It doesn’t matter what time of the year or what season, I am happy to heat up the oven for some hearty roasted veggies. Some of my go-tos are: Italian roasted vegetables, Mediterranean-style roasted eggplant, roasted cauliflower, or roasted butternut squash, done up with a little lime vinaigrette and crunchy nuts (a must-try)!
But roasted sweet potatoes–tender and creamy on the inside and perfectly carmalized on the outside–are a whole category of delicious goodness!
I’m sharing my tested, tried-n-true recipe for roasted sweet potato cubes, tossed in extra virigin olive oil and cooked with some red onions, and a little pinch of cinnamon and allspice, which truly play up the earthy sweetness of the sweet potatoes.
Before getting to the roasted sweet potato recipe, let’s cover just a few basic questions.
How to Roast Sweet Potatoes: 5 Important Tips
As simple as oven roasted sweet potatoes are, a few tips have made all the difference for me: 1- Cut Sweet Potatoes into Cubes. I like to cut my sweet potatoes into 1-inch cubes. This is a good size, not too large and not too small. And they’ll work nicely as a side dish, or you can add them to dinner bowls or to augment a salad. I’m not 100% precise, but I do try to cut the sweet potatoes into evenly sized pieces so they can take the same time to cook. 2- Set the Oven to 400 degrees F (approx 205 degrees Celsius.) High heat is ideal for roasting vegetables, but, like I said earlier, choosing 400 degrees F as opposed to 425 degrees F or 450 degrees F will mean a longer cooking time, enough to coax more of the sweet potatoes natural sweetness out. It’s also ideal for caramelizing the onions we’re cooking along, without burning them. 3- Use a Generous Drizzle of Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Coating the sweet potatoes in olive oil is really what helps them crisp up well on the outside. And I always use a quality good-tasting oil because it does add flavor complexity to roasted veggies. This time, I used Private Reserve Greek extra virgin olive oil (you can find it at our online shop) 4- Season Sweet Potatoes Well. Yes, all you need is a generous dash of kosher salt and black pepper. But you can add more flavor to your liking. I went for a Middle Eastern/Persian vibe here with a bit of cinnamon and allspice, which really play up the earthiness of sweet potatoes. You’ll notice in the photo above that I like to season my sweet potatoes in a bowl first before transferring to a baking dish. The bowl allows me to give the veggies a good toss and make sure they are well coated with the seasonings and oil (just a more even result.) 5- Use a Dark Sheet Pan or Baking Pan. Whenever possible, I like to use my cast iron baking pan for roasting vegetables. The dark helps the veggies cook well, while cast iron provides the added benefit of even, steady heat, making it easy for the veggies to char. And, of course, do not crowd the baking pan. If you want things to cook well to that perfectly charred point, make sure they are well spread. Occasionally, toss the sweet potatoes and onions so they cook well on all sides (do this carefully, and use a pair of tongs to turn things over if you need to.)
Similar Recipes to Try:
Oven Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Honey Tahini and Sesame Seeds Best Roasted Greek Potatoes Crunchy Roasted Chickpeas Baked Lamb Chops with Root Vegetables Easy Ratatouille Recipe Hungry for more? Browse all our Mediterranean Recipes or our top 50 Mediterranean Diet Reicpes. JOIN MY FREE E-MAIL LIST for weekly meal plans and more! This post originally appeard on The Mediterranean Dish in 2019 and has been recently updated with new information for readers’ benefit.
