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Easy Sauteed Sweet Potatoes

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These sauteed sweet potatoes are the perfect addition to your breakfast, lunch, or dinner! They’re ready in 25 minutes with just 7 vegan-friendly ingredients.

Only using sweet potatoes in desserts? You’re underestimating them!

This easy recipe will teach you how to saute sweet potatoes like a pro, so they’ll be perfectly tender with a caramelized crust that’s absolutely irresistible.

Season them with spices likely already in your pantry, and you have the perfect side dish for any meal.

Photo of a cast iron skillet, filled with sauteed sweet potatoes cubes.

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You’ll be very pleased to know that savory sweet potato dishes are just as crave-worthy as sweet potato desserts.

So, instead of the pies and casseroles, try Southwestern sweet potato waffles and black bean sweet potato baked burritos!

Why You’ll Love This Sauteed Sweet Potatoes Recipe 

  • Sauteeing the sweet potato chunks caramelizes them beautifully and lets them soak up all the deliciousness from the spices and seasonings. 
  • Perfect for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, these skillet sweet potatoes make a surprisingly versatile side dish. Keep scrolling for some vegan-friendly meal ideas that’ll go great with them!
  • These crisp-tender sauteed sweet potatoes are customizable—go savory, sweet, spicy, or come up with your own blend of flavors!
vegan sauteed sweet potatoes

Ingredients And Substitutions

Sweet potatoesChoose sweet potatoes that are uniform in shape for easier peeling and cutting. 

Olive oilFor cooking the sweet potatoes. You can also use avocado oil.

Garlic powder, chili powder, cumin, salt, and black pepper – We’re keeping our pan sauteed sweet potatoes simple with seasonings you probably already have in your pantry.

However, you can easily make different variations of skillet sweet potatoes! You can go Indian-style with curry powder and turmeric powder or make them sweet and spicy with maple syrup and cayenne pepper.

sauteed sweet potatoes ingredients

Tips For Making This Recipe

Cut the Sweet Potatoes to a Uniform Size

Aim to dice your peeled sweet potatoes into uniform-sized 1/2-inch chunks to ensure even cooking. No burnt sweet potatoes here!

Don’t Overcrowd the Pan

Make sure to spread out your diced sweet potatoes in the pan. Overcrowding the pan will steam them, which is not what you want for that nice browned crust.

Storage Tips

These sauteed sweet potato cubes can be kept in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days or frozen for up to 3 months in a freezer-safe, airtight container. To serve, reheat them in a skillet with a bit of oil.

Closeup photo of a silver spoon scooping up a spoonful of sauteed sweet potatoes, from a cast iron skillet.

Pan Sauteed Sweet Potatoes Recipe FAQs

How long to saute sweet potatoes?

Sweet potatoes take about 20 minutes to cook. Remember to stir them occasionally so they don’t stick to the pan!

Can I use regular potatoes?

Sure, but the cooking time will be different. Additionally, regular potatoes won’t caramelize as much, so you’ll miss out on that golden crust that makes sauteed sweet potatoes so scrumptious.

Do you need to peel sweet potatoes before cooking?

It’s your call! But if you choose to leave their peels on, make sure to scrub them well to remove any dirt. 

How do you keep sweet potatoes from sticking to the pan?

Use a seasoned cast-iron skillet with enough oil to prevent your sweet potatoes from burning and sticking to the pan. If they start to char, just add more oil and reduce the heat.

What do you serve with sauteed sweet potatoes?

These pan-fried sweet potato cubes are perfect with our tofu scramble for a satisfying breakfast! They’ll also make an amazing side dish with a hearty salad like spiced chickpea kale salad for lunch, or instead of a greasy fast food burger and fries for dinner, pair them with a black bean burger.

More Delicious Vegan Side Dish Recipes

I found this recipe for Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries that I HAVE to try!

Yay! You have made it this far, and I am so glad! Hey – If you make this recipe, I’d love for you to give it a quick review & star rating ★ below. Your comment and/or rating helps other readers!

Sauteed Sweet Potatoes

Top view photo of a cast iron skillet with sauteed sweet potato cubes in the pan. There is a silver in the pan, and a small bowl with spices in the bottom of the photo.
These sauteed sweet potatoes are the perfect addition to your breakfast, lunch, or dinner! They're ready in 25 minutes with just 7 vegan-friendly ingredients.
Louisa
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Peel and dice the sweet potatoes into 1/2-inch cubes.
    step 1 vegan sauteed sweet potatoes
  • Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat.
  • Add the sweet potatoes and saute for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally to allow a nice browned crust to form.
    step 3 vegan sauteed sweet potatoes
  • Sprinkle on the spices and seasonings and saute for another 5 minutes or until the sweet potatoes are browned and tender.
    step 4 vegan sauteed sweet potatoes

Notes

  • Aim to dice your peeled sweet potatoes into uniform-sized 1/2-inch chunks to ensure even cooking. No burnt sweet potatoes here!
  • Make sure to spread out your diced sweet potatoes in the pan. Overcrowding the pan will steam them, which is not what you want for that nice browned crust.
  • These sauteed sweet potato cubes can be kept in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days or frozen for up to 3 months in a freezer-safe, airtight container. To serve, reheat them in a skillet with a bit of oil.

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5 from 2 votes (1 rating without comment)

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Recipe Rating




2 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    I made the Sautéed Sweet Potatoes recipe and it turned out fantastic! The method is simple yet the result is so flavorful. It’s a wonderful side dish that pairs well with almost anything. This recipe is definitely a keeper for both its taste and ease of preparation!

    1. Thank you for sharing your experience, Sarah! We’re thrilled to hear that the Sautéed Sweet Potatoes turned out fantastic for you. It’s wonderful that you found the method simple and the result flavorful. We’re glad that it serves as a versatile side dish that pairs well with a variety of meals. Knowing that this recipe is a keeper for you, both for its taste and ease of preparation, is exactly the kind of feedback we love to hear. Your insights are invaluable to us and to others in our community who might be considering trying this recipe.

      Warm regards,
      The HFHL Team