The Best Microwave Sweet Potato Recipe (Quick & Easy)

This is the easiest way to make a perfectly cooked microwave sweet potato in a fraction of the time it takes to bake one in the oven. Using this quick and easy method, you can go from raw to fluffy, steamy goodness in about 6 minutes—and you don’t even need a knife or aluminum foil to pull it off.

Why You’ll Love It

If you’re a sweet potato fan (hi, same), this quick and easy microwave sweet potato recipe is about to change your weeknight routine. 

It’s a foolproof method that works whether you’re cooking for yourself, prepping meals, or just need a simple side dish that won’t require you to heat up your whole kitchen. 

And the best thing? No fancy tools required. Just a microwave-safe plate, a damp paper towel, and a sweet potato.

This method is especially perfect for small sweet potatoes or medium sweet potatoes, If you only have large sweet potatoes, I recommend using other cooking methods like an oven or an air fryer. 

The cooking process takes about 5-6 minutes total, depending on the size of the potato and the power of your microwave oven. 

All you need to do is wash it and give it a little scrub. Poke some holes to let the steam escape. Then wrap it up in a damp paper towel and pop it in the microwave. 

Flip it once or twice then poke it to test for doneness (a paring knife or fork works), and boom—you’ve got a tender sweet potato with fluffy, moist insides and a perfectly steamed texture.

You can keep it classic with a pat of butter and a pinch of flaky sea salt, go sweet with brown sugar or maple syrup, or lean savory with sour cream, black beans, a little garlic powder, and a drizzle of olive oil or coconut oil. 

It’s the perfect side dish for any meal, or even as a base for a light main dish on busy weeknights when you need something nourishing, fast, and satisfying.

And yes—it’s also an awesome healthy dinner idea for anyone watching their nutritional value or just trying to keep their vitamin C and water-soluble vitamins intake high without spending an hour heating up your kitchen kitchen.

Ingredients & Substitutions

This is one of those sweet potato recipes that you can make a million different ways. Here's what you need to get started to make the most moist sweet potato in the microwave!.

• Sweet potato: Use a small or medium-sized potato for best results. The size of your sweet potato will affect the cook time, so check it as it goes.
• Damp paper towel: Wrapping your sweet potato helps steam it and keep the skin soft while microwaving. It also lends to a more tender, more fluffy sweet potato -- and for that, I love it!
• Optional ingredients:
  • Salted butter: Adds richness and helps bring out the sweet potato’s natural flavor. You could also swap for olive oil or coconut oil if you are dairy free. 
  • Salt: In my opinion, a little flaky salt is the ultimate finishing touch that makes the flavors really explode. Regular kosher salt works too just make sure you don't skip it!
  • Something sweet: I typically reach for brown sugar, honey or even maple syrup to add something sweet to this easy side dish. You could also use coconut sugar, date syrup or another alternative sweetener to this satisfying side dish. 
  • Something Savory: My other favorite toppings include sour cream, black beans, Cottage Cheese Queso Dip with Hatch Green Chilis, olive oil, garlic powder, black pepper, or even a swipe of coconut oil if you’re feelin’ fancy.

How to Make It

Making microwaved sweet potatoes couldn’t be easier! Trust me. I've tested this recipe dozens of times (especially when i was doing baby led weaning on my littles!)! Just follow these steps (don't skip the paper towel!) and you’ll have a perfectly baked sweet potato—without even turning on the oven.

• WASH AND PREP: Rinse your sweet potato under cold water and scrub off any dirt from whole sweet potato. Use a fork to poke small holes all over the outside skin of the sweet potato so steam can escape while it cooks.
• WRAP IT UP: Wet a paper towel, wring it out until it's damp but not dripping, and wrap it snugly around the sweet potato. Place it on a microwave-safe plate or microwaveable plate.
• MICROWAVE UNTIL TENDER: Microwave on high power for 3 minutes. Flip the potato over (use an oven mitt if you have sensitive fingers) and cook for another 2 minutes. If it’s still firm in the center of the potato, keep cooking in 30-second increments until soft to the touch or a fork slides in easily. **Also full disclosure, not all microwaves are created equal so be sure to adjust cooking time and take the size of the sweet potato into consideration when making this easy recipe.**
• SPLIT & SERVE: Let the cooked potato cool for a minute, then slice it open and fluff the insides. Add your favorite toppings like butter, brown sugar and salt and dig in!
• SAVE FOR LATER: Got leftovers? Scoop the insides into an airtight container and store in the fridge. It’s great for meal prep or throwing it into a grilled chicken burrito for a quick lunch. 

What to serve with Sweet Potatoes:

Here are some of my favorite easy recipes to serve with this tasty microwave sweet potato recipe:

• Boursin Chicken Meatballs
• Easy Slow Cooked Pulled Beef
• Southern Style Baked Beans Recipe
• Old School Garlic Bread (made with garlic powder!)
• Southern Squash Casserole with sour cream

If you want to get even more extra, try some of my favorite sweet potato recipes below: 

• Easy Oven Roasted Rosemary Sweet Potatoes
• Sweet Potato Casserole
• Old Fashioned Candied Sweet Potatoes
• Cheesy White Cheddar Mashed Potatoes

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