Wondering how to make sweet potatoes in an Instant Pot? We share everything you need to know for tender, perfect sweet potatoes that are done in a flash!
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Pin RecipeI love that we’ve come far enough that most of us don’t have to bust out the Instant Pot to use it, because it’s already sitting out on the counter. They’re so smart, convenient, and easy to use for a quick family meal, that they’ve found a permanent place in many of our kitchens.
My first meals from my Instant Pot were soups and dals. After a few weeks, I decided to branch off and try things a bit more creative. When I landed on healthy, inexpensive sweet potatoes, the game was changed.
(Love using the Instant Pot? Try my Instant Pot Black Beans, Instant Pot Oatmeal, or Instant Pot Pork Roast next!)
Sweet Potatoes vs. Yams
Let’s talk about what sweet potatoes are for a second before we get to how to cook them. The tuber that we treat as a root vegetable is native to the tropical parts of the Americas (which might be why it pairs so well with sweet fruit and spicy chiles), high in beta carotene and fiber, and just an all-around heart healthy, gluten-free choice.
Funny enough, a sweet potato is only sort of related to the common potato and not related to yams at all. Yams are a tuber native to Africa, and it’s much starchier and less sweet than sweet potatoes. Somehow, the name yam stuck, though, and a lot of people still refer to sweet potatoes as yams.
Easy Instant Pot Sweet Potatoes
Instant Pot sweet potatoes are perfect for a vegetarian entrée, a delicious side dish, or as the key ingredient in some wintery desserts like Classic Sweet Potato Pie. No matter what you do with sweet potatoes cooked in an Instant Pot, it’s probably going to be fantastic.
Items Needed
You can cook sweet potatoes in an Instant Pot whole or cut into pieces, depending on how you want to serve them. The key is to make sure everything you put in is roughly the same size, so it cooks at the same rate.
How to Cook Whole Sweet Potatoes in an Instant Pot
For whole sweet potatoes, you want to add a rack to the bottom of your Instant Pot and fill it with water until it comes up just under the rack. In a six-quart pot, that will be about one cup of water.
Scrub and then lightly pierce the whole sweet potatoes with a fork and arrange them on the rack. It’s okay if they touch, but don’t crowd them. Lock the lid and make sure it’s properly sealed.
For timing, small sweet potatoes are going to take 12 minutes with high pressure. Medium will be about 18 minutes under high pressure and give large sweet potatoes 24 minutes to cook in an Instant Pot.
When the cooking time ends, you should leave the pot to naturally release pressure for an additional 10 minutes, then quick release. Your sweet potatoes will be hot, so use tongs to remove before serving.
How to Cook Cut Sweet Potatoes in an Instant Pot
If you cut the sweet potatoes before cooking and the pieces are large, cook at high pressure for 9 minutes. For small pieces (less than 1-inch), cook on high for 7 minutes. The same applies for thick and thin slices. Let the pot rest and the pressure naturally release for 6-8 minutes before quick releasing.
Serving Suggestions
At this point you can simply split whole sweet potatoes lengthwise, add butter and eat, but there are other possibilities!
Try slicing the rounds and sprinkling with chili powder, topping with cheese, and broiling for a minute until bubbly. Or what about scooping out the flesh from whole sweet potatoes and mashing it with a small amount of molasses, olive oil and balsamic vinegar?
You can stuff the sweet potatoes with black beans, diced pineapple, jalapeños and a sprinkle of cumin for a tropical spin, or make it fully loaded with butter, sour cream and bacon. We love them topped with leftover chili too!
Sweet potatoes are a great choice any time, and cooking them in an Instant Pot makes life so much easier!
How to Cook Sweet Potatoes in an Instant Pot
Ingredients
- Sweet potatoes whole or cut
- Water
Instructions
For whole sweet potatoes:
- Add a rack to the bottom of your Instant Pot and fill it with water until it comes up just under the rack. (In a six-quart pot, that will be about one cup of water.)
- Scrub and then lightly pierce the whole sweet potatoes with a fork and arrange them on the rack. It’s okay if they touch, but don’t crowd them. Lock the lid and make sure it’s properly sealed.
- Small sweet potatoes will take 12 minutes with high pressure. Medium will be about 18 minutes under high pressure and give large sweet potatoes 24 minutes to cook in an Instant Pot.
- When the cooking time ends, leave the pot to naturally release pressure for an additional 10 minutes, then quick release. Remove with tongs, then serve.
For cut sweet potatoes:
- Use the same general method as above. For large pieces, cook on high pressure for 9 minutes. For small pieces (less than 1-inch), cook on high for 7 minutes. The same applies for thick and thin slices.
- Let the pot rest and the pressure naturally release for 6-8 minutes before quick releasing.
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