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Home » Recipes » Fall Recipes » Perfect Instant Pot Sweet Potatoes

Perfect Instant Pot Sweet Potatoes

Published: Apr 26, 2022 · Modified: Apr 27, 2023 by Lynn Polito · This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases.

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Whether serving sweet potatoes as a delicious side dish, or using them for another recipe, this recipe for Instant Pot Sweet Potatoes makes perfect sweet potatoes every time!

A potato is cut open on a plate.

Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases, however this is at no cost to you. Read my affiliate links disclosure policy here.

Sweet potatoes are such a delicious vegetable and a great side dish to add to any dinner. This is one of those easy recipes to keep in your back pocket when you need something fast, simple, and delicious!

There are lots of different cooking methods when it comes to making sweet potatoes. Depending on the recipe, you can make them in the air fryer, in the oven, or on the stovetop. This is the best way to make sweet potatoes if you ask me!

These Instant Pot Sweet Potatoes are great because you don't need any other ingredients besides water and sweet potatoes. All the sweet potatoes are cooked in the Instant Pot at once, so there's no messy cleanup.

Jump to:
  • Why You'll Love This Recipe
  • Ingredients You'll Need
  • Equipment To Make Instant Pot Sweet Potatoes
  • Size Matters
  • How To Make Instant Pot Sweet Potatoes
  • How To Tell If The Sweet Potatoes Are Cooked
  • What To Serve With Instant Pot Sweet Potatoes
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Other Recipes To Try!
  • 📖 Recipe

Why You'll Love This Recipe

  • The sweet potatoes come out perfectly every time! Because we are steaming the potatoes, they are moist and delicious every time we cook them. You get perfect sweet potatoes every time!
  • They are versatile! You can use these potatoes as they are, served with butter. You can also use these potatoes for other recipes, such as a sweet potato casserole, or you can mash them up with butter and milk for a change on the traditional mashed potato.
  • No need to turn on the oven! The Instant Pot does all the hard work for you. No need to heat your house or break out the baking sheets.
  • They are great for meal prep! Make a big batch of these potatoes on the weekend and use them for lunch or dinners as an easy side throughout the week.

Ingredients You'll Need

Ingredients for the Instant Pot Sweet Potatoes
  • Whole Sweet Potatoes- I found that 5 medium sweet potatoes fit nicely in my 6-quart Instant Pot. Try to keep them in a single layer, but if one or two overlap, that will be ok. If you can, try to find similar size potatoes at your local grocery store. That will ensure that the cooking time is the same for all the potatoes.
  • Water- To add to the bottom of the Instant Pot to steam them.

Equipment To Make Instant Pot Sweet Potatoes

You simply need your Instant Pot or electric pressure cooker, and a trivet insert or a steamer basket. The steamer basket or trivet is important because you do not want the potatoes to be sitting in the water. That would cause the potatoes to boil instead of steam.

Size Matters

This recipe uses medium sized potatoes, about the size of a hand. For those, I found 12 minutes was the perfect amount of time to cook them for.

If you are using large potatoes, up the cooking time to 17 minutes. Sometimes you can find really huge potatoes, and if you are using those, up the cooking time to 25 minutes.

The good thing about the Instant Pot is that if you find the potatoes aren't cooked completely when you open the lid, you can simply seal the lid again and add 5-10 minutes of cook time.

How To Make Instant Pot Sweet Potatoes

Wash and scrub your sweet potatoes well to remove any excess dirt or grim that may be on them.

Place the steamer rack or trivet insert into the Instant Pot. Add a cup of water to the bottom of the pot. You want enough water so the potatoes will steam, but not too much water that the potatoes are cooking in the water.

The water is added to the Instant pot and the trivet is inserted
The potatoes are added to the instant pot

Place the sweet potatoes on the top of the trivet in the Instant Pot and seal the lid. Set the cooking time to 12 minutes on high pressure.

After 12 minutes, allow the Instant Pot to naturally release for 10 minutes. Quick release any remaining pressure that may still be built up.

Carefully remove the sweet potatoes from the Instant Pot and enjoy!

How To Tell If The Sweet Potatoes Are Cooked

Once the pressure is manually released, open the Instant Pot lid. Using a fork or a knife, insert the knife into the sweet potato. If it comes out easily and there is no resistance, the sweet potato is done.

If it is difficult to get the knife in or out of the sweet potato, close the lid again and set the pressure to high for another 5 minutes.

