Baked Sweet Potato

This oven baked sweet potato recipe comes out perfectly! Here’s how long to bake sweet potatoes until they’re moist and tender.

When it comes to dinnertime, there’s no root vegetable we love more than the sweet potato. It’s easy, deliciously tender, and easy to load with savory toppings to make into a meal. Of course, if you prefer sweet toppings that works too…or just a pat of butter! This baked sweet potato recipe makes spuds that are perfectly tender with delicious moist orange flesh, ideal as a side dish or stuffed with black beans as a healthy meal!

How long to bake sweet potatoes?

First, how long to bake sweet potatoes? There are two methods for the job: baking them whole, or baking them cut in half. Here is how long it takes for each method:

• It takes 40 to 60 minutes to bake whole sweet potatoes at 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Small potatoes take 40 minutes and large potatoes take 60 minutes or more.
• It takes 25 to 35 minutes to bake halved sweet potatoes at 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Small potatoes take 25 minutes and larger potatoes take about 35 minutes.

Most of the time, we use the quick method! The only difference is that the resulting potato looks a little more flat: but it’s just as delicious in almost half the time.

How to bake sweet potatoes in the oven (whole)

Here’s our master method for how to make a whole baked sweet potato in the oven! This is the method for whole potatoes (keep reading for our quick method). The tricks? Using very high heat gets the potatoes perfectly moist inside, and rubbing them with oil makes a crispy skin. Here’s what to do:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Using high heat makes a tender interior and a crispy skin.
• Prick them and rub with olive oil. Scrub the sweet potatoes and pierce them all over with a fork. Rub each potato with olive oil.
• Bake 40 minutes to 1 hour (or more), flipping once. Bake the potatoes for 20 minutes and flip with tongs. Bake additional 20 minutes and check for tenderness with a fork. The fork should easily pierce the potato to the center. If it’s not tender, continue cooking up to 20 minutes more, depending on size of the potato.

Avoid using very large potatoes

This recipe is best with medium to large sweet potatoes. The ideal size is around 1 pound per potato. Some sweet potatoes are very, very large and take a very long time to roast. We recommend using medium to large potatoes because they are quickest and easiest to eat. If you have a very large potato, you can use it but keep in mind it could take over 1 hour to bake.

Baked sweet potatoes: the quick method (halved)!

Don’t have 1 hour? Here’s a shortcut! To make a quick baked sweet potato, simply cut it in half before baking! Halving it makes it thinner, drastically reducing the cook time. Here’s how to make halved potatoes in half the time:

• Use high heat: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Slice the potatoes in half and season: Wash the potatoes and slice them in half, then place them on a parchment-lined sheet pan. Rub them with olive oil and sprinkle with kosher salt. Turn the potatoes cut side down and prick the tops several times with fork.
• Bake 25 to 35 minutes: Bake until tender and lightly browned on the edges, about 25 to 35 minutes.
• Mash with a fork: For serving, mash down the top of each half with a fork.

Ways to serve a baked sweet potato

There are so many ways to serve these delicious spuds! Oven baked sweet potatoes are great as a side dish topped with a pat of butter. However, we prefer them loaded up as a tasty main dish! Here are a few ideas on how to serve a baked sweet potato:

• Make a Loaded Sweet Potato with black beans, pico de gallo and mashed avocado
• Make a Chili Baked Sweet Potato and top with black bean chili
• Make Mexican Sweet Potatoes and top with black bean salsa and cilantro sauce or avocado sauce
• Make Thai-style Sweet Potatoes and add bell peppers and peanut sauce
• Make Broccoli Cheese Sweet Potatoes by adding broccoli and cheese sauce

More sweet potato recipes

The sweet potato is one of our favorite vegetables to incorporate into meals and side dishes! Here are a few of our top recipes:

• Try Sweet Potato Enchiladas or Sweet Potato Tacos
• Make a delicious Sweet Potato Salad
• Bake up fan-favorite Sweet Potato Wedges or Roasted Sweet Potatoes
• Make the Best Ever Sweet Potato Fries, Sweet Potato Curry or Sweet Potato Soup
• Use them in Best Sweet Potato Chili
• Opt for Stuffed Sweet Potatoes 

01

Sweet Potato Black Bean Enchiladas

02

Easy Sweet Potato Wedges

03

Baked Sweet Potato Fries

04

Roasted Sweet Potatoes

This recipe is…

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

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