Perfect Instant Pot Sweet Potatoes

Sweet potatoes are a delicious addition to a variety of meals. They’re loaded with nutrients and have a sweetness that regular spuds lack. However, cooking sweet potatoes in the oven can be a bit time-consuming, which is why I love these Instant Pot sweet potatoes! They’re quick, simple, and bursting with flavor.

How long does it take to cook sweet potatoes in the Instant Pot? 

The time it takes to make sweet potatoes in the Instant Pot depends on the size of your potatoes. If you use small sweet potatoes (about two inches), then they’ll only have to cook for twenty minutes. Medium sweet potatoes (three to four-inches) will take half an hour, while five to six-inch large sweet potatoes will take 40 minutes to cook in the Instant Pot. 

Why cook sweet potatoes in a pressure cooker? 

Using an Instant Pot to make sweet potatoes has a bunch of benefits. For starters, it’s pretty hands-off. All you do is scrub your potatoes, give them a few pricks with a knife, then toss them in the Instant Pot for 20 to 40 minutes.

Instant Pot sweet potatoes are also bursting with juicy flavor. If you’ve ever cooked sweet potatoes in the oven, you’ve probably had one end up with wrinkled, saggy skin. That doesn’t happen with these sweet potatoes. An Instant Pot sweet potato is perfectly tender and fluffy!

How do I make these Instant Pot sweet potatoes? 

This sweet potato Instant Pot recipe is incredibly simple to make. In three simple steps, you’ll have delicious, fluffy sweet potatoes.

1. Scrub your sweet potatoes and poke them a few times with a fork on both sides. This will give the steam a place to vent.
2. Add 1 ½ cups of water, the trivet, and the sweet potatoes to the bottom of your Instant Pot and set the valve to “sealing.”
3. Pressure cook for 20-40 minutes depending on the size of your sweet potatoes. Allow for ten minutes of natural pressure release, then change the valve to “venting” to release the remaining pressure.

What’s a trivet?

A trivet is an insert that goes inside your Instant Pot to keep food up off the base of the pot and away from the cooking liquid. It allows for equal cooking around all sides of your sweet potatoes. Most Instant Pots come with a trivet insert when you buy them—but if yours didn’t, it’s well worth investing in one.

Should I peel my sweet potatoes before cooking them?

No, these sweet potatoes were designed to be cooked inside of the skin. As long as you scrub them well under cold water, there’s no need to remove the peel. If you decide you don’t want to eat the skin, you can always remove it after you’ve finished cooking the sweet potatoes. 

How to serve Instant Pot sweet potatoes 

Instant pot sweet potatoes are delicious as a side or as part of a main dish. They make a savory breakfast, a healthy lunch, and a filling dinner! You can top them with butter and cheese, stuff them, or mash them. Some of my favorite ways to serve these sweet potatoes are:

• Sloppy Joes Stuffed Sweet Potatoes—The recipe calls for baked potatoes, but you can use the Instant Pot sweet potatoes and start the recipe at step two.
• Brown Butter Mashed Sweet Potatoes.
• Portobello Stuffed Sweet Potatoes—You can swap the baked sweet potatoes for Instant Pot ones.
• Topped with cinnamon, brown sugar, and butter.
• With butter, salt, and pepper.
• With butter and cheese (try it with blue cheese!).

How to store and reheat leftover sweet potatoes

Leftover sweet potatoes will store for three to four days in the fridge as long as they’re kept in an airtight container. If you need to store them for longer, they will keep in the freezer for up to one year. To freeze your sweet potatoes, keep them whole, then wrap the potato in aluminum foil and stick the bundle in an airtight bag or plastic container.

When it’s time to reheat your refrigerated sweet potatoes, remove them from the fridge and microwave for two to three minutes. You could also wrap them in a damp paper towel prior to microwaving in order to keep them nice and moist.

The best way to reheat frozen sweet potatoes is to wrap them in a new sheet of aluminum foil, then bake in an oven preheated to 350°F for 25-30 minutes.