These are a perfect side dish to your holiday dinner, just don’t binge on them like I usually do and make sure to save some room for a slice of Pecan Pie!
Roasted sweet potatoes may not be particularly glamorous and they’re certainly not the most exciting recipe I’ve ever shared, but they’re a holiday staple that everyone should know how to make. In my house, these are a classic holiday dinner side dish, right alongside the homemade cranberry sauce and dinner rolls. The good news is this recipe is so simple to make. Let’s get started!
How Do I Roast Sweet Potatoes in The Oven?
How Do You Make Roasted Sweet Potatoes Crispy?
Don’t use parchment paper to line your baking sheet if you are angling for especially crispy sweet potatoes. Instead, I recommend roasting them directly on an ungreased cookie sheet. Another trick to make them nice and crispy is to turn up the heat of your oven to 450F (235C) rather than the 425F (220C) that my recipe calls for. Make sure your potatoes are in an even layer (not stacked/piled on top of each other) and roast for 20-30 minutes (flipping halfway through roasting) or until the outsides are crisp and the interiors are tender when pierced with a fork.
Do You Have to Peel Sweet Potatoes Before Roasting Them?
Not at all! However, if you’d prefer to do so you certainly can! The skin of the sweet potato is thicker and tougher than the rest of your sweet potato, so if that’s undesirable to you feel free to remove the skin. Personally I never peel mine. I scrub them very well before slicing and cut off any blemishes but otherwise leave the skins intact.
Flavor Variation Suggestions
All you really need to roast sweet potatoes is olive oil, salt, and pepper. However, if you’d like to spice things up a bit you can play around with adding a few more spices, as well. Here are a few variations I’ve tried and enjoyed to help get you started (keep in mind that the oil, salt, and pepper are staples and you’ll always use these).
½ tsp of garlic powder + ½ tsp of chili powder 1 Tbsp of brown sugar + ½ tsp chili powder + ½ tsp garlic powder + ½ tsp smoked paprika + a pinch of cayenne pepper 3-4 cloves minced garlic + 1 tsp dried rosemary Substitute the oil for melted butter + 2 Tbsp brown sugar + ½ tsp ground cinnamon
Enjoy!
