8-Minute Sweet Potatoes

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Plate of sliced sweet potatoes drizzled with tahini and parsley

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!

Sliced sweet potato, avocado oil, and salt for making our easy sweet potatoes recipe

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.

Cooking sweet potato slices in a cast iron skillet

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.

Covering a pan of sweet potatoes to help them cook through fully

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:

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!

Plate of sliced sweet potatoes cooked on the stovetop

8-Minute Sweet Potatoes

Our go-to method for quick and easy sweet potatoes! Slicing thin and quickly sautéing while covered yields the perfect, tender sweet potato rounds! Just 2 ingredients, 1 pan, and 8 minutes required!
Author Minimalist Baker
Print
Spoonful of tahini resting on a plate of easy stovetop sweet potatoes
4.96 from 24 votes
Prep Time 1 minute
Cook Time 7 minutes
Total Time 8 minutes
Servings 2 (Servings)
Course Side Dish
Cuisine Gluten-Free, Vegan
Freezer Friendly No
Does it keep? 2-3 Days

Ingredients

  • 1 large organic sweet potato or garnet yam
  • 2 tsp avocado oil
  • 1 pinch sea salt (optional)

FOR SERVING optional

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.

Video

Notes

*Nutrition information is a rough estimate calculated without optional ingredients.

Nutrition (1 of 2 servings)

Serving: 1 servings Calories: 106 Carbohydrates: 15.3 g Protein: 1.2 g Fat: 4.6 g Saturated Fat: 0.5 g Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.62 g Monounsaturated Fat: 3.21 g Trans Fat: 0 g Cholesterol: 0 mg Sodium: 42 mg Potassium: 256 mg Fiber: 2.3 g Sugar: 3.2 g Vitamin A: 10792 IU Vitamin C: 1.82 mg Calcium: 22.8 mg Iron: 0.46 mg

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  1. 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

  2. Carolena says

    I had prepared this method previously & Love!!!
    Had never drizzled with Tahini !!!
    Love em both Sweetie Potatos & Tahini !!!

  3. Emma says

    I’ve done them in the toaster oven after brushing the tops and sides with a little avocado oil. Works great.

  4. 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!

  5. 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!

  6. 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.

      • 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.

        • 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.

  7. Sierra says

    Fast and easy! Amazing flavor with minimal effort, also no oven required! I’ll be adding this to my summer favorites 🌞

  8. 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.

  9. 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 :)

  10. 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.)

  11. 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

  12. 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!

  13. 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!

  14. 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?

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      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!

  15. 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!

  16. 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.

  17. 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!

  18. 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

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerDana @ Minimalist Baker says

      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.