Learn How to Boil Sweet Potatoes that are whole or cubed, peeled or skins still on. Boiling is an easy and healthy way to cook them before adding to your favorite recipes.
Want a few recipe ideas that use boiled sweet potatoes? You might enjoy this Sweet Potato Casserole, Black Bean Sweet Potato Burgers, these Mashed Sweet Potatoes, or this Sweet Potato Puree.
Boiling Sweet Potatoes for Recipes
Boiling sweet potatoes is an easy way to get perfectly tender potatoes that can be used in numerous recipes.
While you can Bake Sweet Potatoes in the Oven, or make Instant Pot Sweet Potatoes…
Cooking them in a pot of boiling water is definitely a foolproof method for an easy side dish.
(You can also learn how to boil potatoes– either whole or cubed!)
Ingredients and Kitchen Utensils
There are only a few ingredients and kitchen utensils that you will need.
Ingredients:
- Sweet Potatoes – If you are boiling them whole, try to find similarly sized potatoes.
- Salt – Add a little salt to the boiling water to add flavor.
- Water – Use filtered water for the best results.
Kitchen Utensils:
- Potato Peeler – You will need this if you are peeling before boiling.
- Knife – A sharp knife helps to cut them into similar sized chunks.
- Pot – A large pot is recommended. You want to be able to fit the potatoes and enough water to cover them by 1-2 inches.
How to Boil Sweet Potatoes
Once you have your ingredients and utensils gathered up it’s time to start the process of this recipe.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
- Make sure you have enough water so the sweet potatoes are covered by at least 1 inch of water. It’s best to err on the side of more water rather than not enough.
- Carefully add whole potatoes or chunks to the water.
- Reduce heat to Medium-High and keep a slow boil throughout the duration of cooking.
- Boil sweet potatoes until they are cooked through.
- Boil large whole sweet potatoes for 40-50 minutes.
- Boil small to medium whole sweet potatoes for 30-40 minutes.
- Boil 1-inch cubes for 12-15 minutes.
- Boil 2-inch cubes for 20-25 minutes.
- Drain in a colander and use in your favorite recipes.
Peeling and Cutting
You can speed up the cooking process by peeling and cutting this starchy vegetable into similarly sized chunks.
- Use a potato peeler to remove the skin.
- Cut the sweet potatoes into either 1-inch or 2-inch chunks.
Make sure you pick one size and try to make all of the sweet potato pieces the same size. This ensures that it boils at a similar rate.
Do I Need to Peel Before Boiling?
You do not need to peel sweet potatoes before boiling.
If leaving the peel on, you will need to pierce the skin of the potato with a fork a few times.
Also, boiling a sweet potato with the peel will require slightly more time for it to cook through.
How Long to Boil Sweet Potatoes?
The amount of time you will need to cook depends primarily on the size of the potatoes.
Boiling Whole Sweet Potatoes
Boil whole for 30-50 minutes. This largely depends on the size of the potato. Smaller ones will be done faster, larger potatoes may take a bit longer.
Boiling Cubed Sweet Potatoes
Boil sweet potatoes that are cut into 1-inch cubes for 12-15 minutes.
Boil those cut into 2-inch cubes for 20-25 minutes.
Are They Healthy?
Sweet potatoes are full of dietary fiber and antioxidants. They are also an incredible source of Vitamin A, the B vitamins, Vitamin C, Magnesium, Iron, and Calcium.
Sweet and regular potatoes have a similar amount of carbs and calories. White potatoes have a little less sugar while sweet potatoes are higher in Vitamins A and C.
Other Sweet Potato Recipes
- Roasted Sweet Potato Cubes
- Sweet Potato Hash
- BBQ Chicken Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
- Sweet Potato Pie
- Sweet Potato Brownies
More Boiled Vegetables
Want a few other vegetable to boil next? Check out these boiled beets, learn how to blanch green beans, and boil carrots!
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Ingredients
- 2-4 lbs. sweet potatoes
- Salt optional
Instructions
- Prepare the potatoes: Peel potatoes with a potato peeler and cut your sweet potatoes into 1" or 2" chunks. You can also leave them whole and with the skin on, if you prefer.*
- Boil Pot of Water: Bring a large pot of water with a pinch of salt to a rolling boil. Make sure you have enough water to cover the potatoes by 1-inch.
