Cooking boiled sweet potatoes on the stovetop is super simple! All you need to do is cube your potatoes, add them to boiling water, and cook until they're done. Boiling sweet potatoes have so many uses for a variety of delicious side dishes. It's a WHOLE LOTTA YUM!
If you're wondering "can you boil sweet potatoes?" the answer is definitely yes!
We eat a lot of sweet potatoes in our home year-round, it's not just a seasonal side dish at Thanksgiving. Whether we're using them in a salad, in a BBQ chicken bowl, or a soup, sweet potatoes can make a healthy, flavorful, and filling meal. Making a sweet potato casserole is probably the main use for boiled sweet potatoes on the stove, but the possibilities are endless!
And did you know you can also cook cubed sweet potatoes in an Instant pot? We love to use our pressure cooker during the holidays to free up that valuable stovetop space.
Ingredient Notes
- sweet potatoes, peeled - We used Red Garnet, but any variety of sweet potatoes will work.
** Please see the recipe card at the bottom of the post for the exact quantities **
Variations
Cooking other types of root vegetables- This same method will work for russet potatoes, yams, red potatoes, parsnips, carrots, or rutabagas too.
Make them a side dish - While many readers are looking to use boiled sweet potatoes for another recipe, why not take a couple of minutes off of the cooking time and serve them as a tasty side dish? Just drain and add a touch of butter, salt, and pepper.
Equipment
- Large pot for boiling the sweet potatoes
- Strainer for draining
How long to boil sweet potatoes for mash?
Most of our readers are probably looking for how long to boil sweet potatoes for holiday mashed sweet potatoes. Learn all the tips and tricks below for learning how to boil sweet potatoes.
Prep the potatoes
- Cut the peeled sweet potatoes into 1 ½" cubes.
Cook
- Bring 8 cups of cold water to boil in a large pot. Add in the sweet potato cubes.
- Simmer the potatoes for 20-25 minutes or until the potatoes can be easily pierced with a fork. They need to be very soft if you need to puree them for something like mashed sweet potatoes, but they can be a little less so if you're serving them cubed as a simple side dish. Enjoy!
Recipe Tips
- Boiled sweet potatoes can be used to puree for mashed or for sweet potato casserole, making baby food, or serving as a side dish sprinkled with oil, salt, and pepper.
- If you have cold leftover sweet potatoes, they're terrific pan-fried on the stove to make a breakfast hash with eggs.
- You can season the water if desired by adding a little salt, we usually don't since we're using the sweet potatoes in another recipe.
- To serve the sweet potatoes as a boiled side dish, take a couple of minutes off of the sweet potato boiling time.
Common Questions
Serve with chicken, pork, or turkey, and add steamed or roasted vegetables on the side like broccoli or corn. A simple green salad is always a great side dish too.
Cooked sweet potato cubes last 3-5 days in the fridge. Keep them in an air tight container until you need to use them.
Yes, you can definitely boil sweet potatoes with the skin on, peeling them before boiling is a personal preference or might depend on how they're being used after they get cooked.
Sweet potatoes are a good source of dietary fiber, vitamin A, vitamin C, and vitamin B6. They also contain potassium, manganese, and copper.
More Sweet Potato Recipes
- Sheet pan chicken thighs and sweet potatoes
- BBQ Chicken sweet potato bowls
- Air fryer sweet potato cubes
- Mashed sweet potatoes
Come connect with us on Instagram! Be sure to tag us (wholelotta.yum) when you make a recipe. You can also find us on Facebook, and Pinterest.
Boiled Sweet Potatoes
Cooking boiled sweet potatoes on the stovetop is super simple! All you need to do is cube your potatoes, add them to boiling water, and cook until they're done. Boiling sweet potatoes have so many uses for a variety of delicious side dishes.
Ingredients
- 1 ½-2 lbs sweet potatoes, peeled
Instructions
- Cut the peeled sweet potatoes into 1 ½" cubes.
- Bring 8 cups of cold water to boil in a large pot. Add in the sweet potato cubes.
- Simmer the potatoes for 20-25 minutes or until the potatoes can be easily pierced with a fork. They need to be very soft if you need to puree them for something like mashed sweet potatoes but they can be a little less so if you're serving them cubed as a simple side dish. Enjoy!
Notes
Boiled sweet potatoes can be used to puree for mashed or for sweet potato casserole, making baby food, or serving as a side dish sprinkled with oil, salt and pepper.
If you have cold leftover sweet potatoes, they're terrific pan fried on the stove to make a breakfast hash with eggs.
You can season the water if desired by adding a little salt, we usually don't since we're using the sweet potatoes in another recipe.
To serve the sweet potatoes as a boiled side dish, take a couple of minutes off of the sweet potato boiling time.
Leave a Reply