Oven roasted sweet potatoes with a caramelized crust of flavor. The trick to nailing the perfect taste and texture is easier than you think. Just grab a roll of foil because it will be a game-changer.
Recipe Science
- To enhance the sweetness of sweet potatoes, start them in a cold oven. The gradual rise in temperature allows starches to convert to sugars between 135 and 175ºF (57 to 79ºC).
- Steaming the sweet potatoes in the oven at 425ºF for 30 minutes breaks down their cell walls, softening them without parboiling.
- Remove the foil and roast for 15 to 25 minutes, then flip and roast 10 to 15 more until crispy. Dry heat caramelizes the sucrose, forming a delicious crust.
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“Delish! Made as written. Love how creamy the centers of these slices turned out. These will become a regular at our house.”—Linda
Why It Works
Oven-roasted sweet potatoes are a simple side dish with just a few simple ingredients. The thick rounds of tubers are first tossed in olive oil and savory seasonings. The vegetable must be consistent in shape for even cooking.
Covering the slices for the first part of cooking steams the interiors, creating a creamy texture. The final step is to remove the foil to develop the most delicious, naturally sweet, slightly crisp crust. The contrasting textures will have everyone raving about it. Try my baked sweet potato fries if you enjoy these roasted sweet potatoes!
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Potatoes: I use orange-fleshed sweet potatoes like Beauregard or Red Garnet. They have a creamy flesh and a sweeter taste. Try to find similar-shaped potatoes for even cooking.
- Oil: A toss-in olive oil or extra-virgin olive oil to add a touch of earthiness while preventing some from sticking to the pan. The oil also helps the crust form more effectively towards the end of cooking.
- Seasoning: To accentuate the candied-like flavor inherent in sweet potatoes, garlic powder, salt, and pepper are all that’s needed.
See the recipe card below for all ingredients and measurements (US and metric).
Ingredient Substitutions
These perfectly roasted sweet potatoes in the oven are easy to customize! Try these tasty options:
- Sweet Potato Substitutes: Other types of sweet potatoes, like white-fleshed Murasaki or Jersey, can be roasted. You can also try purple sweet potatoes. However, they will be drier in texture.
- Seasoning Swaps: Add onion powder, cumin, cayenne, or red pepper flakes for heat. Wait until after roasting to sprinkle on delicate spices like chili powder or smoked paprika to prevent burning.
- Herbs: Add concentrated Italian seasonings before roasting. Garnish with freshly chopped parsley, chives, dill, rosemary, thyme, tarragon, or basil.
- Oil: To roast the sweet potatoes, use a high-smoke-point oil, such as avocado oil, clarified butter, or ghee.
How to Make Roasted Sweet Potatoes
Step 1: Prepare the Pan
Line a large baking sheet with foil for easy cleanup, then drizzle with olive oil. Spread it into an even layer to prevent the sweet potatoes from sticking as they roast. The oil also helps them develop a golden, crispy exterior while keeping the inside soft and tender.
Pro Tip: The sweet potatoes can be roasted directly on the sheet pan. You’ll just have a little extra cleaning.
Step 2: Prepare the Potatoes
Wash and dry the potatoes to remove dirt from the surface. Cutting the sweet potatoes into cylindrical pieces is the easiest way to ensure they are cooked consistently and void of undesirable burnt edges. These potatoes contain more sugar than typical spuds, so preventing charring is critical.
Tips for Perfect Execution: As long as the thickness is the same from piece to piece, the diameter of the potato can range without much impact on the final taste and texture. A round shape, about ¾-inches thick, provides just the right ratio of creamy interiors to a beautiful golden crust.
Step 3: Toss with Seasonings
Toss the sweet potatoes with olive oil in a large bowl until they’re evenly coated. Sprinkle with salt, garlic powder, and black pepper, then stir to combine. This ensures every piece is seasoned for maximum flavor as they roast.
Step 4: Roast
Arrange the sweet potato slices in a single layer on the baking sheet and cover them with foil. Place the pan in the oven, turn the heat to 425ºF (218ºC), and roast for 30 minutes. This steams the sweet potatoes, releasing moisture from their cell walls as they cook. This process eliminates the need to parboil the sweet potatoes before roasting.
As the sweet potatoes steam, their starches convert to a mix of sugars like sucrose, fructose, glucose, and maltose. They will soften, but the texture will be underwhelming. It’s time for the last phase!
