Cook a Sweet Potato in the Microwave

Are you short on time? Looking for a delicious meal quick? Bite into a fluffy sweet potato with this easy microwave cooking method. Microwaving sweet potatoes is quick, easy, and you’ll achieve the same sweet, caramelization that you’d get from baking your potato in the oven. The sweet potato’s thin skin will puff to a crisp finish and inside you’ll discover a sweet pillowy flesh. Eat your delicious sweet potato plain, or try an almost endless variety of exciting toppings to create a different tasting sweet potato every time!

Steps

Microwaving your Sweet Potato

  1. Wash your sweet potatoes. Clean your sweet potatoes under cool running water and scrub with a produce scrubbing brush. Make sure to clean your potatoes well. Pat your potato dry with a paper towel.
    • This is especially important if you enjoy eating the sweet potato skin.
  2. Pierce the skin with a fork. Prick the skin of your sweet potato about six to eight times all around. When you heat your sweet potato in the microwave, it warms up quickly and steam gathers in-between the fleshy inside and the skin. If you don't poke holes in the skin for the steam to escape, your potato will explode in the microwave.
    • You only need to open small holes in the skin, so don't stab your potato deeply with your fork.
    • Alternatively, you can cut a shallow "X" onto the top of the potato, using a knife.
    • Trust me, you do not want to skip this step!
  3. Wrap your sweet potato for cooking. Take a full-sized paper towel and dampen it with cold water. Gently squeeze out the excess water and take care not to rip the towel. Lay the towel flat on a microwavable plate and place your sweet potato in the center of the paper towel. Cover the potato by loosely folding the sides of the paper towel over it.
    • The wet paper towel will provide a steaming effect when microwaving your sweet potato.
    • This will also help to keep the potato moist and prevent it from shrinking, and it will also result in softer skin.
    • Never use aluminum foil for microwave cooking! Do not wrap your sweet potato in metal foil while cooking in the microwave. This will cause sparking and is a potential fire hazard. Doing this will also break your microwave.
  4. Put the plate in the microwave and select a cooking time. Cooking times will vary depending on the size of the potato and the power of the microwave. Most medium to large potatoes will take between 8-12 minutes to cook at full power.[1]
    • Try putting the potato in for 5 minutes to begin with, then take it out and turn it over so that both sides cook evenly. Place it back in the microwave for another 3-5 minutes, depending on how soft it is already.
    • After that, if it still doesn't feel fully cooked, continue to microwave it in 1 minute bursts, checking after each minute.[2]
    • If you are cooking multiple potatoes at once, you will need to increase the cooking time by about two-thirds. For example, if one large potato takes 10 minutes to cook, two large potatoes would take between 16-17 minutes.
    • If you prefer crispy skinned sweet potatoes, you can cook the potatoes in the microwave for 5-6 minutes, then unwrap your sweep potato and transfer it to a baking sheet and bake in an oven preheated to {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}} for 20 minutes. This method is great if you want oven-crisp potato skins, in less than half the normal cooking time![2]
  5. Check your sweet potato for doneness. Be careful when removing the sweet potato from the microwave. Both the potato and the plate will be hot! The potato should yield to firm pressure but not be too mushy. If the potato is too firm, microwave again for 1 minute increments, until cooked through. You can check if a potato is cooked by sticking a fork in the center; if the fork goes in easily, but the center is still a little firm, the potato is ready.
    • When in doubt, it is best to err on the side of undercooking, as an overcooked potato may burn or explode in the microwave.
  6. Let your sweet potato cool. Unwrap your potato completely and discard the damp paper towel. It's a good idea to let your sweet potato cool for about five minutes. This allows the core of the potato to finish cooking using the heat that is trapped in the inner layers. It also helps it to become fluffy on the inside without over-drying on the outside.
    • If you are saving a potato for someone who's running late, wrapping the potato in aluminum foil will keep it warm for a remarkably long time. Just be sure to do this as soon as it comes out of the microwave, to conserve as much heat as possible.
  7. Serve the potato. Cut the potato in half and enjoy.

Adding a Topping

  1. Create a savory sweet potato. Top off your sweet potato with a classic dose of the works. Add melted butter, a pinch of salt, a sprinkle of pepper, a scoop of sour cream, and a little bit of diced chives.
    • Small pieces of bacon or sliced sausage go well with this one, if you are craving a little meat.
  2. Create a sweeter sweet potato. Sprinkle your sweet potato with a dusting of brown sugar, butter, and salt. This sweet potato is yummy enough to be a desert!
    • You can also sprinkle a little maple syrup on top.
    • If you are feeling adventurous and craving sweets, try adding a dash of whipped cream.
  3. Experiment. You can add a combination of the toppings above or try things like:
    • Sliced avocado
    • Salsa
    • Yellow mustard
    • Fried egg
    • Diced onions or cilantro.
    • You can also enjoy your sweet potato with your favorite condiment such as mustard, ketchup, or steak sauce.
  4. Serve with a side. There are tons of options for your sweet potato meal. Whip up a quick dinner salad, add a side of applesauce, or enjoy with a cup of yogurt. Or, add to a fully cooked meal of steak, grilled chicken, or a vegetable medley!


Tips

  • Sweet potatoes and yams are different vegetables.[3] Most sweet potato varieties are the same shape and size; they have tapered ends and they are quite smaller than yams. Sweet potatoes are not as starchy or dry as yams, although both tubers have a similar flavor. If you have accidentally purchased yams, you can cook them the same way; chances are you won’t know the difference.
  • Some microwaves have a "baked potato" button; use that when in doubt.
  • If you are in a rush, you can cut open the potato immediately after the microwave stops, add your toppings (or not), and then do the final cooking in the microwave by microwaving another 30 to 60 seconds.
  • Have fun and satisfy your craving. No topping is too weird for sweet potatoes! If you are craving a particular flavor, try adding a little bit to your sweet potato meal. There is a lot of fun to be had when creating your own sweet potato combinations.
  • The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) rates sweet potatoes as the #1 most nutritional vegetable.[4]

Warnings

  • If you don’t plan to cook sweet potatoes right after you purchase them, you should store them in a cool, dark and dry place. Don’t store them in the refrigerator or they will dry out.
  • A little extra fat will increase your intake of the beta-carotene contained in the potatoes. You can simply add a tablespoon (15 ml) of extra virgin olive oil to the potato if you don’t plan to serve it with anything else.

Things You’ll Need

  • Microwave oven
  • Microwave safe cooking dish
  • knife
  • Paper towels (optional)
  • Cloth kitchen towel
  • Fork

Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ http://www.potatogoodness.com/all-about-potatoes/microwave-cooking-basics/
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 http://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-bake-a-potato-three-eas-157073
  3. ↑ http://www.loc.gov/rr/scitech/mysteries/sweetpotato.html
  4. ↑ http://www.cspinet.org/nah/10foods_bad.html

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