5 tips on how to bake the perfect sweet potato. It is easy to bake the perfect sweet potato by using these quick and essential tips. You will never have a badly baked sweet potato again.
Over the years of eating out at restaurants, friends’ homes and even making my own sweet potato recipes, I have discovered that there is such a thing as a badly baked potato.
After trial and errors (emphasis on errors), I have developed 5 tips that are essential in getting the perfect baked sweet potato. After the tips, scroll down to some of the FAQs I have received over the years about this post. If you have more questions, feel free to ask in the comment section.
If you live in Florida, you will be familiar with the small chain restaurant called, “Sweet Tomatoes“. They are definitely one of my favorite places to visit for a good meal.
(Yes, their name might have something to do with my love for this restaurant)
My favorite way to eat this baked sweet potato is to add sour cream, finely chopped red onions, salt and pepper with just a little bit of butter. I mix it all up and devour it!
They are the only restaurant I have visited that know how to bake a potato. That includes the sweet potato and the russet potato. If I am ever fortunate enough to go get an invite into their kitchen, I am sure I would see them employ these 5 tips on baking the perfect potato.
So, How do you bake a sweet potato?
Choosing the right sweet potato
Baking sweet potato is an art! Before you start using my 5 tips, you need to find the right sweet potato. No sweet potato will be perfect if you choose the wrong shaped sweet potato.
Here are a few things to look for in your sweet potato
1) Make sure its a long sweet potato
Sweet potatoes come in many shapes and sizes. There are long ones, small ones, fat ones, skinny ones and thick ones. It’s hard to decide which one to choose.
If you are going to be loading a baked sweet potato, it HAS TO BE LONG. This way you will be able to load the ingredients evenly and make it look like its really loaded!
There is nothing wrong with the short, stubby sweet potato. It is perfect in a sweet potato curry or even mashing them. But, to load them or to use the pulp, the long one is sweeter and “meatier”
2. Avoid those with “rot”
Some parts of the sweet potato can dry up and start rotting. Use them in curries or soups (cut out the bad part first).
But, don’t use them in a baked sweet potato recipe!
3) Look for symmetrical sweet potatoes
A sweet potato with symmetry is going to bake evenly and have an even flavor. You won’t get parts of the sweet potato that are dry while other parts are watery.
Draw an imaginary line from the top of the sweet potato to the bottom and right in the middle. Then, check to see that there is an almost equal amount of potato on both sides.
Check out these two cuties! They have amazing symmetry! Talk about the perfect sweet potato!
5 Tips For Baking The Perfect Sweet Potato
Tip #1: WASH, WASH, WASH! Then wash some more
Nothing ruins a good sweet potato casserole or sweet potato pie like dirt! Yes, I have actually experienced that. I was invited to a Thanksgiving dinner at a friends house a few years ago and they made mashed sweet potato pie. The cook washed the potato quickly and microwaved it.
The result was a gritty and dirty potato pie.
So, I use the fingers that humans are lucky to have and get into that sweet potato. I clean every nook and cranny and even use a vegetable brush to get through it all. Once it is clean, I dry it using a paper napkin and let it sit for about 10 minutes. I want to make sure that there is no water left on the skin
Tip #2: Poke Holes Into The Potato
Poking holes works! The end.
I have had potatoes where no holes were poked. They turned out to be too mushy and almost inedible, while the outside remained dry and uncooked.
So, I poke holes in my potato with a fork and avoid that problem. The holes are not deep, just superficial enough to allow an escape route for the steam
Tip #3: Lightly Oil The Outside Of The Sweet Potato
I cannot stress the importance of these tip. When I oil the outside of the potato, the skin doesn’t become a dry and crinkled mess. The skin remains smooth and easy to peel once the sweet potato is baked. It sounds strange, I know, but I don’t like my sweet potato to look like a giant shriveled raisin when it is done baking.
Tip #4: Cover Up With Sweet Potato’s Best Friend
There are 2 types of people in this world. Those who wrap the sweet potato and those that don’t!
