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These must-try sweet potato recipes are the best ways to use this delicious root vegetable! They’ll have everyone coming back for more.
When it comes to root vegetables, there’s nothing more versatile than the mighty sweet potato. This tasty tuber can be used in infinite ways, from side dish to dinner to even dessert! As cookbook authors, this is one of our top ingredients to use in dishes. There’s so much more to this potato than the Thanksgiving casserole. Try it as fries, mashed, chili, stuffed, loaded: the sweet savory combo always hits the spot. Here are all our most popular sweet potato recipes for using this orange veggie! (Or, head to our top 20 Vegan Sweet Potato Recipes.)
And now…the top must-try sweet potato recipes!
Sweet Potato Wedges
The top must-make sweet potato recipe: Sweet Potato Wedges! You won't be able to resist these perfectly seasoned wedges, slightly crisp on the outside and tender on the inside. You can serve them as a healthy side dish, or even better: load them withchilifor a tasty dinner.
Roasted Sweet Potatoes
How to make the best roasted sweet potatoes? Dice them up, season with a little garlic powder and salt, and roast on high heat. They come out tender and caramelized, the perfect sweet morsels.
Also try: Boiled Sweet Potatoes
Baked Sweet Potato
There's nothing better than a baked 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! Thisrecipe makes spuds that are perfectly tender with delicious moist orange flesh.
Also try: Quick Baked Sweet Potato
Sweet Potato Fries
Hello, fry lovers. Meet your new favorite fries: theBest Ever Sweet Potato Fries! These really are phenomenal: they're crispy on the outside, tender on the outside, with the best sweet and salty flavor. And they're baked, not fried! Welcome to your new go-to.
Sweet Potato Black Bean Enchiladas
Here's a fan favorite sweet potato recipe: Sweet Potato Enchiladas! This gooey, cheesy, savory-sweet pan of baked goodness will have everyone coming back for more. Black beans and sweet potatoes pair perfectly with tangy salsa verde and savory Colby cheese.
Sweet Potato Salad
A healthy and delicious way to eat sweet potatoes? Try thisSweet Potato Salad! The contrast of garlic roasted sweet potato cubes, feathery baby arugula, cranberries and creamy goat cheese hit it out of the park. Top it with tangyhoney mustard dressingand well, you’ll want to park yourself in front of the bowl.
Sweet Potato Curry
Tender sweet potatoes and bell peppers swim in a luscious broth of coconut milk and Thai curry paste, topped with fresh cilantro and crunchy peanuts. There’s so much flavor going on, you’ll want to take another bite before you’re finished savoring the first. Welcome to: your easy weeknight dinner soulmate: sweet potato curry.
Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
The best way to make a sweet potato recipe into dinner? Stuffed sweet potatoes! These spuds are the perfect blend of sweet and savory. Black beans are the perfect complement to the light sweetness of the potato, and topped withcreamy cilantro sauce, it’s a little bit of heaven.
Also try: Mexican Sweet Potatoes
What's better than mashed potatoes? These healthy mashed sweet potatoes are comfort food to the max. They're deliciously fluffy, with a flavor nuance from garlic and chives. We dare you not to take another bite!
Sweet Potato Pancakes
These sweet potato pancakes are so fluffy, moist and cinnamon-scented, they immediately moved to the top of our favorites list. They turn into the most delicious, fluffy breakfast treat: incredibly moist and packed with cozy flavors. Get ready to fall in love with this easy and satisfyingbreakfast idea!
Sweet Potato Muffins
What about turning this bright orange root vegetable into a baked good? Try theseSweet Potato Muffins! Adding mashed sweet potato to baked goods makes them deliciously moist. These tall, fluffy muffins are perfectly cinnamon spiced and the ideal side dish, breakfast or snack.
Steamed Sweet Potatoes
Here’s a way to cook everyone’s favorite root vegetable that might surprise you:Steamed Sweet Potatoes! This easy method is fast and easy, and it results in the most deliciously moist and tender flesh. Don’t get us wrong: we love the oven for vegetables, like theseBaked Sweet Potatoes. But steaming this orange vegetable makes it so moist, it might become your new best method.
Sweet Potato Soup
Oh hello, luscious and velvetySweet Potato Soup! This root vegetable is makes the best sweet and creamy puree. Accentuate it with a healthy dose of smoked paprika and the flavor is earthy, subtly smoky and absolutely irresistible. This healthy soup will please just about anyone: even avowed sweet potato haters!
