How to Microwave a Sweet Potato
If you don’t have time to sit around an oven and wait for your favorite side dish, you need to know How to Microwave a Sweet Potato! This simple kitchen hack is going to save you SO much time when you’re whipping up dinner.
How to Microwave a Sweet Potato
In a kitchen now filled with shiny new appliances like an air fryer and an Instant Pot, it can be easy to forget about the trusty old microwave. Once upon a time, it was the new kid on the block that all of the housewives went wild for! Now, our microwaves seem to be used solely for reheating leftovers at the office or making a bag of instant popcorn. Well, I’ve got a little trick up my sleeve that’ll make you appreciate your appliance a bit more!
Usually, sweet potatoes have got to be wrapped in foil and baked for what seems like forever – well, it definitely seems like an eternity when you’re hungry for dinner. Instead of playing the waiting game, have you ever considered just popping that sweet potato into the microwave for a few minutes…? I know, it seems crazy to just zap it like that, but I’ve mastered just the right method that works like a charm every time.
Did you know that sweet potatoes are loaded with all kinds of great stuff for your body? That means they’re good for you, even after you smother them with cinnamon butter! Plus, with this quick and easy method, you’ll be making them all the time and realizing that they plate well with pretty much any entree. Chicken, pork, beef, and seafood are all tasty when served with a sweet potato fresh from the microwave!
How to Cook a Sweet Potato in the Microwave
You’ll never go back to baking them in the oven again!
Prepare the potatoes. Scrub the sweet potatoes and pat them dry with a paper towel.
Pierce them. Use a fork and prick the surfaces of the potatoes all over so they release the steam while cooking.
Microwave the potatoes. Place the prepared sweet potatoes on a microwave safe plate and cook on high power for approximately 6-8 minutes.
Test the potatoes. Test for doneness by using a paring knife and inserting into the center of the potato. If the potato is still firm, cook for an additional 1-2 minutes until the knife easily slides into the potato.
Enjoy! You can enjoy your sweet potato immediately, OR you can place it on a baking sheet and place under the broiler to crisp the skin.
What to Serve With Microwaved Sweet Potatoes
Like I mentioned previously, there’s a pretty infinite list of entrees that go well with these easy to make sweet potatoes! They seriously taste great with everything. Here are just a few of my favorites!
While you could just serve this sweet potato with a sprinkle of salt and pepper, I like to dress mine up with butter, cinnamon, and some fresh parsley. It’s already delicious, but once it’s all dressed up, you’d really never believe it was cooked in the microwave!
Tips for Microwaving Sweet Potatoes
- Rule number one for microwaving anything – NO FOIL! While you need to bake sweet potatoes in foil, it’s disastrous to zap foil in the microwave.
- Don’t overdo it! If you microwave your sweet potato for too long, it’ll be mushy.
- Only smother your potatoes in butter after they’ve been microwaved. If you do so before, it may prevent the skin for crisping in the broiled afterwards (should you choose to broil them).
Check out more of my favorite sweet potato recipes!
- Savory Mashed Sweet Potatoes with Mascarpone and Brown Butter
- Sweet Potato Casserole with Cornflake Pecan Crust
- Sweet Potato Cupcakes with Marshmallow Meringue Frosting
- Butternut Squash Sweet Potato Soup
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Get the Recipe: Microwave Sweet Potato
Ingredients
- 4 large Sweet Potatoes or Yam
Equipment
- microwave
Instructions
- Scrub potatoes and pat dry with a paper towel.
- Use a fork and prick the surface of the potato all over to release the steam while cooking.
- Place the potatoes on a microwave safe plate and cook on high power for 6-8 minutes.
- Test for doneness by using a paring knife and inserting into the center of the potato. If the potato is still firm, cook for an additional 1-2 minutes until the knife easily slides into the potato.
- You can enjoy immediately OR you can place on a baking sheet and place under the broiler to crisp the skin.