Of the 5 tips, this one is the most controversial one. Those who think that it shouldn’t be wrapped are against it because they want to let the steam escape out of the potato and never to come back. Personally, I prefer to keep the steam contained.
Now, I know what you are saying: “Rini, this tip completely contradicts tip #2!”
My (passive-aggressive?) answer: Yes and no….
When I wrap my sweet potato in foil, I wrap it loosely. So, some of the steam still escapes out of the ends of the foil. Most of the heat is contained within the sweet potato and it also cooks the outsides of the potato.
This bakes the potato from the inside and the outside. Therefore, you will notice that sweet potato is baked evenly.
When the potato is not wrapped, I find that the outside gets cooked more than the inside. Also, it gives my oven a lingering sweet potato aroma for days.
Tip #5: Leave It In The Oven
The last of the 5 tips is leaving the potato in the oven after you turn it off. Bake the potato in the oven at 400 degrees for 65 minutes. Depending on your oven, the bake temperature and time may vary. At about the 45 minute mark, I take a knife to it and see if it is easy to pierce the skin of the potato. If the knife goes through easily, then I turn off the oven and let the sweet potato sit in the rack.
I leave it in the oven for about 10 to 15 minutes and then remove it from the oven. Quick tip: Learn from my burn scares and don’t use your bare hands to remove it.
After removing it from the oven, I wait for it to be cool enough to touch. Then, I open it and split it lengthwise. Using a fork, I begin pulling the meat of the sweet potato away from the skin. Then, put the pulp into a bowl and season it. Discard the skin.
This particular sweet potato is going to be used for a sweet potato soup. Stay tuned.
March 2018 Update – FAQs about Baked Sweet Potatoes:
Over the years, I have been asked several questions about the baked sweet potatoes. Here are the answers to some of the FAQ about baking sweet potatoes:
Are baked sweet potatoes healthy?
Yes! sweet potatoes are healthy in general because they have a heavy dose of Vitamin A. According to Wikipedia, 100g of sweet potato has about 89% of the RDA. Baking the sweet potato brings out all its flavors and nutrition.
Can you eat the skin of a baked sweet potato?
Yes, the skin is edible after baking the sweet potato. However, some people don’t like the taste and tend to discard it. Personally, I am a fan of the skin, so, I keep it. If I use the pulp, then, I will make appetizers from the skin.
Can you bake a sweet potato in the microwave?
This is a tough question to answer for me. From what I have read, its not a good idea to microwave a sweet potato. The waves tend to zap away some of the nutrition. What I will say is that I find that a microwaved sweet potato tends to be unevenly cooked. In fact, I have found that some parts of the sweet potato are burnt and some areas are under cooked. It also looses some of its wonderful luster in the microwave. For me, the oven is the best place to roast a sweet potato.
Do baked sweet potatoes need to be refrigerated?
This is the most common question I get asked. The answer is Yes! But, it also depends on when you want to eat it. If you are eating it within hours of baking it, then, you can get away with not refrigerating it. If you are going to use it up the next day or a week after baking it, then, it definitely needs to be in the refrigerator. You can also put it in the freezer. Wrap it in foil and place it in a ziploc bag. Put the baking date on it and refrigerate. I try to use it up within a month of baking it.
What’s the perfect temperature for baking a sweet potato?
I have always baked a sweet potato at 400°. However, some people have found that they might have to bake it longer at that temperature. You can choose 425° and bake for 55 minutes.
You are recommending the use of Aluminum foil. Aren’t you aware of the link with Alzheimer’s?
I have read studies where that theory is disputed and I have seen studies where that theory is proved. The bottom line is that there is no firm study that prove the link.
If you are making these sweet potatoes everyday, then maybe using an aluminum foil might be problematic. Using aluminum foil once in a while is ok.
I like using foil because it circulates the heat evenly. At the end of the day, you have to do what you think is right for you. No judgements here!