Microwave Sweet Potato
Want to cook a sweet potato…fast? Try thisMicrowave Sweet Potatorecipe! It’s actually easy to screw this up. Microwave the potato too long and it comes out dried up and shriveled. So we’ve tested every variable to hone this microwave sweet potato method! Here are the tricks to how to cook a tender and moist sweet potato every time.
Sweet Potato Bread
Here’s a quick bread is a sweet potato recipe that's begging to be part of your baking repertoire:Sweet Potato Bread! This alterative to pumpkin bread is even more fun than the classic, we think. Why? It’s incredibly moist and sweetly spiced, with cinnamon and a beautiful nuance from the sweet potato. This recipe makes a tall, fluffy loaf that looks impressive.
Best Sweet Potato Chili
Here's a delicious sweet potato recipe that makes them into a meal: sweet potato chili! It’s healthy and veggie loaded, with all those nutrients from this healthy orange potato. And it's seriously hearty and satisfying, with complexity from a few flavor tricks.
Loaded Sweet Potato Bites
Here's a sweet potato recipe that's been a fan favorite for years. These little "toasts" are spiced with cumin and chili powder, then loaded with cheese, sour cream and hot sauce. The flavor loaded into one bite is unreal!
Mexican Sweet Potatoes
These Mexican sweet potatoes are the perfect blend of sweet and savory. The spicyblack bean salsa is the perfect complement to the light sweetness of the potato, and topped withcreamy cilantro sauce, it’s a little bit of heaven.
Sweet Potato Puree
Here’s a creamy side dish that’s perfect on any plate:Sweet Potato Puree! This lusciously creamy puree is light and sweet: ideal for serving with a savory protein like roast chicken or seared fish. It tastes restaurant style: especially when you serve the protein perched on top! Serve it at fall meals and it will be the talk of the table: we promise!
Sweet Potato Brownies
They’re fudgy, chewy, chocolaty, and an unexpected way to use this root vegetable. Try theseSweet Potato Brownies! Sweet potato makes the best chewy texture and loads them with nutrients. But most importantly: they’reirresistibly delicious, with a rich nuance in flavor that makes them taste loads better than a standard brownie.
Sweet Potato Hash Browns
Here's a delicious way to make a sweet potato recipe: grate it into hash browns! These sweet potato hash browns couldn't be easier: great, throw them on a sheet pan, and bake until crispy. Breakfast just got tastier.
Photo Credit:britneybreaksbread.com
Sweet Potato Casserole
Of course, there's always the classic sweet potato casserole as a way to use this potato! This one is a traditional sweet potato casserole with a splash of bourbon and topped with a crunchy pecan streusel full of brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. via Britney Breaks Bread
Grilled Sweet Potatoes
Is it grilling season? Then you absolutely must try thesegrilled sweet potatoes! Crisp on the outside and tender on the inside, they’ve got a little smoky char to the flavor and are absolutely delicious.
Photo Credit:grandbaby-cakes.com
Sweet Potato Pie
What's more classic of a recipe than sweet potato pie? This one is filled with tender baked sweet potato and baking spices in a flaky buttery crust. This is the South’s favorite pie, and it is absolutely perfect to top off a meal. via Grandbaby Cakes
Sheet Pan Sweet Potato Tacos
Here’s a great sweet potato recipe for any season: Sweet Potato Black Bean Tacos! Throw almost any seasonal veggies onto a sheet pan, season them up, and they work as a delicious taco filling! The best part: you can add the black beans right on the roasting pan. It comes out zingy and delicious: top with pico de gallo, cheese crumbles, and a dollop of sour cream.
Sweet Potatoes with Thai Peanut Butter Sauce
Imagine a perfectlybaked sweet potato, topped with a fresh, crunchy Thai-style pepper and cabbage slaw and a creamy peanut sauce. We’ve heard from many readers that this one is a family favorite! If you have an Instant Pot, try this with ourInstant Pot Sweet Potatoes. (If not, use the Quick Baked Sweet Potato method above.)
Moroccan Sweet Potato Stew
A go-to sweet potato recipe? This Moroccan Sweet Potato Stew! It’s ultra flavorful, with a blend of warm spices: coriander, cumin, turmeric, ginger, and cinnamon. And it’s full of nutrient rich vegetables: sweet potatoes, chickpeas, tomatoes and spinach. Serve it with quinoa for a delicious dinner.
