The Easy Way to Get Perfectly Boiled Sweet Potatoes Every Time
Boiling sweet potatoes
Sweet potatoes get a lot of love around Thanksgiving, but these sweet spuds are a delicious and nutritious choice year-round. They're great baked or sliced and fried and make a great mash or simply boiled until tender and tossed with a little butter.
As simple as boiling potatoes can seem, there are ways to cook them up a bit better. To find out the best way to boil sweet potatoes we chatted with René Simon, Director of the Louisiana Sweet Potato Commission, a true sweet potato expert. Read on for his tips, advice and step-by-step instructions, then get cooking!
Related: What Happens to Your Body If You Eat Sweet Potatoes Every Day
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How to Choose the Best Sweet Potatoes for Boiling
Select a size
"When it comes to boiling, any size of sweet potato works," say Simon. While smaller-sized sweet potatoes work best for baking, when it comes to boiling, jumbo sweet potatoes, which tend to be less expensive, work just fine.
Choose your color and texture
Vitamin-rich sweet potatoes come in many colors: deep orange, purple, burnt red, and white. Sweet potato varieties are categorized into two broad categories: firm and soft. Firm sweet potatoes usually have a thin skin and light-colored flesh and stay pretty firm when they're cooked (think a cooked Russet potato).
At the store, you're most likely to see firm Japanese sweet potatoes, which have a reddish to purple skin and light-colored flesh, or purple sweet potatoes, which have tan skin and purple flesh. Soft sweet potato varieties, like the popular Beauregard and Jewel varieties, cook up soft and creamy, making them a great choice for purees and desserts. If you're not sure what kind of sweet potato you're looking at the grocery store, ask for help from the folks in the produce section.
Give 'em a squeeze
"Look for potatoes with a nice exterior," says Simon. "They should be firm to the touch with no soft spots and no sprouting."
Store them correctly
Want to stock up on sweet potatoes? No problem! Simon says they'll last up to one month in a cool, dark, dry place.
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How to Prep Sweet Potatoes for Boiling
Give them a scrub
Like all veggies, sweet potatoes should be washed and scrubbed with a veggie brush to remove dirt, residue and pesticides. Advice varies on whether you should wash with cold or warm water, but Simon says using lukewarm tap water is just fine.
Peel (or don't)
Choosing to peel (or not) is up to you—and your recipe. Skin-on sweet potatoes will have more fiber and the skin can add a nice texture. If you're going for a smooth puree or want to use them in a pie or other dessert, peeling is probably the way to go.
Slice and/or dice
This is another one that's up to you (and your recipe). Smaller pieces of potato will boil more quickly, but you might want larger pieces for your dish. No matter the size the most important cut the potatoes into roughly the same-size pieces. If you have a mix of big and little pieces in your pot some will be done before others, which is a pain to manage.
How to Boil Sweet Potatoes
1. Add the cut-up sweet potatoes to a pot, cover with water, season with salt, and bring to a boil.
2. Boil away! It should take about 15-20 minutes to boil for 4 to 6 chopped sweet potatoes.
3. Test for doneness. "Poke with fork to check if they are done," says Simon. He says they're done if your fork can easily slide through the potato.
4. Remove the cooked sweet potatoes from the pot with a slotted spoon or drain in a colander.
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How Long To Boil Sweet Potatoes
It should take 15-20 minutes to boil chopped sweet potatoes. If you cut the potatoes into larger pieces (say 2 inches instead of 1 inch) or boil whole potatoes, it will take longer. Boiling 2-inch pieces takes about 25 minutes, while whole sweet potatoes can take 30 to 50 minutes to cook, depending on their size. Also, keep in mind that it will take a bit longer to boil sweet potatoes with the skin on vs. peeled sweet potatoes.
Best Sweet Potato Recipes
Need some sweet potato inspiration? Here are some good recipes to try.
• Copycat Ruth’s Chris Sweet Potato Casserole
• Slow-Cooker Sweet Potato Casserole
• Simple Mashed Sweet Potatoes
• Sweet Potato Home Fries