Another way to tell if the sweet potato is cooked is to carefully pick up the sweet potato and try to remove the skin. The skin should peel off easily without any resistance.

butter is on top of a potato

What To Serve With Instant Pot Sweet Potatoes

  • Butter! The obvious choice! Melt some of your favorite butter on a warm sweet potato.
  • Sour cream! Change it up and add a dollop of sour cream to your sweet potato.
  • Cinnamon and sugar! Growing up we LOVED putting cinnamon and sugar on sweet potatoes. No butter necessary! Simply mix a tablespoon of white sugar or brown sugar with 2 teaspoons of cinnamon and sprinkle on top of the sweet potatoes.
  • Maple syrup! Pure maple syrup and sweet potatoes are a match made in heaven!
  • Fried Pork Chops! These would be a delicious side dish to fried pork chops!
  • Chili! Top these sweet potatoes with your favorite chili recipe.
  • Mash them up! Once the sweet potatoes are cooked, you can peel them and mash them up with butter and milk. If you like garlic mashed potatoes, you'll love sweet potatoes mashed!
The butter is melting into the Instant Pot sweet potato

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make sweet potato cubes instead of whole sweet potatoes?

Yes! You can peel and cube the sweet potatoes into 1-inch pieces. Place the cubes of sweet potato on the steamer basket or trivet insert and pressure cook them on high pressure for 8 minutes. Allow the pressure to manually release for 10 minutes. Check for doneness.

Are sweet potatoes healthy?

Yes! In moderation they are healthy for you. They are full of vitamin A and vitamin C. They have healthy fiber since they aren't actually potatoes, they are part of the root family.

Can I peel the potatoes before putting them in the Instant Pot?

You can, but you don't have to. The skins of the potatoes come off much easier if you cook them in the Instant Pot first. Peeling them while raw can be a challenge and it is much easier to peel them once cooked.

A fork is on a plate with the Instant Pot sweet potatoes

Other Recipes To Try!

Did you love this Instant Pot Sweet Potato Recipe? If you did, don't forget to tag me on social media here on Instagram or Facebook and share this recipe on Pinterest! Thanks for sharing this journey with me and enjoy these delicious recipes!

  • Italian Stuffed Mushrooms
  • Instant Pot German Potato Salad
  • All in One Apple Cake
  • Sourdough Stuffing
  • Rice Dressing with Bacon
  • Bacon Brussel Sprouts

📖 Recipe

A potato is cut open on a plate.

Perfect Instant Pot Sweet Potatoes

Whether serving sweet potatoes as a delicious side dish, or using them for another recipe, this recipe for Instant Pot Sweet Potatoes makes perfect sweet potatoes every time!
5 from 4 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 12 minutes minutes
Servings: 5 Potatoes
Calories: 194kcal
Author: Lynn Polito

Equipment

  • Instant Pot
  • Trivet Insert

Ingredients

  • 5 Sweet Potatoes Medium Sized
  • 1 cup Water For the Instant Pot

Instructions

  • Wash and scrub your sweet potatoes well to remove any excess dirt or grim that may be on them.
  • Place the steamer rack or trivet insert into the Instant Pot. Add a cup of water to the bottom of the pot. You want enough water so the potatoes will steam, but not too much water that the potatoes are cooking in the water.
  • Place the sweet potatoes on the top of the trivet in the Instant Pot and seal the lid. Set the cooking time to 12 minutes on high pressure.
  • After 12 minutes, allow the Instant Pot to naturally release for 10 minutes. Quick release any remaining pressure that may still be built up.
  • Carefully remove the sweet potatoes from the Instant Pot and enjoy!

Notes

  • If you are using large potatoes, up the cooking time to 17 minutes. Sometimes you can find really huge potatoes, and if you are using those, up the cooking time to 25 minutes.
  • The steamer basket or trivet is important because you do not want the potatoes to be sitting in the water. That would cause the potatoes to boil instead of steam.

Nutrition

Calories: 194kcal | Carbohydrates: 45g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 127mg | Potassium: 762mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 32063IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 69mg | Iron: 1mg
Tried this Recipe? Tag me Today!Mention @LynnsWayofLife or tag #lynnswayoflife!
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Comments

  1. Sherry

    May 05, 2022 at 9:59 am

    5 stars
    There is something about sweet potatoes that just makes me want more! I made your Instant Pot Sweet Potatoes as a quick side dish to go along with my Blackstone Griddle steaks. My sweet potatoes tasted amazing and were so fluffy and tender.

    Reply
  2. Jennifer

    May 05, 2022 at 9:30 am

    5 stars
    These turned out perfectly! They were so fluffy and tender - so much easier than taking an hour in the oven!

    Reply
  3. Kate

    May 05, 2022 at 4:24 am

    5 stars
    I am glad I have found this new method of making sweet potatoes. Using the Instant Pot is so easy thanks to this recipe, I can't wait to spread the good word.

    Reply
  4. Mandy Applegate

    May 04, 2022 at 9:07 am

    5 stars
    I love sweet potatoes and had no idea they were so easy to make in my instant pot - thank you!

    Reply

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Hey there! I'm Lynn and I'm based just outside of Boston. I'm a wife and mom of two with a passion for cooking and creating homemade food for my family.

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