Roasted Sweet Potatoes Easy And Perfect Wellplated Com

Even my sister who roasts sweet potatoes for her family almost nightly declared these the best sweet potato recipe she’s ever eaten. She wanted to know my secret. WHY are these particular sweet potatoes so darn good, we couldn’t keep ourselves from inhaling them right off of the sheet pan? HOW do you make the most magnificent roasted sweet potatoes that are, seemingly inexplicably, more sublime than any that have come before? If you love roasted vegetables as much as we do—Oven Roasted Potatoes, Roasted Broccoli, Roasted Butternut Squash, and Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Garlic being but a few of the many ways we roast ‘round here—then this sweet potato roasting method will be a fast favorite in your home too.

Secrets to The Best Sweet Potatoes In The Oven

With their natural sweetness, crispy outsides, and meltingly creamy insides, roasted sweet potatoes are quite possibly one of the easiest vegetables to adore. Discerning adults and picky eaters alike can rally around them. And they’re good for you too! We eat roasted sweet potatoes often and were perfectly happy with them (thank you, Roasted Carrots), so I didn’t think my technique needed improving. Then, one night, I was in a hurry and I tried something new. I cut the sweet potatoes into large chunks. GAME CHANGER.

The Best Sweet Potato Recipe

What started as a time saver (larger pieces are quicker to chop) turned out to be the best-kept secret to roasted sweet potatoes.

Cut the Sweet Potatoes into Large Chunks. I found 1-inch cubes to be ideal.

Larger sweet potato pieces meant a longer baking time in the oven.The insides had time to become unbelievably velvety while the outsides fully crisped, all without drying the sweet potatoes out.

Roast at a High Temperature. 425 degrees F is spot-on. It’s hot enough to crisp the outsides and allows the flavors of the sweet potatoes to caramelize and concentrate (they truly could be vegetable candy!).Don’t Crowd the Pan. You need plenty of room around the pieces for air to circulate, otherwise they will steam and you lose the crispy outsides.Seasoning. Even simple kosher salt will give you great results, though you can amp them up in assorted ways. See below for suggestions.Add a Touch of Honey. Need to lure picky eaters into eating veggies? Try making honey roasted sweet potatoes. It increases the caramelization of the sweet potatoes further too. If you do add honey, be sure to line your sheet pan to prevent sticking.

How to Cut Sweet Potatoes for Roasting

To make sure the sweet potato pieces cook evenly, try to cut them all roughly the same size. This can be a little tricky depending upon the shape of your sweet potato. Here are my best tips for cutting. The cut sweet potatoes won’t all be perfectly uniform, which is fine. Just try to get them to all be fairly similar in size so that they roast in the same amount of time.

Seasoning Suggestions

Love savory roasted sweet potatoes? Try one of these seasoning options to bump them up a notch: You do not need to peel a sweet potato prior to cooking it in the oven. The skins of sweet potatoes are safe to eat, both raw and cooked, and contain nutrients such as fiber and antioxidants. Here are a few things to consider:

Leaving the skin on sweet potatoes is a time saver since you don’t need to peel them (you do need to scrub them well).If you leave the skin on the sweet potatoes, it becomes lightly crispy and crinkly when the sweet potatoes roast (like with these Roasted Fingerling Potates).The flavor of the skin is mild, but it does have a slight (not unpleasant) texture.If you are cooking for picky eaters, peeling the sweet potato may be a good idea.The skin will be visible on some sides of the potato pieces, so if you are looking for a clean presentation, remove the skin.

Spicy. Add a 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper to kick things up a notch. Herb. Add 1 teaspoon dried thyme, basil, or Italian seasoning. Parmesan. Sprinkle freshly grated Parmesan over the top of your roasted sweet potatoes for a delicious finish.Ground Cumin. Add 1/2 teaspoon for a rich, earthy flavor with a hint of citrus.Garlic Powder. A 1/2 teaspoon will taste slightly sweeter and less assertive than fresh garlic.For even more seasoning ideas, be sure to check out my cookbook, which has a special guide for how to season and use roasted vegetables.

For a sweet/savory combo, try seasoning your sweet potatoes with:

Cinnamon. For a warm cinnamon flavor, add 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon. Honey. Sweeten things up with 1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup. Both will caramelize perfectly on the potato pieces. Brown Sugar. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons brown sugar for a sweet, caramelized flavor.

Storage Tips

To Store. Refrigerate sweet potatoes in an airtight storage container for up to 5 days.To Reheat. Rewarm potatoes on a baking sheet in the oven at 350 degrees F.To Freeze. Freeze leftovers in an airtight freezer-safe storage container for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.

Recommended Tools to Make this Recipe

Baking Sheet. Enjoy roasted vegetables any night of the week with this tool. Fish Spatula. Great for flipping fish and veggies. Sharp Chef’s Knife. You’ll keep this tool for a lifetime.

Enjoy these perfect sweet potatoes as a side dish to any main protein. Thanks to their rich vitamins (loaded with vitamin C, potassium, calcium, and vitamin A), your body with thank you along with your taste buds!

Top them with a runny egg and avocado for a delicious sweet potato hash, or give this tasty Sweet Potato Hash a try. Toss them into your favorite salad for a crispy, nutritious addition.Add them to this hearty Mexican Salad.Add them to these healthy Whole30 Vegetarian Power Bowls.