By: Denise Bustard118 Comments
Posted: 4/16/20Updated: 8/23/20
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Perfect Instant Pot sweet potatoes each and every time, with perfect, creamy insides. A time chart based on the width of your sweet potatoes ensures they are perfectly cooked each time.
While I love a baked sweet potato and the convenience of a crock pot sweet potato, sometimes we just need to get it done quickly, right? Enter Instant Pot sweet potatoes. Ready in a fraction of the time, and they come out perfectly creamy, each and every time!
The thing is, there are way too many 'one size fits all' Instant Pot sweet potato recipes out there, and can we be real? Not all sweet potatoes are made the same, so why should the cooking method be?
After being constantly disappointed by under-cooked sweet potatoes, I set out to test dozens of sweet potatoes, until I came up with a formula so that you can have perfect sweet potatoes as well.
Reasons you'll ♡ Instant Pot sweet potatoes
- they cook in a fraction of the time as the oven
- they are perfectly tender and creamy
- they are hands off...set the button and go on with your day while they cook!
Recipe Video
Want to see exactly how to cook sweet potatoes in the Instant Pot? Watch this 1-minute video! You can find more recipe videos on my YouTube channel.
Don't forget to pin this post to save it for later!
Measure the width of your sweet potatoes
In my experimentation, I discovered that the cook time of your sweet potatoes is completely dependent on the width of your sweet potatoes.
After testing dozens of sweet potatoes, I came up with the following formula:
- small (2 inches or less in width): 15 minutes + 10 minute natural pressure release
- medium (2-3 inches in width): 30 minutes + 10 minute natural pressure release
- large (3-4 inches in width): 60 minutes * + 10 minute natural pressure release
* honestly, depending on what you're going to use those gargantuan sweet potatoes for, you're probably better off cutting them into cubes to cook faster
How to cook sweet potatoes in the Instant Pot
A few simple steps stand between you and your perfect sweet potatoes:
- measure (or estimate) the width of your sweet potatoes
- scrub sweet potatoes, and prick with a fork 4-5 times
- place 1 cup of water in the Instant Pot insert (or 1.5 cups for an 8 quart Instant Pot), and place the trivet on top
- arrange your sweet potatoes on the trivet
- place the lid on the Instant Pot and set the valve to 'sealing'. Pressure cook for the time indicated on recipe card based on the width of your sweet potatoes
- allow pressure to release naturally for 10 minutes, then carefully release the remaining pressure
Ta da! Perfect sweet potatoes
Which Instant Pot works the best?
You can cook sweet potatoes in a 6 or 8 quart Instant Pot with no change to the cook time. The one thing that does change between the two sizes is the amount of water you add to the pot.
- add 1 cup to a 6 quart Instant Pot
- add 1.5 cups to an 8 quart Instant Pot
I have not tested in a mini Instant Pot, and am not sure if the sweet potatoes would fit. If you have tried, would you leave a comment below to let us know how it worked for you?
FAQ
Can I cook regular potatoes using these cook times?
No, regular potatoes require a different cook time. See this post for Instant Pot Baked Potatoes.
Can I stack the sweet potatoes or do they need to be in a single layer?
My testing was done with a single layer, however in theory, you should be able to stack them up without additional cook time. If you find that your sweet potatoes need additional cooking time, you can simply put the lid back on, add more time, and the pot will come back to pressure really quickly.
Is it better to use the 'steam' or the 'manual' setting to cook sweet potatoes?
I've done it both ways, and it worked fine either way. The steam setting simply cooks from full power straight away, since it assumes there is just water in the Instant Pot and there is no risk to burning food in contact with the base.
Wondering how to use up your sweet potatoes?
Whether you use your Instant Pot sweet potatoes as twice baked sweet potatoes, in hummus, breakfast burritos, or any of the recipes, using the Instant Pot to cook them ahead definitely makes your meal prep go a little faster.
- Enchilada Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
- Smoky Sweet Potato Hummus
- Freezer Sweet Potato Taquitos
- Freezer Sweet Potato Waffles
- Taco Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
More Instant Pot Recipes
- 7 Instant Pot Chicken Breast Recipes
- Instant Pot Whole Chicken
- Instant Pot Steel Cut Oats
- Instant Pot Spaghetti Squash
- Instant Pot Chickpeas
Did you make this? Tag me on social @sweetpeasandsaffron and be sure to leave a comment and rate the recipe!
PERFECT Instant Pot Sweet Potatoes
4.96 from 94 votesPrep Time: 5 minutes mins
Cook Time: 30 minutes mins
Total Time: 35 minutes mins
Print Rate
Perfect Instant Pot sweet potatoes each and every time, with perfect, creamy insides. A time chart based on the width of your sweet potatoes ensures they are perfectly cooked each time.
4
Ingredients
- 2-4 sweet potatoes
Instructions
Measure or estimate the width of your sweet potatoes.
Scrub sweet potatoes, then prick 5-10 times with a fork.
Add 1 cup of water to the insert of a 6 quart Instant Pot or 1.5 cups to an 8 quart Instant Pot.
Add the trivet to the Instant Pot and arrange sweet potatoes on the trivet.
Place the lid on the Instant Pot, and set the valve to 'sealing'.
Make sure your Instant Pot is set to 'high pressure', and select manual (or 'pressure cook', depending on your model). Then set the timer depending on the thickness of your sweet potatoes:
small- under 2 inches: 15 minutes,
medium- 2-3 inches: 30 minutes,
large- 3-4 inches: 60 minutes.
When timer beeps, allow pressure to naturally release for 10 minutes before releasing the rest of the pressure.
If for some reason your sweet potatoes are not fully cooked through, place the lid back on the Instant Pot and add an additional 5-10 minutes. Your Instant Pot will come back to pressure quickly.
