If you enjoy a simple and healthy comfort food, then you need to try these easy roasted sweet potatoes! Roasting sweet potatoes in cubes is my favorite way to roast because they're done in 30 minutes or less, and you get a bunch of bites full of their natural sweetness, warmth, gently crisped edges, and soft centers. They're the perfect side dish to go with any meal!
Call me crazy, but I roast sweet potatoes on most days of the week and have done so for years. I just crave and love them so much, and I never get sick of them! They taste incredible and can be used to elevate SO many dishes -- think salads, tacos, grain bowls, burrito bowls, or alongside other roasted veggies such as easy honey roasted parsnips. They're also a delicious and simple side dish to accompany your favorite main meal, such as a whole roast chicken or baked turkey meatballs. Plus they're nourishing, inexpensive, and popular with kiddos!
And with only a handful of ingredients required to get an excellent side dish on your table, this is truly a simple recipe. Let's make them!
Key Ingredients
- Sweet potatoes - You can use any kind of sweet potato for this recipe. Common ones I see in grocery stores and markets are Jewels and Garnets. When I go to Trader Joe's, I often pick up a bag of Japanese sweet potatoes, which have purple skins and white flesh. They're mildly sweet and so delicious! For the recipe pictured here, I used Jewel sweet potatoes.
Leftover sweet potatoes? If you have leftover roasted sweet potato cubes when you're doing making this recipe, you can easily toss them into these vegetarian bean and sweet potato skillet enchiladas for an easy weeknight meal later in the week!
Substitutions & Variations
This roasted sweet potato recipe is a most simple version, but you can certainly add other spices and flavors! Below are a few suggestions I use frequently in my own kitchen.
- Spicy-sweet - Add a teaspoon of chili powder or just a dash of cayenne pepper and one tablespoon of maple syrup. My harissa roasted sweet potatoes are another great recipe to try if you're interested in this flavor.
- Savory - For a savory flavor, try adding a mix of all-purpose kitchen seasonings: ½ teaspoon onion powder + ¼ teaspoon garlic powder + 1 teaspoon paprika. If you have an all-purpose seasoning blend at home already, you could try adding a teaspoon of that, too!
- Serve with sauce - This one is fun because there are so many options! I often serve my roasted sweet potatoes with homemade parsley walnut pesto, all-purpose tahini sauce (goes with everything), barbecue sauce, or hot sauce. I just tried a new one, actually -- Yellowbird Blue Agave Sriracha. Highly recommend!
- Wedges - If desired, you can cut sweet potato wedges instead of cubes. To do this, cut each sweet potato in half lengthwise, then cut ¾-inch strips lengthwise. If you have a long sweet potato, you can cut these in half width-wise if desired.
- Without skin - If you don't like the skin, you can peel the sweet potatoes with a vegetable peeler before cutting them into cubes.
How to Make Really Good Roasted Sweet Potatoes
- Step 1: Preheat oven temperature to 400 degrees and ensure your oven rack is placed in the middle of the oven. If desired, line baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Cut the ends off of each sweet potato and dice into one-inch cubes or just slightly smaller.
- Step 2: Transfer cubed sweet potatoes to a large bowl and add olive oil, salt, black pepper, and any desired optional seasonings. Toss to coat all of the sweet potato cubes.
- Step 3: Transfer the cubes to your prepared sheet pan in an even layer, making sure there is a bit of space between cubes. This helps ensure heat gets around all sides without creating too much steam, so you can achieve this crisp outsides and soft insides. Place sheet pan in the oven and roast at 400 degrees for 25-30 minutes.
- Step 4: Check the sweet potatoes at around 25 minutes and test for doneness. The sweet potatoes should have slightly crispy edges with nice browning, and a fork should pierce through very easily. If they could use a bit more browning, give them a light stir and flip some over, then roast for another 3-5 minutes or until golden brown. Serve them up as a simple side dish or toss into a grain bowl or buddha bowl!
Success Tips
- Let them get caramelized! Impatient for your roasted sweet potatoes? ME TOO. But seriously, it is worth the wait for an extra five minutes in the oven if you get that beautiful browning on all sides. If you see that on your sweet potatoes, it's an excellent visual indicator that you have crisped edges and soft flesh - primo comfort food!
- Space on the pan. If you want to get those golden brown results, the sweet potato cubes need a little bit of space around them for the oven heat to cook. If they're all crammed together and touching one another, their heat creates steam, which still cooks the sweet potatoes, but they will have a softer and less caramelized texture on the outside. If you have too many cubes for your sheet pan size, you can bake in two batches or separate onto two sheet pans and roast simultaneously.
Roasted Sweet Potatoes FAQ
They're not crispy in a French fry way, but the edges do get lightly crisped compared to their softer centers, which is a delightful contrast. If you want to make them crispier, you can bake directly on an unlined sheet pan, or try them on a convection setting in the oven. Note, the convection setting will cook the sweet potatoes more quickly, and sometimes the edges can get browned too fast. To combat this, watch carefully, stir halfway through, and note that you may only need to roast them for 20-22 minutes.
Yep! Allow them to cool completely first, then transfer them to an airtight container or zip top bag. Store them in your freezer for up to three months, thawing in the fridge when you're ready to eat. Reheat in an air fryer or oven for the best re-crisping, otherwise the microwave works in a pinch.
Store cooled roasted sweet potato cubes in an airtight container in the fridge for up to five days. Reheat as suggested above when you're ready to eat!
Related Recipes
Interested in other simple and healthy side dishes? Check out our other favorites!
Did you make these oven roasted sweet potatoes? Don't forget to leave a star rating 🌟 and comment below, and tag me on Instagram and Pinterest - I love seeing what you made!
📖 Recipe
Comforting Oven Roasted Sweet Potatoes (Easy Recipe!)
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 4-5 servings 1x
Description
Easy roasted sweet potatoes that come together in 30 minutes using your oven! These are perfect as a simple side dish that the whole family will love, or a sweet and comforting add-in to your favorite salad, bowls, or tacos.
Ingredients
- 2 large sweet potatoes (about 2 pounds), scrubbed clean
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- Scant ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat & cube. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees and optionally line sheet pan with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Cut the ends off the sweet potatoes and discard, then cut sweet potato into approximately 1-inch cubes. I like to cut them into medallions first, the cube.
- Season. Transfer the sweet potato cubes to a larger bowl and season with olive oil, salt, and pepper, If you're adding other seasoning variations, you can do so now. Toss to coat.
- Roast. Transfer the seasoned cubes to your prepared baking sheet, ensuring they are in a single layer with a little bit of space among them. Roast for 25-30 minutes, optionally stirring and flipping some pieces at minute 20. Check for doneness around minutes 25-30. Sweet potatoes are done when they are golden brown, fragrant, and can be easily pierced with a fork. Serve as a simple side or add-in to salads, tacos, or bowls!
Notes
- Convection oven. If you have a convection setting on your oven that you'd prefer to use, make sure to watch closely as the sweet potatoes will brown faster, so they may be done earlier than 25 minutes. I did not use my oven's convection setting for this recipe and typically don't.
- Storage & freezing. Allow sweet potatoes to cool completely, then transfer them to an airtight storage container or zip top bag (I prefer the silicone reusable ones!). Place in the freezer for up to three months or fridge for up to five days. Reheat in the oven, air fryer, or microwave.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Oven Roast
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: ⅕ recipe
- Calories: 180
- Sugar: 7.6 g
- Sodium: 332.4 mg
- Fat: 2.9 g
- Carbohydrates: 36.6 g
- Fiber: 5.5 g
- Protein: 2.9 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
Leave a Reply