Do you know how long it takes to bake a sweet potato at 425°F? this is one of the questions our readers ask a lot. Well, we´ve got you covered.
It is finally fall, which brings with it all the best, cozy comfort foods that warm us up. If you haven’t adopted a fall sweet potato habit yet, you are in the right place.
Sweet potatoes are easy and perfectly baked at 425℉, but how long to bake a sweet potato at 425℉? Sweet potatoes are baked at 425℉ for 40-50 minutes. For best results, leave the skin on the potatoes and don’t wrap them in foil.
Love the idea of trying out these super-nutritious fall favorites, but not sure if you can make them taste good? Sweet potatoes are super easy to bake in the oven, and you can do them plain or even add a little oil when cooking.
Read on for everything you need to know to make delicious baked sweet potatoes at 425℉.
🍜🔪 CLICK HERE TO SEE MY BEST KITCHEN TOOLS & APPLIANCES ⏲️🥘
Can I Bake Sweet Potatoes?
We all know sweet potatoes from various Thanksgiving recipes (some of which may include marshmallows), or from more complex recipes that require a lot of peeling and seasoning.
But did you know that you can bake sweet potatoes in the oven just like regular white potatoes?
If you are looking to make the switch to sweet potatoes for their nutritional value, or just for a new side dish that adds a little fall color to your table, baked sweet potatoes are a super easy way to go.
How Do I Bake Sweet Potatoes?
- Preheat your oven to 425℉
- Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper, if desired. Sweet potatoes have a lot of sugar and get fairly messy.
- Wash and dry your potatoes thoroughly. Make sure to scrub off any dirt or grit.
- Poke your potatoes in several spots with a fork and place them on the baking sheet.
- Put your potatoes in the oven and bake for 40-50 minutes.
How Do I Know if Sweet Potatoes are Done?
Ovens vary, so you will need a good way to know if your sweet potatoes are nice and tender.
After 40 minutes of cooking time, pierce them with a fork to see if they are done. Make sure you test the thickest part of the potato. It should be soft and tender throughout.
If potatoes still feel a little hard to the touch, put them back in for another five minutes, and then test again. If they still aren’t tender enough for your liking, you can add another five minutes.
Read also >> How Long To Bake Chicken Thighs at 400 (Complete Guide)
How Long Do I Bake Sweet Potatoes?
Keep in mind that larger potatoes will take a little longer to bake all the way through, so may require the longer 50-minute cooking time.
Smaller potatoes will bake faster. Make sure you check on small potatoes after 40 minutes so they don’t overcook.
That said, this recipe is pretty forgiving as far as heat. If you cook them a little too long, they will still taste good. If you cook them much too long, the potatoes will dry out.
Do I Need to Peel Baked Sweet Potatoes?
You don’t need to peel sweet potatoes at all–the skin is perfectly edible and actually pretty nutritious! It packs in a ton of vitamins, antioxidants, and fiber. You can leave on skins when baking sweet potatoes or when roasting them as chunks.
In addition, when baking sweet potatoes, the skin will retain moisture and allow the potato to cook evenly and fully.
When you bake them, the skin will puff up and the potato will develop a caramelized edge, which is the perfect way to cook a baked sweet potato.
Do I Bake Sweet Potatoes in Foil?
It’s tempting to think that foil will help potatoes bake faster or better, or lead to crispier skin. With sweet potatoes, however, this isn’t the case. It is actually better to leave the potatoes uncovered so the skins dry out slightly and crisp up. The skin itself will protect the potato and help the flesh cook properly.
Many cooks have noted that cooking sweet potatoes in foil steams the skin and leads to damp or slimy skin, rather than the drier, papery skin that indicates the potato is perfectly cooked.
Do I Season Baked Sweet Potatoes Before Cooking?
This basic recipe will give you perfectly cooked sweet potatoes that you can season however you want after cooking.
That said, some cooks prefer to rub their baking potatoes with a little olive oil and some salt and pepper before they put them in to cook. It’s up to you.
Oil will make the skins a little more tender, and the salt and pepper obviously add a little extra flavor, but you can add these seasonings after the potatoes are cooked as well.
If you intend to discard the skins after baking, you don’t need to season them at all.
How Do I Serve Baked Sweet Potatoes as a Main Dish?
So now you have beautiful, nutritious baked sweet potatoes and your whole house smells like fall. But what do you do with them? Sweet potatoes with delicious toppings can provide a full meal by themselves.
There are so many ways to serve baked sweet potatoes, but here are a few:
- Serve each with shaved Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper, and a little drizzle of olive oil.
- Serve like a white potato with sour cream or butter, chives, salt, and pepper.
- Serve with sloppy joe or chili on top, or just some beans, cheddar cheese, guac, and sour cream.
- Serve like a salad! You can top it with kale, microgreens, shaved brussels sprouts, or cabbage.
- Serve greek style with feta cheese and oregano.
- Serve thanksgiving style with dried cranberries or cranberry sauce and walnuts.
Sweet potatoes are probably more versatile than you think, and add a solid foundation for most of your favorite foods. You can top it with a range of veggies, sauces, beans, grains, and nuts for an amazing, delicious meal. Even better, you can probably add whatever you have around the house.
