Deliciously tender sweet potatoes are simple to make and can be left plain or loaded with all your favourite toppings! This recipe for Baked Sweet Potatoes is the only one you’ll ever need as it comes out perfect every single time.
We were always a big fan of baked potatoes in our house growing up. Namely because my dad loves ‘em. We’d load ‘em up with all the fixin’s. Sour cream, bacon bits, butter – and have ‘em alongside dinners we used to joke were fit for a king. They’re so simple to make and when done right, make you feel like you’re eating at a high quality steakhouse. But, for some reason, it was always regular ol’ baked potatoes we had as a family and never their sweet and orange counterpart. Not sure why as I’m pretty sure that even my dad would agree that Baked Sweet Potatoes are just as delicious!
These Baked Sweet Potatoes are a simple side dish to any meal. Dress them down, load them up, eat them plain or with butter! However you choose to devour these Baked Sweet Potatoes, one thing is for sure. They’re cooked to tender perfection and taste dang delicious! And the best part? They’re SO hands off and after 5 minutes of easy prep work before baking, the oven literally does all of the work! What could be better?!
WHAT YOU’LL NEED TO MAKE BAKED SWEET POTATOES
This recipe for Baked Sweet Potatoes is really all too simple to make. If you reeeeally want to keep things basic, all you need are the sweet potatoes. However, for a more flavourful baked sweet potato, I like seasoning the outer skins and adding a few simple toppings but that part is totally up to you! Here’s what you’ll need in a little bit more detail:
- Sweet Potatoes: Well, duh! These babies are the star of the show. Therefore, choose sweet potatoes that are fairly large in size (width in particular). If you’re making more than one baked potato at a time, try and get ones that are all similar in size.
- Oil: Adds flavour (especially if you’re planning on eating the skin). Also helps them bake up perfectly in the oven without drying out. I used olive oil here but avocado oil (or any other oil of your choosing) would also work just fine.
- Salt/Pepper: Adds flavour to the skin of these Baked Sweet Potatoes. Feel free to add more to the flesh once you cut the potatoes open.
- Optional: You can dress these Baked Sweet Potatoes up by adding simple toppings such as more salt and pepper, chopped chives, fresh herbs, a drizzle of ranch dressing, chipotle mayonnaise, sour cream or Greek yogurt, tzatziki sauce, chunky guacamole, bacon bits, sautéed garlic spinach, sautéed garlic mushrooms, shredded cheese or butter. However, rest assured, they’re just as delicious left plain without any of these additional ingredients!
HOW TO BAKE SWEET POTATOES IN THE OVEN (KEY TIPS)
- Pierce the sweet potatoes all over with a fork prior to seasoning and baking. This will help any excess moisture and steam to escape as they bake resulting in even cooking and less (no) explosions!
- Season the skin! A simple rub of oil, salt and pepper go a long way in this Baked Sweet Potato recipe, especially if you’re planning on eating the skin (which you should!). However, feel free to use other seasonings if you wish. I just use my hands to gently massage the oil and seasonings onto the skin, making sure I get every inch, all the way around.
- Place the sweet potatoes in a single layer on the baking sheet and not touching to ensure even cooking all the way around. EXTRA TIP: Line the baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil for easy clean up. Sweet potatoes tend to release some juices as they cook which could make cleaning up a real B* if you don’t line the baking sheet.
- No need to flip the sweet potatoes during baking. Baking sweet potatoes in the oven is a very hands off process. Literally set the oven and come back in about an hour to perfectly soft and tender sweet potatoes! EXTRA TIP: Place the potatoes on the middle rack in the oven. This ensures the bottoms don’t cook too quickly and burn before they’re done.
- Allow the Baked Sweet Potatoes to cool slightly before cutting them open and exposing the flesh. They’ll be hot, hot, hot directly out of the oven and very difficult to handle if you skip this step. Don’t let ’em get too cool, though. If you’re adding toppings, such as butter, you want the steam and hot flesh to melt it nicely.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
The higher temperature the oven is set to, the less time your sweet potatoes will take to cook. I generally like to set the oven to 425°. I find that this is the perfect temperature to get the insides soft and tender without burning the skin.
However, you could set the oven to as low as 325° – just know that it’ll take about double the time to get them baked to perfection. PRO TIP: To check for doneness, re-pierce them with a fork which should easily slide all the way through when the insides are perfectly cooked.
You could go either way here, to be honest. Personally, I don’t like to wrap them in foil as I like to season the skin with oil and salt and pepper. You don’t need the foil in order to get perfect oven baked sweet potatoes and IMHO, it’s an unnecessary step (and waste of foil!)
Not using foil also helps in achieving a nice and crispy, almost caramelized skin!
Yes, you should use a fork to pierce the skin of the sweet potatoes all the way around before baking. The tiny holes will create little pockets that allow any excess moisture and the steam to escape as they bake, ensuring you don’t end up with any explosions or bursted potatoes!
Baked sweet potatoes are a great side dish to many meals. Steak is always a top contender for me when it comes to baked potatoes of any kind. But they also go great with baked chicken drumsticks, burgers, sandwiches or slow cooked beef brisket to name a few.
BAKED SWEET POTATO RECIPE
Deliciously tender sweet potatoes are simple to make and can be left plain or loaded with all your favourite toppings! This recipe for Baked Sweet Potatoes is the only one you'll ever need as it comes out perfect every single time.
Ingredients
- Sweet Potatoes
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Salt and Pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Place the oven rack in the middle position and preheat to 425°. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Using a fork, pierce the skin of the potatoes creating tiny holes all over.
- Drizzle them with the oil, salt and pepper. Use your hands to rub the oil and seasonings all over the skin. Place them in a single layer on the baking sheet, not touching.
- Bake for 50-60 minutes or until the sweet potatoes are soft and tender (to check, re-pierce with a fork. It should easily slide all the way in). Allow the baked sweet potatoes to cool slightly before slicing them lengthwise and revealing the flesh. Enjoy plain or with all your favourite toppings (see below for ideas).
Notes
You can dress these Baked Sweet Potatoes up by adding simple toppings such as more salt and pepper, chopped chives, fresh herbs, a drizzle of ranch dressing, chipotle mayonnaise, sour cream or Greek yogurt, tzatziki sauce, chunky guacamole, bacon bits, shredded cheese or butter. However, rest assured, they’re just as delicious left plain without any of these additional ingredients!
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 56Total Fat: 3gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 84mgCarbohydrates: 6gFiber: 1gSugar: 2gProtein: 1g
Nutrition is only an estimate and calculated using Nutritionix.
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