I ‘ve been making so many “one pot” or “skillet” meals lately that I’ve barely made any traditional side dishes. I get a lot of questions about side dishes, though, so I’ve decided to challenge myself to come up with some more vegetable based sides. These Smoky Roasted Sweet Potatoes are just one idea that I’ve had up my sleeve…
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I love the mix of sweet, spicy, and smoky, so I took the spice rub that was used for the famed Glazed Pork Chops and applied it to sweet potatoes. I altered the ratio of the ingredients just a bit to account for the cooking method and the fact that the sweet potatoes provide a good amount of sweetness on their own. I sliced the sweet potatoes thinly for a more interesting texture, but you could certainly cube them if you didn’t feel like exercising your knife skills. ;) (Or you could use a mandolin.)
The cooking time for these Smoky Roasted Sweet Potatoes will vary slightly depending on the size and thickness of your sweet potatoes, so use my recommendations as a guide. You’ll want to test the sweet potatoes with a fork for doneness, just to be sure.
Smoky Roasted Sweet Potatoes
Servings 6Ingredients
- 2 medium sweet potatoes, about 2 lbs. ($2.50)
- 2 Tbsp olive oil ($0.32)
- 1 Tbsp brown sugar ($0.03)
- 1 tsp smoked paprika ($0.10)
- 1/8 tsp garlic powder ($0.02)
- 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper, optional ($0.02)
- 1/4 tsp salt ($0.02)
- Freshly cracked pepper, 10-15 cranks of a pepper mill ($0.03)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Wash and peel the sweet potatoes, then cut them into 1/8-inch thick slices.
- In a small bowl, stir together the brown sugar, smoked paprika, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, salt, and some freshly cracked pepper.
- Place the sweet potato slices in a large bowl and drizzle the olive oil over top. Sprinkle the spice mix over the sweet potatoes, then toss until the potatoes are evenly coated in oil and spices.
- Arrange the seasoned sweet potato slices in a casserole dish, stacked in a row like a deck of cards. They don’t have to be perfect.
- Cover the dish with foil and roast in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and let cook for an additional 15 minutes. Test the sweet potatoes with a fork for doneness. If they’re still firm, allow them to roast for an additional 10-15 minutes. If they become too brown during that time, simply cover the dish with foil to prevent further browning.
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Nutrition
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How to Make Smoky Roasted Sweet Potatoes – Step by Step Photos
Start with two average sized sweet potatoes, or about two pounds. Oh, and start preheating the oven to 400 degrees.
Wash, peel, and slice the sweet potatoes. Slice them fairly thin, about 1/8 inch, to help them cook a little faster.
Prepare the smoky spice mix by stirring together 1 Tbsp brown sugar, 1 tsp smoked paprika, 1/8 tsp garlic powder, 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper (optional), 1/4 tsp salt, and some freshly cracked pepper (10-15 cranks of a pepper mill).
Drizzle 2 Tbsp of olive oil over the sweet potatoes, then sprinkle on the smoky spice mix. Toss the ingredients until they’re evenly coated in oil and spices (this takes a little bit of mixing… use your hands).
Arrange the slices in a casserole dish, standing face to face. It doesn’t have to be perfect. I didn’t even turn the pieces all the same way, I just grabbed a stack and sat them in the dish until it was all filled up (squeezed a few down the center, too).
Cover the dish with foil and let it roast in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and roast for an additional 15 minutes. Test the sweet potatoes with a fork to make sure they’re tender (pick a larger piece to pierce). If they’re still a bit solid, let them roast another 10-15 minutes. The total time needed will depend on how thick or thin your slices are and maybe even the size or shape of your dish.
Would chipotle powder be a decent substitute for the cayenne?
You could use that as a swap. There is so little in this recipe that the difference would not be noticeable.
Where would I find the nutritional information for this recipe? Thanks:)
Unfortunately I don’t have the nutrition information, but there are several services online that allow you to enter recipe ingredients and they’ll calculate an estimate for you. I don’t find these calculators reliable or accurate, but it might be okay for your purposes. Google “recipe nutrition calculator” and you’ll have several to choose from.
Can you make these a two days before? I’m trying to figure out if I should cook and reheat on thanksgiving. My nephew made these last year and I loved them
I’m going to say that they’re probably best made the day of.
If I am making this with the Honey Mustard Pork Chops, can I cook them at 350 (the temp to cook the chops)? Would I need to cook the sweet potatoes longer? I never know what to do when making two recipes that call for two diff. temps at the same time. Thanks!
Yes, you’ll definitely need to cook them longer at a lower temp. I’m not sure how long it might take, though.
Husband loved these potatoes and is asking me to make them for Christmas. Simple recipe but very tasty. A new family favorite. Thanks for the great recipe.
EXCELLENT! i decreased the brown sugar by half and used splenda brown sugar. just the right amount of sweet and spice and the potatoes came out so tender with a little crunch on the exterior! Perfect!
This recipe is so easy and looks so great! But I have a question , do you know if I would get a decent dish just using potatoes?
Hmm, I think you might miss the subtle sweetness that the sweet potatoes provide. I like to do savory spice mixes for regular potatoes.
Awesome recipe! A welcome addition to my new healthful diet!
I tried this yesterday with my boyfriend. I sliced the sweet potatoes super thin, baked it covered with foil for 30 minutes, baked it uncovered for 15 minutes, then baked it some more for 10 minutes, then finally pour a bit of water into the pan and returned it to the oven for 30 minutes at 350 degrees. The top of the “deck” was slightly singed by the time I was done, yet the sweet potatoes still had that slightly underdone crunchiness to it. I finally pulled it out, put it in a microwave safe dish, poured water on it, then nuked it in the microwave. It’s amazingly tasty when it’s soft and fully cooked through. Next time, though, I think I may have to put some water in the dish while I cook it covered and up the spices a bit to make up for the extra moisture.
These are the best sweet potatoes I’ve ever made! Definitely going to be a go to recipe!