Spoon University Logo
photo 1544889980 d15efad9ec23?ixlib=rb 1.2
photo 1544889980 d15efad9ec23?ixlib=rb 1.2
Lifestyle

How to Roast the Perfect Sweet Potato

This article is written by a student writer from the Spoon University at U Penn chapter.

As a sweet potato aficionado, I’ve tried my fair share of cooking methods. From roasting to sautéing to grilling, I’ve probably attempted to cook a sweet potato almost every way possible way. After many, many tries, I have finally found the perfect way to cook a sweet potato. With just minimal prep and a little patience, you will have a gooey, caramelized sweet potato

Step 1:

Buy a sweet potato (roughly one pound). I am a huge fan of Japanese sweet potatoes. They are purple on the outside and white on the inside. They tend to be richer and doughier in consistency than regular sweet potatoes, but still extremely sweet.

sweet potato
Isabel Hebner

Step 2:

Place your sweet potato on tin foil in the oven to ensure no leakage of juices into your oven.

sweet potato
Isabel Hebner

Step 3:

Turn the oven to 400 degrees and set a timer for 1.5 hours.

Old pocket watch photo by Veri Ivanova (@veri_ivanova) on Unsplash
Unsplash on Unsplash

Step 4:

When the timer finishes, turn the oven off. The key here is to keep the oven closed and leave the sweet potatoes in. This is when they caramelize in their skin and become sweet and gooey and oh so delicious!

sweet potato
Isabel Hebner

Step 5:

When ready to eat, take out of the oven and eat it with just about anything!

sweet potato
Isabel Hebner

I am a cross country and track and field athlete at UPenn and I LOVE all things food! I love spending my free time at farmers markets and supporting local eateries. I am always down to try the newest restaurants but do love the classics as well. If I'm not running or eating, you can probably find me at Whole Foods browsing the isles or at a book store checking out something new to read.