Instant Pot Sweet Potatoes – Perfect Every Time!
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Instant Pot Sweet Potatoes might be your new favorite way to make sweet potatoes. They’re ready in about 30 minutes (including pressure release!) and they come out silky smooth every time.
When I was doing Whole30, I ate a lot of sweet potatoes. I mean, A LOT. Roasted, in a hash, sweet potato toast, mashed, pureed, noodled, baked, turned into chips, basically any way I could.
They’re more or less the only type of carbohydrate you can have besides fruit and regular potatoes, but for the most part, I prefer sweet potatoes to regular potatoes.
I had to get creative to keep from getting bored, and I also had to find quick and easy ways to prepare them so I didn’t have a reason to fall off the Whole30 wagon.
Enter the Instant Pot, one of my favorite Whole30 tools. It makes the most perfect sweet potatoes.
I’ll admit, I sometimes resort to the microwave to cook sweet potatoes. Stab them with a fork, wrap them in paper towel, and they’re ready in about 5 minutes. However, that method does tend to dry them out, whereas the Instant Pot will not.
This is definitely my new go-to method, and I think it’s going to be yours, too.
I have a killer recipe coming up Wednesday that uses mashed Instant Pot sweet potatoes – it’s perfect for Thanksgiving and you guys are going to love it.
Ben doesn’t even really like sweet potatoes too much, and he said they were the best he ever had! In the meantime, we’re starting with the basics, just like we did last week with how to cook delicata squash and following up with those insanely good vegetarian tacos using the squash.
Tip: Buy a good brush to scrub the outside of your potatoes. I love this one – it has soft and firm bristles and it’s dishwasher safe. I also love the way it fits in your hand.
Now you’ll know how to make perfectly velvety Instant Pot sweet potatoes, that you eat just the way they are (I like topping them with a little cinnamon and butter), or that you can dress up.
You can make stuffed sweet potatoes, or you can scoop out the filling and mash it for any assortment of fun mashes (I like to add chili powder!) or stuff like handheld sweet potato casserole, sweet potato bread pudding, or twice baked sweet potatoes.
You can also make Instant Pot Baked Potatoes in a similar way! Or you can try these Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes…it’s the absolute best way to make mashed potatoes!
I can’t wait to hear from you – what are you going to do with these Instant Pot sweet potatoes?
Get the Instant Pot Sweet Potatoes Recipe!
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @rachelcooksblog on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!
Ingredients
- 4 medium-sized sweet potatoes (10-12 oz. each), approximately 2 inches in diameter (see note)
- 1 cup water
Instructions
- Scrub sweet potatoes and trim if necessary. Pour water into Instant Pot. Place wire trivet in the bottom of the Instant Pot and place sweet potatoes on top of the trivet.
- Secure the lid and turn valve to seal.
- Select Pressure Cook (or Manual on High) for 15 minutes. It will take about 10 minutes to come to pressure.
- Allow pressure to release naturally (do nothing after the timer goes off) for 15 minutes.
- Release remaining pressure, remove lid, and serve.
Notes
- Serving size: Half of 1 medium sweet potato.
- Sweet potatoes with a diameter much larger than 2 inches cook less evenly, even if you add extra time.
- You can add fewer sweet potatoes or add more. Cooking time is the same but it will take less/more time for the Instant Pot to come to pressure.
- Cooked sweet potatoes can be stored in the fridge for up to 5 days in an airtight container.
Nutrition Information
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
Husband’s take: He doesn’t love them plain but he loves when I dress them up!
Changes I would make: None are necessary. If you have humongous sweet potatoes, you might need to increase cooking time slightly.
Difficulty: Ridiculously easy!
Erin says
Our kitchen is currently under construction, and so I needed a way to cook sweet potatoes for a Thanksgiving dish. I’m an instant pot novice, and I’m so excited that this method worked perfectly! The sweet potatoes (6 small/med) came right out of the skins to mash so easily. Thank you!
Rachel Gurk says
So glad it worked well for you! I made them this way too! :)
Janel says
Instant pot said burned but juices just burned in bottom-only cooked for 10 min because had quartered my husbands huge sweet potatoes he grew. Even though we forgot to put the plastic liner on lid for pressure they came out amazingly soft!
Rachel Gurk says
I’m glad it still worked out!
Aaron says
What would you recommend for the cooking time with large sweet potatoes?
Rachel Gurk says
Maybe try 18 minutes? Let me know how they turn out!
Sierra Haile says
My husband and I LOVED THIS!! This is by far our new favorite way to make sweet potatoes! Thank you so much for the info!
Rachel Gurk says
I’m so happy to hear it, I’m glad it was helpful! Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment!
Rod Ferris says
Just cooked my last big Sweetie and six small russets will let them cool and let the starches gel! They’re going to be wonderful with fried chicken I might roast tte pots in the oven too!
How did I live without an Instant Pot?
Rachel Gurk says
It’s a great kitchen tool! :)
Meg Corrigan says
So easy, quick and came out with a wonderful texture. This was a perfect method for cooking sweet potatoes.
Rachel Gurk says
So glad you liked them! Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment!
Marlene Craven says
Such an easy way to cook sweet potatoes. I agree that this is how I will make them from here out. I passed this along to all my friends and family that have an instant pot. Thank you.
Rachel Gurk says
So glad to hear it! Thanks Marlene!
yvette says
I love sweet potato and this is now our preferred method of cooking and eating them. Great recipe. Can I just confirm while on high pressure, mine defaults to Normal temp range, should I use More? I found the cooking time took longer than instructed.
Rachel Gurk says
So glad to hear it! I’m not sure what you mean about normal temp range? Do you have an Instant Pot brand pressure cooker?
Marie Roberts says
2 large sweet potatoes at 18 min made exactly as per the recipe and they were absolutely perfect! Thank you:)
Rachel Gurk says
So glad to hear it! Thanks for taking the time to come back and leave a rating! Means a lot!
Susan Marie Bowen says
So perfect. Even making one by itself was perfect! Soft and creamy. My teen even ate the skin. Won’t be making these any other way again. Thank you!
Rachel Gurk says
So glad you liked them! Thanks for taking the time to come back and leave a comment!
Francine says
Perfect sweet potatoes in my Instant Pot. I even eat the skin when prepared in the IP, but I don’t when it’s oven baked.
Usually we just sprinkle a little Ceylon cinnamon on top but today, I’m going to mash with crushed pineapples and top with marshmallows-just like thanksgiving!
Rachel Gurk says
Yum, I love that! Sounds delicious!
Sarah Sakas says
I will never make baked sweet potatoes any other way. They were so creamy…almost like mashed. Delicious!
Rachel Gurk says
So glad to hear you liked this method! Thank you so much for taking the time to come back and leave a comment, it means a lot to me!
William R. Fleming says
Sweet potatoes turned out perfect. Thank you so much for the recipe.
Rachel Gurk says
So glad to hear it! Thanks for taking the time to come back and leave a comment!
Cristal DuBois says
Same for me; crunchy. So, added another cup of water (just in case) and ran through same cycle again (15 minutes on high with natural release) and STILL not soft. They are softer but quite firm in middle. About to put in oven. :(
Rachel Gurk says
Sorry to hear that! Was your valve turned to seal and your rubber ring securely in place?