How Do I Serve Baked Sweet Potatoes as a Side Dish?
Maybe a baked potato just doesn’t seem like a full meal to you. You can also serve these as a side.
You can just season them simply with butter, salt, and pepper. Or for a sweet and spicy option, add a little brown sugar and maple syrup and then a pinch of chili powder or cayenne pepper.
They are great along with BBQ, especially chicken.
Put them alongside some grilled meat or fish for a healthy meal, or pair them with chili or soup.
Baked potatoes pair beautifully with beans, especially black beans. Or maybe you just want to add something a little more hearty alongside a beautiful salad.
Really, baked sweet potatoes can pair with just about anything that isn’t another starch or high-carb main dish.
What Do I Do with Leftover Sweet Potatoes?
If you cook a bunch of baked sweet potatoes, you can use the flesh for a variety of recipes throughout the week.
You can blend sweet potato into a variety of delicious meals, including making alfredo sauce and hummus.
Or maybe try a dessert, like sweet potato pie or sweet potato muffins?
You could even mash them and make mashed potatoes. Perfect with a little brown sugar, or go savory with butter and salt. You can always add a little spice if you like. Or make into sweet potato pancakes.
You can even use them as a pizza “sauce” or put mashed sweet potato in quesadillas.
Or just mash them up for an amazing sweet potato casserole. (It’s up to you if you top it with marshmallow.)
How Do I Store Leftover Sweet Potatoes?
You can store baked sweet potatoes in an airtight container like a plastic bag or Tupperware in the fridge for 3-5 days.
Can I Freeze Baked Sweet Potatoes?
Yes! You can make a bunch of these ahead to save time. Make sure they are cooled completely, and then wrap each potato with foil. Place the potatoes in a freezer bag. You can keep them in the freezer for around six months.
Cook them first–it isn’t a good idea to freeze raw sweet potatoes.
To defrost, take them out a day ahead and defrost in the fridge, or defrost in the microwave on a low defrost setting. You can also let them sit in a bowl of water for a few hours.
How Do I Pick Good Sweet Potatoes?
Make sure the skin looks healthy, with no bruises. Don’t buy sweet potatoes if the skin is cracked or mushy.
If you want a shorter cooking time or have a hard time telling when potatoes are done, you may want to go with smaller potatoes so the potato doesn’t burn.
Baked Sweet Potato Nutrition Facts
We have all heard that brightly colored vegetables are the healthiest, so what does that mean for sweet potatoes? It’s true–sweet potatoes are loaded with a lot of stuff that is good for you.
A medium-sized sweet potato offers the following nutritional benefits, on average:
- 100 calories
- 2 grams protein
- 23 grams carbs
- 4 grams fiber
- Zero fat
- Zero cholesterol
- Antioxidants: beta-carotene, Vitamin C
- Nutrients: Potassium, B6
Of course, these nutrition facts will vary depending on the size of your potato and what you add to it!
Tips for Baked Sweet Potatoes
- If you don’t have time to cook potatoes for a full 40 minutes, you can halve the potatoes. Cut them in half lengthwise, then rub with a little olive oil so they don’t dry out, sprinkle with salt and pepper and cook for 30 minutes at 425℉.
- It’s ok if the skin of your potatoes turns black or brown. This is just the sugars caramelizing. They may look burned, but if you are cooking them for the right amount of time, they probably aren’t.
- If your potatoes still aren’t cooked after 50 minutes, you may have very large potatoes, which will need to cook for slightly longer. You may also want to test your oven temperature.
- To save time, buy small to medium-sized potatoes.
- You don’t have to rotate the potatoes halfway through, though the bottom of the potato may look slightly more cooked or caramelized than the top. You can rotate if you like.
- If your potatoes are coming out dry, you may be cooking them too long. Make sure you check for doneness after 40 minutes so they don’t overcook.
FAQs
Can I Microwave Baked Sweet Potatoes?
Yes, if you are pressed for time, all of this can be done in the microwave!
You will need to pierce the skin just like when baking in the oven. Then place your potato in the microwave and cook on high for 5 minutes.
Test if the potato is tender in the thickest part. If not, put it back in for around 30 seconds at a time until the potato is cooked all the way through. This will work best with small to medium potatoes.
Are Microwaved Sweet Potatoes Good?
Microwaved baked potatoes aren’t quite as good as the real thing, since the skin will not crisp up and the flesh will not caramelize as it would when cooking in the oven, though this is a great alternative if you just don’t have the time to cook in the oven, or don’t have an oven.
You can dress them up in exactly the same way you would oven-baked potatoes.
It is best to cook one potato at a time using this method. If your potatoes are small you can do up to three, though you will have to increase your cooking time to 10 minutes.
Conclusion
How long to bake a sweet potato at 425℉? 40-50 minutes. That’s it! And all you need to do for prep is clean and poke your potato. How is that for an easy meal for fall?
Plus, baked sweet potatoes are amazingly versatile and nutritious. You can make them up fancy in a ton of ways, or just throw on a little butter or brown sugar. It’s up to you!
References
https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/whole-roasted-sweet-potatoes-3416485