What Is Sweet potatoes, or yams and How Can I Use It?

Here's everything worth knowing about sweet potatoes, or yams and how to pick it, what it are, how to store it, and what to use instead, plus 374 recipes to cook tonight.

What are sweet potatoes, or yams?

The orange root you roast and mash at Thanksgiving is a sweet potato, even when the bin at the store labels it a yam. The two names get used as if they mean the same thing, but they do not.

A true sweet potato is the tuberous root of a vine in the morning glory family, with thin skin and moist flesh that ranges from pale gold to deep orange.

A true yam is a different plant entirely: a starchy African and Asian tuber with rough, bark-like skin and dry, bland flesh, rare in American supermarkets. When a US store sells a "yam," it is almost always a soft orange sweet potato under an old marketing name.

So treat any recipe in the United States calling for a yam as a sweet potato recipe. The rest of this page is about the sweet potato.

Cooking With Sweet Potatoes

Roasting beats boiling every time. Set the oven to 400°F (205°C) and bake whole, unpeeled sweet potatoes for 45 to 60 minutes until a knife meets no resistance and syrup starts to leak from the ends. Dry heat caramelizes the sugars in a way that water just washes away.

For mash, that roasted flesh is already sweet and needs little help. A pour of coconut milk and a pinch of salt is enough, as in Coconut Milk Mashed Sweet Potatoes.

Cubed and roasted, they hold their shape and turn jammy at the edges, ideal for grain bowls and stews like a Black Bean & Sweet Potato Chili. Halved and hollowed, the skins make sturdy boats for Vegetarian Chili in Sweet Potato Boats.

The flesh also bakes into muffins, pies, and casseroles, where its moisture lets you cut back on added fat.

Pairing and the Mistakes People Make

Sweet potato leans sweet, so it wants a counterweight. Smoky chipotle and cumin pull it savory, while a salty crumble of feta or bacon and a squeeze of lime keep it from cloying.

The classic holiday mistake is piling on sugar and marshmallows until the dish reads as dessert beside the savory turkey. The root is already sweet from roasting, so go the other way with chili and black pepper, or a squeeze of citrus.

The other slip is boiling them for mash. Submerging the flesh waterlogs it and leaches out the sugar, leaving a wet, flat puree. Roast or steam instead, and you keep both the flavor and the body.

Substitutes

Butternut squash is the closest stand-in, similar in sweetness and moisture and swapped one-to-one in soups or mash. Pumpkin puree works in baked goods for the same reason.

Regular russet or Yukon Gold potatoes cover the texture but bring none of the sweetness, so they suit savory dishes where the sugar was never the point. In that direction you usually need to add a little sweetness back.

Carrots roast and puree into something in the same family, less starchy but with the orange color and gentle sweetness intact.

Choosing and Storing

Pick firm sweet potatoes with smooth, unbroken skin and no soft spots or sprouting. Tapered, even shapes cook more evenly than knobbly ones.

Keep them in a cool, dark, dry spot with airflow, like a pantry or a paper bag, never the refrigerator. Cold below about 50°F (10°C) gives them a hard core and an off taste, and they keep three to four weeks stored properly.

Once cooked, they hold in the fridge for four to five days, and the mash or puree freezes well for several months. Raw cut pieces brown fast, so cover them with water if you are not cooking them right away.

Nutrition

Quick facts

Where to find sweet potatoes, or yams: Sweet potatoes, or yams are usually found in the produce section or aisle of the grocery store or supermarket.

Food group: Sweet potatoes, or yams are a member of the Vegetables and Vegetable Products US Department of Agriculture nutritional food group.

In Chinese

红薯，山药或

British (UK) term

Sweet potatoes, or yams

en français

patates douces

en español

batatas

How much do sweet potatoes, or yams weigh?

Related

Vegetables and Vegetable Products

Recipes using sweet potatoes, or yams

There are 374 recipes that contain this ingredient.

Asian Salad Nicoise

This Nicoise Salad is a beautiful play off its French counterpart. It keeps the traditional string beans, potatoes, boiled eggs and tuna, but it adds an Asian inspired dressing that elevates this salad to the next level. By changing the usual white potatoes to sweet potatoes, it becomes a healthier version of the recipe. Sweet potatoes provide more vitamins and minerals than regular potatoes and they have fewer calories. Add in the Omega-3 benefits in the tuna, the protein of the eggs, and fibre-packed beans, and you have got a power packed lunch that tastes like a million dollars. This recipe will certainly be singing to your taste buds tuna.

Mud Crab & Smoked Sweet Potato Gnocchi

Mud Crab seasoned Alpine Pepper and served with smoked sweet potato gnocchi

Jimmy's Butternut Squash Chowder

Vegan butternut squash chowder made creamy without a drop of dairy. Blended squash, sweet potato, and carrot form a velvety base, brightened with garlic, rosemary, and thyme and topped with toasted almonds.

Crockpot Mashed Sweet Potatoes

Sweet potatoes wit apple cider, cinnamon and bacon for your slow cooker.

