YES, you can. Whether it’s time for dinner, and you forgot a side dish, or it’s lunch, and you need something healthy and full of potassium. Grab a sweet potato and head to the microwave for a quick and healthy meal with a little butter and seasoning.
The microwave is the quickest way to cook a sweet potato. A few simple tricks will make it even easier and ready to eat in no time.
While not baked, the microwave delivers a baked sweet potato ready to make your stomach happy. Make a few at once and then serve or store. The best part is the only thing you need is a sweet potato, preferably a medium one and of course a microwave. If you want a little butter, cinnamon, honey, or maple syrup, keep them close at hand. You could always try simple too with just a little salt and pepper with the butter.
Steps to Microwave a Sweet Potato
- First, you need to wash the potato thoroughly to remove all the dirt and grime. Then, scrub the potato gently and remove any bad spots before putting it in the microwave. Make sure the potato is dry to make sure it cooks evenly.
- Pierce the skin to ensure the potato does not explode in the microwave. A couple of holes with a fork or a knife on both the top and the bottom are sufficient to prevent a kitchen catastrophe.
- Wrap the potato in a paper towel to help seal in the moisture and help heat the potato faster. This step is not necessary but try it at least once to see if you like the potato better this way. Do not use plastic wrap as it’s not heat stable for the amount of heat from a microwave.
- Heat the potato for 2 to 3 minutes, depending on the wattage of your microwave. Start with less time and add more if necessary.
- Flip the potato over and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes to ensure a fully cooked sweet potato. You will know the potato is done when your fork can pierce the flesh with ease. If you feel resistance, put the potato back in for another minute.
- Take the potato out of the microwave and cut it in half on a plate. Season as you like and eat!
- If you are cooking more than one potato at a time, you may need to cook longer. Larger potatoes can take up to 8 minutes to cook in the microwave. For multiple potatoes, you may want to put them in covered stoneware for even heating.
Tips for Microwaving Sweet Potatoes
Do not forget to pierce the potato unless you really want to change the interior design of your microwave. Keep in mind that the microwave provides a slightly different texture for a sweet potato than baking it in the oven, but it’s a small price to pay for the time you save. The taste will not change.
Leftovers can go in the fridge for up to four days. After that, you can reheat them in the microwave for about a minute, and they will be ready to eat, or you can turn them into mashed sweet potatoes. If you want a crisper skin, then you will need to put the potato in the broiler for a couple of minutes afterward and skip the paper towel around the potato. You can also put the potato in an air fryer for a minute or two to get the crispy skin.
If you want to cook cubed sweet potatoes in the microwave, then arrange them on a plate and cook for 3 to 4 minutes. You will not need to flip them, but you may need to add thirty seconds to finish cooking the potatoes if they do not pierce easily with a fork.
Final Thoughts
Microwaving sweet potatoes is a quick and easy way to make a side dish. As long as you remember to pierce the potatoes and flip them over, you will have a delicious and healthy side dish in just minutes. Serve any way you like with seasoning or butter or serve plain. Happy Cooking!