Sautéed Sweet Potatoes

Name: Sautéed Sweet Potatoes
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 12 min
Total time: 17 min
Ingredients: 1 sweet potato (large); 1 tablespoon unsalted butter; ¼ teaspoon garlic powder; ⅛ teaspoon cayenne; ¼ teaspoon kosher salt

Sautéed sweet potatoes are an easy, versatile addition to any breakfast, lunch, or dinner. This sweet and savory side is simply seasoned with salt, garlic powder, and cayenne for just a hint of heat.

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Cubed, sautéed sweet potatoes sit on a black plate with a gold fork on a white marble countertop with an off white linen.

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What You'll Need
How to Prepare
Variations
How to Store
FAQ
How to Serve
Recipes You'll Love
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💬 Comments

I recommend cutting your sweet potatoes into ½-inch by ½-inch cubes, which creates an even surface area for the heat to penetrate, and a beautiful exterior browning and crispness (without the potatoes burning while waiting for the interior to cook).

Most recipes for sautéed sweet potatoes you find will use olive oil. This is an excellent, healthy option. However, I find my version, which uses butter instead, emphasizes the richness and sweetness of the potatoes.

The addition of garlic is what makes them a fan favorite in my home. We love a traditional sweet potato, but would be hard-pressed to name many vegetables that aren't improved by some good old-fashioned garlic flavor.

What You'll Need

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Sweet Potatoes Feel free to use any kind of sweet potato here. I look for potatoes that are fairly plump and uniform in shape from tip to end so that cutting even cubes is easier.
Garlic Powder While I love fresh garlic more than anything, I find it can become too dark (see: bitter). Garlic powder works nicely here.
Cayenne This can be omitted if you're serving people who are especially sensitive to spicy food. You can always add a small amount of cayenne and increase as you go.
Unsalted Butter is always my preference over salted butter so that you can dictate the level of saltiness. If you only have salted butter, just be cautious with the amount of salt you use, or omit it entirely.
Kosher Salt I like to use the brand Diamond Crystal because the salt is formed into small flakes as opposed to larger grains. This coats the food better, and offers greater protection against oversalting.

How to Prepare

Step One Peel the sweet potato, cut one rounded edge off of the potato to create a stable base, then cut off the remaining rounded edges.

A peeled sweet potato with the round sides trimmed to create a rectangle sits on a white marble counter top next to the blade of a kitchen knife.

Step Two Cut the potato into even, ½-inch planks lengthwise. Be sure to hold the potato stable to avoid injury.

A peeled sweet potato cut horizontally into 3 equal pieces sits on a white marble counter top next to the blade of a kitchen knife

Step Three Rotate the planks and cut even ½-inch pieces lengthwise to create batons.

A peeled sweet potato cut both horizontally and diagonally into equal pieces to create long sticks sits on a white marble counter top.

Step Four Cut horizontally across the batons to create even ½-inch cubes.

A pile of sweet potato cubes sits on a white marble counter top.

Step Five Set your mis en place. Mis en place is a French phrase meaning "put in place" - it is a step professional cooks (and organized home cooks) take to ensure they have all of their ingredients ready to go. For this recipe, measure out the remaining ingredients and have them by the stove.

A large black plate with cubed sweet potatoes, a small black plate with a pat of butter, and a small black plate with cayenne, garlic powder, and salt sit on a white marble counter top

Step Six Heat the butter in the pan over medium heat until it is melted. Add the potatoes and sprinkle the seasoning evenly over. Cook, stirring occasionally, to ensure all sides have the same amount of time in the pan.

When the potatoes are ready, they will have a slightly browned exterior and will be cooked through, as seen below.

A wooden spoon in the foreground shows a browned cube of sweet potato over a black frying pan with sweet potato cubes cooking in it.

This method will produce soft potatoes that are slightly crisp and have a lovely light browning.

Serve right away for the best texture.

Variations

Traditional For more traditional sautéed sweet potatoes, you can omit the garlic powder and cayenne and try a warm spice like cinnamon in their place.

Regular Potato This recipe works well with regular potatoes, too. Regular potatoes will take slightly longer to cook through, so try cutting them a bit smaller!

Less Spicy Omit or scale back on the cayenne.

More Spicy Try adding some jalapeño slices to the pan for an extra kick.

How to Store

Cooked sweet potatoes can be stored for 3 to 5 days in the fridge.

To reheat, you can microwave the sweet potatoes. If you have a few more minutes and want to revive their texture a bit, try adding them to a pan with some butter or olive oil to bring them up to temperature.

FAQ

How long can you store cooked sweet potatoes in the fridge?

3 to 5 days.

Can I freeze these sweet potatoes?

They will lose their crispy texture, but they can be frozen for about 4 months. Be sure to let them cool completely, then store in a plastic or resealable silicone bag, pressing out as much air as possible. Reheat on the stovetop.

Can I use regular potatoes?

Yes. Regular potatoes will take longer to cook through, however, so try cutting them a bit smaller.

Can I use sprouted sweet potatoes?

You can after removing the shoot of the sprout. Check out this helpful article for more information: Can You Eat Sprouted Sweet Potatoes?

How can I make these potatoes vegan?

Just omit the butter and use olive oil instead.

How to Serve

These potatoes work with so many different meals. Here are just a few of the countless ways you can use them:

Breakfast

Try sautéed sweet potatoes with some scrambled eggs and bacon for a twist on a traditional breakfast
Serve them under a poached egg - the yolk will create a rich dressing for the potatoes
Use as the base of a breakfast bowl with sautéed peppers, onion, and a fried egg

Lunch

Add sautéed sweet potatoes to a hearty salad with whatever you have on hand - nuts or seeds, beans, crumbled cheese, and a homemade vinaigrette
Serve the sweet potatoes with leftover roast chicken or grilled fish and your favorite veggie
Create a taco bowl with sweet potatoes as the base - add black beans, cheese, and salsa for a quick meal
Have them alongside a bowl of this easy chili recipe.

Dinner

Have these sweet potatoes with Italian Chicken Cutlets and Roasted Tenderstem Broccoli
Serve with sautéed green beans and some marinated and baked tofu
Try the potatoes with Air Fryer Pork Chops and zucchini or summer squash

Want sweet potatoes in the air fryer? Try these air fryer sweet potato cubes.

Recipes You'll Love

If you're in the mood for more potatoes, try these recipes:

Calabrian Potatoes

Spicy Potato Soft Tacos

Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes

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