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The easiest and BEST way to cook perfect sweet potatoes every time! Tender, fluffy, soft, creamy, and packed with that sweet buttery flavor we all want in a sweet potato. You will never cook sweet potatoes any other way! These Instant Pot Sweet Potatoes take half as much time as baking them in the oven, which is such a time saver. Here is everything you need to know about how to pressure cook sweet potatoes.
I am so obsessed with my Instant Pot and these Instant Pot Sweet Potatoes are the best recipe for cooking sweet potatoes perfectly every time . Super easy to make and when I say easy, I mean this is totally a “set it and almost forget it” recipe. It really is.
The sweet potatoes come out so tender, soft and fluffy and the flavor is crazy good! You really will never cook your sweet potatoes any other way once you try this. Here is everything you need to know about how to pressure cook sweet potatoes.
I am also loving my air fryer these days, so if you do not own an Instant Pot but you do have an air fryer then check out these epic air fryer baked potatoes, which also work with sweet potatoes.
Are sweet potatoes good for you?
Yes! Sweet potatoes are the most nutrient-rich foods in the produce section of the grocery store. Why? Sweet potatoes contain high levels of vitamins A, B, and C plus fiber and potassium.
All things our bodies need for fighting disease, building our immune system, digestion, providing us with energy and keeping us fuller longer.
Plus sweet potatoes are absolutely delicious and very inexpensive, costing about $1.50 per lb and sometimes even less if you can find them at your local farmers market.
How do you cook sweet potatoes?
I cooked these sweet potatoes in the instant pot in about 20 minutes since I feel like that is the best method for perfectly fluffy baked sweet potatoes.
You can also make Easy Mashed Sweet Potatoes in the Instant Pot as well.
How long to cook sweet potatoes in the instant pot
Here is the deal on the cooking times since there are varied sizes of sweet potatoes. It’s a pretty simple formula to remember. You basically start with 12 minutes and just add 3-4 minutes to you’re cooking time-based on the size of your potatoes.
- Small sweet potatoes (6-8 ounces) – 12-15 minutes at high pressure
- Medium size sweet potatoes (8-12 ounces) – 18-22 minutes at high pressure
- Larger sweet potatoes (12-16 ounces) – 25-27 minutes at high pressure
Pretty simple right? I tested this and the times were spot on. The cook time does not include the roughly 8-10 minutes for the Instant Pot to come to pressure but it still only takes less than 20 minutes from start to finish and the potatoes come out so perfect.
Still less time and effort than cooking them in the oven but just as delicious.
How to cook the BEST Instant Pot Sweet Potatoes
- Make sure to scrub the sweet potatoes to get all of the dirt off. I love this scrubber for potatoes. Use a fork to poke holes all over the potatoes to help with venting.
- Place the steaming trivet that comes with the instant pot on the bottom, lay the whole sweet potatoes on top of the trivet.
- Pour 1 cup of water into the Instant Pot, secure and lock the lid and make sure the valve is set to “sealing”. In manual mode, set the potatoes to cook for 12-25 minutes depending on their size (see cooking recommendations above and in recipe card). The Instant Pot will take 5-7 minutes to come to pressure and will then start to cook.
I used medium sweet potatoes and set them to 20 minutes and they were perfect.
4. After 18-25 minutes, the pressure should automatically release which takes an additional 8-10 minutes. Manually release any extra pressure.
5. Carefully remove the sweet potatoes from the Instant Pot. Slice each, top with butter and chives.
What I love is that you can just go about your day, folding laundry, tending to the kids, fit in an extra workout and then poof, the potatoes are done and you are ready to enjoy all of the work the Instant Pot did for you.
How good do those look? Add a pat of butter and some fresh chives and it is the perfect healthy side dish or snack.
Can you cook other types of potatoes this way?
Yes! You absolutely can! Russet potatoes, red potatoes, and baby potatoes can all be done using this same method. Of course, you will need to adjust the cooking times based on the size of the potatoes.
How to cook baby potatoes in the Instant Pot
I have found that red potatoes and baby potatoes cook well at 5-7 minutes cooking time using the same manual “pressure cook” mode I used in this recipe. You don’t need to poke holes in the smaller potatoes since there is not as much venting needed.
