Name: Baked Sweet Potato
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 4 sweet potatoes similar in size; butter or vegan butter optional, for serving; sea salt; chives for serving; Greek yogurt or tzatziki optional, for serving; guacamole optional, for serving; avocado-cilantro-lime dressing optional, for serving

01

Overview

Prep5 min

Cook45 min

Total50 min

Servings4

DifficultyEasy

02

Ingredients

4 sweet potatoessimilar in size butter or vegan butteroptional, for serving sea salt chivesfor serving Greek yogurt or tzatzikioptional, for serving guacamoleoptional, for serving avocado-cilantro-lime dressingoptional, for serving

03

Equipment

Baking sheet
Fork

04

Method

01

Prep the potatoes

Heat the oven to 425°F and line a baking sheet. Scrub and dry the sweet potatoes, then poke several holes in each with a fork.

02

Bake until fully soft

Bake 40 to 50 minutes, depending on size, until the skins puff and a fork slides into the thickest part with no resistance at all.

03

Split and top

Split each potato open, fluff the flesh with a fork, and add whatever toppings make sense — butter and salt, yogurt and chives, guacamole, or the avocado-cilantro-lime dressing.

✦

Tips

NoteTrust the fork more than the clock; large sweet potatoes simply need longer.

NoteSimilar-sized potatoes on one tray finish at the same time — sort them before baking.

NoteThe syrupy juices that leak and caramelize on the pan are the best part; scrape them onto the potato.

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Nutrition

NoteNutrition varies by ingredient brands and serving size.

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Storage

RefrigeratorRefrigerate cooked sweet potatoes up to 4 days; reheat in a 350°F oven or microwave.

?

Frequently asked

Should I wrap them in foil?+

No — foil steams the skin soft; unwrapped skins puff and the edges caramelize.

Can I bake them ahead?+

Yes — refrigerate up to 4 days and reheat in a hot oven until the skin crisps again.

Why is the middle still firm?+

It needed longer — give it another 10 minutes; a firm center never improves after topping.

Baked Sweet Potato

Overview

Ingredients

Equipment