Emilie Meyer
Cooking sweet potatoes in an Instapot is a quick and easy way to achieve irresistibly tender and creamy results. The pressure cooker method cuts the cooking time by more than half compared to baking in an oven, making it a convenient option for meal prep. With just a few simple steps, you can have fluffy, silky, and perfectly cooked sweet potatoes that are versatile and can be used in a variety of dishes.
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What You'll Learn
Selecting the right potatoes
Size and Width:
Start by choosing sweet potatoes that are similar in size. This ensures even cooking, as similarly-sized potatoes will cook in the same amount of time. The size and width of sweet potatoes vary, so it's important to adjust your cooking time accordingly. Larger potatoes will take longer to cook and might not cook as evenly, sometimes remaining hard in the middle even with increased cooking time. Therefore, it's best to opt for medium-sized sweet potatoes that are about two inches in diameter.
Weight:
The weight of sweet potatoes can also vary. Generally, small sweet potatoes weigh 6 to 8 ounces, medium ones weigh 8 to 12 ounces, and large ones weigh 12 to 16 ounces. Adjust your cooking time based on the weight of your potatoes, with smaller potatoes requiring less time and larger ones needing more.
Appearance:
Look for sweet potatoes that are smooth and evenly shaped. Avoid potatoes with cuts, cracks, or blemishes, as these can affect their cooking process and texture.
Number of Potatoes:
Consider how many potatoes you want to cook at once. You can cook multiple potatoes in your Insta Pot by stacking them, but be mindful that this might affect the cooking time, especially if you're working with larger potatoes.
Freshness:
Select fresh sweet potatoes that feel firm and have taut, unwrinkled skin. Avoid potatoes with sprouting ends, as these are signs of aging.
Remember, the key to successful Insta Pot sweet potatoes is to choose potatoes of similar size and adjust your cooking time based on their size, weight, and width. By following these guidelines, you'll be on your way to creating delicious, perfectly cooked sweet potatoes every time!
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Preparing the potatoes
Next, add a trivet or steamer basket to the inner pot of your Instant Pot. Pour in 1 cup of cold tap water for a 6-quart Instant Pot or 1.5 cups for an 8-quart Instant Pot. The water adds moisture to the potatoes as they cook, ensuring they turn out soft and moist rather than dry and tough. Place the sweet potatoes on the trivet, stacking them if necessary.
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Preparing the Instapot
Next, prepare the Instapot itself. Set up the Instapot by placing a heatproof trivet or steamer basket inside. It is important to use a trivet to keep the potatoes elevated and prevent them from sitting directly in the water, which can make them soggy. For a 6-quart Instapot, add 1 cup of cold water to the bottom, while an 8-quart Instapot may require 1.5 cups. The water creates the steam and pressure necessary for cooking the potatoes.
Place the prepared sweet potatoes on the trivet inside the Instapot. It is generally recommended to place them in a single layer, but if needed, you can stack them on top of each other. Close the lid securely and ensure the vent is sealed. Set the valve to the sealing position to prevent steam from escaping.
Finally, adjust the cooking time according to the size of your sweet potatoes. Smaller potatoes will require less cooking time, while larger potatoes may need a longer duration. The cooking time can range from 12 minutes for small potatoes to 25 minutes or more for larger ones.
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Cooking the potatoes
Start by selecting sweet potatoes that are similar in size. This way, they will pressure cook in the same amount of time. Wash and scrub the sweet potatoes, then pierce each one all over with a fork. You can also trim the wrinkly ends off. The number of potatoes you use is up to you, but most recipes recommend four.
Add a trivet and water to the Instant Pot. Place a heatproof trivet or steamer basket in a 6-quart Instant Pot or electric pressure cooker. Then, add one cup of cold tap water to the bottom of the Instant Pot, creating the steam (and therefore the pressure) that cooks the potatoes. The trivet or steamer basket keeps the potatoes elevated above the water, preventing them from becoming soggy.
Place the sweet potatoes on the trivet. It is okay to stack the potatoes if needed. Secure the lid and turn the valve to seal. Select the manual/high-pressure button and adjust the time depending on the size of your sweet potatoes. Small potatoes require 12 to 15 minutes, medium potatoes 18 to 25 minutes, and large potatoes 25 to 50 minutes.
Once the timer goes off, allow the pressure to release naturally for 10 minutes. Then, release any remaining pressure. Open the lid and remove the potatoes. Allow them to rest for 5 minutes before serving.
If your sweet potatoes are not fully cooked, place the lid back on the Instant Pot and add an additional 5 to 10 minutes of cooking time.
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Reheating and serving
To reheat your sweet potatoes, you can use the Instant Pot by adding water under the trivet and cooking for 3 minutes. You can also reheat them in the oven for 10 minutes at 400 degrees Fahrenheit or in the microwave in 30-second intervals. However, keep in mind that microwaving sweet potatoes can sometimes dry them out.
When serving, you can cut open the sweet potato and add a pat of butter, seasoning with salt and pepper, or cinnamon sugar. You can also serve them with honey or fill them with Greek yogurt or nut butter and fruit for a nutritious breakfast.
Leftover sweet potatoes can be stored in the fridge for up to 4 days or frozen for up to 3 months.
- When reheating in the Instant Pot, ensure you use cold water, as warm water will change the cooking time.
- If your sweet potatoes are not fully cooked, you can place the lid back on the Instant Pot and add an additional 5-10 minutes of cooking time.
- If you're cooking a large batch of sweet potatoes, it's best to use a single layer, but you can stack them if necessary without adding extra cooking time.
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Frequently asked questions
First, wash and scrub 4 similarly-sized sweet potatoes, then pierce each one all over with a fork. Set a heatproof trivet or steamer basket in a 6-quart Instapot or electric pressure cooker. Add 1 cup of cold water and place the sweet potatoes on the trivet. Lock the lid on and check that the valve is set to seal. Set to cook for 12 minutes under high pressure for small potatoes (6 to 8 ounces each), 18 minutes under high pressure for medium potatoes (8 to 12 ounces each), and 25 minutes under high pressure for large potatoes (12 to 16 ounces each).
It takes around 40 minutes in total to cook sweet potatoes in an Instapot. This includes the cooking time, as well as the time taken to build up pressure and release pressure.
Cooking sweet potatoes in an Instapot is a quick and easy way to achieve irresistibly tender, creamy, and sweet results. It takes about half as much time as baking them in the oven and produces perfectly silky, soft, and fluffy potatoes.
After the cooking time is up, let the pressure naturally release for 10 minutes. Then, release any remaining pressure. Cut the sweet potato open—if it is soft, it is done. If it is still hard, place the lid back on the Instapot and add an additional 5-10 minutes of cooking time.
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