Food Ingredients Vegetables Sweet Potato Roasted Sweet Potatoes Be the first to rate & review! A touch of sugar and high heat makes these the best simple sweet potatoes. By Renu Dhar Renu Dhar Renu is a personal chef, culinary instructor, and food blogger. Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Published on November 22, 2024 Tested by Julia Levy Tested by Julia Levy Julia Levy is an eater, maker and dabbler in all things food. With nearly a decade of work experience, over 1,000 recipes tested, hundreds of recipes developed and just as many articles published, she has become a veritable resource for all your food questions. Her work has appeared in Cooking Light, MyRecipes, Southern Living, Real Simple, Fine Cooking and other publications and websites. Meet the Food & Wine Test Kitchen Save Rate PRINT Share Close Photo: Food & Wine / Photo by Jen Causey / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Christina Daley Active Time: 10 mins Total Time: 45 mins Servings: 6 Jump to recipe The ways you can serve roasted sweet potatoes are endless. They can be a versatile side dish to roast chicken, flat-iron steak, and seared fish, tucked into salads, tacos, and burritos, or even stirred into fried rice and frittatas. However you eat them, this method for roasting them on the top rack of your oven at a high heat with just a touch of sugar ensures you have perfectly tender and slightly caramelized sweet potatoes. Since these sweet potatoes are so flexible, you might even want to make a double batch. Eat one for dinner tonight and freeze the rest in portions for a quick reheat to top your next grain bowl. Frequently Asked Questions Do you need to peel the sweet potatoes? Sweet potato peel is edible and can be left on or removed depending on your preference. Leaving the skin on adds fiber and gives the sweet potatoes a slightly different look. Can you swap the sugar for honey or maple syrup? Yes, any type of sweetener can be used in these sweet potatoes, or even omitted if you like, but the potatoes won’t have the same caramelized color. Notes from the Food & Wine Test Kitchen Be sure the sweet potatoes are in a single layer with a little space between the pieces so they cook evenly on all sides instead of steaming in the oven. Make ahead Refrigerate cooked sweet potatoes for up to three days or freeze for up to three months. Cook Mode (Keep screen awake) Ingredients 2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled if desired and cut into 1/2-inch pieces (about 6 cups) 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 teaspoon light brown sugar 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt 1/2 teaspoon black pepper 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper (optional) Directions Preheat oven to 450°F with rack in upper third position. Stir together sweet potatoes, oil, sugar, salt, and black pepper on a large rimmed baking sheet until potatoes are evenly coated; spread into an even layer. Bake on upper rack until crisp and golden brown, about 35 minutes, rotating pan front to back and gently flipping potatoes during last 10 minutes. Sprinkle with crushed red pepper, if using. Rate It Print