Roasted Sweet Potatoes

This seasoned and roasted diced sweet potato is bursting with sweet, spicy, and smoky flavor! It has a soft inside and crispy golden exterior flecked with blackened seasonings. You'll want to add this to bowls, salads, and tacos!

It doesn't need to be fall to enjoy sweet potatoes! These roasted sweet potatoes are an almost weekly recipe in my house because they are packed with flavor but so easy to make.

The only staples that I cook as often as roasted sweet potatoes is probably roasted potatoes and roasted butternut squash.

In this post, I'm sharing a basic recipe for roasting diced sweet potatoes in the oven. I also share my favorite sweet potato seasoning blend, which is optional but so good!

Why this recipe works

• Reliable: I've made this recipe dozens, if not hundreds, of times! It is my tried and true way to roast diced sweet potato cubes so that they are soft, golden, and slightly crispy.
• Easy: All you need is 5 minutes of active time and 3 main ingredients to make this recipe.
• Versatile: Serve roasted sweet potato as a side or add to salads, bowls, or wraps.
• Easy to customize: This recipe features a smoky and lightly spicy seasoning blend, but you can use whatever spices you have on hand. You can peel the sweet potato or keep the skin on.

I use the same method to roast sweet potatoes in my sweet potato enchiladas and sweet potato tacos.

How to choose a sweet potato

Because the most important ingredient in this recipe is sweet potatoes, let's talk about how to choose the best sweet potato at the grocery store:

• Types of potatoes: I recommend orange-fleshed potatoes, most commonly known as Jewel or Garnet varieties. Purple, white, and Japanese sweet potatoes are starchier and have a different flavor than sweeter orange potatoes.
• Shape: I personally don't think that the shape of the potato matters much because the potato gets diced. That being said, it's easier to dice and peel a uniform potato than a lumpy, oblong and pointy one.
• Size: Larger sweet potatoes are easier to peel, but size doesn't matter too much.
• Avoid soft or wet sweet potatoes or potatoes with growths. This can be a sign that the sweet potato is going bad.

Other ingredients

Aside from sweet potato, the only required ingredients are oil and salt.

• Oil: I prefer olive oil when roasting vegetables. However, any neutral oil works well. Try avocado oil, canola oil, vegetable oil, etc.
• Salt: Even just a pinch of salt enhances the natural sweetness in sweet potatoes. I use kosher salt but any kind works. Adjust to taste.

My go-to seasoning blend includes a few pantry staples:

• Smoked paprika: This adds smokiness. An equal amount of regular paprika can be used if you don't have smoked paprika.
• Chipotle chili powder: This is like a spicy and smoky version of chili powder. It adds a bunch of flavor.
• Onion and garlic powder

Other seasonings to try on sweet potatoes: Cajun seasoning, taco seasoning, Italian seasoning, or just salt and pepper.

How to bake

Step one: Peel sweet potato skins (optional).

Step two: Dice sweet potato into one inch cubes.

Step three: Toss diced sweet potato with oil and seasonings in a large bowl.

Step four: Spread the sweet potato out on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Try not to overcrowd the potato pieces.

Step five: Bake at 400F for 30 minutes total. Remove from the oven and stir after 15 minutes (see above).

The sweet potatoes are ready when tender on the inside and crisp on the outside.

Tips for the best sweet potatoes

• Don't skip the oil: Oil is what gives roasted sweet potatoes their golden, crisp exterior. The easiest way to make sure that each piece of sweet potato is coated in oil is to toss them with clean hands.
• Use parchment paper for easy cleanup. You can roast it directly on a sheet pan but make sure that it is non-stick.
• Use a large sheet pan and don't overfill the pan. An overcrowded pan yields soft and steamed sweet potatoes instead of crispy potatoes. Try to leave a little bit of space between each piece and don't overlap any pieces.
• Size: Smaller sweet potato pieces are crispier, while larger pieces are softer. Cut each potato into 1" pieces. It's okay if the sweet potatoes aren't exactly uniform, but keeping them around the same sizes helps them cook evenly.
• Check the sweet potatoes instead of relying solely on a timer. I recommend stirring sweet potatoes about halfway through roasting for the most even bake.

Recipe FAQ

Storing

• Fridge: Store leftover sweet potatoes in an airtight container in the fridge for 4-5 days.
• Reheating: Roasted sweet potato is best reheated in the oven because reheating it in the microwave can soften it and make it soggy. Bake on a sheet pan at 350F for 8-10 minutes, until crisp.
• Freezing: Freeze for up to 3 months in an air-tight freezer bag or container. Reheat in the oven

More sweet potato recipes

Did you try this recipe? You can leave a star rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ in the recipe card or a review down in the comments section. I always appreciate your feedback! You can also follow along on my YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, and Pinterest or sign up for my newsletter!