How to cook Russet potatoes in the Instant Pot
Russet potatoes (my kids fave) require a little longer to cook, like 10 minutes since they are typically larger. Then you can just let the pressure naturally release or do a quick release about 10 minutes after the instant pot is finished cooking them.
I am usually in a hurry, inpatient kids and all, so I like to do a quick release.
Recipe Tips
- Select sweet potatoes that are all similar in size so they cook evenly. This took me a few extra minutes in the produce section my grocery store but was well worth it.
- Know the size of your Instant Pot. I have a 6 Quart (standard size) Instant Pot that fits about 4 medium-sized potatoes.
- Poke holes all over each potato for easier venting while they cook.
- Use the trivet that comes with your Instant Pot to place the potatoes on. This will prevent the bottoms of the potatoes from burning while they cook.
- Use 1 cup of water to help the potatoes cook. I prefer room temperature water but cold water also works.
- Let the potatoes rest for a few minutes after cooking before slicing them open. They will continue to cook for a few minutes after cooking, so letting them rest for 5 extra minutes makes them super soft and crazy fluffy and creamy.
Here are some other amazing sweet potato recipes you may also like
Vegetarian Chili Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
Sweet Potato Buddha Bowl – With Black Beans
Did you try this recipe? If you did, then please leave a rating and comment below.
Print
Easy Instant Pot Sweet Potatoes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 4 people 1x
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
The easiest and BEST way to cook perfect sweet potatoes every time! Tender, fluffy, soft, creamy, and packed with that sweet buttery flavor we all want in a sweet potato. You will never cook sweet potatoes any other way! These Instant Pot Sweet Potatoes take half as much time as baking them in the oven, which is such a time saver. Here is everything you need to know about how to pressure cook sweet potatoes.
Ingredients
For Pressure Cooking
- 4 medium-small sweet potatoes
- 1 cup water
For Serving
- Butter
- Salt & Pepper
- Chives
Instructions
- Scrub the sweet potatoes clean and poke holes all over each potato for easy venting.
- Place the trivet that came with your Instant Pot into the bottom of the pot. Lay the sweet potatoes in a single layer on top of the trivet.
- Pour 1 cup of water into the bottom of the Instant Pot. Secure and lock the lid and make sure the valve is set to the “sealing” position.
- Set the Instant Pot in manual mode to “pressure cook” for 15-25 minutes or longer depending on the size of your sweet potatoes. See the notes section below for varied cooking times. It will take about 7-8 minutes for the Instant Pot to come to pressure before it starts cooking.
- Let the pressure naturally release. This takes about 8-10 minutes. If you are in a hurry then you can do a “quick release” about 10 minutes after the instant pot is done cooking.
- Once the pressure is fully released, remove the potatoes (I used tongs since the potatoes were hot).
- Let them cool for 2-5 minute or so then just slice them down the middle, add a pat of butter and sprinkle with some chives. So Good!!!
Notes
Recipe Tips
- Select sweet potatoes that are all similar in size so they cook evenly. This took me a few extra minutes in the produce section of my grocery store but was well worth it.
- Know the size of your Instant Pot. I have a 6 Quart (standard size) Instant Pot that fits about 4 medium-size potatoes.
- Poke holes all over each potato for easier venting while they cook.
- Use the trivet that comes with your Instant Pot to place the potatoes on. This will prevent the bottoms of the potatoes from burning while they cook.
- Use 1 cup of water to help the potatoes cook. I prefer room temperature water but cold water also works.
- Let the potatoes rest for a few minutes after cooking before slicing them open. They will continue to cook for a few minutes after cooking, so letting them rest for 5 extra minutes makes them super soft and crazy fluffy and creamy.
Cooking times for sweet potatoes:
- Small sweet potatoes (6-8 ounces) – 12-15 minutes at high pressure
- Medium size sweet potatoes (8-12 ounces) – 18-22 minutes at high pressure
- Larger sweet potatoes (12-16 ounces) – 25-27 minutes at high pressure
Favorite toppings for sweet potatoes
- Butter (of course!)
- Chives and parsley
- Sour cream or greek yogurt
- Veggie loaded – steamed broccoli, corn, bell peppers
- Pack on the protein – black beans, roasted chickpeas, Fried egg. YUMMY!
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 22 minutes
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Instant Pot
- Cuisine: American
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