Vegetable Curry

Vegetable Curry recipe

Apple & Fennel Roast Pork Tenderloin with Apple Cranberry Chutney

Apple and Fennel Roast Pork Tenderloin with Apple Cranberry Chutney

Mary's Two Potato Soup

Creamy blended soup combining white and sweet potatoes with curry, turmeric and fresh mint, sautéed with leeks for a vibrant, high-fiber vegetarian soup.

Chick Pea & Yam Stew

Nothing is more cozy and satisfying than a bowl of hearty and warm stew on a chilly day. Chick pea and sweet potatoes are super delicious and filling, and it is totally vegetarian and vegan friendly too.

Lentil Sweet Potato Burgers

These hearty, plant-based Lentil Sweet Potato Veggie Burgers combine earthy lentils, nutty rice, and sweet potatoes with savory mushrooms and spinach. Perfect for a wholesome meal, they’re easy to prepare and grill to a crisp, golden finish. Serve with fresh greens or your favorite toppings for a satisfying, nutrient-packed burger.

Homemade Potato & Sweet Potato Hash-browns

This easy recipe will for sure make you ditch the store-bought frozen hash browns, because there is no comparison with the homemade version.

Vegetable Porridge

Might want to eat it with a blindfold. It tastes a hell of a lot better than it looks.

Comfy Winter Squash & Apple Soup

Vegan winter squash and apple soup with butternut squash, sweet potato, apples, and a Chinese five-spice kick. Eight ingredients, naturally creamy, perfect fall comfort food.

Black Bean Coffee Brownies

The combination of black beans and sweet potato gives these brownies a moreish, moist quality. These are great for kids as they contain no added sugar or trans-fats (you may wish to omit the coffee and substitute cacao powder if serving to youngsters, though).

Black Bean Sweet-Potato Chili

This chili was filling, tasty and wholesome. Nothing is like a bowl of warm chili on a cold and snowy winter day.

Oven Baked Sweet Potato Fries with Chipotle Yogurt Dip

Instead of potato fries, try these oven baked sweet potato fries. They are sweet and creamy in the inside, golden and crispy on the outside. Dip them into this creamy and tangy chipotle yogurt dip, delicious.

Sweet Potato, Zucchini & Tomato Quesadillas

Vegetarian quesadillas packed with roasted sweet potatoes, zucchini, tomatoes, and scrambled eggs, all melted together with mozzarella. A hearty, veggie-forward meal for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.

Creamy Sweet Potato & Red Pepper Pasta

Load up on your power vegetables, sweet potatoes and sweet red bell pepper in this satisfying pasta main dish.

Asian Carrot Soup

Asian carrot soup blends carrots, sweet potato, scallions, and fresh ginger into a silky vegan puree finished with sesame oil. Naturally low-fat and freezer-friendly.

Garlicky, Sweet & Salty Sweet Potato Wedges

Loaded with sweet and salty flavor from mirin and soy sauce. Garlic and sesame oil add more deliciousness. A bit cilantro and sesame seeds are sprinkled on top just before serving.

Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Hummus & Crispy Kale

Sweet potatoes topped with sweet caramel onions, creamy hummus and crispy kale chips. It's even vegan and vegetarian but beefy enough to satisfy even the meat lovers.

Kangaroo Striploin Tartlet with Sweet Potato & Bush Tomato Jus

Kangaroo striploin tartlet served with sweet potato (or kumara) and Australian Bush Tomato jus.

Sweet Potato, Kale, & Feta Tart

This savory tart is a delicious way to cook with your leafy-greens, such as kale, Swiss chard, collards and sweet potato or squash. The balsamic vinegar is used on both cooking greens and caramelizing the onions, which really adds a delicious hint, the feta cheese adds the nice cheesiness and well-balanced saltiness. It can be served as a main dish or a side dish!

Spicy Baked Sweet Potato Steak Fries

Spicy baked sweet potato steak fries tossed in olive oil and a sweet-heat rub of brown sugar, kosher salt, and cayenne. Oven-roasted into thick, tender wedges with crisp, browned edges, no deep fryer needed.

Whole Grain Sweet Potato Biscuits

Whole grain sweet potato biscuits made with mashed yams, whole wheat flour, and a touch of brown sugar. Tender, faintly sweet, and built for honey butter or sausage gravy.

Asian Miso Soup

Love miso, the fermented flavor gives the dish incredibly delicious taste. I developed this recipe, and use miso and water as the base, add fresh Asian vegetables, and let boil for a few minutes. I always have the soup with some Korean Kimichi. Here the recipe is.

Shiitake & Sweet Potato Japchae

Look for sweet potato noodles in Asian or Korean grocery stories, or use soba noodles or even spaghetti works too. The dish is super easy to prepare, and it tastes delicious. If you are a big fan on Asian flavor, such as sesame oil, sesame seeds, and soy sauce, etc, you will not be able to resist this mouth-watering Japchae.

Sweet Potato & Pea Fritters

These quick and easy fritters are made with sweet potatoes, peas, fresh mint, cilantro, and whole wheat flour. They are not only good for you, but also taste delicious. Serve these warm fritters with sour cream, hot sauce or any your favorite dipping sauce.