Loaded Sweet Potato Fries
These Mexican fries are simply roasted sweet potatoes topped with black beans, salsa, and a Mexican style vegan crema made out of tahini and lime (Yor use traditionalMexican Crema.) The sweet, gooey potatoesagainst the zesty topping are incredibly satisfying.
Photo Credit:britneybreaksbread.com
Sweet Potato Cornbread
Try baking sweet potatoes with this sweet potato cornbread recipe! It's a moist, delicious mix between golden buttery cornbread and creamy sweet potato pie. Ready in less than an hour, this cornbread is super easy to make as the perfect side for a dinner party or a casual weeknight meal. via Britney Breaks Bread
Photo Credit:grandbaby-cakes.com
Southern Candied Sweet Potatoes Recipe
Candied sweet potatoes are a Southern classic! The potatoes are cooked until tender and soft in a buttery and sweet glaze filled with spices, making them silky smooth and irresistible. via Grandbaby Cakes
Baked Sweet Potato with Moroccan Lentils
Here's a delicious, nutritious dinner recipe! The sweet potatoes are baked until moist and tender, then layered with lentils that are seasoned with Moroccan flavors: cumin seeds, cinnamon paprika and harissa, and veggies. To top it all off: a creamy lemontahini saucebrings it all together.
Buying sweet potatoes
What to look for when you head to the store for these sweet potato recipes? Here are a few pointers on purchasing these spuds:
- Size: Small to medium sweet potatoes are easiest to work with: they’re easier to cut and take less time to bake (if baked whole).
- Skin: Look for skin that has no bruises or cracks.
- Type: There are many types of sweet potatoes: some have orange flesh and some have white flesh. The two main types of orange flesh potatoes you’ll find at the store are Jewel, which has a light brown-orange skin and Red Garnet, which has red skin and is slightly thinner. We like Jewel sweet potatoes (pictured below), but these recipes work with any type of orange-fleshed potato. Do not use white flesh potatoes for the recipes above, because they cook differently.
Yams vs. sweet potatoes: the difference
What’s the difference between a yam and a sweet potato? Yams are native to Africa and Asia. Compared to sweet potatoes, they’re starchier and drier and have very tough skin. They’re carried in more grocery stores these days, but you’d probably find them in the international and specialty markets. Sometimes grocery stories in the US mislabel sweet potatoes as yams.
For the recipes above, pick from what your grocery labels as “sweet potato”. Make sure it’s an orange flesh sweet potato. Don’t forget about farmers markets: they’re a great place to find sweet potatoes as well!
A few more ideas
Didn’t see a recipe that works for you? Here are a few more ideas for using this tasty tuber:
- Try showy
- Grab a Sweet Potato Pizza with Brie
- Make Loaded Sweet Potato Skins
01
Sweet Potato Soup
02
Baked Sweet Potato Fries
03
Easy Sweet Potato Wedges
04
Perfect Microwave Sweet Potato
30 Top Sweet Potato Recipes
- Author: Sonja Overhiser
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
Description
These must-try sweet potato recipes are the best ways to use this delicious root vegetable! They’ll have everyone coming back for more.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 pounds sweet potatoes (about 4 medium)
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- Black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Dice the sweet potatoes into 3/4” cubes, leaving the skin on. In a large bowl, mix together the sweet potatoes with the olive oil, garlic powder, and kosher salt.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place the sweet potatoes on top in an even layer. Bake for about 25 minutes, until the cubes are tender and browned on the bottom (no need to stir!). Serve warm. Store leftovers refrigerated. Make ahead instructions: Make up to 3 days in advance and reheat in a 350 degree oven (or microwave or on the stovetop).
- Category: Side dish
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Keywords: Sweet potato recipes
vegan vegetarian gluten free
Published on / Last updated on
Categorized In:
- Recipe Collections
- Recipes
Tagged with:
- Dairy-Free
- Gluten-Free Recipes
- Plant-Based
- Roundup
- Vegan Recipes
- Vegetarian Recipes
About the authors
Sonja & Alex
Hi, we’re Alex and Sonja Overhiser, married cookbook authors, food bloggers, and recipe developers. We founded A Couple Cooks to share fresh, seasonal recipes for memorable kitchen moments! Our recipes are made by two real people and work every time.
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