Learn How to Make the Base Recipe
This is one of the base recipes in our Whole Life Meal Plan. We love roasting sweet potatoes at To Taste, but we recognize that they can take a long time to cook. An easy way to speed up the process while still getting that delicious caramelized taste is to cut them into quarters! Roasted sweet potato wedges require little effort and cook in one quarter of the time!
Three Must-Know Skills
For recipe success, learn how to:
Learn how to create sweet potato wedges like a pro in our knife skills 101 course!
Culinary Tips for the Best Roasted Sweet Potato Wedges
We use weight instead of volume for the sweet potato because sizes can be highly variable. Weigh at the store or use a simple kitchen scale. If your sweet potato is significantly smaller or larger than indicated in the recipe, just adjust the time! Add more time for larger potatoes, and subtract time for smaller ones.
This recipe easily scales up. For each sweet potato, use ½ Tablespoon oil, ¼ teaspoon optional spices, and ⅛ teaspoon salt.
For best results when roasting, use our memorable acronym: ROAST WELL.
Right Temp
Set your oven to a high cooking temperature to achieve optimal caramelization. In general, anywhere between 400ºF and 500ºF is considered a roasting temperature.
Oil Generously
Don’t be scared of oil! Healthy oils add nutrition, satiety, and great flavor to roasted vegetables. Make sure every piece is thoroughly coated with oil; it’s better to use a little too much than not enough. Use oils with high smoke points, such as canola or avocado oil.
Alike Items
If you want to roast an assortment of vegetables at the same time, select ones that are similar and will cook in the same amount of time.
Skip Pan Liners
For best caramelization and browning, place the oil-coated vegetables directly onto the pan. Although parchment paper, silicone mats, and foil make clean-up easier (we get it!), your vegetables won’t be quite as crisp and delicious.
Traditional Sheet Pan
When roasting, be sure to use a traditional sheet pan, with no more than a 1-inch rim along the sides. Deeper dishes cause vegetables to steam rather than roast – not optimal when trying to make crispy veggies! A metal pan also ensures browning.
Wash and Dry
You should always wash fresh produce before eating or cooking, but another important step when roasting is to make sure your vegetables are dry. Water generates steam, and again, you want to avoid steam to ensure the vegetables turn brown and crispy.
Even Cuts
It is important to make your pieces approximately the same size to ensure even cooking. Small pieces cook faster than large pieces. Check out our online Knife Skills class to improve your speed and efficiency in the kitchen!
Leave Space
Spread the vegetables out on a sheet pan and leave plenty of space around each piece. If you overcrowd the pan, the vegetables will steam. Are you noticing a trend here? Steam is the enemy when trying to create crisp, roasted veggies!
When in doubt, use two pans. Yes, that might mean more dishes to clean, but we promise that it will be worth it!
Let them Cook!
Cooking requires patience. While it can be tempting to pull the vegetables from the oven once they are soft, make sure that they get that nice, brown exterior. For longer cooking vegetables, such as potatoes, you can stir them halfway through the cook time to brown on all sides, but it’s not totally necessary.
Learn more about how to roast vegetables in this article!
Ingredient Substitutions
- Sweet Potatoes: use any variety – orange, white, or even purple!
- Canola or Avocado Oil: substitute a lower-quality extra virgin olive oil.
Base Recipe Variations
Remember that this is a base recipe, so the goal is for you to customize it to your taste! Keep it simple or spice it up!
Use these additional ingredients for even more flavorful sweet potatoes.
- Garlic: substitute ½ teaspoon pre-minced garlic, ½ teaspoon garlic flakes, ¼ teaspoon granulated garlic, or ⅛ teaspoon garlic powder.
- Spices: use chili powder, paprika, cumin, turmeric, or your favorite spice blend for savory sweet potatoes. You can also use cinnamon or pumpkin spice for a slightly sweet variation.
- Parmesan: substitute Grana Padano, Pecorino Romano, or Asiago.
- Fresh Herbs: add hearty or dried herbs, such as rosemary, oregano, or thyme at the beginning of cooking. Add delicate herbs such as parsley and cilantro after cooking.
Want some roasted potato recipe inspiration?
Use these recipe variations for inspiration, then have fun exploring other flavors and ingredients to YOUR taste!
Equipment Recommendations
For recipe success, use the following pieces of equipment:
Health Benefits of Oven Roasted Sweet Potato Wedges
Americans love potatoes, but white potatoes are the more popular variety. Why not mix it up with nutritious and delicious sweet potatoes? Eating a variety of colors, like orange from sweet potatoes, is best for optimal nutrition. This recipe features sweet potatoes, healthy cooking oil, and optional spices.
Sweet Potatoes
The sweet potato is a root vegetable in the morning glory family. Sweet potatoes are a great source of important nutrients, such as beta carotene and anthocyanins which are naturally-occurring phytonutrients. These phytonutrients help with disease prevention.
Canola or Avocado Oil
Both canola and avocado oil contain heart-healthy monounsaturated fatty acids. They also have high smoke points, making them ideal for high-heat cooking methods, such as roasting.
Spices
Using spices decreases the need for salt, which may help reduce hypertension risk and therefore promote heart health. Additionally, spices contain powerful antioxidants which may help reduce inflammation in the body.
Learn more about the health benefits of spices in this article!
How to Serve Sweet Potatoes
These roasted sweet potato wedges make a delicious side at almost any meal! Pair with turkey meatballs or vegetarian meatballs and a green salad for a balanced plate.
Storage Tips
Allow sweet potatoes to cool, then store in an airtight container.
Leftovers will last for up to 1 week in the refrigerator, but they will definitely lose some crispness as they sit! Reheat in the oven for best texture.
Want more roasted vegetable recipes?
Try out these flavorful favorites!
Roasted Sweet Potato Wedges Base Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 medium sweet potato (~10-12 ounces)
- ½ Tablespoon canola or avocado oil
- ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
Additions to YOUR taste
- 1 small garlic clove, minced (~½ teaspoon)
- 1 teaspoon chopped fresh herbs
- ¼-½ teaspoon spice(s)
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 teaspoons shredded parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425ºF.
- Clean and scrub potatoes well. Do not peel. Cut thin piece off one side of your potato, making a flat side for safest cutting. Lay sweet potato on flat side.
- Cut potato in half. Lay potato halves on flat side and cut into halves one more time. If your potato is larger than suggested or is extra wide, cut into thirds.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together oil, salt, and optional garlic, hearty herbs, and/or spices. Add potatoes to bowl, and using a spatula or clean hands, toss to evenly coat with oil mixture.
- Spread potatoes on a baking sheet in a single layer, flat side down. Roast 20-25 minutes or until potatoes begin to brown and are easily pierced with a fork. Sprinkle with optional parmesan cheese and/or chopped fresh herbs. Enjoy!
