Spice-Roasted Sweet Potato Cubes
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These roasted sweet potato cubes skip the marshmallow-and-brown-sugar treatment entirely — instead, you get deeply caramelized edges, a meltingly soft center, and a savory spice blend with cumin, smoked paprika, garlic and crushed red pepper in each bite-sized piece.
This is the method I’ve relied on for years, and it comes down to two things people tend to underrate: Which variety of sweet potato you start with, and a hot, uncrowded oven.
The sweet potato variety that makes or breaks this recipe
- Sweet potatoes: Jewel or Garnet are the best types of sweet potatoes to bake or roast, and happily they’re what you’re most likely to find in your supermarket (dry-fleshed Japanese and Latin American varieties, such as boniato, won’t work as well for this recipe). To serve four as a side dish, this recipe uses 1-1/2-2 pounds sweet potatoes, about four medium sweet potatoes. Larger sweet potatoes can weigh more than 8 ounces each. If you don’t have a scale, measure 6 cups of cubed sweet potatoes. Scrub the skin to remove any soil, and eave it on for extra texture and color. I like to compromise and peel the skin in random strips.
- Spices: Because of their natural sweetness, roasted sweet potato chunks pair beautifully with all kinds of spices, everything from curry blends to pumpkin pie spice. Here, they get a savory, smoky treatment instead: ground cumin, smoked paprika, black pepper and granulated garlic, with crushed red pepper for a touch of heat. Chili powder works too, if you want an all-in-one shortcut.
How to slice sweet potatoes into cubes
Sweet potatoes are oblong-shaped with pointy ends, which means making cubes out of them can be an exercise in geometry. But with a little patience and a sharp chef’s knife, you can cut them into neat cubes. Here’s how:
Scrub the skins well to remove any grit, especially if you’re keeping some of it on. Peel sweet potatoes or not — I like to leave random strips of skin.
Slice off a thin “cheek” first. That flat edge keeps the potato from rocking under your knife as you cut. Rest the sweet potato on the cut side to keep it from rolling.
Trim both ends, then slice lengthwise into ½-inch slices. Even width means the cubes will cook evenly. Cut each slice into 1/2-inch thick matchsticks. Note: This shape makes the best oven fries!
Cut each matchstick into ½-inch cubes, working through a handful each, rather than one piece at a time. Imperfect cubes are fine, so don’t sweat it. Tip: Put the excess ends and pieces from the the prepped sweet potatoes in a storage container and refrigerate or freeze (you can them later to soups or stews).
Why you shouldn’t stir the sweet potatoes while they roast
Choose a rimmed baking sheet large enough to hold the cubes in one layer. Drizzle with olive oil on before the spices, not after — it’s what makes the spices stick to the sweet potatoes instead of the pan.
Toss with your hands — you’ll actually feel which pieces still need coating. The undersides will look browned before the tops catch up. That’s the caramelization you’re after.
Pro tip: The bottom rack sits closest to your oven’s heat source, so it crisps the undersides of the potatoes faster than the top-third position most recipes default to. That’s the real shortcut to caramelization — for sweet potatoes or any roasted vegetable — without cranking the oven dangerously high or doubling the roasting time.
More ways to serve roasted sweet potato cubes
Sure, they’re a great side dish, but they don’t have to stay in that lane. Try tacos filled with roasted sweet potatoes, combine roasted sweet potatoes with black beans, or simply drizzle them with this quick balsamic vinaigrette to play up their flavor.
Spice-Roasted Sweet Potato Cubes
Ingredients
Sweet potato spice blend
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, or ½ teaspoon fine salt
- ½ teaspoon smoked or sweet paprika
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon granulated garlic or garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper
Roasted sweet potatoes
- 4 medium sweet potatoes (about 7 ounces each, 1-½-2 pounds total), peeled and sliced into ½-inch cubes (see step-by-step photos above) to make 6-7 cups.
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
Equipment
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 (220 C) and arrange oven rack to the lowest position.
- Make the spice blend
- Stir together 1 teaspoon kosher salt, ½ teaspoon smoked or sweet paprika, 1 teaspoon ground cumin, ½ teaspoon granulated garlic or garlic powder, ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper and ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper in a small bowl until evenly blended.
- Put the sweet potatoes on a large rimmed baking sheet. Make sure they're not crowded, or they will steam rather than brown on the edges. Use an additional pan if needed.
- Pour ¼ cup olive oil over the potatoes and sprinkle the spice blend over then. Toss the potatoes with your hands to coat them evenly, then spread them out in an even layer.
- Roast 25 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender and crisp on the edges, but don't stir them unless they're about to burn — you want the sides of the sweet potatoes that are touching the bottom of the pan to get nice and caramelized. *See my notes on oven temps below.
