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HomeCourseMeal Prep

How To Boil Sweet Potatoes

Cheryl Malik
Cheryl Malik Posted: 11/03/22 Updated: 12/11/24
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GF Gluten Free DF Dairy Free VG Vegan V Vegetarian 30 Whole30
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Knowing how to boil sweet potatoes will make your time in the kitchen so much easier! We’ll show you step-by-step how to get foolproof, perfect potatoes that you can use as the base for sweet potato casserole, whipped sweet potatoes, and more.

Overhead view of a large white bowl of cubed sweet potatoes, showing how to boil sweet potatoes for the holidays.

What Makes This Method So Good

  • Boiling sweet potatoes is so much faster than roasting them. While I love a good roasted sweet potato, that method can take a while… We’re talking over an hour for especially large spuds to cook through completely. Boiled sweet potatoes, though? 20 minutes, tops.
  • Knowing how to boil sweet potatoes makes meal prep a breeze! You can have a big batch of potatoes ready to go and use it as needed, in different ways, throughout the week. Store them in an airtight container in the fridge up to 5 days.

What We Love About Sweet Potatoes

  • Sweet potatoes are super nutritious. They’re high in fiber, vitamin A (which is important for vision and brain function), vitamin C, and more! They also have antioxidants that are great for immune system support, and studies have also shown that they promote a healthy gut.

Chef’s Tips

  • Sweet potatoes – to peel, or not to peel? Honestly, that one is completely up to you. I usually always peel mine, but the skin tastes good and is perfectly safe to eat, so you certainly don’t have to. If you decide not to peel them, be sure you wash and scrub them very well before cooking. Since sweet potatoes grow in the dirt, they carry some of that dirt with them right to your kitchen.
  • It’s important that you chop the sweet potatoes into evenly-sized cubes before boiling them. 1-inch or 2-inch cubes are fine so long as they’re all uniform. Unevenly-sized cubes will cook unevenly, giving you a mix of mushy, overcooked sweet potatoes and dense, undercooked sweet potatoes.
  • Don’t rely just on the cook time. To really know if your sweet potatoes are ready, start checking the doneness by poking them with a fork after they’ve been boiling for 10 minutes. If the fork slides easily through the center of the potato, you’re good to go.
  • Unlike pasta, you don’t want to add raw potatoes to already-boiling water. The hot water would cause the potatoes to cook from the outside in toward the center. That means that, by the time the centers are fully cooked, the outsides are overdone. By bringing the water to a boil with the potatoes, the potatoes cook slowly and evenly.
Overhead view of a large white bowl of cubed, boiled sweet potatoes on a table with a white tablecloth.

Our Favorite Sweet Potato Recipes

  • Creamy Scalloped Sweet Potatoes
  • Whipped Sweet Potatoes
  • Sweet Potato Pudding
  • Frozen Sweet Potato Fries in the Air Fryer
  • Sweet Potato Rice
  • Crockpot Sweet Potatoes

If you loved this recipe as much as we did, don’t forget to leave us a review below. ★ Follow Easy Healthy Recipes on Pinterest, Facebook, and Instagram, too!

 

For more delicious recipes, visit our sister sites, 40 Aprons and Easy Cheap Recipes.

Overhead view of a large white bowl of cubed, boiled sweet potatoes on a table with a white tablecloth.

How To Boil Sweet Potatoes

Prep: 15 minutes minutes
Cook: 20 minutes minutes
Total: 35 minutes minutes
Learn how to boil sweet potatoes perfectly with these easy instructions!
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8 servings

Ingredients

  • 3 pounds sweet potatoes washed, peeled, cubed
  • cold water enough to cover potatoes
  • 1 big pinch salt
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Equipment

  • vegetable scrub brush or dish towel, optional
  • Cutting board
  • potato peeler
  • Sharp knife
  • Large pot no lid needed
  • Fork
  • Colander

Instructions 

  • Using vegetable brush, dish towel, or hands, scrub sweet potatoes under running water, removing any surface dirt. Carefully peel sweet potatoes, then chop potatoes into small, evenly-sized cubes.
    Overhead view of cubed sweet potatoes on a cutting board next to a whole sweet potato.
  • Place cubed potatoes in large pot. Fill pot with enough water that waterline rests 1" above top of potatoes.
    Overhead view of cubed sweet potatoes in water in a large pot.
  • Heat pot over medium-high heat. When water begins to boil, immediately reduce heat to medium. Simmer potatoes, uncovered, 10 to 20 minutes, or until potatoes can easily be pierced with tines of fork.
  • Once potatoes are tender, carefully remove pot from heat. Pour water and potatoes into colander to drain. Use boiled sweet potatoes as desired.
    Overhead view of cubed sweet potatoes in a silver colander on a white table.

Notes

  • If your pot is too full or heavy for you to comfortably pour the hot water and potatoes into a colander, you can use a slotted spoon to remove the potatoes from the pot instead.
  • Cook time will vary depending on the size of the sweet potato cubes. Smaller cubes will cook faster than larger ones, so try to keep them all as even as possible. 

Nutrition Information

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 146kcal | Protein: 3g | Fat: 0.1g | Saturated Fat: 0.03g | Total Carbs: 34g | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 7g | Net Carbs: 29g | Vitamin C: 4mg | Sodium: 142mg | Potassium: 573mg | Calcium: 51mg | Iron: 1mg

Number of total servings shown is approximate. Actual number of servings will depend on your preferred portion sizes.

 

Nutritional values shown are general guidelines and reflect information for 1 serving using the ingredients listed, not including any optional ingredients. Actual macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands and types of ingredients used.

 

To determine the weight of one serving, prepare the recipe as instructed. Weigh the finished recipe, then divide the weight of the finished recipe (not including the weight of the container the food is in) by the desired number of servings. Result will be the weight of one serving.

© Author: Cheryl Malik

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A white woman with long brunette hair stands in a light grey kitchen drinking a green smoothie and wearing a seafoam apron.

meet cheryl

Foodie turned food blogger, I've been developing and sharing my flavor-packed, approachable recipes for more than a decade now! In addition to blogging, I'm also a certified health coach, serial entrepreneur, and busy mom of 3. I believe food should be delicious, nutritious meals don't need to be complicated, anyone can cook, and fed is best no matter your age.

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