Microwave Sweet Potato

Sweet potatoes are a wholesome, family-friendly food to enjoy year-round. They are hearty, fiber rich and feature a natural, earthy sweetness that will convince even the pickiest eaters to consume more veggies. Better yet, a microwave sweet potato is ready to eat in a flash: It can be on the table in about 12 minutes.

Cooking a sweet potato in the microwave is as easy as it gets. You can enjoy the potato’s soft, sweet flesh right out of the microwave, no recipe required. Or, make it your own by adding sweet or savory ingredients to transform the humble sweet potato into one of your favorite sweet potato recipes for breakfast, lunch, dinner or even dessert.

How to Cook a Sweet Potato in the Microwave

The microwave is great at heating leftovers, but it’s also a handy appliance to use for cooking all sorts of meals, from whipping up a vanilla mug cake to making perfect pasta in the microwave. For sweet potatoes, the process is as easy as poking holes into the tubers and cooking them for about 12 minutes, flipping them every four minutes. Every microwave and potato varies, so when it comes to how long to microwave a sweet potato, make sure to pierce the potato with a fork to test for doneness.

Once cooked, enjoy your microwave sweet potato just as it is. It’s so soft and sweet that it may not need any additions! Of course, you can always dress it lightly with olive oil, butter, and sugar or salt to give it a little oomph. Or, go further and top it with cheese, herbs, vegetables or other mix-ins. We offer several ideas in the Variations section so you can create a new meal every time.

Microwave Sweet Potato Ingredients

• Sweet potatoes: Choose medium-sized sweet potatoes that are all around the same size and shape so they cook evenly in the microwave. (Remember that there is a difference between yams and sweet potatoes, so make sure you know what to look for at the store.)
• Optional toppings: We often dress sweet potatoes with butter, maple syrup, chopped pecans and ground cinnamon, but those are not the only options. You’ll likely want to dress your sweet potato according to the season, style and occasion of your choosing. That’s where the fun comes in. Depending on what you add to it, you can turn your microwave sweet potato into a dessert, entree or side dish.

Directions

Step 1: Prep the sweet potatoes

JOSH RINK FOR TASTE OF HOME

Using a fork, poke holes in the sweet potatoes.

Editor’s Tip: No need to peel your sweet potatoes before microwaving them. Simply scrub the skins to remove any excess dirt or debris and then pat dry.

Step 2: Microwave until fork-tender

JOSH RINK FOR TASTE OF HOME

Arrange the sweet potatoes on a microwave-safe dish.

JOSH RINK FOR TASTE OF HOME

Cook in the microwave for four minutes.

JOSH RINK FOR TASTE OF HOME

Flip the sweet potatoes. Repeat until cooked through and fork-tender, 8 to 10 minutes longer.

Step 3: Top and serve

Add your chosen toppings to the sweet potatoes, and dig in.

Editor’s Tip: Slice the microwaved sweet potatoes in half lengthwise to make sweet potato boats for your toppings. You can also chop the sweet potatoes into chunks or small pieces and mix them with toppings to make sweet potato bowls. Or, mash them with a potato masher for easy mashed sweet potatoes.

JOSH RINK FOR TASTE OF HOME

Microwave Sweet Potato Variations and Toppings

• Holiday sweet potatoes: Top sweet potatoes with butter, maple syrup, cinnamon and marshmallows for a fun take on sweet potato casserole. Feel free to add dried cranberries and chopped toasted pecans for texture.
• Sweet potato pie: Lightly mash the sweet potatoes and drizzle them with sweetened condensed milk and melted butter, then add a drop of vanilla, a sprinkle of pumpkin pie spice and a dollop of whipped cream. It will taste like a deconstructed sweet potato pie.
• Breakfast sweet potato hash: Use cubed microwave sweet potatoes to make sweet potato hash for breakfast. Try topping the potatoes with black beans, fried eggs, sliced avocado, sour cream and a sprinkle of fresh cilantro.
• Loaded sweet potatoes: For a fun riff on loaded baked potatoes, top the sweet potatoes with shredded cheddar cheese, butter, sour cream, chopped cooked bacon, and chopped chives or scallions.
• Chili-topped sweet potatoes: Spoon vegetarian chili over the sweet potato, then top it with cheddar and sour cream. Or, for a meaty approach, use any of our best chili recipes.
• Sweet potato crisp: Add a dollop of softened cream cheese, a drizzle of honey and a generous sprinkle of cinnamon granola. This works as a breakfast or a dessert!

How to Store Microwave Sweet Potato

To store microwave sweet potatoes, let them cool and then place them in an airtight container. They will last three to four days in the fridge.

Can you freeze microwaved sweet potatoes?

You can freeze cooked sweet potatoes by letting them cool completely. Then, wrap them in storage wrap and place them in a freezer bag. They’ll keep up to six months in the freezer. Let them thaw in the fridge overnight before you reheat them.

How do you reheat microwave sweet potatoes?

To reheat your leftover sweet potatoes, microwave them in one-minute increments until they’re heated through, flipping them occasionally to promote even heating. You can also wrap them in foil and reheat them in a 350°F oven.

Microwave Sweet Potato Tips

JOSH RINK FOR TASTE OF HOME

Do you need to pierce a sweet potato before microwaving it?

Yes, you do need to pierce holes in a sweet potato before microwaving it. Sweet potatoes release steam as they cook, and they may burst without small holes to vent that steam slowly. This is probably the number one thing to remember when learning how to cook a sweet potato in the microwave.

How do you avoid overcooking a sweet potato in the microwave?

To avoid overcooking a sweet potato in the microwave, check and flip it every four minutes. Give it a gentle poke with a fork to see how softened it is. It’s done when a fork pokes into it relatively easily and doesn’t meet resistance.

As for how long to microwave a sweet potato, they should take about 12 minutes to cook in a microwave, but that time may increase if you add more than four medium-sized sweet potatoes to the microwave at once. There’s no harm in checking the sweet potatoes more frequently, either. You can check them every 30 to 60 seconds toward the end of the cooking time to see how they’re progressing.

What can you serve with microwaved sweet potatoes?

You can serve your microwave sweet potatoes with virtually anything, depending on the toppings you choose. For a breakfast sweet potato, make loaded breakfast baked potatoes or serve plain sweet potatoes alongside whole wheat or whole grain bread and fresh fruit. For a sweet potato entree, serve the potato alongside fresh or steamed greens and a protein. As a dessert, sweet potatoes make a great ending to seasonal fall and winter meals, especially on the Christmas or Thanksgiving table.

What else can you do with microwave sweet potatoes?

Use your microwave sweet potatoes in other recipes calling for cooked sweet potatoes or leftover mashed sweet potatoes. Simply microwave them until softened, then scoop out and mash the soft pulp to use in your recipe. Try out our favorite mashed sweet potatoes, sweet potatoes with marshmallows, sweet potato casserole with pecans and sweet potato dumplings.