Baked Sweet Potato
Ingredients
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- 4 sweet potatoes – medium (8–10 oz each), scrubbed and dried
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- unsalted butter – for serving
- salt – for serving
- black pepper – for serving
- ground cinnamon – for serving
Instructions
1. Heat the oven to 425°F (220°C) with a rack in the middle. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil or parchment to catch drips.
2. Rinse the sweet potatoes, scrub well, and pat completely dry.
3. Prick each sweet potato 6–8 times all over with a fork to vent steam.
4. Rub the sweet potatoes lightly with olive oil, then sprinkle evenly with the kosher salt.
5. Arrange on the baking sheet with space between each potato.
6. Bake until very tender throughout, 45–60 minutes depending on size; skins should look puffed with some caramelized spots and a skewer should slide in with no resistance (or 205–212°F/96–100°C internal temperature).
7. Let rest 5 minutes. Split lengthwise, fluff the flesh with a fork, and add unsalted butter, salt, black pepper, and ground cinnamon to taste. Serve hot.
Baked sweet potato is a simple, comforting side built on the natural sweetness and creamy texture of the tuber. The oven’s dry heat concentrates sugars, yielding fluffy flesh and pleasantly chewy, salty skin when oiled and seasoned. It pairs with both savory and sweet accents, taking well to butter, salt, pepper, or a dusting of cinnamon.
Historically, sweet potatoes have deep roots in the Americas, with Indigenous cultivation predating European contact. In the United States, the whole baked sweet potato became a cold-weather staple, appearing at homes, diners, and roadside stands. Similar traditions exist globally—such as Japanese yaki-imo—showing how slow, dry heat brings out the best in this ingredient while reflecting local tastes and methods.