Steamed Sweet Potatoes

Here’s how to make a steamed sweet potato in just 30 minutes! This easy method makes moist, tender flesh, ideal for topping, stuffing, or using in your favorite sweet potato recipes.

OK I know: oven baked sweet potatoes are classic for a reason. But here’s an easy way to cook them that might surprise you: making a steamed sweet potato on the stovetop! The first time we made this recipe, my husband Alex took one bite and said, “Why have we never done this before?”

Steaming is faster than a baked sweet potato (about half the time), requires no oil, and makes a fluffy, moist texture: perfect for stuffing or loading with toppings. This might just become your new weeknight staple!

5 Star Reader Review

“Loved this! It was so easy in my steamer basket. The skin falls right off if you prefer that, and the rich orange color is beautifully intact. So much so that I even took the dreaded meal pic next to my salad to brag about my colorful food.” -Jane

Choosing the Best Sweet Potatoes for Steaming

You can steam any type of sweet potato, but what’s important is the size. Here’s what to know:

Go for medium potatoes. Try to find potatoes that are about 8 ounces each, which are medium in size. You can also steam small potatoes. Large potatoes work too, but it will take longer.
Orange-flesh varieties work best. You can use white flesh sweet potatoes in this recipe, but I haven’t tested them! The two main types of orange flesh potatoes you’ll find at the store are Jewel, which has a light brown-orange skin and Red Garnet, which has red skin and is slightly thinner. We’ve tested this recipe with Jewel sweet potatoes.

How to Steam Sweet Potatoes (Step by Step)

I always thought the best way to cook a potato was a Baked Sweet Potato. But turns out, steaming is just as delicious! It makes the vegetable incredibly tender, perfect as an easy side dish or loading up with toppings as a main dish. (We’ll get to that later!)

Steamed sweet potatoes are also faster than baked: baking a whole sweet potato takes about 1 hour, whereas steaming takes about 30 minutes total. Here’s how long to steam sweet potatoes:

Place water in a pot to a level just below the steamer basket and bring it to a boil.
Add the steamer basket with whole sweet potatoes. Maintain a steady boil and steam for 25 to 35 minutes, depending on the size of the potato, until tender when pierced with a fork. Allow to sit for 5 minutes, then slice in half and add toppings.

Topping Ideas & Ways To Serve

Steaming sweet potatoes results in the best moist orange flesh, perfect for topping or stuffing! This recipe is very versatile: you can top them as a side or stuff them as a main dish. Here are some ways I love to top sweet potatoes:

Sour cream and chives, as a side dish
Butter, salt and pepper
Cinnamon and a hint of maple syrup
Loaded with black beans and salsa, like in these stuffed sweet potatoes
Peanut butter sauce and slaw, like Thai-style loaded sweet potatoes
Broccoli & cheese, like sautéed broccoli and cheese sauce
Nacho-stuffed: Add taco meat, refried beans, cheddar cheese, nacho cheese or vegan nacho cheese, salsa, chopped lettuce, crushed tortilla chips

Alternate Method: Instant Pot

Got a pressure cooker? You can steam sweet potatoes in an Instant Pot! They come out the same as steaming on the stovetop, incredibly moist and tender. Go to Instant Pot Sweet Potatoes.

More Ways To Use Steamed Sweet Potatoes

You can also use steamed sweet potatoes as part of other recipes! Use a fork to remove the flesh, mash it, and use it in recipes. Here are a few sweet potato recipe ideas:

Use them as a topping for Sweet Potato Salad
Try them in tasty Sweet Potato Muffins or Sweet Potato Bread
Make them into a main dish with Sweet Potatoes with Thai Peanut Butter Sauce
Use them for Fudgy Sweet Potato Brownies
Bake them into Sweet Potato Black Bean Enchiladas

Storage and Reheating

Steamed sweet potatoes store well and are great for meal prep. To store, cool completely, then store airtight for up to 5 days. You can also freeze cooked sweet potato flesh that is mashed with a fork (not whole potatoes) for up to 3 months and thaw it overnight in the fridge.

Reheat in the microwave, an air fryer, or a 350°F oven until warmed through.

Dietary Notes

This steamed sweet potatoes recipe is vegetarian, vegan, plant-based, dairy-free and gluten-free.