Photo by Alex Lau, Styling by Sue Li8/9I’ve heard you can make sweet potatoes into dip. What’s the deal?
Turn cooked sweet potatoes into a creamy dip for warm pita or any kind of crunchy vegetable. Grab some garlic, a scoop of tahini, lemon juice, and water, and you're in business. Try: Sweet Potato Hummus or Grilled Sweet Potato Baba Ghanoush.
9/9Any recommended reading for the diehard sweet potato fan?
Former BA staffer Mary-Frances Heck’s cookbook, Sweet Potatoes, includes creative recipes for tempura, milk bread, “buffalo” sweet potatoes, and more. Buy it for $12 on Amazon.
