Crispy Roasted Sweet Potatoes

Crispy Roasted Sweet Potatoes are an easy, healthy and delicious side for any meal or just a tasty snack! I dare say these are even more delicious than French fries and they’re certainly more versatile and go with a lot more dishes. Can you imagine making a protein power bowl with fries?!

Original post: February 2017 | Updated: November 2020 and June 2025

Why You’ll Love These Roasted Sweet Potatoes

• SO Tasty – There is something about roasting potatoes, especially sweet potatoes, that is so indescribably delicious.
• Simple – Easy to make with pantry staples and a great meal prep recipe! Make once, enjoy multiple times as a side dish, solo dish, add to a grain bowl or black bean salad.
• Versatile – This recipe is a great side dish for family dinner, but don’t overlook it on holidays! Any holiday meal would be better with these on the table.

Sweet Potatoes vs Yams

This question is a constant source of culinary confusion. Let’s just start by saying it is rare to find a true yam in a U.S. grocery store. What you are seeing when you go to the store are two varieties of sweet potatoes. Wild stuff, right?!

True yams have a dark brown and woody exterior with white flesh. What is labeled “yam” at the store is actually a sweet potato with brown skin and dark orange flesh. What is labeled “sweet potato” at the store is a sweet potato with lighter skin and also lighter flesh. This “yam” is starchier and more firm in texture, making it better for roasting.

So, when you purchase sweet potatoes for this recipe, you will want to purchase the “yam” variety! No more potato confusion, right?! Right?

Roasted Sweet Potato Ingredients

All you need for this tasty recipe are your potatoes, some oil, and a little salt and pepper. Easy, right? I’ve included other flavor options and spices below as well.

Sweet potatoes (“yams”) – After peeling, it’s important that you cut small, uniform cubes (as close to ½-inch as possible) in order to achieve that delicious crispiness.

Olive oil – Or any neutral-flavored high heat oil (Avocado oil, canola oil, sunflower oil, peanut oil are all higher smoke point oils)

Salt and pepper – Keep it simple and classic with the perfect balance of salt and black pepper, or add some extra flavor. Try a sprinkle of cinnamon for a sweet twist, or go savory with chili powder, smoked paprika, garlic powder or cumin. See more suggestions below.

How To Make Crispy Roasted Sweet Potatoes

This recipe comes together as easy as 1, 2, 3.

Step 1. 

Heat oven to 425 degrees F. Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil.

Step 2.

Add sweet potatoes to the sheet pan in a single layer.

Drizzle olive oil over top and toss to coat. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. 

Step 3.

Bake in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes, stirring once halfway through. Remove from the oven when desired crispiness has been achieved!

Recipe Notes & Tips

• Use a large baking sheet so the potatoes are able to be spread into an even layer. If they get piled on top of each other, they won’t cook evenly.
• Use foil instead of parchment paper for a really crispy texture.
• Cook on the middle or top oven rack.
• I like to use regular olive oil instead of extra virgin olive oil because it has a higher smoke point. You can also use any of the higher smoke point oils mentioned in the ingredients section above.
• Feel free to explore a variety of spices to season your sweet potatoes. I’ve included a lot of great options in the section just below.
• You can make sweet potato wedges, but the roasting time will be slightly longer because the pieces are bigger.
• I like to peel the sweet potato skin, but you can leave it on if you want. Just scrub it well first.

How To Season Roasted Sweet Potatoes

You can add a lot of flavor with just a few simple spices. Here are a few of my suggestions that are a great option to add when seasoning your sweet potatoes.

• Salt and pepper
• Cinnamon and/or brown sugar 
• Maple syrup or agave nectar
• Chili powder
• Smoked paprika
• Garlic powder
• Cumin
• Cayenne pepper
• Red pepper flakes
• Add some herbs like fresh thyme or add a little chopped fresh parsley to the finished product

How to Serve Crispy Roasted Sweet Potatoes

In need of ideas about what to serve alongside this tasty orange food? I’ve included a few suggestions here, but check out this roundup of 20 delicious ideas: what to serve with sweet potatoes for even more fantastic ideas!

• In a protein bowl with black beans, quinoa or brown rice, and some guac and salsa.
• As a side to any chicken dish. They go great with everything from Chicken Tenders to Chicken Parm.
• Roasted sweet potatoes also go well with just about any pork, beef, or fish entree. Try them with this Crockpot Pork Loin or my Classic Homemade Meatloaf instead of mashed potatoes.
• These crispy sweet potatoes are perfect with my Classic Chopped Salad.

How To Make Roasted Sweet Potatoes Crispy

These are a few other methods to get the crispiest results from your roasted potatoes.

• I cannot stress the importance of chopping uniformly and small (½-inch cubes are best).
• Make sure you’re not overloading the pan. You want the sweet potato cubes to roast, not steam, so make sure to give them plenty of room.
• Toss well in oil to make sure they’re evenly coated.
• Soak diced sweet potato in warm water with some baking soda and salt for 15-20 minutes, drain, and pat dry very well before tossing in oil.
• You can try tossing your diced sweet potato pieces in some cornstarch before adding oil and seasoning.

How Long Do Cooked Sweet Potatoes Last

Often we make large batches of roasted potatoes and pop them in the fridge for later consumption, but how long will they stay fresh? If you have leftovers and you are wondering whether to toss or eat, read this article for information about How Long Cooked Sweet Potatoes Last, and so much more!

How to Store Leftover Sweet Potatoes

Refrigerator – When cooked sweet potatoes are stored properly in the fridge, they will stay fresh for up to 5 days. Allow them to cool to room temperature after being cooked, then store sweet potatoes in an airtight container or plastic bags and refrigerate.

To Freeze – When sweet potatoes are stored properly in the freezer, they will stay fresh for up to 12 months (and sometimes beyond) for later use. After being cooked and cooled, double bag roasted, baked, boiled or fried potatoes (not whole) in freezer bags.

How to Reheat Roasted Sweet Potatoes

Reheat potatoes in the oven, air fryer, or on top of the stove.

Oven – Preheat oven to 400° and place potatoes on a baking tray. Heat for 10-15 minutes in the hot oven until crisp and heated through.

Air Fryer – Spread the potatoes out evenly in the basket. Heat at 400° for 5-7 minutes or until hot and crisp.

Stovetop – Heat a small amount of oil in a pan over medium high heat. Add potatoes to the hot oil and toss. Cook for 5-7 minutes until hot.

More Sweet Potato Recipes

If you can’t get enough of the tuberous root vegetable, check out these delicious recipes:

• Savory Baked Sweet Potato Recipes – 8 Delicious Ideas!
• Sweet Potato Casserole
• Baked Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
• Stuffed Mexican Sweet Potatoes
• Sweet Potato Casserole