These roasted sweet potato cubes are one of my absolute favorite fall side dishes. They’re super simple to throw together and roast up beautifully with creamy insides and sweet and salty flavor that goes so well with almost any main dish.
Ingredient Notes
Sweet potatoes: Sweet potatoes come in a variety of colors, and you can roast any of them, but I recommend going with the red/orange-skinned, orange-flesh varieties for their flavor and creamy texture. Lighter color, white-flesh varieties are also quite good if you prefer a firmer sweet potato. I don’t love purple sweet potatoes for roasting. Olive oil: Olive oil not only keeps the potatoes from sticking to the tray as they bake but adds flavor as well. Don’t skimp on it! Salt and pepper: Sweet potatoes are delicious when roasted with just salt and pepper, but you can use your favorite seasoning salt or blend if you prefer. Or experiment with flavors like chili powder, cumin, or paprika.
Yams vs Sweet Potatoes
And a quick note on yams vs sweet potatoes so you don’t get confused at the grocery store. For years in the US, we’ve been calling the “soft” variety of sweet potatoes yams as a way to differentiate them from “firm” sweet potatoes, which cook up firmer and waxier than the soft varieties. If you’re buying it in a large US supermarket, it’s probably a sweet potato, no matter what the label says. True yams are actually an entirely different type of tuber.
True Yams: Native to Africa and Asia. They have a distinctive bark-like skin and are starchy and not very sweet. Not usually very common in US chain grocery stores. Sweet Potatoes: Smoother skin with tapered ends. Sweeter than true yams and come in a variety of colors from white to red to purple.
Long story short, when you go shopping for sweet potatoes, don’t worry if the thing you’re buying is labeled “yam.” As long as it looks like a sweet potato, that’s almost certainly what it is.
How to Cut Sweet Potatoes for Roasting
If you’ve never cut a sweet potato before, you might be a little surprised at how dense and difficult to cut through they can be compared to a regular potato. Using the proper cutting method will make your job a lot easier (and safer).
If your potatoes have very long skinny ends, with a sharp knife, cut them off before starting. Then cut a ½-inch piece off of one side of the sweet potato. Set the piece aside and turn the potato onto the cut side so you have a flat, stable surface for the potato to rest on and then cut it into ½-inch slices.
One at a time, cut each of the slices into ½-inch cubes, and you’re all set. This also works for cutting them into fries or large chunks. Just adjust your cuts as necessary.
How to Roast Sweet Potatoes
How long does it take to roast sweet potatoes?
Depending on the size of your sweet potato chunks, roasting sweet potatoes at 425°F should take between 20 and 30 minutes.
What’s a good dipping sauce for sweet potatoes?
If you want to dip your potatoes in something I recommend making a quick batch of garlic aioli or Greek yogurt aioli. The tangy aioli is so good paired with sweet potatoes and takes only minutes to make.
What to Serve With Roasted Sweet Potatoes
Serve the sweet potatoes as a side dish along with meaty mains like:
Tri-tip Marinated Steak Roasted Chicken
Or use them instead of meat in tacos, burritos, and salads. One of my absolute favorite ways to serve roasted sweet potatoes is topped with my easy chili recipe and a little sour cream and shredded cheese.
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