Savory Roasted Sweet Potatoes

Savory roasted sweet potatoes are comforting and satisfy your savory cravings when the weather turns cold. Easy and healthy side dish that you can make and pair with any meal.

Jump to:

• Why this recipe works
• Ingredients needed
• How to roast sweet potatoes
• Do I have to peel the skin before roasting
• How to cut sweet potatoes for roast
• How long to roast sweet potatoes
• Variations
• Storage
• Tips for best roasted sweet potatoes
• 📋Savory Roasted Sweet Potatoes

Why this recipe works

• The natural sweetness of sweet potatoes is balanced beautifully by the savory spices added to it making it the BEST SAVORY sweet potatoes you’ll ever make. Your taste buds will explode with natural sweet and savory flavor contrasts.

• By far one of the easiest and fastest side dishes you’ll ever make. The hardest work and the only hands-on work that you need to do is peel and dice potatoes.  Bear in mind peeling the skin off is completely optional. And skin does have so many nutrients, it’s totally convincing to leave that skin on. The skin on sweet potatoes turns very slightly crispy and has this beautiful texture when roasted in the oven.

• Feel free to choose your favorite cut. Chop into big chunks like I have or dice them into smaller cubes. You can even choose to slice them up into round slices or cut them it wedges. It’s completely up to you.

• Boiled potatoes are great. But let me tell you something truly magical happens to vegetables when you roast them. YOU NEED TO ROAST SWEET POTATOES TO SEE THE MAGIC THAT HAPPENS!

• Roasting caramelizes the vegetables making the outer slightly crisp and the inside creamy. Those caramelized edges crackle in your mouth when you bite into the crisp outer surface.  

• A simple blend of olive oil salt and pepper will do the magic. But I prefer it on the savory side, with a good kick to it to balance the natural sweetness. A mix of garlic powder, ground cumin, smoked paprika, chili powder, salt, and pepper with olive oil is what you will use in this recipe.

• Like I always say, feel free to adjust the seasoning as per taste preference. You can add in any other spices of your choice or skip the spice that does not suit your palate.

• It’s easy to enhance the sweetness of sweet potatoes with extra added brown sugar. You can add 1 ½ teaspoon brown sugar to this recipe if you want to.

• Stores great. Any leftovers stays good for 4 days refrigerated in air tight container.

• These are great for make ahead.

Ingredients needed

Below photo shows ingredients needed to make oven roasted sweet potatoes-

Sweet Potatoes – it’s optional to peel the skin off potatoes. Potato skin has a lot of nutrients.

Spices – I love my spice mix to have amazing savory flavors. Ground cumin, smoked paprika, chili powder (or substitute it with cayenne pepper) salt and pepper together make the best savory sweet potatoes.

How to roast sweet potatoes

Scrub potatoes and rinse them well under tap water. It’s your choice to peel the skin off or keep it. Potato skin has a lot of nutrients and it turns slightly crisp after roasting. It’s very delicious in case you are skeptical. Leave it on if you don’t mind.

Cut potatoes into half lengthwise. Cut each half into 3 to 4 long wedges.

Note:  if you plan to make roasted sweet potato wedges, you can cut into thin wedges length-wise and then cut them in the middle so your wedges are finger length size.

Cut equal-sized cubes. Make sure they are all even size for uniform cooking. Cut them as small as ½-inch cubes to as chunky as 2-inch cubes. You choose!

Transfer cut potatoes onto a baking sheet. Drizzle a generous amount of olive oil over the potatoes. Add in all the spices along with salt and ground pepper.

Mix to coat potatoes in the spices. Arrange it in a single layer.

Roast in preheated oven at 425 degrees Fahrenheit for 45 – 55 minutes, tossing the sweet potatoes every 10 -15 minutes to prevent them from burning and to get even cooked and caramelization on every piece.

Remove from oven. Garnish with fresh parsley.

Serve immediately with your favorite main.

Do I have to peel the skin before roasting

It’s a personal choice to peel or not to peel. Potato skin is edible and has a lot of nutrients in it. The skin on the potatoes becomes crispy in the oven while roasting, it does taste good.

I recommend peeling skin for roasting as it ensures the best texture and flavor.

How to cut sweet potatoes for roast

There are many ways to cut sweet potatoes.

Slice peeled (or unpeeled) potatoes into half length-wise using a sharp knife.

