When you want sweet potatoes and you want them fast, this is how to do it!
Not only is this method quick, but it produces perfectly tender sweet potatoes with a slightly caramelized edge — as if you had roasted them in the oven. Swoon!
Plus, this version requires only 1 pan, 2 ingredients, and 8 minutes to prepare (because who has time for roasting some days?). Let’s do this!
It starts with slicing the sweet potato slightly less than 1/4 inch thick. The more even the slices, the more evenly they will cook.
Then add to a hot greased skillet (we prefer cast iron) and cover with a lid. Covering them allows the potatoes to soften from the steam, which accelerates the cooking process.
That’s the beauty of this method: They’re steaming and browning at the same time!
Once golden brown on the underside, flip and repeat until they are fork tender and browned on both sides. It’s really that simple.
We hope you LOVE these sweet potatoes! They’re:
Quick & easy
Tender
Flavorful
Satisfying
Versatile
& Incredibly delicious
These sweet potatoes are delicious on their own, as a side dish drizzled with tahini and parsley, or in a breakfast bowl (recipe coming soon!).
Love Sweet Potatoes? Try Our:
- Sweet Potato Casserole Boats (1 Pan!)
- Curried Sweet Potato & Chickpeas
- 2-Ingredient Sweet Potato Hash Browns
- How to Roast a Sweet Potato
- Sweet Potato Black Bean Enchiladas
If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo #minimalistbaker on Instagram. Cheers, friends!
8-Minute Sweet Potatoes
Ingredients
- 1 large organic sweet potato or garnet yam
- 2 tsp avocado oil
- 1 pinch sea salt (optional)
FOR SERVING optional
- Tahini
- Parsley
Instructions
- Slice sweet potatoes slightly less than 1/4 inch thick and leave the skin on.
- Heat a large skillet (we prefer cast iron) over medium-high heat. Once hot, reduce heat to medium and add oil to pan. Swirl to coat.
- Add sweet potatoes in an even layer, sprinkle with salt (optional), and cover. Cook for about 3-4 minutes or until the underside is golden brown. Then flip and cover again. Reduce heat slightly if cooking too quickly. Cook for about 3 minutes, or until the sweet potatoes are golden brown on both sides and fork tender.
- Enjoy as is! We love these as part of breakfast bowls, with hummus, or just drizzled with tahini!
- Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator up to 2-3 days. Not freezer friendly. Reheat on the stovetop over medium heat for best results.
Rose says
Thanks so much for this delicious recipe! I was looking for new ways to eat sweet potatoes since I need to up my potassium intake. I googled “cheap, easy sweet potatoe recipe,” and this was the first (maybe only) one that looked cheap and easy. It was, and it also turned out to be delicious. I used siracha mayo as the sauce since that’s what I had, but they really don’t even need a sauce. My vegetable-averse partner also enjoyed
We’re so glad you both enjoyed this recipe. Thank you for sharing! xoxo
Carolena says
I had prepared this method previously & Love!!!
Had never drizzled with Tahini !!!
Love em both Sweetie Potatos & Tahini !!!
It’s one of our favorite combinations!
Carolena says
Love Love Love !!!
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Carolena! Thanks so much for sharing! xo
Emma says
I’ve done them in the toaster oven after brushing the tops and sides with a little avocado oil. Works great.
Jewel Shalom says
To support a friend who has harvested his first batch of organic vegetables including sweet potatoes, I bought his produce and was wondering how shall I prepare these lovely sweet potatoes today. As Asians, we always cook sweet potatoes, but it’s the 1st time I am using a cast iron pan to prepare it this way. I don’t have tahini dressing, so I paired it with butter and maple syrup, like a Japanese dessert. Turned out to be sweet and salty and simply delicious! Thank you for your amazing clever idea!
We’re so glad you enjoyed this method! Thanks so much for sharing, Jewel! xo
Carmen Dahlen says
Awesome and delicious hack for when you’re impatient (lol) or you don’t have much time!! Thx for much for sharing and for the tahini recommendation, I eat both all the time and wish I had thought to combine the two sooner. So good!
Agreed! We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Carmen. Thanks for sharing =)
Jen says
My family loved this. I used the purple sweet potatoes. Will definitely make this again and again.
Yay! Thanks for sharing, Jen!
Rachel says
I’m not a huge fan of sweet potatoes but I loved these! It was easy to make. My only mistake was using too small of a pan so I had to make these in small batches would took too long. These were great with a tahini sauce.
We’re so glad you enjoyed this recipe, Rachel! Thanks so much for sharing!
L says
It tastes amazing, and this was my first time making sweet potatoes!! My only question is, can I cut them in a different shape? Will it affect the timing? E.g. cutting it vertically on the long side of the potato, so it looks like a long oval.
