How to Boil Sweet Potatoes Whole and Cubed

5 from 57 votes

Learn how to boil sweet potatoes, whole or cubed, to bring out their natural sweetness. Serve as a side dish or use in other recipes.

Prep Time5

Cook Time40

Total Time45

Cuisine: American

Servings: potato

Scrub and wash the sweet potatoes. If cooking the potato whole, simply trim the roots ends, or leave intact. If cooking the potatoes in cubes, peel the sweet potato and cut into either 2-inch cubes or 1-inch cubes.
Place the potatoes in a large pot and cover with cold water by 1 inch. Add salt and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to a simmer and continue cooking the sweet potatoes until fork tender: 40 minutes for whole, 25 minutes for 2-inch cubes and 15 minutes for 1-inch cubes.
Drain carefully in a colander. Enjoy warm on its own as a side dish or use as desired in a recipe of choice.

My Top Tip: Cold water start. Always start with cold water. This helps the sweet potatoes cook from the inside out without overcooking the outer layers.
Storage: Allow the sweet potatoes to cool completely. Then, transfer to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator. For cubed sweet potatoes, consider lining the bottom of your container with a paper towel to absorb any moisture. To freeze cubed potatoes, flash freeze them first in a single layer on a baking sheet, then transfer them to a freezer-safe zip-top bag, removing as much air as possible to prevent freezer burn. You can peel whole potatoes and add them directly to a freezer-safe container or bag, seal, and freeze.

Scan code to view the full recipe on your phone.