Tips:
Storage
After cooking, the sweet potatoes may be stored in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Whole sweet potatoes may also be frozen for up to 3 months.
Video
Nutrition Information
Serving: 1cup, Calories: 260kcal, Carbohydrates: 60g, Protein: 6g, Sodium: 182mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 6g
Author: Denise Bustard
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
© Sweet Peas & Saffron - Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited.
Meet Denise Bustard
Denise Bustard is the creator of Sweet Peas and Saffron, a meal prep-focussed food blog. With a PhD in biochemistry, Denise takes a scientific approach to perfecting her recipes. You can find Denise's work featured on Huffington Post, MSN, Self and more.
Read more...
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Reader Interactions
Leave a Comment
Sherry says
Would this work the same for the purple or white sweet potatoes?
Reply
Denise Bustard says
Hi Sherry! Excellent question. Unfortunately I have only tried orange sweet potatoes, so I cannot say for sure! I assume the cook times would be quite similar. Hopefully if another reader has tried, they can chime in.
Carly says
This recipe turned out well since I followed the cook time suggested, and they were not too mushy. The only confusion I have is that my sweet potatoes burst/the skin ripped open while cooking, so it wasn't the cleanest thing to get out of the pot. What could have caused this? I used the trivet and recommended amount of water, as well as poked them all over. I always thought that potatoes could burst if you did not poke them enough, so I was sure to do it generously all over the sweet potato, but they still burst. Otherwise, perfectly cooked.Reply
Denise Bustard says
Hi Carly, I've had this happen on occasion (rather inconsistently) as well. I'm not sure what to advise, other than possibly poking more holes. Hopefully someone else can chime in!
Reply
Jo says
Worked great!I love that you make sure we understand that size affects time on the IP. TY!Reply
Ben | Sweet Peas & Saffron says
Thanks, Jo. We are happy to hear you found value in this recipe.
Reply
Natasha Lundgren says
I did this in my ninja foodi… I did three very large sweet potatoes and used your 60 minute plus 10 minute slow release suggestion and they turned out perfectly. I serve them mashed. I didn’t have a trivet so they went directly in the pot. Thank you so much for the cooking times that work way better than anything else I’ve seen online!Reply
Denise Bustard says
Hi Natasha, I'm so happy to hear this method worked in your Ninja Foodi. Thanks so much for taking the time to come back and review, it's so helpful for others!
Reply
Gale Dacalio says
So are these like "steamed"sweet potatoes or are they more like those "baked" in the oven? Ï haven't tried the insta pot for this as really "want them with the baked flavor - not steamed. Thanks
Reply
Jasmine @ Sweet Peas & Saffron says
Hi Gale, these IP sweet potatoes are more on the "steamed" side, as water needs to be added to the Instant Pot to ensure it comes to pressure. However, the flavor is still very similar to baked. You may also like our recipe for ultra creamy crockpot sweet potatoes. Hope this helps!
Reply
Lori says
These were perfect. I used my Ninja Foodi 6.5qt. Followed your exact directions and they were spot on. Thanks so much!!Reply
Jasmine @ Sweet Peas & Saffron says
Hi Lori, that's amazing to hear! So glad they came out perfectly for you! Thanks for leaving a rating and review 🙂
Reply
Roxi says
Easy faster then the oven moist snd delicious won’t go back to using the oven fir a sweet potatoes!RoxiReply
Jasmine @ Sweet Peas & Saffron says
Hi Roxi, really glad to hear that you enjoyed and found this method helpful! Thanks for taking the time to come back to leave a rating and review! 🙂
Reply
PJ says
I used my 3 qt mini instant pot with rack and cooked 3 sweet potatoes (one layer on rack) that were 2-3 inches for 30 minutes and did a 14 minute natural release because I lost track of time, but they were the best ever. Definitely my go to for cooking sweet potatoes. Thanks so much for the recipe.Reply
Jasmine @ Sweet Peas & Saffron says
Hi PJ, so glad that you found a new go-to! This one is such a great time-saver, and so helpful for meal prep! Thanks for taking the time to come back to leave a rating and review.
Reply
Opal says
Thank you so very much for putting in the time to do this! Your webpage is bookmarked and I go to it every time I cook sweet potatoes (so that is very frequently)! Comes out perfect every time!Reply
Jasmine @ Sweet Peas & Saffron says
Hi Opal, so glad that you are able to come back to this one again and again for helpful tips! Thanks for taking the time to leave a rating and review 🙂
Reply
Michelle Clark says
Thank you for making me look good. I hate cooking but maybe not as much as I used to thanks to Instant Pot and great people like you who use their time to create and are generous to share with others. I followed everything just like you said I had 2 s. p. 2-3" and used 6qt duo, they came out perfect!Reply
Jasmine @ Sweet Peas & Saffron says
Hi Michelle, haha our pleasure! We are so glad that the Instant Pot is helping you to enjoy cooking a little bit more. Thank you so much for taking the time to come back to leave a rating and review!
Reply
Toni says
Thank you so much for all the time it took you to figure how much time to cook the sweet potatoes. It worked out great. I had 1 small one, two medium sized ones , and 1 large one. I cut the large one in half and cooked them for 33 minutes with the 15 minute NR. They came out soft, just the way I like them. This site will be a keeper for me.Reply
Jasmine @ Sweet Peas & Saffron says
Hi Toni, thank you so much for taking the time to come back to leave a rating and review. We're glad you enjoyed this recipe, it's always great to find a new favorite!
Reply
Karen Underwood says
I stacked mine and they were perfect! ThanksReply
Jasmine @ Sweet Peas & Saffron says
Hi Karen, glad you enjoyed! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a rating and review. 🙂
Reply
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