Learn how to cook sweet potatoes in your Instant Pot. It’s a breeze, whether you’re planning to use them in recipes or as a tasty side dish.
Instant Pot sweet potatoes are incredibly versatile. You can enjoy them as-is, jazz them up with your favorite seasonings, or load them with delicious toppings. That creamy center? It’s pure heaven and will have you coming back for seconds. Plus, they’re not just tasty; they’re packed with good stuff like vitamin A, vitamin C, iron, and even some vitamin D. And here’s a fun fact to drop at the dinner table: you can totally munch on the sweet potato skin. Watch the surprise on your family’s faces!
Get creative with sweet potatoes, and you’ll not only enjoy mealtime more but also score some serious nutrition points. It’s a win-win situation that turns dinnertime into a delicious and healthy adventure.
Be inspired to step outside of the typical mindset of only serving sweet potatoes topped with butter (while always a great go-to option) and incorporate into any sweet potato recipe like Old Fashioned Sweet Potato Pie, Easy Sweet Potato Casserole, Sweet Potato Muffins, Butternut Squash and Sweet Potato Soup, Sweet Potato Crunch, and Sweet Potato Egg Cups.
Table of Contents
Ingredients
- 3 medium sweet potatoes
- 1 cup water
Gluten-Free Guide: If you’re new to eating gluten-free we understand it’s overwhelming trying to figure out which foods may contain gluten and which ones don’t. All of our gluten-free recipes marked with this symbol ✅ represent foods that need to be checked for gluten.
How to Cook Sweet Potatoes In Instant Pot with a Trivet
Place the trivet into the instant pot. Add the sweet potatoes and water. Place the cover on and turn the valve to sealing.
Cook
For medium-sized sweet potatoes cook at high pressure for 20 minutes.
For small sweet potatoes cook 15 minutes and large sweet potatoes 30 minutes.
Once the time is up let the instant pot do a natural release. Remove the lid once the valve is down.
Serve
Serve as is or use in your favorite recipes.
How Long To Cook Sweet Potatoes in Instant Pot
The larger the potato, the longer the cooking time. We weighed the 3 potatoes in this recipe (12 ounces, 14 ounces, and 16 ounces). All were cooked for 20 minutes with the larger one a bit more firm, but still cooked through.
A general rule of thumb for steaming sweet potatoes in the instant pot:
- Extra small potatoes (less than 8 ounces) for 10 minutes
- Small potatoes (8-12 ounces) for 15 minutes
- Medium potatoes (12-14 ounces) for 20 minutes
- Large potatoes (14-16 ounces) for 30 minutes
For jumbo sweet potatoes (greater than 16 ounces), plan to cook anywhere from 35-40 minutes depending on how firm you like the potatoes. It is also an option to slice this size potato in half to reduce the cooking time.
Sweet Potato Serving Suggestions
What we have all been waiting for – ideas on how to serve sweet potatoes!
Sweet potatoes can always be served as is by slicing open once cooked and scooping out the inside with a fork. This is the simplest way to enjoy this vegetable. Pair with any chicken, pork, beef or fish entree for a complete meal.
If looking to level up, consider adding any of these toppings:
- Marshmallows
- Brown sugar
- Cinnamon and sugar
- Raisins
- Butter
- Nut butter or roasted nuts like walnuts or pecans
- Banana slices or mashed banana
For a savory version, top the potatoes with any combination of salt, pepper, pulled pork, browned ground beef, avocado slices, roasted garlic, garlic powder, Italian seasoning or shredded chicken.
Make indoor smores with a twist by topping potatoes with melted marshmallows, chocolate chips, and graham cracker crumbs. This makes a delicious and kid-approved dessert!
Tips For Steaming Sweet Potatoes
- Scrub and pierce with a fork a few times before adding to the instant pot.
- Cook with the peel on.
- Use the natural release (not quick release) function.
- Stack sweet potatoes without adjusting cooking time to cook a double batch.
- Cook with vegetable, chicken or beef broth instead of water for more flavor.
Frequently Asked Questions
Remove the potato flesh from inside the peel and place in a bowl. Add milk and butter then mash with a hand mixer or fork until the desired consistency is reached. We suggest starting with 1 tablespoon of butter and 1/4 cup milk then adding additional as needed. Keep dairy free by using oat or soy milk.
This recipe works best with a steamer basket or trivet; however, you can still make it without one. Simply add the potatoes to the bottom of the instant pot and decrease the water to 1/2 cup.
