These roasted sweet potatoes are halved lengthwise and roasted cut side down at 400°F so the natural sugars caramelize on the cut surface to create the perfect texture. They cook in about half the time of a whole baked sweet potato.
I’ve been developing meal prep recipes for more than a decade, and sweet potatoes come up constantly because they’re cheap, they hold up well in the fridge, and they go with almost any protein. The reason I halve them lengthwise instead of baking them whole is simple: it cuts the oven time roughly in half, and the flat cut side presses against the hot pan so the natural sugars caramelize and create a rich, deep flavor. Simply oil, salt and pepper on both the cut side, and the skin is all that you need. Thirty minutes at 400°F for a medium potato, and they come out fork tender with a browned, sticky sweet cut surface.
Why to Slice Your Sweet Potatoes in Half
- Half the Cooking Time: You need half the time and two ingredients to make the perfect roasted sweet potatoes.
- Versatile: This side dish will pair well with nearly any main dish.
- Budget Friendly: This sweet potato recipe only requires a couple pantry staples to help keep your dinner menu budget-friendly.
What you Need (and what each thing does)
- Sweet Potatoes: make sure you choose similarly sized potatoes for consistent cooking.
- Avocado Oil: olive oil will also work well for this recipe. This helps to ensure it browns instead of drying out. You want to be sure it’s well coated on both sides so the cut side caramelizes and the skin size crisps.
- Salt and Pepper: season both sides since the skin is edible.
How to Roast Sweet Potatoes
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Meanwhile, slice the sweet potato lengthwise and drizzle the cut side with oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Next, you will place the sweet potato cut side down on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. The parchment paper is important because as the potato caramelizes it gets sticky and will definitely stick to your pan.
- Now, rub the skin side of the potatoes with oil until they’re completely covered. Then sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Roast for about 30 minutes for a medium size sweet potato. They’re ready once fork tender and caramelized.
How Long to Roast Sweet Potatoes by size
Below I’ve shared the approximate roasting times for sweet potatoes based on my testing.
- Small sweet potatoes: 22-25 minutes
- Medium sweet potatoes: 30-34 minutes
- Large sweet potatoes: 40-44 minutes
- Extra large sweet potatoes: 45-55 minutes
Storage and Reheating
- Storage: To store this roasted sweet potato recipe in the fridge, allow them to cool completely then wrap in parchment paper or aluminum foil, then plastic wrap, and place in an airtight container. Store baked sweet potatoes in the fridge for up to 5 days
- Freezer: allow to cool completely then wrap in parchment paper or aluminum foil, followed by plastic wrap. Then place in an airtight container. You can store this recipe in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- Reheating: If frozen, unwrap sweet potatoes and arrange in a baking dish. Cover them with foil and bake at 425°F for 40 minutes. Then remove the foil and bake for another 15-20 minutes until potatoes are heated through. If you have already allowed them to thaw, arrange on baking sheet. Bake at 425°F for 15-20 minutes, until warmed through.
- Microwave: 1-2 minutes for one half, but you will likely lose the caramelized edges.
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Roasted Sweet Potatoes Recipe
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Servings 4
Calories 172kcal
Ingredients
- 4 medium size sweet potatoes
- 2-3 tablespoons olive oil or avocado oil
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- Slice the sweet potato lengthwise and drizzle the cut side with oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Place the sweet potato cut side down on a parchment paper lined baking sheet.
- Rub the skin side of the potatoes with oil so it is completely covered. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Roast 30 minutes for a medium size potato. Potatoes are ready when they are fork tender and caramelized.
Video
Notes
Approximate cooking times:
Small sweet potatoes: 22-25 minutes
Medium sweet potatoes: 30-34 minutes
Large sweet potatoes: 40-44 minutes
Extra large sweet potatoes: 45-55 minutes
Nutrition
Serving: 1/4 of recipe | Calories: 172kcal | Carbohydrates: 26.2g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 7.1g | Cholesterol: 0mg | Sodium: 71mg | Fiber: 3.9g | Sugar: 5.4g