Heavenly Roasted Sweet Potatoes: The Ultimate Pan-Fried Delight
How to Perfectly Roast Sweet Potatoes in a Frying Pan: Simple & Delicious
Discover the secret to achieving wonderfully moist and sweet roasted sweet potatoes right in your own kitchen, using just a frying pan and parchment paper! This method rivals the flavor of oven-roasted ones, creating a delightful texture that’s slightly chewy on the outside and incredibly tender within. Get ready for a truly comforting and delicious treat that will warm your heart and soul.
Ingredients- 6 medium sweet potatoes
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
For the sweetest flavor, allow freshly harvested sweet potatoes to ‘cure’ at room temperature for a few days. This process, called post-harvest ripening, naturally increases their sugar content, resulting in a more intensely sweet and delicious roasted outcome. Leave them out for about 3-4 days.
Step 2
Thoroughly wash the sweet potatoes under running water to remove all soil. Using a vegetable brush can help you clean them more effectively. Since you’ll be eating the skin, ensuring they are impeccably clean is crucial.
Step 3
Line the bottom of a large frying pan with parchment paper. This is key to preventing sticking and trapping moisture, which helps create a steamed effect inside. Arrange the washed sweet potatoes evenly in the pan. Cover with a lid and set the heat to medium-low. Let them begin to roast gently.
Step 4
After about 5 minutes of roasting on medium-low heat, carefully open the lid and turn the sweet potatoes over. This step ensures even cooking. Once flipped, close the lid again and continue to roast.
Step 5
After another 5 minutes, rotate the sweet potatoes again to ensure all sides are exposed to the heat. Continue to cook them with the lid on.
Step 6
Repeat the process of opening the lid every 5 minutes to turn the sweet potatoes, then closing the lid to continue cooking. Aim to do this about 4 times in total, for approximately 20 minutes of cooking time. If you notice any burning smells, reduce the heat slightly.
Step 7
The best way to check if the sweet potatoes are perfectly cooked is to pierce them with a fork or skewer. If it slides in easily all the way through to the center, they are ready. Medium-sized sweet potatoes typically take around 20 minutes, but adjust the cooking time based on the size and thickness of your sweet potatoes. Larger ones may require an additional 5-10 minutes.
Step 8
Once the sweet potatoes are cooked through, turn off the heat. Keep the lid on the pan and let them rest for 2 minutes using the residual heat. This steaming step helps to ensure the inside is perfectly tender and moist.
Step 9
Upon removing the roasted sweet potatoes, you’ll notice the parchment paper might be slightly browned, but the frying pan remains remarkably clean! I personally dedicate an older, well-used frying pan just for roasting sweet potatoes, as minor charring on the pan doesn’t matter. This makes cleanup even easier.
Step 10
Voilà! You’ve created delicious, perfectly roasted sweet potatoes that are wonderfully warm and sweet. It’s amazing how this simple frying pan method yields such fantastic results, reminiscent of direct fire roasting. Enjoy them as a standalone snack, or pair them with warm milk or tea for an even more comforting experience.
