How to Quickly Prepare Sweet Potatoes in Your Instant Pot

If you're aiming to incorporate healthier foods into your diet, sweet potatoes are a great choice. Packed with nutrients, they’re a favorite in diets like Whole30 and Paleo. However, cooking them the traditional way can take forever. Enter the Instant Pot. This versatile kitchen appliance lets you prepare soft, fluffy sweet potatoes in a fraction of the time. Keep reading for a simple, step-by-step method.

Why Choose the Instant Pot for Cooking Sweet Potatoes?

If you’re hesitant about the latest kitchen trends or gadgets, you might be unsure about swapping your usual baked sweet potatoes for ones made in the Instant Pot. But trust me, once you try cooking sweet potatoes in the Instant Pot, you’ll never go back to the old way. Here’s why you should make the change:

• You'll save time without sacrificing quality. To achieve the desired result, sweet potatoes need to bake in the oven for up to an hour. Of course, you can always nuke them when you're in a pinch, but you're going to end up with dried out sweet potatoes. The Instant Pot offers the best of both worlds. In about 35 minutes, the Instant Pot turns raw sweet potatoes into a moist and fluffy side dish.
• It's less work. Don't worry about rubbing the potatoes with oil or checking them for doneness. The beauty of the Instant Pot is it's completely hands off.
• The result is perfection. With this method, you end up with velvety smooth sweet potatoes every time. The Instant Pot won't dry them out like more traditional methods.

How to Prepare Sweet Potatoes in the Instant Pot

Keep reading to discover the best way to cook sweet potatoes in the Instant Pot. Once they’re done, enjoy them however you prefer: mashed, in a salad, as part of a sweet potato casserole, or simply topped with butter and brown sugar.

Try this delicious recipe: Instant Pot Mashed Sweet Potatoes

Ingredients You’ll Need:

• 4 medium sweet potatoes
• Scrub brush
• Instant Pot or other electric pressure cooker
• Stainless steel trivet
• 1 cup water
• Tongs

Steps to Follow:

1. Rinse the sweet potatoes thoroughly.
2. Place the metal trivet inside the Instant Pot and add 1 cup of water. Set the sweet potatoes on top of the trivet.
3. Seal the lid and ensure the pressure release valve is set to "sealing".
4. Set the Instant Pot to cook on high pressure for 15 minutes. It will take about 10 minutes for the pot to come to pressure.
5. Let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes, then perform a quick release to release the remaining pressure.
6. Carefully open the lid, remove the sweet potatoes with tongs, and serve right away, or refrigerate for up to 4 days.

We’re celebrating the latest home-cooking trends, driven by the passion of our vibrant community of cooks. We analyzed data from 1.2 billion visits to Dinogo.com and 2.5 billion page views annually. Going even deeper, we surveyed our Dinogo cooks about what’s in their shopping carts, fridges, and on their minds—from stovetops to tables. Sweet potatoes are just one of the top topics that piqued their interest. Check out more insights in the "State of Home Cooking" special report.