Name: Boiled sweet potatoes
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 40 min
Ingredients: 900 grams sweet potatoes ((1 lb)); 1½ liters water ((about 7 cups)); ½ tsp salt ((optional)); ½ tsp oil ((optional))

Looking for a gluten-free, healthy, vegan, complex carb side dish? Then, boiled sweet potatoes are a great option to look at.

To make boiled sweet potatoes, simply peel the potatoes, cut into 2-inch pieces and cook in boiling water with a little salt (if you prefer) for about 30 minutes until they are soft.

boiled sweet potatoes with fork on plate

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Ingredients for boiled sweet potatoes

For this recipe, I used:

sweet potatoes: any type of sweet potato can be used for this recipe. I believe the variety I am using here is called the chicken foot variety locally and has reddish skin and yellow flesh. Purple sweet potatoes can also be used here but I’ve found roasting them retains their color and flavor better.
water: for peeling, rinsing and boiling.
salt: this is optional but can add to the basic taste of the potatoes.
vegetable oil: for protecting your hands and surfaces from the sweet potato sap.

How to make boiled sweet potatoes

Step 1: Wash the sweet potatoes thoroughly to remove any excess dust and dirt from the skin.

Step 2: Rub your hands, knife and cutting surface with a little oil before starting to peel the sweet potatoes. Keep a large bowl of water on the side as well. Generally, white sap oozes out of the potato when it is peeled or cut. While normal and completely harmless, the sap can leave a temporary stain on your hands and surfaces. So, to avoid that, water and/or oil can help mitigate the effects of the sap.

Step 3: Peel each sweet potato, preferably under running water to prevent the sap from oozing out too much. You can also dunk the potato in water ever so often if you don’t want to peel under running water.

Step 4: Cut the sweet potato immediately into 2-inch pieces. Add the pieces to the bowl of water on the side. Repeat this for all the remaining potatoes. By the way, if the sweet potato is cut into smaller pieces, it will cook faster but may get mushy.

peeled sweet potato chunks in bowl with water

Step 5: Place a large pot on medium heat. Add the water and bring to a boil.

Step 6: Drain the potato pieces and rinse with fresh clean water.

Step 7: Add the sweet potato to the boiling water. Mix in the salt if you are using any.

Step 8: Leave uncovered to boil until the sweet potato pieces are completely tender. For me, it took about 30 to 35 minutes for a fork to pierce the sweet potato easily.

Step 9: Drain the water and serve the sweet potatoes warm alongside other healthy sides like boiled plantain, sauteed carrots, sauteed broccoli, stir fried bok choy, and more.

boiled sweet potatoes on white plate with fork

Why are boiled sweet potatoes great?

Sweet potatoes maintain good levels of beta-carotene (Vitamin A) and Vitamin C after boiling. Moderate levels of Vitamin B6, potassium, iron and fiber can also be found in sweet potatoes when boiled, according to the University of Rochester.

Both beta-carotene and Vitamin C are antioxidant compounds and so it is likely boiled sweet potatoes may have anti-radical benefits. This was noted in this 2011 Turkish study.

Another 2011 study from Jamaica suggested eating boiled sweet potatoes could reduce blood sugar spikes and so be helpful in managing type 2 diabetes and reducing insulin resistance.

What to serve with boiled sweet potatoes

Saltfish buljol: made with shredded salt fish and fresh veggies.
Grilled chicken breast: seasoned with Caribbean green seasoning.
Stew chicken: made by cooking chicken in a browning sauce.
Stew lentils: made by cooking lentil peas in a browning sauce with veggies.