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sauteed sweet potatoes served with tahini sauce and cilantro.
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4.75 from 8 votes

Sautéed Sweet Potatoes (Stovetop)

Delicious sautéed sweet potatoes - perfectly cooked for a tasty and wholesome side dish. Enjoy the savory-sweet flavor in every bite!
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Total Time25 minutes
Course: Side Dishes
Cuisine: American
Diet: Vegan
Servings: 2 people
Calories: 280kcal
Author: Adina

Equipment

  • Large cast iron skillet or heavy-bottomed pan

Ingredients

Sweet potatoes:

  • 10.5 oz sweet potatoes 300 g, Notes 1,2
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil Note 3
  • ½ teaspoon sweet paprika powder Note 4
  • ⅛ teaspoon cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon red chili flakes
  • ½ teaspoon brown sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1 cup vegetable broth 250 ml

Tahini sauce (optional, Note 5):

  • 1 ½ tablespoon tahini
  • 2 tablespoons cold water
  • 2 small garlic cloves
  • a few drops lemon juice to taste
  • fine sea salt and black pepper
  • some cilantro or parsley

Instructions

Sweet potatoes:

  • Mix the spices in a small bowl. Set aside.
    ½ teaspoon sweet paprika powder + ⅛ teaspoon cinnamon + ¼ teaspoon red chili flakes + ½ teaspoon brown sugar + ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt + ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • Prepare sweet potatoes: Peel, wash, dry, and cut them into cubes, about 1 inch/ 2 ½ cm.
    10.5 oz sweet potatoes / 300 g
  • Sauté: Heat oil in the pan. Sauté the sweet potatoes, stirring often, for about 3 minutes. Sprinkle the spice mixture over the potato cubes and stir for about 1 minute.
    1 tablespoon olive oil
  • Add ½ of the vegetable broth and let bubble until evaporated; it will only take a few moments. Add the remaining broth, cover the pan, and cook on medium-low heat for about 6 minutes.
    1 cup vegetable broth / 250 ml
  • Check the sweet potatoes; they should be soft. If they are not done yet, continue cooking for 2-3 minutes more.

Tahini sauce (optional):

  • In the meantime, make the sauce.
  • Place tahini and cold water in a small bowl. Whisk until smooth.
    1 ½ tablespoon tahini + 2 tablespoons cold water
  • Add grated garlic, a little squeeze of lemon juice, and some salt and pepper to taste. Whisk again, and add 1 extra tablespoon of cold water if you want a thinner sauce.
    2 small garlic cloves + a few drops lemon juice + fine sea salt and black pepper
  • Serve the sauteed sweet potatoes immediately drizzled with the sauce and sprinkled with cilantro or parsley.

Notes

  1. Sweet potatoes: Not to be confused with yams. Red-skinned and orange-fleshed sweet potatoes differ from yams, which have bark-like brown skin and starchy flesh.
  2. Servings: A medium-sized sweet potato weighs between 4 and 6 oz/100 – 170 g. I had two, which were about 10.5 oz/ 300 g. This amount would serve two people as a light main with sauce and salad or 3-4 as a side.
  3. Oil: Olive oil, canola or avocado oil, coconut oil, or ghee (clarified butter) are all good.
  4. Seasoning: Use other spice mixtures you like, either bought mixtures such as curry powder, Italian seasoning, Cajun spices, lemon pepper, or taco seasoning. Check the blog post for more seasoning ideas.
  5. The tahini sauce is optional but so good.

Nutrition

Serving: 1/2 of the dish | Calories: 280kcal | Carbohydrates: 37g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 11g | Sodium: 714mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 11g