When it comes to simplicity, you cannot beat my Oven Baked Sweet Potatoes. The sweet potatoes are baked in a searingly hot oven to ensure a crispy baked sweet potato skin, with the softest center.
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Full Recipe Ingredients/Instructions are available in the
recipe card at the bottom of the post.
You can find important tips/tricks in the
blog post.
I top my easy baked sweet potatoes simply, with some butter and a sprinkle of salt and freshly ground black pepper. However, sweet potatoes are really great at holding up to flavor. So, you can be as creative you like with the baked sweet potato fillings and I’ve made some suggestions later in the post.
What I love most about baking sweet potatoes is that hands on prep time is minimal, scrub the potatoes and dry them, then leave the oven to do all the hard work.
Because of this, sweet potatoes are the ideal side when you have friends around for games night or a backyard BBQ as you can prepare them ahead of time and pop them in the oven when you are ready to eat.
Also, this recipe is easily doubled up when you are feeding a crowd!
Ingredients
You can find these simple ingredients in your local grocery store:
- Sweet potatoes – Try to get sweet potatoes that are about the same size. This will ensure that they finish cooking around the same time.
- Unsalted butter – I always use unsalted butter. If using salted butter, omit the salt in this recipe.
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper – to season the baked sweet potatoes.
How to bake Sweet Potatoes
Here are the directions for baking sweet potatoes; you can also print this out using the recipe card below.
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Prepare a baking sheet by lining it with parchment paper or foil paper. Set aside.
Add sweet potatoes to the baking sheet in a single layer. Poke holes in the sweet potatoes if desired.
Bake in the preheated oven for 40-45 minutes, or until the potatoes have softened.
Remove the tray from the oven and allow to cool before slicing and serving.
Top with your favorite toppings, like butter and salt and pepper.
Expert Tips
These tips will help you make the best-baked potatoes you’ve ever tried.
- Scrub and properly dry the sweet potatoes before baking. Drying the skin is important as this will result in the perfect crispy baked sweet potato skin.
- You can poke a few holes in the skin before baking, to allow the steam to escape from the potato. There is always the possibility that the sweet potato can splatter in the oven if you don’t poke it first. I usually don’t poke the potato and haven’t had a potato explode yet.
- Towards the end of the bake, check to see if the potatoes are cooked through by inserting a sharp knife into the center. You don’t want to over-bake the potatoes or the skin becomes too dry and the center will be mushy.
Baked Sweet Potato Fillings
I love the simplicity of a baked sweet potato filled with butter, salt and pepper. However, this is a versatile side and you can add all sorts of fillings to make this a delicious main dish too. Here are some ideas to get you stared:
- Dairy – butter, sour cream, Greek yogurt
- Cheese – blue cheese, cream cheese, feta cheese, shredded cheddar or mozzarella
- Fresh herbs – chives, basil, parsley, cilantro
- Spices – ground cinnamon, smoked paprika, red pepper flakes
- Salads – vegetable salads, mixed bean salad, fresh salsas
- Meat – crispy bacon pieces, fried cubes of chorizo
How to serve Baked Sweet Potatoes
Baked sweet potatoes are really versatile and can be filled and served on their own as a light main dish or a great-tasting side. They work with seafood, chicken, turkey, pork, and beef.
Try them with my Air Fryer Fried Chicken, Spinach Stuffed Chicken Breasts, Air Fried Jamaican Jerk Pork, Air Fryer Steak Bites, Air Fryer Steak with Garlic Herb Butter, Easy Oven Baked Salmon, or my Air Fryer Turkey Burgers.
If you love sweet potato as much as I do, try my Air Fryer Sweet Potato Wedges, Mashed Sweet Potatoes, and Southern Candied Sweet Potatoes.
How to store
To refrigerate: Keep any leftover sweet potatoes in an airtight container, in the fridge, for up to 3 days. You can reheat it in a small bowl in the microwave in 30-second increments until it’s warm all the way through.
To freeze: Once baked, allow the potatoes to cool completely, and don’t add any fillings. Then wrap the sweet potatoes in kitchen foil and place them in a Ziploc bag and store them in the freezer for up to 6 months. When ready to enjoy, defrost them in the refrigerator before placing them into a hot oven or the microwave to heat through.
FAQs:
The cooking time for sweet potatoes will vary depending on the size of the sweet potatoes you are baking:
Small sweet potato (8 oz) – 45 minutes
Medium sweet potato (10-12 oz) – 50 minutes
Large sweet potato (12-14 oz) – 60 minutes
Extra large sweet potato (16 oz or larger) – 65 or more minutes
When cooking any potato, I find it best to use a really hot oven. I preheat my oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit when baking potatoes.
This comes down to personal preference. I like my sweet potatoes to have crispy skin, so I don’t cover them in foil. If you cover them in foil, they steam, rather than bake, and the skin will become really soft.
When you are baking any variety of potato you should poke a few holes in the skin before baking. Piercing the skin allows the steam to escape during the cook, and stops the potato from bursting open.
Sweet potatoes are a healthy option, as this complex carbohydrate is packed full of vitamins, minerals and fiber which will keep you fuller for longer.
In this method, we cook the sweet potatoes at a higher temperature in the oven, which means we are technically roasting the sweet potatoes whole in the oven.
If you have tried this Baked Sweet Potato recipe, or any other recipe on my blog, then please rate it and let me know how it turned out in the comments below!
Baked Sweet Potatoes
Ingredients
- 4 sweet potatoes scrubbed clean and patted dry
- salt & pepper
- 4 tsp butter
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Prepare a baking sheet by lining it with parchment paper or foil paper. Set aside.
- Add sweet potatoes to the baking sheet in a single layer. Poke holes in the sweet potatoes if desired.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 40-45 minutes, or until the potatoes have softened.
- Remove and allow to cool before slicing and serving.
- Top with your favorite toppings, like butter and salt and pepper.
Notes
- Small sweet potato (8 oz) – 45 minutes
- Medium sweet potato (10-12 oz) – 50 minutes
- Large sweet potato (12-14 oz) – 60 minutes
- Extra large sweet potato (16 oz or larger) – 65 or more minutes