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You are here: Home / Recipes by Category / Side Dishes/Vegetables / Instant Pot Sweet Potatoes

Instant Pot Sweet Potatoes

June 4, 2018

Last modified on October 1st, 2018

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This post may contain affiliate links, which means I get a small percentage of the sale at no extra cost to you. I only recommend items I love and have had a positive experience with. Thank you!

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Instant Pot Sweet Potatoes on a blue plate

One time is all it will take to forever convert you to making sweet potatoes this way.  The Instant Pot works it's magic again!  Creamy, smooth, and cooked to perfection every time!


Every time I eat a sweet potato I hear Rachael Ray's voice in my head saying, “Sweet potatoes are the number one most nutrient dense food in the produce section.”  Well okay then.  Let's eat more of them.

Instant Pot Sweet Potatoes on a cutting board

I LOVE sweet potatoes!  Especially in this Sweet Potato, Spinach, and Sausage Breakfast Casserole and this heavenly Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecan Crumble.  My husband loves sweet potatoes with buffalo sauce.  My kids love them hidden in pancakes and muffins.  Hey, it works.

Check out this post on Sweet Potato Toppings to really amp up your sweet potato game.

You know how when you bake sweet potatoes in the oven, the sugary juice drips and ends up burning and smoking on the pan before they are cooked all the way through?  Super stinky, smoky, and annoying.  This recipe here solves your problem.

HOW TO COOK A SWEET POTATO IN THE INSTANT POT

First

Scrub sweet potatoes cleanInstant Pot Sweet Potatoes on a steamer basket

Second

Place in Instant Pot

Third

Press some buttons

That's it.  DoneInstant Pot Sweet Potatoes on a steamer basket

No poking holes in the sweet potatoes, no watching, no checking, no squeezing to see if they are done . . .  Nope.  Pressing buttons is the hardest part of this job.

This hands off method makes you free as a bird to focus on your main entree or to prep toppings to make these sweet potatoes the main entree.

I seriously couldn't love this more.

While we're at it, here's a little sweet potato fun fact for you:

WHAT'S THE DIFFERNECE BETWEEN A SWEET POTATO AND A YAM

I used to think that a yam was the orange potato and the sweet potato was the white one sitting near by.  But guess what, those are both sweet potatoes and the chance that you've ever actually eaten a real yam is unlikely.  You've probably never even seen a real yam in your regular grocery store.

So long story short, what you have been buying and cooking all these years is called a sweet potato.  The white version cooks up more firm and waxy.  The orange version cooks up creamy and fluffy.

To make things a bit more confusing, when you go to a grocery store and see a sign that says sweet potato it will likely be the white sweet potato.  If you see a sign that says yams, it will be the orange.  But don't quote me on that, because I saw the reverse just the other day.

So basically you've never eaten a true yam and if you want a creamy and fluffy sweet potato, go for the one with the orange flesh.

Comprende?

For more details on this fascinating subject, see this post by The Kitchn.

Stay tuned for my favorite sweet potato toppings ideas!  I'll take you from sweet to savory and from breakfast to dinner!

Enjoy!


Instant Pot Sweet Potatoes on a cutting board

Tools used to make Instant Pot Sweet Potatoes

Instant Pot

Steamer Basket I love this collapsible one!

*This post contains affiliate links. Thank you!

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Instant Pot Sweet Potatoes

Instant Pot Sweet Potatoes on a cutting board
Print Recipe

★★★★★

5 from 2 reviews

Sweet, moist, fluffy sweet potatoes every time!  The Instant Pot is the ONLY way to cook a sweet potato.  One try will make you a believer!

  • Author: Marci
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Cook Time: 20 minutes
  • Total Time: 35 minutes
  • Yield: 1-8 servings
  • Category: Side Dish
  • Method: Instant Pot
  • Cuisine: American

Ingredients

sweet potatoes, scrubbed clean (1 or up to 8 medium size potatoes, possibly more in an 8 quart)

Instructions

  1. Add 1 cup of water to the pressure cooker pot and place trivet or a steamer basket inside.  Stack potatoes inside, larger ones on the bottom, smaller on the top.  Secure the lid and turn pressure release knob to a sealed position.  Cook at high pressure for 20 minutes.
  2. When cooking is complete, use a natural release.  Could also use a quick release if needed, but they are a bit more moist with a natural.
  3. Serve with desired toppings like butter, cinnamon, cheddar cheese, buffalo chicken, etc.

Notes

  • Plan ahead and place scrubbed potatoes in the pressure cooker and set the delay timer.  The potatoes can rest in the pressure cooker for up to an hour and stay perfectly cooked.

Keywords: instant pot, sweet potato, healthy side dish

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Marci at Tidbits
Marci

Welcome! I’m Marci, wife to my motorcycle dream man and mother of 3. I have a passion for creating and cooking delicious masterpieces in my kitchen and am ecstatic to share my discoveries on TIDBITS! I like my food tasty, wholesome, memorable, and always, ALWAYS followed by dark, salty chocolate.

I love to see what you're cooking from my blog! Show me your creations on Instagram using hashtag #MARCITIDBITS
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Tags: sweet potato
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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Bec says

    May 22, 2019

    Is there any advantage to microwaving the sweet potatoes first to help the middle? Or no need to? Some of mine are so big, bit worried the middle won’t cook.

    Reply
    • Marci says

      May 23, 2019

      Bec, no need to microwave first, just add extra time if they are especially large.

      Reply
  2. Shelley says

    December 13, 2018

    Loved this! So simple, peel just slipped off, no drips or burns like in the oven… amazing. Never turning back to oven baked again!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Marci says

      December 13, 2018

      Shelley, I agree! I haven’t baked a potato in the oven for years! They come out so creamy in the pressure cooker.

      Reply
  3. Anne says

    June 12, 2018

    How long does the natural pressure release take? Thanks!

    Reply
    • Marci says

      June 12, 2018

      Anne, 10 – 15 minutes. Or you can do a quick if you’re in a big hurry.

      Reply
  4. Nanci says

    June 7, 2018

    Marci – Once the sweet potatoes are done, what is the best way to peel them? Or do you peel before placing in pot? I too agree – every time I see a sweet potato, I think of Rachael Ray and her comments!

    Reply
    • Marci says

      June 9, 2018

      Nanci, after they are cooked the peel falls right off. I wouldn’t peel them first, I think the peel helps to keep it together until you’re ready to serve it.

      Reply
      • Nanci says

        June 9, 2018

        They came out perfectly! Thank YOU!

        ★★★★★

  5. Anaid says

    June 6, 2018

    Marci,
    Thank you for all the recipes you post. I have your book and I also use many of the recipes from Tidbits, and they are all great.
    I make sweet potatoes that are coated with a mixture of chili powder, cumin and salt, wrapped in foil and baked in oven or Slow Cooker.
    Would it be possible to do that in Instant Pot? Would the foil be a problem? Or would the spices be a problem without the foil?
    Thanks,
    Anaid

    Reply
    • Marci says

      June 7, 2018

      Anaid, thank you! And I think that coating sounds amazing. I would coat it and wrap it just the same. I believe 20 minutes should still be enough to cook it. Let me know if you try it!

      Reply
  6. Karen says

    June 4, 2018

    I actually had this conversation with the produce manager at our local grocery store. I was pretty shocked to learn that despite their labeling sweet potatoes as yams, that I have also not likely had a yam in my life! All these years, I thought I was making candied yams for Thanksgiving and it was just a very sweet-sweet potato! who knew! 🙂

    Reply
    • Marci says

      June 5, 2018

      Karen, I know! I feel so deceived 😉

      Reply

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