- Sprinkle 2 tablespoons chopped parsley over the sweet potatoes. Transfer to a platter to serve.
Notes
- Note that not all ovens are alike. Yours may run hotter or cooler than the set temperature of 425F, so keep an eye on the sweet potatoes as they roast. If the sweet potatoes are getting too brown at about 15 minutes, move them up to a higher rack and lower the temperature to 400F (200C). Use an oven thermometer for the best accuracy.
- When sliced into cubes that are less than one inch around, sweet potatoes will roast to perfection in about 25 minutes at 425 degrees. Larger chunks will take 5-10 minutes longer.
- Serving: Roasted sweet potatoes are best served warm from the oven. They will soften as they cool, but will still taste delicious! Sprinkle chopped fresh parsley or cilantro over them, or drizzle with a few teaspoons of balsamic vinegar to play up their flavor.
- This recipe easily doubles or triples for a crowd. Be sure to use a few pans, or roast them in batches.
- Keep roasted sweet potatoes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week, or freeze them for 1-2 months.
- To reheat sweet potatoes, place them in a baking dish and cover with foil. Heat in a 350 degree oven until warmed through. Or fry them in a little olive oil in a nonstick pan over medium-high heat, just until they crisp up.
Nutrition per serving
Nutrition facts are calculated by third-party software. If you have specific dietary needs, please refer to your favorite calculator.
Absolutely phenomenal!!! We will be making these on the regular! And for Turkey Day!!!
These were delicious! Thank you – loved the spice combination and baking instructions. Came out great.
I don’t usually make sweet potatoes because I am not a big fan. I made these last night and they were SO good!! My family loves it! Thanks for sharing.
Wow, these are really yummy. They carmelize perfectly in the oven. We live in Florida, and sweet potatoes here are vigorous in the garden. We had a sack of them hanging around for a few months. Several of them were a bit skinny and gnarly looking and I couldn’t imagine what to do with them. Well, let me tell you. I’ve made these a few times and my daughter gobbles them down straight from the frig without bothering to heat them up. That harvest is almost gone. Thank you!!
Michele – that’s amazing that you grow sweet potatoes! So happy your family enjoys this recipe.
Great recipe – brought to a meeting tonight and was asked for the recipe.. everyone loved it (I added cubed turnips, fresh green beans and a red pepper).. so tasty.
These are amazing! I’ve made them several times now and they’re always a hit! Hands down my new favorite way to eat sweet potatoes.
A heavy duty sheet pan is required here. A thin stainless steel pan would likely cause burning of the potatoes.
This recipe is fantastic! My family loves cinnamon, so I replaced half the cumin with cinnamon, and we all loved it. This will become part of our regular rotation!
Haven’t made this yet, but looking forward to it as they look absolutely delicious! One question I have is whether I can use parchment paper or nonstick aluminum foil on the pan?
Hi Mary – Yes, you certainly can use either one. I hope you enjoy!
Sorry, but the potatoes came out not the way Inexoected. I cut them and coated them as described, put the baking sheet on the bottom rack @ 425. They started to burn on the bottom of the potato after 15 minutes. I turned down the oven to 350 for about 5 minutes but they still continued to burn so I turned off the oven. The spice mix was not that spicy either. Sorry, but this recipe needs improvement. I see where it could be real delicious if the potatoes were cut into larger cubes, spice amounts were doubled, oven on 350 for 30-35 minutes. I may give that a try.
Hi Vickie, I’m sorry the sweet potatoes didn’t turn out perfectly for you. I note in the text above the recipe that all ovens are different, and it’s best to keep an eye out and adjust as needed. You may try getting an oven thermometer so you can precisely calibrate your oven. “Note that not all ovens are accurate. Yours may run hotter or cooler than the set temperature, so just keep on eye on them as the roast or use an oven thermometer for the best accuracy. If the sweet potatoes are getting too brown too quickly, move them up to a higher rack.”
We made these for dinner last night and they were delicious! The whole family loved them – even those who don’t typically like sweet potatoes. This is now our favorite sweet potato recipe!
Yay – I love it when that happens!
Tried them twice…omg so addictive. Won’t eat sweet potatoes any other way…yummmmy
Can you make these in an air fryer?
Hi Betsy — Yes, the sweet potatoes can be cooked in an air fryer. I suggest reducing the temperature by 25 degrees (to 400F) and perhaps also the cooking time by 10 minutes or so. You also might want to roast them in batches to reduce crowding them, depending on the size of your air fryer. Hope this is helpful!
Holy cow! Delicious! Perfect. Served with steamed broccoli and roasted chicken. No need for any other seasoning.
Thanks for letting us know Lisa! Glad you enjoyed 🙂
My love of sweet potatoes makes this a “must eat” (and of course “must make”) recipe! Thank you for the inspiration (and as always, the clear, easy to follow recipe).