Learn how to boil sweet potatoes to use in your favorite savory and sweet dishes!
Boiling sweet potatoes is ultra easy and the healthiest way to cook this carotene-rich vegetable. You can use boiled sweet potatoes in salads, to make sweet potato mash, or even to make healthy desserts!
If there’s a vegetable that I always have at home just in case I don’t have the time to go shopping, it’s sweet potatoes.
They are so versatile, that you can use them in all types of dishes. Whether you want to cook a main course, dessert, or snack, sweet potatoes are here to help. In most cases, you will need those sweet potatoes boiled.
So, can you boil sweet potatoes? To make it short – yes! If you are not quite sure how, just keep reading – because we’re sharing three different ways to cook this delicious root vegetable.
6 Great Reasons To Boil Sweet Potatoes
Before we start with our tutorial on how to boil sweet potatoes, let’s get motivated! Take a look at some good reasons to eat and boil sweet potatoes more often:
- Boiling sweet potatoes is healthier than roasting or baking them because it keeps the glycemic index of the vegetable lower. In fact, the glycemic index of boiled sweet potatoes is shown to be half that of a baked sweet potato. This is important, especially if you have insulin resistance or are looking to improve your blood sugar control and want to reduce blood glucose spikes (source)
- Boiling also reduces the amount of acrylamide, a toxin that usually forms when you cook starchy foods like sweet potatoes without any added moisture (such as baking or frying).
- Boiled sweet potatoes are super versatile. Boiling some sweet potatoes ahead for the week will allow you to use them in a variety of dishes – sweet or savory.
- They’re extremely nutritious: Sweet potatoes are packed with vitamins, antioxidants and minerals and are an excellent source of vitamins A, B6, manganese, copper, and potassium.
- Eating boiled sweet potatoes can be especially beneficial for gut health as they’re rich in fiber, antioxidants and water.
- Enjoying sweet potatoes on a regular basis might help support eye health, improve immune and brain function and prevent cancer, according to Healthline.
How to Boil Sweet Potatoes
Now that you are convinced, let’s see how to actually boil sweet potatoes. Basically, there is nothing difficult in boiling sweet potatoes. However, you will have to choose the method that best suits your needs. Here I am sharing three slightly different ways to boil sweet potatoes.
Method 1. Boiling peeled cubed sweet potatoes.
This is my preferred way to boil sweet potatoes! And surprise: it’s the fastest! You basically chop sweet potatoes in any way you like them. To me, that’s in thinner circles (cause that’s the fastest!). But if you’re more precise, you can boil sweet potatoes in cubes as well.
Keep in mind that the chopped boiled sweet potatoes will be more watery, which may not be the best ingredient if you’re making a salad for example. On the other hand, if you intend to mash them, then this is the way to go. Here’s what you should do:
- To begin with, peel the sweet potatoes with a peeler and cut them into cubes. In order to do this, on your chopping board cut as much as 1-2 inches off each end of the potato. I feel like the safest way to cut a sweet potato is to cut once crosswise through the middle, then turn the sweet potato, so that it rests on the cutting board. Now cut each half lengthwise, so each quarter of the sweet potato can lay flat. Then cut into strips and into cubes. Do this for as many sweet potatoes as you wish!
- Then, fill a cooking pot with water, add the cubed sweet potatoes, and a pinch of salt, and bring to a boil.
- Reduce to medium heat and cook for about 10-15 minutes or until the sweet potatoes are tender!
- When ready, drain the water and mash or leave the cubes to cool down and use in your recipe.
Method 2: Boiling whole sweet potatoes with Peel
No need to peel or cut, but you will be boiling the sweet potatoes much longer. This will result in less watery boiled sweet potatoes that you can let cool off and store whole in an airtight container. This method is perfect if you want firmer sweet potatoes (e.g to use in salads or bowls). Here’s how to do it:
- Firstly, the most important thing here is to choose sweet potatoes that are similar in size. Otherwise, they won’t cook at the same time. This method is perfect for smaller sweet potatoes, large sweet potatoes can take more than an hour to cook.
