Here's the best recipe & tips for how long to bake sweet potatoes at 400°F (205°C). They come out with sweet, fluffy, & creamy on the inside with crispy skin in the outside. Just add a pat of butter for the ultimate easy side dish. Sounds simple right, so let's get started.
Through my years of personal cheffing and cooking for my family of 5 - I have baked a few hundred sweet potatoes in my day. After all my trial & error, the best temperature for baking potatoes is at 400°F.
I am sharing my knowledge below so you can oven cook them so there is no guess work. This includes how many minutes are needed based on the size & weight of your sweet potatoes (or yams because this works for them too!)
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Ingredients Needed
Just a few simple ingredients, including fresh sweet potatoes with the skin left on, is all you need. Try and buy them so they are similiar in size, especially thickness so they cook at the same rate/timing.
Enjoy them fresh out of the oven piping hot with a few toppings. Or use them as a base for a fun twist instead of russets in my recipe for Air Fryer Loaded Potato Skins.
Here are important notes for some ingredients:
- Sweet Potatoes - the starchy root veggie is the star; try orange, white, or purple varieties - popular types are Jewel, Garnet, Covington, Okinawa or Beauregard.
- Olive Oil - helps make the skin crispy without drying it out plus allows the salt to adhere to the potatoes.
- Salt - the flavor enhancer so even the skin is delicious.
See the recipe card for full list, quantities, & any substitutions/variations.
How to Bake Sweet Potatoes in the Oven
There is no rocket science here, I am being honest. Mostly what is important is timing the cooking so they are done at the right time.
TOP TIP: See the baking times by size section below for a great reference.
Here are the easy steps for making oven baked sweet potatoes.
- Prep the Potatoes
- Bake the Potatoes
See the step-by-step instructions with photos below plus the recipe card at the end of the post.
1 - Prep the Sweet Potatoes
Begin by preheating the oven to 400°F (205°C).
Wash & thoroughly dry each potato. Using a fork poke holes on all sides of the potato.
Next drizzle olive oil over the potato & rub onto all sides. Sprinkle with plenty of salt.
2 - Bake the Sweet Potatoes
Add the sweet potatoes to the preheated oven. Place them directly on the center rack. Set a timer based on the minutes to cook in my quick guide below. (medium like seen here take 45-50 minutes)
Bake until a fork or sharp knife can easily pierce the skin & slide into the inner flesh. Carefully remove them from the oven & let cool a bit before slicing into them.
400°F Potato Baking Times by Size
- #1 Tip - Try & buy sweet potatoes that are similar in size so they all cook at the same rate/timing.
- This recipe works whether you are making one, 4 for your family week night meal or baking a fewdozen for a party crowd.
- Small - 35 - 40 minutes
- Medium - 45 - 50 minutes
- Large - 60 - 65 minutes
- Extra Large (12oz+) - 75+ minutes (like the huge ones from Costco!)
Hint: If you have a convection oven, reduce the baking time by 5-10 minutes.
Topping & Leftover Ideas
Add your favorite toppings & keep it classic with just a pat of butter, salt, & pepper. Below are some other serving ideas to jazz things & personalize so they are never boring.
Some popular sweet potatoes toppings include brown sugar, drizzle of maple syrup, chopped pecans, caramelized onions, sour cream & chives, or greek yogurt.
Here are some recipes to add to baked sweet potatoes to elevate it as a side dish or make it a meal:
- Make it spicy with a drizzle of Homemade Hot Honey.
- Top with pulled pork, slow cooker bbq pulled chicken or leftover taco meat for dinner.
- A Southern favorite is to top them with Slow Cooker Collard Greens with Bacon for a comforting meal.
- Or try these ideas for stuffing sweet potatoes.
FAQ
I do not recommend wrapping any potato in foil first before cooking. I find it "steams" them vs truly oven baking. When you wrap them in foil it traps excess moisture and you will not get that fluffy interior and forget about any crispy skin.
After recipe testing different temperatures, I find 400°F is the best temperature for sweet potatoes. It bakes the inside evenly while also getting a crispy exterior without burning.
I like to do this so the steam can release without the pressure building and causing the sweet potatoes to split or burst. It keeps the potato both intake better & gives you less chance of having a messy oven to clean - win win!
Here is my recipe for Air Fryer Sweet Potatoes. It is a bit different but still has great results.
Serving Suggestions
Here are some great entrees and main dishes that pair well with sweet potatoes - especially if you love meat & potatoes for dinner. Complete your supper with one of the easy recipes:
How Long to Bake Sweet Potatoes at 400°
Ingredients
- 2 medium sweet potatoes similar in size, any kind such as Garnet, Jewel varieties
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 teaspoons salt
- butter, sour cream, brown sugar, maple syrup, etc optional toppings
Instructions
- Preheat Oven to 400°F (205°C)
- Wash & dry each potato. Use a fork to poke 5-6 sets of holes on all sides of each potato.2 medium sweet potatoes
- To each potato rub on 1 tablespoon of olive oil & sprinkle on 2 teaspoons of salt to coat all sides evenly.2 tablespoons olive oil, 4 teaspoons salt
- Bake in the preheated oven directly on the center rack. (or on a parchment lined baking sheet)* Set a timer based on the size of the potatoes in the notes below
- Test for doneness - a knife or fork should slide easily into the flesh of the potatoes when done.
- Remove them carefully from the oven with a hot mitt - let them rest on a plate before serving.
- After 5 minutes, slice them open and add toppings. Enjoy!butter, sour cream, brown sugar, maple syrup, etc
Notes
- Store cooled baked potatoes in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Reheat in the microwave for 3-5 minutes or in the regular or toaster oven at 400° for 15 minutes.
-
- Small - 35 - 40 minutes
-
- Medium - 45 - 50 minutes
-
- Large - 60 - 65 minutes
- The calories etc listed are an estimate. Each type or size potato will be different.
Nutrition
More Sweet Potato Recipes
Here are some side dishes also with sweet potatoes:
Jesse says
We had 4 big potatoes and it took a bit longer than we expected but turned out great at 400°F. My mom always baked sweet potatoes and yams at 450 & the skin was terrible and almost like tree bark. I actually ate the skin this time for the first time and loved it.
Angela says
Great!