Microwave Sweet Potato (Only 5 Minutes)
Making microwave sweet potato is the easiest and fastest way to enjoy baked sweet potatoes. Top them with savory, salty butter and some warming spices for a delightful finish! These make an easy side dish for your holiday table or weeknight meals.
If you love easy and quick side dishes, try my Air Fryer Zucchini, Glazed Carrots or Green Beans!
Why You’ll Love These Microwave Sweet Potatoes!
- No Need for an Oven. Microwaving sweet potatoes is perfect when the oven is full or it’s too hot outside to turn it on.
- Quick and Easy. The microwave saves tons of time when cooking sweet potatoes.
- Perfect Method. My method cooks up perfectly tender sweet potatoes each and every time.
- Simple Side Dish. That’s versatile enough to serve with a variety of different meals.
Ingredients
Making great-tasting sweet potatoes in the microwave doesn’t require much.
- Sweet Potatoes. Choose evenly sized fresh sweet potatoes.
- Salt and Pepper. To enhance the flavor and season the sweet potatoes.
- Ground Cinnamon and Nutmeg. Warming spices that work perfectly with sweet potatoes.
- Butter. Butter adds a bit of moisture to the sweet potato along with a bit of saltiness and rich flavor.
Tips & Variations
- Make sure your sweet potatoes are similar in sizes. This will ensure that they cook in the same amount of time.
- Prick holes on all sides of the sweet potatoes. This allows the heat to escape as the sweet potato cooks and prevents them from exploding.
- Experiment with different flavors. Swap the cinnamon and nutmeg for chopped fresh or dried herbs or add a pinch of cayenne along with the spices for a tiny bit of heat.
- Add more sweetness. If you prefer a bit more sweetness, you can lightly sprinkle with a bit of brown sugar or drizzle with honey or syrup.
- Cook two sweet potatoes at a time. So you may need to cook in batches but this ensures your potatoes cook more evenly.
How To Cook Sweet Potato in the Microwave
Are you ready to see how easy it is to make perfect sweet potatoes? Here’s the method I use each and every time for great results.
- Prep the Sweet Potatoes. Wash them very well and pat them dry. Then pierce each potato 3-5 times with a fork in different places.
- Cook in the Microwave. Place 1-2 sweet potatoes on a microwave-safe plate and microwave for 5 minutes, turning halfway through. If it isn’t tender after 5 minutes, microwave in 30-second increments until the potato is tender.
- Serve It Up. Split each potato in the middle and season with salt, pepper, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Then top with butter.
What To Serve With Sweet Potato
Planning Friendsgiving or Thanksgiving. Here are some ideas to help you meal plan and prepare your menu!
- Drinks: Start the party with this festive Cranberry Holiday Punch or Brandy Slush.
- Appetizers: Everyone will love this Pumpkin Dip, Stuffed Mushrooms, and Crockpot Meatballs.
- Meat and Seafood: Skip the turkey this year and serve my favorite Crockpot Ham, Pork Tenderloin, Steak Bites, or even Air Fryer Salmon.
- Sides: Try these sides to go with the sweet potato, like my Jiffy Corn Casserole, Greek Tortellini Salad, Mac & Cheese, and maybe a fresh Chef Salad.
- Dessert: A must-make is this Cinnamon Cake, Pumpkin Cake (using a cake mix), and of course, Apple Crisp.
Recipe FAQ
It should give when squeezed and a fork should easily go into the potato without any resistance. Be careful handling it after cooking as it will be hot.
For the best results, I recommend microwaving only 1-2 potatoes at a time. Adding more potatoes requires a longer cooking time and it’s harder to make sure they cook evenly.
Leftovers & Storing
- Store. Leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days.
- Reheat. Your sweet potatoes in the microwave for 2-3 minutes or until heated through.
More Side Dish Recipes
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Microwave Sweet Potato
Ingredients
- 4 sweet potatoes
- Kosher salt
- Ground black pepper
- Ground cinnamon
- Ground nutmeg
- 4 small pat butter
Instructions
- Wash sweet potatoes thoroughly and pat dry. Pierce the sweet potato 3-5 times with a fork.
- Place 1-2 sweet potatoes on a microwave-safe plate and microwave for 5 minutes, turning halfway through.
- If your potato isn’t tender after 5 minutes, continue microwaving in 30-second increments until tender.
- Split potato in the middle and season with salt, pepper, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Then top with butter.
Notes
- Make sure your sweet potatoes are similar in sizes. This will ensure that they cook in the same amount of time.
- Prick holes on all sides of the sweet potatoes. This allows the heat to escape as the sweet potato cooks and prevents them from exploding.
- Experiment with different flavors. Swap the cinnamon and nutmeg for chopped fresh or dried herbs or add a pinch of cayenne along with the spices for a tiny bit of heat.
- Add more sweetness. If you prefer a bit more sweetness, you can lightly sprinkle with a bit of brown sugar or drizzle with honey or syrup.
- Cook two sweet potatoes at a time. So you may need to cook in batches but this ensures your potatoes cook more evenly.
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