These potatoes will cook anywhere from 10-30 minutes depending on the size of the potatoes. The best option is choosing potatoes that are roughly the same weight for even cooking. If you happen to have a larger potato and smaller potato, you can still cook at the same time knowing that one will be a bit more firm.
Whole, peel-on sweet potatoes will last for a few weeks when kept in a cool dark place such as a kitchen pantry or cabinet.
Different Methods To Cook Sweet Potatoes
There are many different cooking methods for sweet potatoes to allow you to change things up every now and then. Stick with the convenience of slow cooker sweet potatoes or have fun turning sweet potatoes into fries!
Air fryer baked sweet potatoes are a simple and delicious side dish that is ready in 35 minutes. Sweet potatoes are brushed with olive oil and sprinkled with salt then air fried. Crispy on the outside and tender on the inside.
Crockpot sweet potatoes are a simple and delicious dinner side that doesn’t get any easier. Simply wash the potatoes and let them bake all day.
Our air fryer sweet potato chips are a delicious snack or side dish made with 3 ingredients in just 30 minutes.
Our gluten-free sweet potato fries are crisp on the outside, tender on the inside and cook in just 30 minutes. Learn how to cut a sweet potato into matchstick fries that roast perfectly every time.
Baked sweet potato slices are tossed in melted butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon then baked into a caramelized sweet potato dish that kids love!
Kids In The Kitchen
Cooking tips and suggestions for kids making this recipe.
Kids In The Kitchen
Cooking tips and suggestions for kids making this recipe
- Use a potato scrubber or brush to clean the sweet potatoes really well before cooking. Sweet potatoes are known as a root vegetable, which means they are grown underground and often have dirt on the skin.
- Weight the potatoes with a food scale or measure the width of each potato to find ones that are similar in size.
- Add as many sweet potatoes as possible to the instant pot (make sure the lid can close) without adjusting the total cooking time. Stack the potatoes if needed.
Storage Instructions
In the fridge: Let potatoes cool completely for food safety then store in the fridge for up to 5 days. You can store with or without the peel.
In the freezer: You can also freeze peeled sweet potatoes (whole or mashed) in a Ziploc bag for up to 6 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge then reheat the next day.
In the microwave: Whole (peeled or unpeeled) potatoes can be reheated in 30-second increments in the microwave until hot.
In a recipe: Incorporate leftovers into any desired recipe to reheat as directed.
More Instant Pot Recipes
- Instant Pot Shredded Chicken
- Instant Pot Minestrone Soup
- Mississippi Chicken (Instant Pot)
- Basmati Rice (Instant Pot)
- Instant Pot Chili Mac
- Instant Pot Chicken Stir Fry
- Instant Pot Apple Crisp
- Chuck Roast in the Instant Pot
CKC Features both Gluten-Free Guidance and Kids Cooking Instructions: If you’re new to eating gluten-free we understand it’s overwhelming trying to figure out which foods may contain gluten and which ones don’t. All of our gluten-free recipes marked with this symbol ✅ represent foods that need to be checked for gluten or cross-contamination.
The ⭐️ symbol in the recipe below denotes the steps in which kid cooks may need a helper (depending on age). If there is no ⭐️ symbol, that step (or recipe) doesn’t require a helper.
Sweet Potatoes In Instant Pot Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 medium sweet potatoes
- 1 cup water
Instructions
- Add the sweet potatoes to the instant pot. Place the trivet into the instant pot. Add the sweet potatoes and water. Place the cover on and turn the valve to sealing.3 medium sweet potatoes, 1 cup water
- Cook. For medium sized sweet potatoes cook at high pressure for 20 minutes. For small sweet potatoes cook 15 minutes and large sweet potatoes 30 minutes. Once the time is up let the instant pot do a natural release. Remove the lid once the valve is down.
- Serve. Serve as is or use in your favorite recipes.
Notes
Cooking Time
- Extra small potatoes (less than 8 ounces) for 10 minutes
- Small potatoes (8-12 ounces) for 15 minutes
- Medium potatoes (12-14 ounces) for 20 minutes
- Large potatoes (14-16 ounces) for 30 minutes
Sweet Potato Toppings
- Marshmallows
- Brown sugar
- Cinnamon and sugar
- Raisins
- Butter
- Nut butter or roasted nuts like walnuts or pecans
- Banana slices or mashed banana
Nutrition
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