Easiest Microwave Sweet Potato Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the best way to microwave sweet potatoes? ›

Place the sweet potatoes on a microwave-safe plate and microwave for 5-10 minutes—five minutes to cook one sweet potato in the microwave, and add two minutes for each additional potato—rotating them halfway through. You are done microwaving your sweet potatoes when a fork spears into them easily.

How Do I Prep a Sweet Potato for the Microwave? Poke holes. The only thing you have to do is poke small holes in the potato, which provides a place for the steam to escape. Use a fork or a thin knife to pierce the potato all over four to five times.

If you don't cook it long enough, it may still be hard in the middle when you cut into it. After cooking, make sure a fork can go into the center of the potato without much resistance. If it still seems hard, continue to cook it in 30-second increments, checking for doneness.

Microwaving jumpstarts the cooking process and cuts down the total cook time by almost an hour, but you will still get the sweet, caramelized flesh and crisp skin that only comes from oven baking. It's the best of both worlds.

Some recipes for homemade sweet potato fries ask you to soak the fries before cooking. The theory is that soaking draws out starch from inside the potatoes, helping them crisp up.

You can eat sweet potato skin. It's a good source of fiber, a nutrient that may help lower the risk of heart disease and keep you feeling full for longer periods of time. The next time you make a sweet potato dish, whether it's a roasted side dish or a hearty, cozy casserole, leave the peel on.

A: A special plastic wrap is used that it breathes out, which allows some of the moisture to escape when baked in the microwave oven. Microwave bags for other vegetables would probably work fine, too. Trapping the moisture in just steams the potatoes, but some people prefer it this way.

No matter what you are cooking and how you are cooking it, there is always the possibility of overcooking it. To make sure this doesn't happen with your microwaved sweet potato, cook it for the minimum time called for in the recipe. If it is soft enough, take it out right away. If not, try another minute.

Drain the water, allow the potato to cool, and it should be much softer, easier to cut, and have a shorter cooking time, too! Microwaving – Use a knife or fork to poke several holes around the sweet potato. Then, microwave it for two to three minutes or until soft, depending on its size.

How to tell if sweet potatoes have gone bad. If your sweet potato is soft in spots, smells rotten, or oozes a mysterious liquid, that potato should be discarded. Another sign that sweet potatoes have taken a turn for the worse is if they start growing stalky purplish sprouts.

Why do sweet potatoes spark in the microwave? ›

Minerals and metal

These minerals - which include iron, magnesium, and selenium – act like tiny pieces of metal and create what is known as an “arcing effect” in microwaves. An arcing effect is when sparks occur as a result of electromagnetic waves in a microwave reflecting or bouncing off metal.

Cooking sweet potatoes in the microwave is safe, as long as they are properly prepared. It is recommended to pierce the skin of the sweet potatoes with a fork to allow steam to escape.

Place potato on microwave-safe plate and microwave 5 minutes, turning halfway through. Step 2If your potato isn't fork tender after 5 minutes, continue microwaving in 30 second increments. Split potato down the middle, season with salt and pepper and top with a pat of butter.

The rapid heating can cause the granules to burst, and release sticky, gelatinized starch. The result: A gluey potato that's also often marred by hard nodules where the starch has crystallized.

The peel of a sweet potato has nearly ten times the antioxidant power as the flesh (an antioxidant capacity comparable to that of blueberries). However, the peel's nutrition really takes a hit when baked, which wipes out over two thirds of the antioxidants, whereas microwaving or boiling are comparatively much gentler.

Prick the potato all over with a fork. Place the sweet potato, lemon wedge (if using) and 1 tsp of water in a microwave-safe bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and microwave on high for 8 to 10 minutes. Cut in half and serve with your favorite sweet or savory toppings.