Remove the foil and roast for another 15 to 25 minutes until golden. Flip and roast for 10 to 15 minutes until both sides are crispy and browned. Exposing the slices to dry heat at the end of cooking raises the surface temperature, helping to enhance caramelization and flavor. Any sucrose present will begin to caramelize between 320 to 350ºF (160 to 177ºC) and form a wonderful crust.
Expert Tip: It’s essential to watch the potatoes as they are flipped. Beyond 350ºF (117ºC), sugars quickly turn a deep amber color to a blackened appearance with a burnt flavor.
Step 5: Cool the Potatoes
Let the roasted sweet potatoes cool on the sheet pan for 10 minutes. The caramelized sugars will slightly harden as they cool, making each bite a bit crisp.
Garnish with freshly chopped thyme for a pop of color and flavor. I like to serve roasted sweet potatoes warm with roast turkey or chicken and sauteed green beans.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! Sweet potatoes have a relatively thin outer skin, which can be eaten when roasted. However, caramelization will not occur around the entire potato with the skin left on. For the best eating experience, peel the sweet potatoes when roasting smaller pieces. I prefer to leave the skin on when making whole-baked sweet potatoes.
The key to enhancing the sweetness of sweet potatoes is starting them in a cold oven. This gradual temperature rise allows starches to convert to sugars between 135 and 175ºF (57 to 79ºC). If the oven is preheated, the starches won’t have enough time to transform, resulting in less sweetness. Slowly raising the temperature will get you soft, honeyed sweet potatoes. After about 30 minutes of roasting at 425 degrees, the potatoes reach this point and develop a rich, sweet and savory flavor.
To roast sweet potatoes, arrange the slices in a single layer on a baking sheet and tightly cover with foil. Place the tray in a cold oven and set the temperature to 425ºF (218ºC). Roast for 30 minutes, then remove the foil. Continue roasting for 15 to 25 minutes until golden brown. Flip the slices, and roast another 10 to 15 minutes until both sides are crispy and golden.
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If you tried this Oven Roasted Sweet Potatoes Recipe, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below!
Oven Roasted Sweet Potatoes
Ingredients
- 3 pounds sweet potatoes
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon chopped thyme
Instructions
- Prepare the Pan – Line a large baking sheet with foil. Grease with olive oil, spreading into an even layer to prevent sticking.
- Prepare the Potatoes – Wash and peel the sweet potatoes, trim off the ends, and cut them into ¾" thick rounds.
- Toss with Seasonings – In a large bowl, evenly coat the sweet potatoes with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt, garlic powder, and black pepper, and stir to combine.
- Roast – Add the slices to the baking sheet in a single layer, then tightly cover with foil. Set the oven rack to the center position. Place the tray inside and heat to 425ºF (218ºC). Roast for 30 minutes, then carefully remove the top layer of foil and discard.Continue to roast until the pieces turn golden brown, about 15 to 25 minutes. Remove the tray from the oven and carefully flip the potatoes. Finish roasting until the top and bottoms are golden brown, about 10 to 15 minutes.
- Cool the Potatoes – Cool for 10 minutes on the sheet pan before transferring them to a serving platter. Garnish with chopped thyme and serve warm.
Notes
- Storing: Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 7 days or freeze for 1 month.
- Recipe adapted from America’s Test Kitchen.
Nutrition Facts
Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000-calorie diet. All nutritional information is based on estimated third-party calculations. Each recipe and nutritional value will vary depending on the brands you use, measuring methods, and portion sizes per household.
Catherine P Snow says
Best sweet potato recipe I’ve ever made!
angela norell says
This is genius, Jessica!!
Jessica Gavin says
Thank you, Angela!
Jennifer Maines says
I loved the texture, but 15 minutes was way too long in the dry heat. The sweet potatoes were already starting to brown after 30 minutes under the foil and burned in less than 5 minutes after the foil came off. Didn’t need to flip them. I would suggest turning the oven off after removing the foil and watching carefully for 3-5 minutes.
Jessica Gavin says
I appreciate your feedback, Jennifer! Great suggestions for the last few minutes of roasting.
Diana Unterborn says
I love this recipe. I have tried many different ways of cooking sweet potatoes. I haven’t liked them very much.
I came across this and tried it , even my picky- no healthy food- 18 yr old likes them.
This is In My aresenal of foods I will continuously cook.
Thank you for this recipe
Jessica Gavin says
Whoo-hoo! I’m thrilled to hear that your family is enjoying the oven roasted sweet potatoes recipe!
Antoinette N Pearre says
they look great I love sweet potatoes
Jessica Gavin says
Let me know if you give it a try!