PC
Instant Pot
30
30 Minutes or Less
GF
Gluten-Free
DF
Dairy-Free
VG
Vegetarian
5I
5 ingredients or less
Instant Pot Sweet Potatoes – Perfect Every Time!
Posted: 11/06/2017
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
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!
servings
Instant Pot sweet potatoes come out silky smooth every time. Pressure cooking sweet potatoes may be the best way yet!
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
Serving: 0.5potato, Calories: 97kcal, Carbohydrates: 23g, Protein: 2g, Fat: 0.1g, Saturated Fat: 0.02g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.02g, Monounsaturated Fat: 0.001g, Sodium: 64mg, Potassium: 381mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 5g, Vitamin A: 16031IU, Vitamin C: 3mg, Calcium: 35mg, Iron: 1mg
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!
Amber says
I had 3 larger sized sweet potatoes and I used this recipe but increased the time to 18 minutes. They were cooked perfect. I took the skins off, added some maple syrup, cinnamon and butter and then blended them to smooth them out. My picky 7.5 year old twins both loved them! Love that we have leftovers too!
Rachel Gurk says
I’m so glad! Thank you for taking the time to come back and leave a comment! I’m craving sweet potatoes now…
Patti Roser says
Tried 2 sets of sweet potatoes in the instapot. The first one I used the egg tray. Cooked perfectly, although I forgot to take them out until they had been sitting for 30 minutes after cooking. 2nd set, a little bigger, used the steamer on top of the tray. This did not work well. Even more time and they were still hard on the inside. So, I think the egg tray is your best bet!
My sweet potatoes are going into sweet potato biscuits. YUM
Rachel Gurk says
Sweet potato biscuits sound fantastic!!! Thanks for taking the time to come back and leave a comment with your experience!
Keith Suderman says
Thanks for the recipe, Rachel. We just had them at Easter dinner. My Mom was impressed (and she thinks she might need a pressure cooker herself, now). Excellent and easy.
Rachel Gurk says
I love that! I’m so glad they were a hit. Thanks for taking the time to come back and leave a comment!
Elijah says
Everyone needs an instant pot.
Rachel Gurk says
I agree wholeheartedly!
Jon W says
I dont have the steamer basket. Is there an alternative way?
Rachel Gurk says
Do you have the trivet insert that the Instant Pot comes with? That’s what I use.
Emily says
This worked beautifully! I cooked four small sweet potatoes and two medium regular potatoes in my instant pot following your instructions and they came out perfect! Thank you!
Rachel Gurk says
So glad to hear that! Thank you for taking the time to come back and leave a comment!
Tara says
I was ready to cook my sweet potatoes, pot of water ready, peeler in hand when I thought “I bet the IP would be great for these.” I searched the internet and found this recipe…..dumped out the water and put away the peeler. I cooked 6 of what I would call small sweet potatoes with 15 min at pressure and natural release and they turned out great. I had two sweet potatoes that were 2-3x the size of the ones I cooked Those are probably the size people are having problems with.
Rachel Gurk says
Hi Tara, I’m so glad this method worked for you! Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment!
El Pie says
These came out great! I made 5 smallish potatoes, added a pinch of salt to a Tblsp of butter with a Tblsp of maple syrup and put under the broiler for 2-3 minutes. Talk about yummy! Next time I’ll add some cinnamon. Thanks for the recipe!
Rachel Gurk says
Love the broiler touch! Yum!
Charlotte says
I just bought an Instant Pot, and used the suggestion offered here for one very large sweet potato. I set it for 20 minutes and it took forever. I pressed “manual”, set time to 20 minutes, and it took longer than that???? Not sure I understand this pot.
Rachel Gurk says
It does take some time to come to pressure. The time starts counting down when the Instant Pot pressurizes. Once you get used to it, you’ll love it!
TJ Shaw says
I have two large ones. How long should I cook them?
Rachel Gurk says
It depends on how large they are, but I’d start with 18 minutes.
Adrienne says
I just got my instant pot and this is the first thing I made since we bake sweet potatoes a few times each week. I had two medium to large sweet potatoes and cooked them in my 3 quart IP on high pressure (with more setting) for 18 mins allowing natural pressure release. They were REALLY GOOD! My new go-to method for making sweet potatoes!
Rachel Gurk says
Awesome! I hope this is the beginning of a beautiful relationship with your instant pot. ;) I have a lot of Instant Pot recipes here!
Brad jessee says
Very tasty and smooth coming out of the instant pot.
Rachel Gurk says
So glad you liked this method! Thanks for taking the time to come back and leave a comment!
Amy says
Did exactly what the recipe says and my instant pot said “burn” on it because all the water reduced. Sweet potato’s we’re still hard on the inside.
Rachel Gurk says
Did you add water to the instant pot and use the steamer basket?
Michelle Rhodes says
Thank-you for the recipe. My new favorite way to make sweet potatoes!
Rachel Gurk says
So happy to hear you like these! Thanks for taking the time to come back and leave a comment!
Frances says
Thank you for the sweet potato Instant Pot instruction. The 4 sweet potatoes cooked to perfection! Received the 6 quart Instant Pot for a Christmas gift and am impressed with the way it cooks!
The altitude here in Colorado doesn’t seem to change cooking times, which I thought would.
Rachel Gurk says
That’s great to know, thanks Frances! So glad this method of cooking sweet potatoes worked for you! Thanks for taking the time to come back and leave a comment!
Kofi says
What if I peeled the Sweet Potatoes, would I still use the basket?
Rachel Gurk says
I’ve never used peeled sweet potatoes, so I’m not sure how they’d work. They might disintegrate a little using this method. I did a google search and it looks like there are recipes for using the steamer basket, and without…so it might work! Let me know if you try it!