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    Home / Recipes / Side Dishes

    Perfect Baked Sweet Potatoes

    By Heather · Published: Apr 5, 2016 · Updated: Mar 22, 2021 · This post may contain affiliate links · See the privacy policy linked in my footer.

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Creamy and tender, these perfectly baked sweet potatoes are everything you want your potato to be. It's all the in the "secret step"!Baked Sweet Potatoes

    Sweet potatoes, do you love them? I know there are plenty of haters out there but I'm sure that most of you are fans, am I right? If so, you're going to love this method for baking the perfectly baked sweet potatoes.

    THE TRICK TO PERFECTLY BAKED SWEET POTATOES

    When it comes to sweet potatoes, baking them is definitely the way to go. If you've ever tried to microwave one, you know you're better off taking the extra time to put them in the oven as they just aren't that good. But when they are baked right, they turn into little satchels of creamy, sweet heaven.

    There's a lot of debate at which is the RIGHT way to bake them, but, for obvious reasons,  I think my method is the best so that's what I'm going to show you today. It's a little unconventional and takes a bit of planning ahead, but I think it's totally worth it.

    My method is two steps: Brine and then roast at HIGH heat.

    THE BRINE FOR BAKED SWEET POTATOES

    The process of brining is typically used for meats because it makes meat moister by hydrating the cells of its muscle tissue before cooking and consists of soaking your food in a super salt saturated solution. Doing this with the sweet potatoes not only makes the finished potato super creamy, it adds just a bit of flavor to the baked potato that you can't get just from salting it after cooking.

    For my potato solution I used 1 C of Kosher salt and 8 C warm water. I let the potatoes soak for 8 hours this time but I've soaked them as little as 2 hours and have still had good results. Since the potatoes float, I just flip them when I walk into the kitchen or think about it so they are soaked evenly. You could also weight them down with a bowl or plate if you wanted.

    Baked Sweet Potatoes

    Once they've had a good, long soak you'll want to dry them really well before placing on a baking sheet.

    Baked Sweet Potatoes

    HOW TO COOK PERFECTLY BAKED SWEET POTATOES

    I roast my potatoes at 450 degrees for about 45 minutes. Bigger potatoes might take a few minutes more but you'll know it's done if you can pierce a fork through the middle without any resistance. The high heat makes them cook quickly and prevents them from "steaming" themselves with the residual moisture left on the skin from the brine. It also makes the skin slightly crisp which makes separating the skin from the meat super easy as you're eating. I'm not a big fan of eating the skin, but for what it's worth, it's well seasoned from the brine and doesn't taste awful. I just don't like the texture.

    Baked Sweet Potatoes

    From here, you have a perfectly creamy and tender sweet potato for topping however you wish! Truthfully, my favorite way is straight-up with a little butter and pepper. I'm boring, I know, but I'd love to hear how you like to top yours!

    Baked Sweet Potatoes

    More Potato Recipes You Might Like

    • Au Gratin Potato Recipe
    • Steakhouse Potatoes
    • Grilled Sweet Potatoes
    • Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes
    • Oven Roasted Potatoes
    Baked Sweet Potatoes

    Perfect Baked Sweet Potatoes

    Creamy and tender, these perfectly baked sweet potatoes are everything you want your potato to be. It's all the in the "secret step"!
    By Heather Cheney
    Print Pin Rate
    Prep Time: 10 minutes
    Cook Time: 55 minutes
    Soaking Time: 8 hours
    Total Time: 9 hours 5 minutes
    Servings: 4 baked sweet potatoes

    Ingredients

    • 4 whole sweet potatoes washed
    • 1 cup kosher salt
    • 8 cup warm water

    Instructions

    • Combine water with salt in a large bowl and stir until most of the salt is dissolved. Place sweet potatoes in water and let soak for 2-8 hours.
    • Preheat oven to 450 degrees
    • Remove potatoes from brine and dry well with paper towels. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 45-55 minutes, or until a fork inserted in the middle goes in without resistance.
    • Remove from oven and serve hot!

    Nutrition Facts

    Serving: 1 potato | Calories: 300 kcal | Sodium: 28293 mg | Vitamin A: 140 IU | Calcium: 18 mg | Iron: 0.2 mg

    Nutrition and Food Safety Disclosure

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Tom says

      September 05, 2021 at 4:28 pm

      5 stars
      Whether russets or sweets, I use an iron skillet with ROCK salt (ice cream salt) generously covering the the bottom of the pan. Re-use the salt next time, no foil, virtually no cleanup!

      Reply
    2. Mary says

      November 28, 2019 at 7:05 am

      5 stars
      So yummy and easy.

      Reply
    3. Mark says

      February 18, 2019 at 10:25 pm

      What brand of kosher salt did you use for the recipe?

      Reply
      • Heather Cheney says

        February 22, 2019 at 12:25 pm

        I use Morton brand Kosher Salt

        Reply
    4. Linda Stanko says

      December 22, 2018 at 5:04 pm

      5 stars
      I was skeptical at first but decided to try,,,OMG !!!!! I will never bake another sweet potato without brining them frist !

      Reply
    5. Sherry says

      May 23, 2018 at 8:43 am

      5 stars
      The baked sweet potato’s soaked in Kosher salt are truly the best I have ever had in my life (upper 50’’s) seriously.. Thank you for sharing with everyone. I wish you had an app.

      Reply
      • Heather Cheney says

        May 23, 2018 at 9:59 am

        I'm so glad you enjoyed them! Maybe an app is in my future... someday. 🙂

        Reply
      • Sherry M says

        July 28, 2018 at 9:41 am

        5 stars
        I am in my upper 50’s as well. These are indeed the best sweet potatoes ever!

        Reply
    6. Maddie Ferguson says

      August 12, 2017 at 7:04 am

      Does the salt seep into the sweet potato itself? I have a 1 year old i would like to feed sweet potatoes to, but I'm not sure I like the idea of too much salt getting into her system.

      Reply
    7. Jill Parcell says

      July 29, 2017 at 3:28 pm

      5 stars
      Made these tonight! Easiest and best recipe ever for baked sweet potatoes! Will do it this way every time!

      Reply
    8. Teresa says

      March 30, 2017 at 7:23 pm

      How many pts dor a large baked sweet potato

      Reply
    9. sandy says

      May 12, 2016 at 7:52 am

      Went to a restaurant recently where you could get your baked sweet potato with cinnamon sugar or marshmallow fluff. Yum!

      Reply
    10. Rach's Recipes says

      April 11, 2016 at 1:30 am

      5 stars
      Baked potatoes are always a great idea! Love them especially with some hummus on the side.

      Reply
      • Heather Cheney says

        April 15, 2016 at 12:26 pm

        Ooh, I haven't tried them with hummus! Sounds good.

        Reply

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