Sweet potatoes are a great source of fiber, rich in vitamin A, vitamin C, iron, calcium and they are sweeter than their white, red, or gold cousins. The fiber content in sweet potatoes helps to improve digestion. Tender and fluffy sweet potatoes are a delight especially when the weather’s cool outside.
This article offers all you need to know about how to bake sweet potatoes in the oven and how long to bake a sweet potato at 400 and 350 Fahrenheit in the oven.
Using our step-by-step recipe, you can make a warm, filling, nourishing meal that is easy to prepare and cook with no fuss.
What is the best temperature to bake sweet potatoes in oven?
Cook temperature is one important factor that determines the result of your sweet potatoes. You don’t want the temperature to be too low to waste your time or too high to burn your food.
For a relatively cook quick, the best temperature to bake sweet potatoes in the oven is 400 Fahrenheit. This temperature is hot enough to get the tender and fluffy texture in one hour and not so hot to allow the potatoes to burn.
How long to bake a sweet potato at 400 degrees and 350 degrees?
The standard temperatures for cooking sweet potatoes in the oven are 350 degrees and 400 degrees.
The sizes of your sweet potatoes also affect the time of cooking. At equal temperatures, different sizes of potatoes cook properly at different times.
- Very small sized sweet potatoes (under 2-inches wide): 30 minutes
- Medium or Small-sized tubers (2 – 3 inches): will be tender in 40 minutes – 1 hour. Weigh approximately 200g.
- Large size tubers (3-inches wide and above): could bake for up to 1 hour or more to be tender and fluffy. Weigh approximately 1lb – 450g.
To get the same result at 350 Fahrenheit oven temperature, cook sweet potatoes for additional 5-10 minutes. This will give you the same tender and fluffy texture.
Sweet Potatoes Recipe at 400 Degrees in Oven
Ingredients
- Sweet Potatoes
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Clean your sweet potatoes. Scrub and rinse your sweet potatoes clean with a vegetable brush - to ensure you don't end up with dirt or debris in your meal. This is important especially if you want to eat the skin. After washing, dry sweet potatoes with a clean paper towel
- Poke with a fork - sweet potatoes build up steam and heat when they cook. Poke sweet potatoes 4 to 5 times to ensure that they don't burst while cooking.
- If you like to eat the sweet potatoes skin, drizzle a little oil (to enhance flavor and crunchiness) and sprinkle some salt and pepper over each one.
- If you prefer a softer skin, wrap each sweet potato in aluminum foil or leave unwrapped if you prefer a crispier skin.
- If sweet potatoes are left unwrapped, place a baking sheet on the bottom rack of the oven. The baking pan catches the dripping that may occur when cooking unwrapped potatoes in the oven at 400 Fahrenheit.
- Arrange sweet potatoes on the middle rack. Set your timer depending on the sizes of sweet potatoes.
- To check your sweet potatoes for doneness, pierce gently with a knife or fork to see if it slides in smoothly without resistance.
- Serve. Cut sweet potatoes open and season with your favorite toppings. Add margarine and species. You can use savory spices like salt, pepper, rosemary, garlic; or add sweet spices like cinnamon, sugar, coconut oil
Should I use aluminum foil?
Let’s answer one of the most frequently asked questions we receive about sweet potatoes. Should I use aluminum foil to wrap my potatoes? There is no right or wrong answer. It all depends on what you prefer and enjoy. You can use aluminum foil if you like or not. But you need to have all the information.
If you enjoy eating sweet potatoes with softer, tender, and fluffy skin, then wrap your sweet potatoes in aluminum foil before you slide them into the oven.
If you prefer your sweet potatoes to have crispier and crunchy skin, then leave them naked before you slide them into the oven.
Note: wrapping sweet potatoes in foil makes for easy clean-up. So if you don’t care about how the skin turns out and want to save some clean-up time, you can wrap your sweet potatoes beforehand.
If you don’t mind the extra cleaning effort and desire the crispier skin of sweet potatoes, feel free to bake your sweet potatoes naked.
Is it better to peel the potatoes?
Despite being rich in nutrients, some people don’t like the texture or taste of sweet potato skin, so they want to know if it is okay to peel the skin and when they should do that.
Once your sweet potatoes are done, it is okay if you want to peel them. Sweet potatoes are extremely easy to peel when cooked in the oven.
However, it is not better to peel the potatoes before cooking. Peeling the potatoes before cooking increases the rate of oozing of natural sugars and nutrients from the potato. They also increase the rate of stickiness on the baking sheet.
If you want to peel the skin, wait till the sweet potatoes are done.
Sweet potato skin has lots of great nutrients, and not having to peel the potatoes is a big time-saver. Just make sure that you wash and scrub them so they’re really clean. Also, don’t forget to poke the skin severally with a fork. The holes you create will prevent the potato from exploding in the oven.
Can I increase the temperature to cook faster?
When cooking sweet potatoes, you can increase the temperature to cook faster. As you increase the temperature, the cooking time will reduce. The best temperature for cooking sweet potatoes is between 350 to 400 Fahrenheit.
Any temperature above 400 degrees will likely cause the sweet potatoes to burn.
The best vegetables to eat with sweet potatoes
If you prefer a savory dinner, you can try some of the best vegetables to eat with sweet potatoes, just like:
- Caramelized onions;
- Garlicky chickpeas;
- Feta and fresh herbs;
- Roasted broccoli is also a favorite.
The best side dishes to eat with sweet potatoes
Sweet potatoes are a delight. They make for a warm, filling, delicious, and versatile meal.
Some of the various side dishes to eat with sweet potatoes include:
- With scrambled eggs, like breakfast potatoes;
- Beef;
- You could also stuff your sweet potatoes with shredded chicken;
- Pork chops with apples are a delicious side dish during fall;
- A substitute for regular fries with ketchup for dipping.
Tips and tricks to improve your recipe
Some important tips and tricks to remember.
If you’re cooking more than one potato in the oven, try to keep them about the same size.
Always check the largest size potato to make sure it is cooked properly.
Weigh potatoes on a scale for the most accurate cooking time.
To enjoy your sweet potato light and fluffy, drop the cooked sweet potato from around 10 inches above the cutting board or baking dish.
Brush the skin of the potato lightly with olive oil to enhance crunchiness and flavor.
So, do you already know how long does it take to bake sweet potatoes at 400 degrees? Pease, feel free to leave your comments below!
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