Pro-Tip: For crispy outer, do considered peeling potatoes. The texture is better.

Place the potato on the cut side so it’s sturdy and stable cutting board. Hold it tight and cut again lengthwise into 3 to 4 long wedges.

Cut wedges horizontally into small cubes. Ensure all cubes are equal in size for even cooking.

Jo’s Tip: make sure all of them are the same size while you cut.

Alternately –

Peel potatoes if you choose to. Remove a thin strip length wise on potatoes to help it set in one place stable on cutting board.

Cut into ½ inch thick rounds.

Take each sweet potato round and cut into 2-3 lengthwise. Hold together, turn it over and cut into ½ or 1 inch cubes.

How long to roast sweet potatoes

Depending on how big the potato cubes are, roasting time will vary. Keep an eye on them while roasting. Smaller-sized potato cubes will need less time to roast.

• ½ inch cube sweet potatoes will need approximately 20 – 25 minutes to roast.
• 1 inch cube sweet potatoes requires approximately 32 – 35 minutes to roast
• 1 ½ inch cube sweet potatoes will take approximately 38 – 42 minutes to roast.
• 2 inch cube sweet potatoes will take approximately 45 – 55 minutes to roast.
• ½-inch thick round slices will need approximately 40 – 47 minutes. Note round slices do not get roasted as compared to the texture of smaller cubes. Round slices caramelize and turn super soft and tender.
• Sweet potato wedges needs to be roasted for 15 to 20 minutes or until just tender. Then flip them over and roast for 8 to 10 minutes more until tender-crisp.

Variations

When you roast sweet potatoes something truly magical happens to it. Roasting caramelizes the vegetables making the outer slightly crisp and the inside creamy.

Plain Roasted Sweet Potatoes with a little olive oil, salt, and pepper. This highlights the natural sweet taste of the potatoes.

Season it with spices to help balance the natural sweetness of the potatoes. It’s sweet with a good kick to it.

There are many variations to season sweet potatoes:

Savory variations –

• Olive oil + salt + ground pepper + garlic powder + onion powder + paprika
• Salt + ground pepper+ ground cumin + chili powder + olive oil
• Seasoned salt + old bay + cayenne pepper along with olive oil
• Olive oil + salt + garlic salt + ground pepper + fresh minced rosemary + fresh grated Parmesan cheese

Sweet variations-

• Olive oil + cinnamon powder + honey + pinch of salt
• Brown sugar + cinnamon powder + pinch of salt + pinch of ground pepper mixed in olive oil
• Olive oil + maple syrup + cinnamon powder

Storage

Any leftovers can be stored in airtight container refrigerated for 4 to 5 days. Reheat stored potatoes in the oven for few minutes before serving.

Tips for best roasted sweet potatoes

• Pick good orange-red-skinned potatoes. Look for smooth skin on the sweet potatoes with no soft spots. Potatoes should be firm with no discoloration on the skin or any growth on it.
• To peel the skin off or not to peel is a personal preference. Of course, potato skin is edible and has a lot of nutrients in it. But I recommend peeling skin for roasting as it ensures better texture and flavor.
• Make sure to cut potatoes into even size so they cooks and caramelize evenly. The size you want to cut is a personal choice. Cut smaller cubes of ½ inch or bigger chunks of 2 inch. Up to you.
• Use a large baking tray to roast potatoes. Spread potatoes evenly and in single layers on a baking sheet for even cooking. Don’t overcrowd the baking sheet. Note – if you overcrowd potatoes on baking sheet, potatoes will steam cook instead of roast. You won’t get caramelized crispy edges.
• Consider broil for 3 to 5 minutes for extra crispy golden brown potatoes. It’s an optional step.
• Different potatoes are cooked at different times. Roasting time depends on the size of the sweet potatoes. Smaller cubes will roast faster and bigger cubes will take longer. Keep a constant check on sweet potatoes during roasting. Use the mentioned time for general guidance.
• To have the stronger flavor or to make sweet potatoes even spicier increase the amount of chili powder used by ¼ to ½ teaspoon more than the mentioned values.
• Don’t skip smoked paprika for smoky flavor.

MORE SWEET POTATO RECIPES:

• Crispy Baked Sweet Potato Fries
• Sweet Potato Hash With Breakfast Sausages
• Perfect Instant Pot Sweet Potatoes Cooked Whole
• Mashed Sweet Potatoes

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