Sous Vide Sweet Potatoes: How to Cook Sweet Potatoes Perfectly

Name: Sous Vide Sweet Potatoes: How to Cook Sweet Potatoes Perfectly
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 35 min
Ingredients: 1 ½ pounds sweet potatoes; 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt ((use less if using table salt), plus more for serving); 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper; 1/2 tablespoon olive oil; chopped fresh parsley (optional for garnishing)

Published by Izzy

on Mar 23, 2023, Updated Nov 21, 2023

5 from 3 votes

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Sous Vide Sweet Potatoes are the most delicious and nutritious veggie ever! They’re fluffy, sweet and come out perfectly EVERY TIME! This simple side dish recipe takes a few minutes to prepare, then the sous vide machine will do the rest of the work and cook the sweet potatoes to perfection.

These sous vide sweet potatoes are no-fuss, easy to make and packed with vitamins and nutrients. They are so flavorful, and you can serve them with pretty much any meal like steak, chicken, or seafood. Whether you are serving this with your Thanksgiving dinner, or simply a weeknight meal, you’ll love this perfect side dish recipe.

Why sous vide sweet potatoes

Sous vide sweet potatoes = Perfect texture + Best flavor + More nutrients

Sous vide cooking sweet potatoes brings out their natural flavor and sweetness without loosing any nutrients. There’s no need to add extra sugar or softness to this recipe, as they are perfectly sweet and soft on their own.

Unlike boiled sweet potatoes, they are cooked in a vacuum-sealed bag in the sous vide water bath where the flavors are enclosed and not diluted by water! Plus, they are cooked at a precise temperature, taking all the guesswork out of the equation and gives you back free time!

What is sous vide cooking? Sous vide is a French cooking technique where the food is first vacuum-sealed in a bag, then cooked for a long time to a very precise temperature in a warm water bath. This technique is known for being a precise and consistent way to evenly cook the food. If you are new to sous vide cooking, here is a complete guide on everything you need to know about sous vide.

Sous vide sweet potatoes served in a white bowl, and topped with seasonings and chopped parsley.

Sweet potato vs. yam

Similar to a regular potato, sweet potatoes are a starchy and sweet root vegetable that’s different from yams. Although both are root vegetables, the skin of a yam looks like tree bark while a sweet potato is more reddish-brown. Yams are less sweet, with much more starch and drier than sweet potatoes. However, the two terms are used interchangeably in many supermarkets, leading to more confusion.

Sweet potatoes are heathy and really good for you. They’re packed with fiber, vitamins, and minerals like calcium and potassium. They are also a great source of beta-carotene, a powerful antioxidant that improves our immunity and overall good health.

There are different types of sweet potatoes, and I recommend using orange or red skinned sweet potatoes. Look for firm sweet potatoes without discolorations on their skins. Soft ones are usually too old.

How to make sous vide sweet potatoes

Making sweet potatoes in a sous vide machine is one of the easiest things to do:

Wash and cut sweet potatoes: For the best flavor and texture, I recommend peeling the sweet potatoes first. Then cut them into 1/2-inch cubes.

Peeled sweet potatoes cut into 1/2-inch cubes.

Rub with oil and seasonings: Rub them with olive oil, seasonings and herbs. And then place them in zip-lock bags (I used two bags for 2 large sweet potatoes).

Sweet potatoes seasoned with oil, salt, and pepper in a large clear mixing bowl.

Vacuum-seal the bag: Use a vacuum-sealer if you have one. Otherwise, vacuum seal the bag using “water displacement” technique (see recipe card for details).

Sous Vide cook: Cook in the sous vide water bath at 194°F (90°C) for 30 minutes.

Sous vide cooking sweet potatoes in the warm water bath.

That’s it! Incredibly easy!

Temperature and time to sous vide sweet potatoes

I recommend cooking them at 194°F (90°C) for the best texture. It’s sweet, fluffy, flavorful, and never mushy, absolutely perfect.

Cooking time varies depends on the size of your sweet potatoes. The fastest way is to cut them to 1/2-inch cubes so that they can get cooked thoroughly after 30 minutes.

Bigger chunks need longer cooking time. Check the doneness and if they are not ready, just place them back to the bag, and vacuum-seal it again and continue to cook until tender and soft.

Tips and variations

Arrange the sweet potato pieces in one single layer in the zip-lock bag so that they can get cooked properly.
It’s best to use a vacuum sealer for this recipe, as it can pull the air out more effectively. But you can use a zip-top bag if you don’t have a vacuum sealer. To prevent the bags from floating, you can use Sous Wide Weights to keep it fully submerged. Alternatively, I find kitchen metal tongs can help to push down the bag.
Some topping ideas include butter, cinnamon, marshmallow, honey, and maple syrup, etc.

How to store sweet potatoes?

Raw sweet potatoes are best stored in a cool, dark, and dry place. Don’t store them in a refrigerator as this can change their cell structure, make them take longer to cook, and affect the flavor.

For the cooked sweet potatoes, you can store them in an airtight contain in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. You can also freeze them and they’ll last for up to 3 months.

More Sous Vide Vegetable Recipes You’ll Love:

Please let me know how your sous vide sweet potatoes turn out in the comments below! I’m also looking forward to hearing how you serve them.

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5 from 3 votes