So, now you know my 5 tips for baking a sweet potato. What is/are your tip(s) for a perfect oven baked sweet potato recipe?
Video for baking the perfect sweet potato
Thank you to Berly’s Kitchen for the assist in making this video! She does an amazing job, doesn’t she?
5 Tips For Baking The Perfect Sweet Potato
Ingredients
- 1 Sweet potato
- 2 tsp Extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees
- Wash the sweet potato thoroughly. Use a vegetable brush if you have to
- Dry it completely
- Poke holes in the potato using a fork. I poke the potato in about 5 different locations
- Lightly oil the sweet potato
- Using aluminum foil, wrap the potato. Don't wrap it too tightly.
- Bake for 65 minutes. Turn off the oven and leave the potato in the oven.
- Remove from the oven and allow it to cool
- Open the foil and split the sweet potato lengthwise.
- Using a fork, pull the pulp away from the skin and place the pulp in a bowl
- You can discard the skin or use it in a loaded sweet potato recipe
Theron Millar says
The “Tips” say to cook at 400 degrees for 65 minutes. The printable recipe says to cook at 425 degrees for 65 minutes. Which is correct? Thanks!
Healing Tomato says
Thank you, Theron. I have tried it at both temperatures and it turns out great either way. Also, since people’s oven temperatures vary, I am giving the option to either bake at 400 or 425. It will bake perfectly at either temperature.
D.C. says
I am also concerned about aluminum, especially after having a father who died of alzheimers. However, I don’t think there is a lot of danger using foil as a wrap — vs. actually cooking in aluminum cookware. I think that’s where the problem would arise, if there is a problem. I don’t want to take that chance………but I will use foil as an occasional baking wrap for potatoes.
Amy Williams says
So glad I found this again. I lost my copy of your recipe. I printed off three copies, so hopefully I don’t lose it. This recipe turns out so well. I use this cooking method to cook sweet potatoes for my sweet potato casserole, a Thanksgiving tradition. Thank you!!
Healing Tomato says
Thank you, Amy! Yay! I am so glad. It always makes me happy to hear that. Hope you had a great Thanksgiving.
Otto says
Roast leg of pork with peas and your sweet potato recipe is a hit in our household. Thank you so much.
Healing Tomato says
Thank you so much, Otto! You make me so happy.
AEJ says
Turned out very nice and moist!
Cathy Springfield says
I just made one and boy was it good! Now that I know how, I’m going to do more as Roseanne did for her senior dog for my two seniors! Thanks Roseanne for the reminder!
Kendall says
Sorry, you lost me after that “throw the skin away” part. I was hoping you’d say something like “these tips will give you a sublime eating g skin”.🤔
Roseanne says
I roasted 6 of them in a roasting pan and oiled them as suggested. Threw foil on top and put them in on convection bake at 400. Took a bit longer than 45 minutes. Needed another 30 min but they turned out great. Actually baking them for my senior dog to add in her food.
Healing Tomato says
Thank you, Roseanne.
Lisa Love says
Thank you sooo much for your tips. They answered all my questions. Have a great day 👍🏻
Healing Tomato says
Thank you, Lisa. 🙂
Sonya says
I hunted down your recipe again as I made it late last year. I have no idea what to do when it comes to roasting fresh vegetables but this recipe is so easy and simple to understand now I can cook the best sweet poatotes. Quiet annnoyed at the people leaving you negative reviews they obviously just haven’t followed he reviews properly as mine came out perfect and that’s with myself juggling a clingy 4 month old baby and I could still manage to get it right. Love love
Healing Tomato says
Aww, Thank you so much Sonya. You made my day! 🙂
Gini says
Love your recipe! Been cooking sweet potatoes like this for years. Once done love to add butter, brown sugar and cinnamon. So yummy.. try it for yourself.
Healing Tomato says
Thank you, Gini. I am drooling at the thought of butter and cinnamon on the sweet potato. It sounds so delicious.