Quick Baked Sweet Potato

Here’s how to make a perfectly baked sweet potato — fast! This trick cuts down the baking time: it’s a total game changer.

Hi there. We’re Alex and Sonja, and we’ve made just about every sweet potato recipe known to man. Yes, we’re obsessed with this healthy vegetable, making into everything from curries to stews to fries. Oddly enough, we’ve never shared our go-to, simple weeknight trick for the perfect quick baked sweet potato. This method lets you bake it less time than the standard: making it feasible for weeknight cooking.

The same method works for russet potatoes! Go to Quick Baked Potatoes.

How to make a baked sweet potato: a tutorial

Making a baked sweet potato is seriously simple: you don’t even really need a recipe. Of course, we’ve got one below. But follow these basic steps and you’ll be baking these up in your sleep. Now, want to hear our time saving secret? Cut the sweet potatoes in half before you bake them. Yes, this simple step seriously cuts down on baking time. Keep reading for more about it.

Step 1: Cut the sweet potatoes in half.

Yep, that’s our time saver to make this a quick baked potato recipe! But it does wonders. Depending on the size, a whole baked potato can take anywhere from 45 to 60 minutes. It can take even longer if you’ve got one of those massive sweet potatoes. But cut them in half, and it takes just 25 to 35 minutes. That’s an invaluable time savings for a weeknight!

Step 2: Rub with olive oil & sprinkle with salt.

Rub the sweet potatoes with olive oil (you can use your hands for this!). Then sprinkle them with kosher salt. Place them onto a parchment lined baking sheet. Using parchment paper makes for easy cleanup later.

Step 3: Bake at 450 degrees for 25 to 35 minutes.

The hard part is over! Now all you have to do is bake. Bake for about 25 to 35 minutes at 450 degrees until they’re tender when pricked with a fork. That’s it!

10 ways to serve a baked sweet potato

There are endless ways to serve a baked sweet potato, both as a vegetarian main dish or as a side. In our opinion, the best way to compliment the sweetness of the potato is with savory compliments. So, you won’t see any marshmallows or cinnamon here! Here are the best ways to serve a baked sweet potato:

1. Mexican-style. Make our Mexican sweet potatoes by topping with black bean salsa and creamy cilantro sauce.
2. Sour cream & fresh dill. They become a stellar side.
3. Thai-style. Add Thai peanut butter sauce and tangy pepper slaw.
4. Tahini sauce. Drizzle with lemon tahini sauce and sprinkle with fresh cilantro.
5. Broccoli cheese sauce. Make our broccoli cheese sauce and drizzle on top!
6. Lentils & goat cheese. Topping with lentils and goat cheese makes a stunning fall dinner.
7. Moroccan-style. Top with Moroccan lentils and tahini sauce.
8. Chipotle sauce. Add spicy chipotle sauce and black beans.
9. Chili. Make a batch of healthy chili or Instant Pot chili and use it for topping.
10. Chorizo eggs. Make the chorizo eggs from these 5 minute tacos and top with salsa.

Are sweet potatoes healthy?

Indeed they are! This vibrant orange tuber is rich in vitamins, potassium and fiber. The flesh of a medium baked sweet potato has only about 100 calories and enough vitamin A to meet your daily allowance. They’re also a rich source of beta carotene. According to the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health, sweet potatoes do have a high glycemic index, but they haven’t been found to be a cause of weight gain and diabetes. Bottom line: yes! Sweet potatoes are a great way to get lots of nutrients into your diet.

More sweet potato recipes

Yes, we’ve got a load more sweet potato recipes outside of baking them! Sweet potatoes are perfect in soups and stews, fries, hash browns, and more. Here are a few of our most popular ways to use them:

• Sweet Potato Wedges The best ever! Serve as a side or dinner topped with chili
• Stuffed Sweet Potatoes Make them into a meal topped with black beans and salsa!
• Roasted Sweet Potatoes Try classic, tender cubed potatoes!
• Crispy Sweet Potato Fries What’s tastier than sweet potato fries? Here’s our trick for getting them crispy in the oven…
• Sweet Potato Hash Browns These hash browns are easy to make and oven baked: perfect for brunch!
• Best Sweet Potato Chili Sweet potatoes add just the right sweetness to savory chili.

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Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

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Roasted Sweet Potatoes

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Easy Sweet Potato Wedges

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Baked Sweet Potato Fries

This baked sweet potato recipe is…

Vegetarian, gluten-free, vegan, plant-based, and dairy free.

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