How to Make Steamed Sweet Potatoes

PDF download Download Article
PDF download Download Article

With their deliciously smooth taste and nutrient content, sweet potatoes are perfect as both a staple food and as a "sometimes" snack. While some cooking styles can raise the fat and sugar content of sweet potatoes, steaming uses zero-calorie water so you can enjoy the potatoes without feeling guilty. Best of all, it's easy — all you need is heat, water, and a few pieces of cookware.

Ingredients

Basic Steamed Sweet Potatoes

  • 1 pound sweet potatoes (about 3-5)
  • 2 cups water

Recipe Variations

  • 4 tablespoons butter
  • 2 cloves garlic, chopped
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons pumpkin seeds, ground
  • 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, chopped
  • 1/2 white onion, sliced
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
Method 1
Method 1 of 2:

Making Basic Steamed Sweet Potatoes

PDF download Download Article
  1. . This is generally easiest to do with a conventional potato peeler. You can also use a sharp knife.
    • Throw the peelings into a compost bin to avoid waste. Better yet, cut the peels into long strips, leave a little flesh on them, and make sweet potato skins
  2. Watermark wikiHow to Make Steamed Sweet Potatoes
    The exact size isn't important — cutting each potato into three or four slices is usually fine. What matters is that all the chunks are about the same size so that they cook evenly.
    Advertisement
  3. Watermark wikiHow to Make Steamed Sweet Potatoes
    Steaming the sweet potatoes means exposing them to hot steam without submerging them in the boiling water below them. To do this, first put your potato chunks into a steam tray, which is a metal device that sits in a pot above the boiling water. Put the full steam tray in a large pot with two cups of water at the bottom.
    • If you don't have a steam tray, you can improvise one from a small metal strainer. You can even put a clean cooking rack at the bottom of your pot.
  4. Watermark wikiHow to Make Steamed Sweet Potatoes
    Put the pot + steam tray on the stove over high heat. Cover the pot. When the water reaches a strong boil, reduce the heat to medium. Let the potatoes cook this way until soft all the way through.
    • Depending on how big the sweet potato pieces are, cooking times will vary from about 15-20 minutes. A good policy is to check the potatoes for done-ness after about 12 minutes. You can do this by prodding them with a fork. If the fork slides in easily, the potato is cooked. If they still feel hard, cook for another 5 minutes.
    • Remove the pot lid carefully — the escaping steam can burn you.
  5. Watermark wikiHow to Make Steamed Sweet Potatoes
    When the sweet potatoes are soft, they're ready to eat. Turn off the heat and transfer them to a serving plate. Serve immediately. Season as desired.
    • Sweet potatoes are (obviously) naturally sweet, so you can enjoy them as-is if you wish. In the next section, however, we've provided a few easy serving suggestions if you don't want to eat them plain.
    6. Advertisement
Method 2
Method 2 of 2:

Recipe Variations

PDF download Download Article
  1. This classic combination tastes just as good on sweet potatoes as it does on normal potatoes. It's not fancy, but it's always a fine choice.
    • If you wish, you can simply toss the potatoes with butter, salt, and pepper once they finish steaming. However, if you're dining with picky eaters, you may want to serve the potatoes plain with butter, salt, and pepper on the side so everyone can have as much as they want.
  2. Watermark wikiHow to Make Steamed Sweet Potatoes
    Garlic may not seem like a good accompaniment for sweet potatoes, but its zesty flavor actually compliments the vegetable's smoothness well. Don't use too much, however, as it can overpower the mild flavors of sweet potatoes easily. Here's just one way to make a garlicky sweet potato dish:
    • Steam the potatoes as normal.
    • Add olive oil, chopped garlic, and rosemary to a serving bowl with the potatoes. Stir well to combine and coat the potatoes evenly.
    • Garnish with ground pumpkin seeds for presentation.
  3. Onion is another savory vegetable that pairs well with sweet potatoes. Like garlic, it's something you won't want to add too much of or you risk overpowering the potatoes. For best results, use white, yellow, or sweet onions — red onions have a little less sugar, so they're less sweet. [1]
    • Adding onions to a sweet potato dish is easy: just chop half an onion into small bits and steam them in the pot along with the potatoes.
  4. Adding just the right spices to sweet potatoes can make them taste like a dessert without adding any extra calories. Sweet, pungent spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves tend to go best with sweet potatoes.
    • Sprinkle very lightly at first — you can always add more, but you can't take the spices off once you've already added them.
    5. Advertisement

How Do You Cook Sweet Potatoes?


Community Q&A

Search
Add New Question
  • Question
    How do I boil sweet potatoes?
    Community Answer
    Boil sweet potatoes for 15 to 20 minutes, until they are tender when pierced with a fork. Note: it will take less time if you cut the sweet potatoes into smaller pieces.
    Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
    Thank you for your feedback.
    If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
    Yes No
    Not Helpful 0 Helpful 6
Ask a Question
200 characters left
Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered.
Submit
      Advertisement

      Tips

      • Brown sugar glazes are another common accompaniment for sweet potatoes, but they're a little more difficult to pull off when you steam them. Your best bet is to make the glaze from brown sugar and melted butter, then baste the steamed potatoes with it and transfer them to a pre-heated oven. Since the potatoes are already steamed, take them out after 10 minutes or so. [2]
        Thanks
        Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
      • Sweet potatoes come in several different colors and tastes. They all cook roughly the same, so try mixing and matching for a multi-colored presentation.
        Thanks
        Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
      Submit a Tip
      All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published
      Name
      Please provide your name and last initial
      Submit
      Thanks for submitting a tip for review!
      Advertisement

      You Might Also Like

      How to
      Make Baked, Roasted, or Mashed Potatoes in the Microwave
      How to
      Prepare Instant Mashed Potatoes Using a Stove or Microwave
      How to
      Fix Gluey Mashed Potatoes
      How to
      Parboil Potatoes Perfectly Every Time
      How to
      Cook a Sweet Potato in the Microwave: Quick & Simple Recipes
      How to
      Store Cut Sweet Potatoes
      How to
      Blanch Potatoes
      Do You Have to Peel Potatoes? When to Peel & When Not To
      How to
      Make Gratin Dauphinoise Without Cream
      How to
      Cook Sweet Potatoes
      How to
      Boil Potatoes in the Microwave
      Super Simple & Delicious Microwave Baked Potato Recipe
      How to
      Bake Russet Potatoes
      How to
      Boil Potatoes
      Advertisement

      Expert Interview

      Thanks for reading our article! If you’d like to learn more about cooking, check out our in-depth interview with Sasha Reyes .

      References

      1. ↑ https://www.thenibble.com/reviews/main/vegetables/different-types-of-onions.asp
      2. ↑ https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/patrick-and-gina-neely/glazed-sweet-potatoes-recipe-1943354

      About This Article

      Article Summary X

      To make steamed sweet potatoes, start by peeling some sweet potatoes and cutting them into chunks. Then, place the chunks on a steam tray or in a small metal strainer and set the tray or strainer over a pot of water. Next, cover the pot and bring the water to a boil over high heat. Finally, once the water starts boiling, lower the heat to medium and steam the potatoes for 15-20 minutes. To learn how to make different recipes using steamed sweet potatoes, scroll down!

      Did this summary help you?
      In other languages
      Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 397,191 times.

      Reader Success Stories

      • Anonymous

        Jun 10, 2018

        "To peel a potato and cut then place on the steamer."
      Share your story

      Did this article help you?

      Advertisement