Baked Sweet Potatoes
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This easy baked sweet potato recipe gives you crisp, salty skins and soft, creamy centers every time.
A perfectly baked sweet potato is one of the simplest—and most satisfying—side dishes. Done right, the skin is crisp and salty, while the inside is soft, creamy, and naturally sweet. The method couldn’t be simpler: before baking, rub the sweet potatoes with a little oil and salt, then bake them unwrapped at high heat so the skins crisp rather than steam. Serve them simply with butter, or load them up with your favorite toppings—I share some ideas below.
What You’ll Need To Make Baked Sweet Potatoes
- Sweet Potatoes: Choose firm sweet potatoes with smooth, unblemished skins, and look for ones that are similar in size so they cook at roughly the same rate. Orange-fleshed varieties are ideal here because they become especially soft and creamy when baked. (Sweet potatoes are often labeled “yams” at the supermarket, but they’re actually sweet potatoes.)
- Oil: A light coating helps the skins crisp in the oven and gives the salt something to cling to. A neutral oil or olive oil both work well.
- Salt: Seasons the skins and provides a savory contrast to the naturally sweet flesh.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
How To Bake Sweet Potatoes
Prep the sweet potatoes: Scrub the sweet potatoes well and dry them thoroughly. Prick them all over with a fork to allow steam to escape, then rub the skins with a little oil and salt. Drying them well and baking them unwrapped helps the skins crisp rather than steam.
Bake the sweet potatoes: Bake until the skins are crisp and the centers are completely soft. Since sweet potatoes can vary quite a bit in size, don’t rely on the clock alone—a sharp knife should slide easily into the center with almost no resistance. For the most precise test, the thickest part should register 205°F to 210°F on an instant-read thermometer.
What to Serve with Baked Sweet Potatoes
Baked sweet potatoes are an easy side for all kinds of main dishes. Pair them with roast chicken, glazed pork tenderloin, steak, or pan-seared salmon, along with a simple green vegetable or salad to round out the meal.
Baked Sweet Potato Topping Ideas
Baked sweet potatoes make a great base for all kinds of toppings. Here are a few favorites:
Loaded: Butter, sour cream, cheddar, and scallions
BBQ: Pulled pork
Chili: Beef chili or turkey chili with shredded cheddar and sour cream
Vegetable: Roasted broccoli and cheese
Sweet: Butter, cinnamon, and a drizzle of maple syrup or a sprinkle of brown sugar
More Sweet Potato Recipes You’ll Love
Baked Sweet Potatoes
Ingredients
- 4 large (13-16 oz/370-450 g) sweet potatoes, scrubbed clean of dirt, rinsed and dried (see note)
- 2 teaspoons vegetable or olive oil
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C) and set an oven rack in the middle position. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
- Prick each potato a few times all over with a fork. Directly on the baking sheet, rub the potatoes with the oil and sprinkle all over with the salt. Bake until very tender when pierced in the center with a skewer or sharp knife, or until the center of the largest potato registers 205°F to 210°F (96°C to 99°C), 45 to 60 minutes. Let sit for a few minutes until cool enough to handle, then cut a slit down the center of each potato and serve with toppings of choice.
Notes
Nutrition Information
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Gluten-Free Adaptable Note
To the best of my knowledge, all of the ingredients used in this recipe are gluten-free or widely available in gluten-free versions. There is hidden gluten in many foods; if you're following a gluten-free diet or cooking for someone with gluten allergies, always read the labels of your ingredients to verify that they are gluten-free.
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These came out perfectly. Delicious with butter and a little brown sugar. Thank you!
Wow! These were so good! You were right about the sweet flavor concentrating. I served mine with just a tab of butter and I swear they were more flavorful than my typical method (cubed, tossed with oil, agave syrup, salt, and cinnamon). I love a recipe that is functionally efficient and that is how I would describe these. They baked for an hour then rested while the chicken and Brussels sprouts baked for 35 minutes. We plated everything when the chicken and sprouts were done and the sweet potatoes were still hot enough to melt the butter. These would be elegant and efficient enough to serve to guests for a holiday dinner. Maybe Christmas or Easter.