This easy recipe for Sautéed Sweet Potatoes shows you how to get tender and flavorful sweet potatoes cooked in a skillet in just 15 minutes. They make the perfect side dish to pair with any meal or can be tossed into your favorite salads or pasta dishes.
When you think of cooking sweet potatoes, chances are that roasting them in the oven comes to mind. While roasted potatoes can take up to 30-45 minutes to cook, there’s another option — skillet sweet potatoes!
Peeled and diced sweet potatoes are added to a cast iron skillet with oil and are sautéed until fork tender. This process only takes 15 minutes for fully cooked sweet potato pieces that can be used in a variety of different ways.
They can be seasoned for savory dishes or sprinkled with warming spices to be used in breakfast foods or baked goods. A truly versatile side!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It takes no time to cook. Pan roasting sweet potatoes in a skillet take 15 minutes or less getting you a healthy side dish on the table quick.
- Flavor it any way you enjoy. I used cumin in this recipe, but the possibilities for flavor options are endless.
- Makes great leftovers. Keep a large batch in your fridge to add to salads, pasta, or soups and stews to bulk up the nutrition in any dish.
Ingredients & Equipment
- Cubed Sweet Potato – You’ll need to dice up your sweet potato to ½ inch cubes, or as close as you can get them.
- Olive Oil – Helps the potatoes roast evenly so they stay tender on the inside and form a slight crust from the skillet.
- Spices – You’ll need cumin and salt to flavor the sweet potatoes in this recipe, but feel free to use any spices and flavors you enjoy.
Cast Iron or Non-Stick Skillet – Since there is a lot of starch in the sweet potato, you want to keep them from sticking as much as possible. The best way to do this is to use a high-quality nonstick pan or a well-seasoned cast-iron skillet.
How To Make Sautéed Sweet Potatoes
Step 1. Prepare the sweet potatoes. Rinse off the sweet potatoes and peel off the skin with a vegetable peeler. Dice into half-inch cubes for best results.
Step 2. Saute the sweet potatoes. Add diced sweet potatoes to the skillet. Heat oil over medium heat in a cast iron or nonstick skillet. Cook, stirring every 2 minutes, for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the potatoes are fork-tender.
Step 3. Season and serve. Add the ground cumin or seasonings of your choice and stir to cook for an additional minute to lock in the flavor. Remove cooked sweet potatoes from the skillet with a spatula and serve hot.
Expert Tips
- Because the heat source is coming directly from the bottom of the pan and not all over like an oven, it’s important that all the sweet potatoes are cut the same size to allow for even cooking.
- When pan-roasting sweet potatoes, do not overcrowd the pan as they can start to steam and become mushy.
- Initially, when the sweet potatoes hit the pan, it’s best for them to stay in the same spot for a few minutes to form a crust. This will help keep the sweet potatoes from breaking apart and will keep them tender on the inside.
Sweet Potato Seasoning Ideas
Play around with the following flavors and seasonings to make the perfect skillet sweet potatoes for whatever dish you’re making!
- Italian seasoning
- Cajun spices
- Lemon pepper seasoning
- Chipotle or adobo powder
- Cinnamon and brown sugar
- Garlic and rosemary
- Taco seasoning
- Pumpkin pie spice
- Ranch seasoning
FAQs
Yes! This recipe can be used to saute russet, golden, or red potatoes, but different varieties may take more or less time to cook through.
Some people leave the peel of the sweet potato on which is perfectly fine.
Before you make this recipe, make sure your skillet is well seasoned or truly nonstick. You may need to turn down the heat to prevent the sweet potatoes from sticking and potentially burning. Use more oil as necessary.
Serve these sweet potatoes with a variety of meals. Serve them alongside Pork Chops, Maple Glazed Ham or Boneless Chicken Thighs. Enjoy them with a Ham and Spinach Frittata for with a breakfast burrito for breakfast. The options are endless!