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Home » Recipes » Helpful Guides

How To Cook A Sweet Potato In The Microwave

Published: Mar 23, 2021 by Shane Martin · This post may contain affiliate links.

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How to cook a sweet potato in the microwave. It’s the fastest and easiest way to cook sweet potatoes at home. 1 ingredient and perfect EVERY time! Vegan, oil-free, and gluten-free.

Sweet potato on a fork.

Cooking sweet potatoes in the microwave will change your life! If you’ve never thought about doing it you should start now. They’re just as good as baked or roasted sweet potatoes and they cut the cooking time down by almost an hour! Yes, an hour!

Cooking sweet potatoes in the microwave is also extremely versatile. They’re great as a quick and simple side dish or you can load them up with some chopped onion, black beans, and vegan sour cream for a fantastic lunch.

But, my favorite is to have them for breakfast. Simply chop up some fruit, drizzle with your favorite nut butter, add a few chocolate chips and you’ve got one filling and satisfying breakfast even your kids will love!

And, if you’re worried about nutrients. Don’t. All foods lose some of their nutritional value once they’ve been cooked. But, microwaved sweet potatoes actually retain more of their nutrients as opposed to boiled sweet potatoes.

So, if you’re ready to see how this little kitchen hack can change your life then continue reading.

Bucket of sweet potatoes.

Ingredients

One of the best things about this recipe, if you can call it that, is the fact you need just one ingredient. A sweet potato! What you choose to do with it after that is up to you.

  • Sweet Potato

How Do You Cook A Sweet Potato In The Microwave

Keep in mind there’s no “one size fits all” because sweet potatoes come in all shapes in sizes. But, in general, you can figure around 5 minutes per medium-sized sweet potato.

FYI, you don’t have to wrap it in anything like plastic wrap or a paper towel.

  1. Wash and pat dry the sweet potato.
  2. Pierce the sweet potato all over about 5-6 times with a fork.
  3. Place the sweet potato on a microwave-safe plate and cook for 2 ½ minutes. Rotate with sweet potato and cook for 2 ½ more minutes.
  4. If you can push a fork into the center with very little to no resistance the sweet potato is read. If you can’t simply cook in 30-second increments until it’s ready.

That’s it. Now, let the sweet potato rest for a minute then open it up and enjoy!

Sweet potato and fork on plate.

How Should I Serve Microwaved Sweet Potatoes

Enjoy this sweet potato with just a little salt and pepper along with these tasty dishes:

  • Chickpea Vegan Meatloaf
  • Crispy Blackened Tofu
  • Vegan Stuffed Bell Peppers
  • Best Vegan Baked Mac & Cheese

What Can I Make With Microwaved Sweet Potatoes

When making recipes that call for cooked sweet potatoes this method is perfect. Yes,

  • Sweet Potato Chocolate Cake by Dreena Burton (ABSOLUTELY AMAZING)
  • Vegan Sweet Potato Pie
  • The Best Vegan Sweet Potato Casserole
  • Sweet Potato Shepherd’s Pie
Microwaved sweet potato on a white plate.

Can I Cook More Than One Sweet Potato In The Microwave

Yes! Simply add 2 minutes to the cooking time per sweet potato. And, follow the same directions.

How Do I Store Leftover Microwaved Sweet Potato

In the unlikely event, you have leftover sweet potato, or you like to meal prep, you can store microwaved sweet potatoes in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Can I Eat The Skin Of A Sweet Potato

Yes, and I would suggest you do it because it’s loaded with lots of vitamins and minerals.

Microwaved sweet potato on white plate with fork, salt, and pepper.

I hope you enjoy this simple recipe! Please leave a comment below with a star rating. I would greatly appreciate it.

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How to cook a sweet potato in the microwave. It’s the fastest and easiest way to cook sweet potatoes at home. 1 ingredient and perfect EVERY time! Vegan, oil-free, and gluten-free.

  • Author: Shane Martin
  • Prep Time: 2 mins.
  • Cook Time: 5 mins.
  • Total Time: 7 minutes
  • Yield: 1 sweet potato 1x
  • Category: How Tos
  • Method: Microwave
  • Cuisine: Vegan
  • Diet: Vegan

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 sweet potato

Instructions

  1. Wash and pat dry the sweet potato. Pierce the sweet potato all over about 5-6 times with a fork.
  2. Place the sweet potato on a microwave-safe plate and cook for 2 ½ minutes. Rotate with sweet potato and cook for 2 ½ more minutes.
  3. If you can push a fork into the center with very little to no resistance the sweet potato is read. If you can’t simply cook in 30-second increments until it’s ready.
  4. Let the sweet potato rest for about 1 minute. The slice down the middle, fluff it up with a fork, and enjoy!

Notes

Add 2 minutes to the cooking time per sweet potato if cooking more than one potato. Follow the same directions.

In the unlikely event, you have leftover sweet potato, or you like to meal prep, you can store microwaved sweet potatoes in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Yes, you can totally eat the skin of cooked sweet potato and I suggest you do it. It’s loaded with lots of vitamins and minerals.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 Sweet Potato
  • Calories: 112
  • Sugar: 5.4 g
  • Sodium: 71.5 mg
  • Fat: 0.1 g
  • Carbohydrates: 26.2 g
  • Fiber: 3.9 g
  • Protein: 2 g
  • Cholesterol: 0 mg

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Shane Martin

Hi, I'm Shane! I’m an average dude who loves to cook and eat good food that happens to be completely plant-based.

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