Sweet Potato Miso Stew

A cozy and comfy miso stew is ideal for cool fall and cold winter. Sweet potato, tofu (or you can use cooked chicken or pork meat instead), and mushrooms are browned with garlic, ginger and scallions first to maximize the deliciousness, then simmered in a miso based soup. Warms you up in a second!

Black Bean, Sweet Potato & Corn Stew

A delicious, filling, and nutritious stew is an ideal dish on a chilly winter day. Serve it with some warm corn tortilla or a few slices of good bread.

Cheesy Sweet Potato & Red Onion Tart

The herb roasted veggies make this dish a huge hit. The nutty and olive-oil crust comes out perfectly flaky and delicious. Great comfort food that everyone enjoys.

Chili Over Sweet Potatoes

There are so many recipes that can help to use up the leftover chili.This is one of our favorites. So quick and easy to put together, and it tastes so good. Also, it's full of good-for-you ingredients. A perfect dinner on a cold winter day!

Zucchini, Sweet Potato & Red Bell Pepper Quesadillas

Quesadillas are so easy to make at home, and you can add whatever you like into the filling. Sprinkle your favourite cheese, and adjust the seasoning to your own taste. Much better taste and much healthier than those restaurant ones.

Acorn Squash & Sweet Potato Soup

A flavourful and hearty soup warms you up instantly, an ideal soup on a cold fall or winter day.

Baked Sweet Potato Wedges with Paprika

Crispy and sweet baked sweet potato wedges are a great snack, and they are both delicious and nutritious. Serve these delicious wedges with sour cream dip.

Spiced Sweet Potato Dinner Rolls

Turned out very fluffy, hot out of the oven I ate about 5 of them right away. Lightly warm spiced with sweetness from the sweet potato. You won't find these in any store.

Sweet Potato, Lentil & Green Bean Packets

Sweet potato, lentil and green beans are cooked IN a curry, garlic and ginger flavoured vegetable broth in foil packets, so flavourful. Enjoy these small and tasty packets.

Sweet Potato Kugel

Serve this delicious sweet potato kugel as one of your side dish at your passover dinner.

Annie Mae Jones' Sweet Potato Biscuits

Annie Mae Jones' sweet potato biscuits: Southern-style biscuits with mashed sweet potato folded into a buttery shortening dough, cut into squares and baked golden. Eat warm with butter.

Sweet Potato Fries with Curried Mayonnaise Dip

The dip pairs nicely with the sweet potato fries. A snap to make so it's worth the trouble to go the extra mile.

Sweet Potato & Tomato Soup (Vegan)

Vegan sweet potato and tomato soup with carrots, celery, and a hint of nutmeg, partially pureed for chunky-creamy texture. Healthy, high-fiber bowl perfect for chilly nights.

Roasted Sweet Potato Wedges with Smoked Chipotle Cream

These roasted sweet potatoes go perfectly with the smoky and mildly spiced tangy lime sour cream. Definitely inspires you to cook sweet potatoes more often!

Indian Spiced Two Beans & Sweet Potato Crock Pot

Chickpea, pinto beans, sweet potato and spinach are slowly cooked in crock pot with cumin, coriander, lemon juice and honey. It's an ideal weekday dinner, just throw everything into your crock pot, and push the start button. By the time you are home after work, your hearty and delicious dinner is served.

Bacon Sweet Potato Bites

This handy appetizer impresses everyone, simple, easy and full of flavor and very easy to eat.

Cajun Style Baked Sweet Potato

Even the sweet potato/yam "dis-liker" (me) liked the flavor of these. Nice little bite from the cayenne. And the amount of sugar was just right. I don't care for really "sweet" yam dishes at all! Thanks for this addition to our holiday dinner. (Part of my "Thanksgiving 2010" Menu)

Sweet Potato Pancakes

Sweet potato pancakes made with mashed cooked sweet potato, flour, and butter. Slightly sweet, slightly savory, served with sour cream. A clever way to use Thanksgiving leftovers.

Butternut Squash & Yam Casserole

This casserole was scrumptious, the butternut squash and the sweet potatoes turned out soft, sweet and full of flavor; burglar gave the meaty texture and soaked all the delicious flavor; tomato, red wine and stock made a delicious base for this casserole.

Easy Sweet Potato Biscuits (Scones)

Change is good, and so are these scrumptious biscuits which can become a favorite at your next family gathering.

Garlic, Ginger & Soy Roasted Potato, Sweet Potato & Red Onion

Very tasty! It's hard to go wrong with garlic, ginger, soy sauce and sesame oil, and the potatoes and sweet potatoes soaked up all the deliciousness. A great way to cook root vegetables, and this can be served as a side dish or a vegetarian main dish.

Sweet-Potato Fritters

These fritters were very tasty. Made these fritters for dinner the other day, I added 1 chopped scallions and 1 small fresh red chili pepper and also made a chipotle chili and toasted cumin sour cream dip to accompany the fritters, yum!

Holiday Roasted Root Vegetables

Seasonal root vegetables are tossed with olive oil, salt and black pepper, after baking, they look nice and colourful, you can serve them with any kind of your favorite gravy or roasted turkey, chikcen, it is also a fantasitc side dish.

All 374 recipes