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–+ servings
Dinner, Lunch, Side Dish

Steamed Sweet Potato

5 from 1 vote
A Steamed Sweet Potato is soft, fluffy and delicious. Steaming is a fat-free cooking method that preserves all the nutritional benefits of sweet potatoes, keeping their GI low. It’s super easy, takes just 30 minutes, and you don’t even need a steamer!
30 minTotal
4potatoes
Poking steamed sweet potato with a golden fork, featuring a creamy, buttery, and fluffy flesh
Carbs-forward 195 kcal
Protein 7% 4g
Carbs 92% 46g
Fat 0% 0g
Print Recipe 4
Ingredients Steps Nutrition
  • 1 to 4 sweet potatoes about 8-12 oz each
  • salt and seasonings to taste
  • Wash the potatoes under cool running water, then scrub skins to remove dirt and soil. Leave the skin on, it preserves their taste and creates a fluffier inside.
    Washing medium sweet potato under cool running water before steaming
  • Pour about 1–2 inches of water into a pot, then place the steamer basket inside. If you don’t have a steamer, use a metal strainer, colander, or sieve. It should fit in your pot without touching the water.
    Metal strainer in large pot filled with water, ready to fit sweet potatoes for steaming
  • Place whole sweet potatoes in the steamer or metal strainer, spreading them out evenly so they cook uniformly.
    Adding sweet potatoes to strainer to steam for 30 minutes until tender
  • Cover the pot with a lid and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce to medium heat and steam for 25–30 minutes.
    Covering the pot with steamer with a lid, for steaming
  • Check for doneness with a fork or skewer. They’re done when the fork slides in easily.
  • Remove sweet potatoes from the pot, then let cool on a plate for about 5 minutes. Enjoy with your favorite toppings.
195 kcal
Protein 7% 4g
Carbs 92% 46g
Fat 0% 0g

Per serving, estimated automatically, not a substitute for professional dietary advice.

How to steam sweet potatoes in the instant pot
  1. Add 1 cup of water to the Instant Pot.
  2. Place a steamer basket inside. Make sure the sweet potatoes won’t sit directly in the water.
  3. Add the whole sweet potatoes in the basket. Don't overcrowd it, but leave some space for the air to circulate.
  4. Set the Instant Pot to pressure cook, then cook on high pressure for 17-25 minutes depending on potato sizes. Large sweet potatoes steam faster than medium/small ones.
  5. After the timer ends, let the Instant Pot sit for 10 minutes. It will slowly release pressure on its own. After 10 minutes, turn the valve to release the rest of the pressure manually.