Who else loves roasted sweet potatoes? Here's a faster way to make them in an Instant Pot. You will love how soft and fluffy they are when you pressure cook sweet potatoes.
Sweet potatoes may be the most popular side dish in our house. My family can't get enough of them. Traditionally roasting sweet potatoes in the oven can take up to an hour and a half. And cooking sweet potatoes in the slow cooker takes several hours. So for busy weeknights or when you're in a hurry, cooking sweet potatoes in the Instant Pot is a great shortcut.
What type of sweet potato to use
Since we're going for a faster roasted sweet potato using the Instant Pot, the key is to use small to medium-sized sweet potatoes so they cook in a shorter amount of time. When you buy them, look for potatoes that fit easily in your hand or about 5 inches long.
If you can find garnet sweet potatoes, they tend to be the sweetest and have the best flavor (we usually find them at Whole Foods).
How to cook sweet potatoes in a pressure cooker
Cooking sweet potatoes in the Instant Pot couldn't be easier. You need just two ingredients---whole sweet potatoes and water. That's it.
Here are the steps:
- Wash the sweet potatoes.
- Place them in a single layer on a rack or trivet in the cooking pot and add water.
- Set the Instant Pot to manual or pressure cook for 20 to 25 minutes, depending on size and how soft you like them.
- Once the cooking is completed, let the steam release manually for at least 10 minutes before opening.
How long to cook them
How long you pressure cook the sweet potatoes really depends on a few things. The first thing is the size and shape of the potato. Pressure cooking them is basically steaming under pressure. How long they take to cook through will depend on the thickest part of the potato.
For an average size sweet potato, this is about 25 minutes. Decrease the time for smaller potatoes or increase it for larger potatoes.
Next is how soft you like your sweet potatoes. As with cooking anything in the Instant Pot (like hard-boiled eggs), you will quickly figure out if you prefer a little more or less time. Try the recommend method first, then adjust the timing if you prefer softer or firmer sweet potatoes.
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How to serve them
The possibilities are endless for serving these sweet potatoes---from a simple side dish with butter, ghee, or just fresh extra virgin olive oil to the base for a full meal.
Try topping them with taco meat or pulled pork.
Once the sweet potatoes are cooked, you can store them in the fridge for meals later in the week (easy meal prep!) or use them in recipes like this family favorite sweet potato casserole.
More easy Instant Pot recipes
Here are some more easy Instant Pot recipes to try:
- How To Cook Butternut Squash In Instant Pot
- Instant Pot Frozen Chicken Thighs
- Instant Pot Spaghetti Squash
- Easy Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup Recipe
- Easy Instant Pot Ribs
- Instant Pot Ham with Honey Mustard Pomegranate Glaze
Instant Pot Sweet Potatoes
Ingredients
- 1 cup water
- 4 medium sweet potatoes
Equipment
Instructions
- Place the steamer rack or trivet in the cooking pot. Add water and place the sweet potatoes on the rack.
- Set the program to Manual or Pressure Cook. Set the Cook Time to 25 minutes and set the pressure to High. Press start.
- When cooking is done, wait for pressure to release (natural release) at least 10 minutes before opening the pressure cooker.
- Carefully remove the sweet potatoes from the pot using tongs or a large spoon.
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