- How Long to Boil Sweet Potatoes: Carefully add sweet potatoes to the water. Reduce heat to Medium-High and keep a slow boil throughout the duration of cooking. Boil until they are cooked through for the following times: For 1" cubes: 12 to 15 minutesFor 2" cubes: 20-25 minutes For large whole potatoes: 40-50 minutesFor small-medium potatoes: 30-40 minutes
- Remove and Drain: Drain sweet potatoes in a colander or remove using a slotted spoon and use in your favorite Mashed Sweet Potatoes, Sweet Potato Pie, or Sweet Potato Casserole recipe.
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Notes
- Make sure you have enough water so the sweet potatoes are covered by at least 1 inch of water. It’s best to err on the side of more water rather than not enough.
- If leaving the skin on whole sweet potatoes, pierce the each sweet potato with a fork 7-8 times.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Big help. Wasn’t sure if you could actually boil sweet potatoes and that they would keep their flavor like baking thank you!
Yay! So happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment!
Katy Stone
Thank you so much for the info on boiling sweet potatoes. It was very helpful.
Yay! So happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe, Kathy! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment and rating!
This was very helpful . Thank you. Nutrition and times for cooking the sweet potatoes cubed is what I needed. I had found that baking them with the peels on is difficult for me. Getting them out of the peels after baking is not what I like to do. Boiling is the best solution for me. That way , you have cut away all of the imperfections and do not any longer need to deal with the peelings. Your infromation was concise and helpful . Thank you.
Yay! So happy to hear you enjoyed this how to, Paul! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment and rating!
Can you believe it? I am 83 years old and have never boiled a sweet potato! I could have winged it but I thought I would check with you to confirm. Not much different from cooking Irish potatoes for potato salad. Anyway, thanks for the recipe, London! Cheers, as they say in London!
So glad to hear it helped you out, Chuck!! And it’s amazing how much we can still learn everyday, right? Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment and rating! 🙂
Thank you for all the tips!!!
You’re so very welcome!!
Nice blog! thank you for sharing how to prepare BOIL SWEET POTATOES. Its looking very delicious.
The nutrition information does not work ndicate size (ie cup) or weight of serving. I am counting calories so I need to know amount that equals a serving.
Since it’s just sweet potatoes you can search for the nutritional information for whatever amount of sweet potatoes you’re consuming to find an accurate amount. Hope this helps!
Great article! Thanks for the information and recipes. I was just looking for something different to do with my sweet potatoes 🙂
Yay! So happy to hear it was helpful for you. These are perfect for making mashed sweet potatoes or even a sweet potato pie!
Ok, so I’ve peeled 6 potatoes and I’m planning on making sweet potato souffle. I have a pot of water boiling. Once it boils, I add the sweet potatoes and let it sit for 45 minutes? That just seems like a very long time. (FYI, I’ve never cooked potatoes before, this is a new experience).
It totally depends on the size of the potato, Damon. Smaller potatoes (less than 1/2 pound) can be done in as little as 30-40 minutes, whereas larger potatoes may take up to 40-50 minutes! Just test them for doneness by using a fork or knife.
You know that the skin of the sweet potato contains 10 times the antioxidant power of the flesh, don’t you?
Yes!! That’s pretty incredible. Feel free to leave the skin on if you’d like!
Dear Mr Kemper,
Congratulations! You’ve won ‘Most Condescending Comment On a Recipe Post About Sweet Potatoes’! Your reward is all the sweet potato skins from the people who don’t eat them! That’s right, they’re all for you now! Please leave your address so you can receive your never ending supply of weird papery potato skins that others have pushed to the side of their plate after eating the actual good part of the potato. You’re going to have so much more antioxidant power now you lucky winner you!
Sounds like you could use some of those antioxidants for your own thin skin. London’s reply was courteous and respectful. Yours was childish and condescending.
plus, the skin has most of the fiber.
Can you eat the skins? I never have if I bake them I just take the insides out for the skins away.