- Wash the sweet potatoes thoroughly under running water and scrub them with a brush. Use a fork to punch a few holes into the sweet potatoes (do this in several places – poor little sweet potato, I know).
- Now add the sweet potatoes to a large cooking pot, fill it with water, so that the water covers the sweet potatoes well. Add in some salt and bring it to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium.
- Depending on their size, the sweet potatoes will be ready in 35-50 minutes. Boiling smaller sweet potatoes will take less time than larges sweet potatoes.
- You’ll know the potatoes are done when they’re fork-tender.
- When you reach that point, drain the water and wait for the potatoes to cool off. Then peel them and use them in your recipes.
- To peel the cooked sweet potatoes, let them cool off, then pull off the peel – it should come off really easily.
Method 3. Boiling whole peeled Sweet potatoes.
If you choose to use this method, then your potatoes will be more watery and softer than if boiled with the peel on. Here’s how to boil them:
- Firstly, choose sweet potatoes that are relatively small and similar in size, then peel them using a peeler. Remember to, again, punch a few holes into the sweet potatoes using a fork.
- Put the sweet potatoes into a cooking pot, fill up with water with a pinch of salt in it to cover and bring to a boil. Then reduce to medium heat.
- Cooking the sweet potatoes this way will take about 35-45 minutes depending on the size.
- Lastly, drain the water and let the potatoes cool down, or use them warm as a side dish.
How to Store
Now that you’ve got all your sweet potatoes perfectly cooked you can either use them right away or save them for the next few days by storing in the fridge. Just place the boiled sweet potatoes in an airtight container, close the lid and keep in the fridge for 3-4 days.
Another way to preserve cooked sweet potatoes for longer periods of time, up to a month, is by freezing them. Here it’s important to let all the water drain off, then pack them into a Ziploc bag, making sure to squeeze out any excess air. Try not to refreeze sweet potatoes as they won’t be of the best quality.
How To Use Boiled Sweet Potatoes
Now that you know how to boil sweet potatoes, you want to make sure you have a plan on how to use them. Here are a few suggestions:
- Side dish: You can mash the sweet potatoes with your favorite herbs, some salt and a few scallions to make a healthy side dish for fish, chicken or even tofu.
- In desserts: You can puree the boiled sweet potatoes and use the puree the same way you would use pumpkin puree in desserts. Some examples here include sweet potato pie or even brownies.
- Make soup! Perfect for cold winter nights, you can make a simple soup with simple ingredients like onions, celery and spices!
- In salads, bowls or tacos. This is personally, one of my favorite ways to use sweet potatoes, I love them added to bowls with a good garlicky dressing, a fresh salad and some sort of protein!
More Step-By-Step Guides
Well, I hope you learned something new, enjoyed our guide on how to boil sweet potatoes and are now ready to cook some in your kitchen! If you’re new to cooking and want to make the most of your produce here are some other guides you will find useful:
- How To Roast Peppers and Use Them
- How To Dry Basil Leaves and Preserve For Years
- How To Cook Butternut Squash
How To Boil Sweet Potatoes (3 Ways)
Learn how to boil sweet potatoes to use in your favorite savory and sweet dishes! Boiling sweet potatoes is easy and the healthiest way to cook this carotene-rich vegetable. Use the boiled sweet potatoes in salads, to make sweet potato mash, or in desserts!
Ingredients
- 1 sweet potato, peeled and cubed
- water
- salt
Instructions
- Wash and peel the sweet potato with a peeler, then cut it into cubes.
- Fill a cooking pot with water, add the chopped sweet potatoes, and a pinch of salt, and bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat to a medium and cook for about 10-15 minutes or until the sweet potatoes are tender!
- When ready, drain the water and mash or leave the cubes to cool down and use in your recipe.
Nutrition Information
Yield 1 Serving Size 1Amount Per Serving Calories 103Total Fat 0gSaturated Fat 0gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 0gCholesterol 0mgSodium 632mgCarbohydrates 24gFiber 4gSugar 7gProtein 2g