How to Cook Sweet Potatoes in the Microwave

Sweet potatoes (or sweet yams) were one of the staples in my household growing up. They were commonly boiled but occasionally, we would roast the potatoes by burying them in hot ashes that gathered from the firewood embers. Those ash-roasted potatoes are some of the most delicious potatoes I have ever eaten. Their texture, taste, and even smell are way much better. Anyway, the next best thing is this recipe that I am sharing with you here for microwave-cooked sweet potatoes. Methods like boiling are good and all but there’s something better about cooking sweet potatoes in a no- or low-moisture environment. When you want that coupled with timesaving, then the microwave becomes your best friend. In this post, I describe the quick and easy procedure for cooking perfect sweet potatoes in the microwave.

Why Cook Sweet Potatoes in the Microwave?

Well, the biggest advantage is that it saves time. You will have your potato ready in under five minutes. That is impossible with all other cooking methods. Secondly, microwaved sweet potatoes come out perfectly as long as the process is done properly. They are delicious and with just the right amount of moisture. Thirdly, you barely have any clean-up to do afterward! That is something that we all love, right?

Selecting Good Potatoes

You can cook any type of sweet potato in the microwave – red, yellow, white potatoes, etc. When selecting potatoes at the grocery store, go for those with a smooth exterior and without any ‘injuries.’ Any scarring on the potatoes could mean less shelf life. If you keep them for too long, they could either begin to rot or grow mold.

I like to go for slender or medium-sized potatoes as opposed to round or larger potatoes for microwave cooking. That’s because I find smaller potatoes to cook more evenly while large potatoes may come out with some crunchy, partially cooked sections.

Preparing Sweet Potatoes for Microwave Cooking

Start off by washing the potatoes in running water until clean. Then, dab each potato dry with a paper towel. Do not peel the potatoes as the peelings do a great job of holding in the moisture as the potato cooks.

The next step involves poking the potatoes with a fork all around to create little vents through which moisture pressure will be released as the potato cooks. I read somewhere that the potato could actually explode in the microwave if you do not poke it. That hasn’t happened to me, so I cannot confirm if it is true. What I have observed though is that poking the potatoes allows for even cooking and that non-poked potatoes WILL cook unevenly.

Once you’re done poking, place the potatoes in a microwave-safe plate and they are ready to go in. I recommend that you roast a maximum of three potatoes at a time so that you do not crowd them which could also lead to uneven cooking.

How Long to Cook Sweet Potatoes in the Microwave

Cook your sweet potatoes on the setting for ‘baked potato’ in the microwave. How long it will take will vary based on (1) the size of the potatoes, (2) the quantity, and (3) the type of microwave you are using. For example, my microwave takes about 4 minutes to cook one medium-sized sweet potato. Smaller potatoes often need less time than that while larger potatoes may need an additional minute or two. As for the quantity, the number of potatoes you cook at a go should correspond with the amount of time you select on the microwave.

Finally, some microwaves are more powerful than others, and the power settings may vary even on similar microwaves. Therefore, adjust cooking time accordingly. The best thing to do is to check the potatoes at least once as they cook, perhaps halfway as you also flip them, to ascertain the level of doneness and to decide on how much more time to cook them. You could otherwise end up with overcooked, dry chunks of unusable potatoes if you leave them in for too long.

How do you know if Microwave Sweet Potatoes are Ready?

First, if you choose and follow the settings correctly, all you have to do is let the microwave do its job to the end and hopefully, your potatoes will be perfectly done. The manual way to confirm doneness is by checking the exterior of the potato and pressing on it with a finger or poking with a fork to check for softness. The exterior of a well-cooked potato will appear wrinkly or leathery as opposed to the firm exterior you started with. Also, it should be soft to the touch, or it should not show resistance when poked with a fork.

Peeling Microwaved Sweet Potatoes

Grab a fork and a knife, cut open the potato in whichever shape or form you like, and dig right in. If you plan on using your bare hands to peel the potatoes (like I usually do), allow them to cool down for about three minutes before doing so, because man!

Serving Suggestions for Microwaved Sweet Potatoes

You can serve these sweet potatoes with legumes like beans, lentils, and green grams for a hearty and filling vegetarian meal. I already posted delicious recipes for all these legumes; all you need to do is whip them up!  Please check out my pinto beans stew, lentil stew, and green grams (mung beans) stew. Add to that meal a cup of Kenyan tea with milk and you’ll have yourself sweating after the meal, a sign of good health (hahaa!)

Some people enjoy their sweet potatoes as is or with a scoop of whipped cream or butter. You could do that too.

Print the Recipe

Storing Left-Over Microwaved Sweet Potatoes

You can safely store leftover microwaved sweet potatoes in the fridge or freezer by placing them in airtight containers once they have fully cooled down. If placing them in the refrigerator, try to use them within two or three days because besides losing freshness, they also lose color over time and sort of darken.

Reheating Left-Over Microwaved Sweet Potatoes

Reheat leftover microwaved sweet potatoes in the microwave as you would other foods. Just a few seconds are enough as they heat up pretty fast. The potatoes will start drying out if you overheat them.

Conclusion

Microwaving your sweet potatoes is one of the quickest and easiest ways to enjoy potatoes. They come out perfectly done and with less moisture compared to boiled potatoes. Just follow the steps carefully and you are guaranteed to love this convenient and timesaving way of cooking. Make sure to give the recommended side recipes a try too and who knows! You might just have found yourself a new favorite meal. I hope you love it all.