There are a lot of means to any end, and that’s especially true of roasting sweet potatoes. You can whole-roast them in the embers of a campfire, turn them into crisp fry-like wedges, or even layer them into a vegetable bake like a tian. But if your goal is bite-size, tender sweet potatoes with crispy edges that you can toss into peppery green salads and turkey-avocado wraps over the course of the week, then there are some specific means I have to share for achieving these perfectly roasted sweet potatoes.
Doing this well is all about finding the perfect balance between the size of your sweet potato cut, the oven temperature, and the amount of actual sweet potato you are roasting. If you change just one of these variables, the results will be a little different. Three-inch chunks of sweet potato will cook much slower than, say, one-inch cubes (the size called for in our recipe). At the same temperature, bigger pieces brown a lot more than smaller pieces and can burn before cooking through. The right size will help that potato fully bake. Read on for a few more tips before you start experimenting.
Give it space
Keep this in mind: Avoid overcrowding at all costs. I know we say that a lot in recipes, but it’s especially true for any ingredient—chicken thighs, broccoli, sweet potatoes—that you’re trying to brown evenly. I’ve found that sweet potatoes really need space for a truly roasted, crisped-edge result. Aim for about one inch of space between pieces. This leads to good, dry, hot airflow that will let the potato pieces’ moisture evaporate while letting them dry and crisp up more.
Stop overcrowding the pan and let those veggies breathe!
Toss and turn
While the sweet potatoes are roasting, it’s also important to toss and turn them semi-regularly, about every five minutes. This allows each side of the sweet potato piece to get a chance to caramelize on the surface of the pan. It’s like searing a piece of meat—the side touching the bottom is going to get the crisp crust much more than the exposed side. Now, take some of this advice with a grain of salt if you’re using a convection oven. An oven fan will help promote browning and crisping on all sides of the sweet potato piece. You’ll still need to toss, just not as often.
Season smart
I like to season my sweet potatoes after they’re fully done baking, instead of beforehand. If you salt ahead here, the potatoes start to get weepy and release moisture, which is the enemy of crispy goodness. Sure, you could season them with salt and then dry off any surface moisture before roasting, but personally, I don’t think it’s worth the extra step. Also, the spicy-sweet spice mix of cinnamon, crushed chile flakes, and our dear Mother Nature’s maple syrup in this recipe can burn and reduce to a spotty sheen that doesn’t coat the potatoes evenly. Adding them after roasting keeps it all alive and fresh tasting.
There aren’t a lot of hacks in this sweet potato recipe because, if we’re being honest, you don’t need to learn a bunch of new techniques for getting a perfectly roasted sweet potato. With these tips, though, you’re more than ready to navigate this delicate—yet very manageable—roasting relationship.
