Roasted sweet potatoes are one of the easiest and best healthy comfort foods! I usually roast them in cubes because they're done in 30 minutes, and you get more bites full of their natural sweetness, warmth, gently crisped edges, and soft centers. They're the perfect side dish to go with any meal!
If there's one thing about me, it's that I adore sweet potatoes. I roast them on most days of the week and have done so for years, and I'm still not sick of them! To me, they feel just as nourishing to eat as they taste good, and they're so versatile. When I roast up a sheet pan of sweet potatoes cubes, we find ourselves using them in salads, tacos, bowls, or as a simple side. They're actually the base for my chicken taco sweet potato bowls (a reader & house favorite)!
Sometimes a simple dinner with a protein (think whole roast chicken or baked turkey meatballs) and a side of roasted sweet potato cubes, maybe a quick green salad, feels so elegant and easy to put together. Bonus points for being affordable and popular with kids.
This recipe is for exactly that - a simple sheet pan of roasted sweet potato cubes, though I will say I've been roasting them in a covered dutch oven more recently for steam-roast effect. I'll share more on that below!
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Roasting Methods & How Long to Roast
There are a couple ways I roast sweet potato cubes-either on a sheet pan, or in my dutch oven. Either way, after years of roasting I've found I like sweet potatoes best at 375-400 degrees for 25-30 minutes. With larger pieces or a larger batch piled onto one pan, you might need 35-40 minutes.
With the sheet pan method, you're using a traditional, dry roasting method where the cubes get air flow around them and multiple surface areas exposed to direct oven heat, which produces a lightly crisp, golden edge. If you have a convection oven, you can use the convection setting for even more browning (kinda like a big air fryer). Just be sure to watch these closely at the 25-minute mark, as convection ovens can bake things more quickly and sometimes get too browned or burned.
But my favorite way to roast in the past year has actually been in my dutch oven with the cover on! It adds bit more steam, crisps up the bottoms of the cubes, and keeps the potato cubes slightly more fluffy and full.
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!
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!
Applying the Dutch Oven Method
Follow the exact steps above, but instead of using a parchment-lined sheet pan, use your dutch oven (also can be parchment-lined, if you want). Place the cover on the pot beforehand to trap steam with the sweet potatoes bake, and feel free to give a gently stir halfway through.
Key Ingredients
- Sweet potatoes - You can use any kind of sweet potato for this recipe. I love using local sweet potatoes, which are harvested in fall in Wisconsin, and often stored for winter. Common ones I see in grocery stores and markets are Jewels and Garnets, which are also great.
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.
- Serve with sauce - Use your favorite! Homemade parsley walnut pesto, all-purpose lemon tahini sauce (goes with everything), barbecue sauce, etc.
- Wedges - 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.
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!
Print📖 Recipe
Roasted Sweet Potato Cubes (30 minutes)
- 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
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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
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. 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 prevent 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!
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