We’re so glad you enjoyed it! Yes, cutting differently will impact the cook time.
Emma says
I have cut them lengthwise. The only thing that’s important is that they are the same thickness. The thickness will impact the cooking time.
Sierra says
Fast and easy! Amazing flavor with minimal effort, also no oven required! I’ll be adding this to my summer favorites 🌞
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Sierra! Thanks so much for the lovely review!
Mandy says
Loved it and so did my kid! Fast and easy and delicious. It’s usually impossible to get crispy potatoes this quickly 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 Will do this one forever!
xoxo!
Jay Johnston says
This was amazing! I have done under the broiler. This turned out far better, carmelized and done in the middle but a little crisp. I am not a tahini fan, so I made a yogurt, maple syrup, horseradish dip.
Thanks so much for the lovely review, Jay. We are so glad you enjoyed it! Next time, would you mind leaving a rating with your review? It’s super helpful for us and other readers. Thanks so much! Xo
Jay Johnston says
ok
Thanks Jay!
el says
I love sweet potatoes but I hate how long it takes to roast them. This recipe, however, makes cooking them easy and fast. I put them on top of my salad bowl. So delicious and easy!! Thanks MB :)
Whoop! We’re so glad you enjoy it! Thanks for sharing!
Val says
Perfect! Covering them while cooking absolutely makes the difference. I tried them just plain at first, but definitely needs a little something to jazz them up. (I used yogurt as I didn’t have tahini.)
Cooking Girl says
Made using canola oil and they were so delicious!!! I loved how simple and quick they were, since potatoes usually take a lot longer to cook. I can’t wait to make some more
We’re so glad you enjoyed this recipe! Thank so much for the lovely review!
Teresa says
Love this recipe. So quick and easy!
Claire says
What a brilliantly easy and delicious method of cooking sweet potatoes! When I’m too lazy to roast or it’s too hot to turn on the oven, this will be my go-to. I used canola oil instead of avocado, and they were delicious. Topped with your Liquid Gold Sauce recipe in a quinoa tofu bowl. YUM!
Eden says
I made these for the second time tonight, and they are delicious-even cold as leftovers right from the fridge.
I just used this method on some lotus root tonight, and it turned out great.
I’m wondering if you have or would consider doing a recipe using lotus root? I’ve recently started using it in stir fry’s and baked as “chips”, but would love to see what you could come up with!
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Eden! We haven’t experimented with lotus root as it can be a challenging to find. But we will add it to our ideas list.
dssdf says
:)
Gigi says
Made these last night, so easy and delicious! The only issue I had was the there was a lot of smoke coming from the pan even when I covered it. I didn’t have any avocado oil so I used olive oil instead, could that be the reason?
Hi Gigi, yes, that could definitely be the issue as olive oil has a lower smoke point. Next time, you may want to try reducing the temperature or using avocado oil. Hope that helps!
Dana says
These are delicious and so easy to cook! Cooking my second batch now!
Thanks for sharing!
Pia says
Just made them, a absolutely fantastic! So easy and tasty.
Used a little bit of sesame oil, and put some feta cheese on as a topping! Super yummy!
Mr Tino says
Thanks your sharing, I will learning step by step then do it on tomorow :(
Myra says
Tried this recipe in my Ninja Foodi with the grill setting. Done in 6 minutes without needing to turn thanks to the convection feature! Crisp edges and evenly browned and tender.
Amazing. Delicious. And so nutritious.
Wonderful! Thanks, Myra!
Paige Cassandra Flamm says
These look so good! I totally need to make these for lunch tomorrow!
Noelia says
I made these yesterday, they turned out tender, the avocado oil is excellent here, easy on the digestion, and I topped them with tahini and chopped fresh parsley. Love, love these tasty and tender sweet potatoes! Thank you!
Great! Thanks for sharing, Noelia!
Kris says
Hello, love this recipe! Have been waiting to buy a cast iron pan but now I really want one! Any helpful hints when buying one? Brand?
Thanks for the help and great recipes, Kris
We like Lodge! They come seasoned and they’re incredibly durable and affordable.
Kris says
Thanks!
Val says
Lodge is the best. — plus made in the USA! I inherited some from my grandmother via my mom, and they’re still going strong.
Sam says
This recipe looks great. Do you think it would work with russet potatoes too?
Thanks
It should, yes!
Fran says
So easy and so delicious.
Thanks, Fran!
Naomi says
Can I get a similar result if I don’t use the oil?
We haven’t tried it but yes I think so. I’m wondering if in your case steaming your potatoes might be best? Follow this method instead if it doesn’t work out.