An easy recipe for perfect Instant Pot Sweet Potatoes. Learn how to cook sweet potatoes in your Instant Pot pressure cooker, with cook times for different sizes of sweet potatoes. Perfect for serving with sweet or savory toppings, as a side dish or main course.
Ever since I shared my recipes for baked sweet potatoes, air fryer sweet potatoes and foolproof Instant Pot Baked Potatoes, readers have been asking how to cook sweet potatoes in the Instant Pot. So, I started recipe testing!
I cooked over 25 sweet potatoes of every size I could find in my two Instant Pots, a 6 quart and an 8 quart. Just as I’ve found with Russet potatoes, the time needed to cook sweet potatoes varies based on how wide the potatoes are at the thickest part. Below you’ll find my best method and cook times for Instant Pot whole sweet potatoes.
This Instant Pot sweet potatoes recipe makes whole “baked” sweet potatoes that are perfectly cooked with creamy flesh. My favorite way to serve them is with a little butter, salt and pepper. They’re also delicious with brown sugar or maple syrup. If you are looking for mashed sweet potatoes, try my Instant Pot Mashed Sweet Potatoes recipe.
Serve your sweet potatoes as a side dish with salmon or baked chicken. You can also make them a main dish by loading your sweet potatoes up with toppings, such as black beans, cheese and salsa. Or try one of these six ways to stuff a sweet potato.
HOW TO COOK SWEET POTATOES IN A PRESSURE COOKER
The method for cooking whole sweet potatoes in your Instant Pot is really simple. You’ll start by scrubbing your sweet potatoes to remove any dirt. You don’t need to prick the sweet potatoes before cooking.
Pour 1 cup of cold water into the bottom of the Instant Pot inner pot. If you are using an 8 quart pot, increase the water to 1.5 cups.
Next, put the metal trivet in the pot. You will cook the potatoes on the trivet to keep them out of the water so they don’t get soggy. Put the potatoes on top of the trivet. You can cook as little as one sweet potato or as many as will fit in your Instant Pot. The cook time doesn’t change with the number of sweet potatoes.
Close the Instant Pot lid and turn the steam release valve to the sealing position.
HOW LONG TO COOK SWEET POTATOES IN AN INSTANT POT
The pressure cooking time depends on the size of your sweet potatoes. I have tested many, many sweet potatoes of different sizes to determine these cook times. I recommend cooking potatoes that are similar in size so that they will cook in the same amount of time. To determine the size of your sweet potatoes, measure the width of the potato at the thickest part.
- Small Sweet Potatoes (2 inches wide): 18 minutes at high pressure plus 10 minutes natural pressure release
- Medium Sweet Potatoes (2 1/2 inches wide): 24 minutes at high pressure plus 10 minutes natural pressure release
- Large Sweet Potatoes (3 inches wide): 30 minutes at high pressure plus 10 minutes natural pressure release
- Very Large Sweet Potatoes (more than 3 inches wide): 35 or more minutes at high pressure plus 10 minutes natural pressure release
If you’re not sure about the cook time for the exact size of your sweet potatoes, I would err on the side of adding an extra minute or two to the cook time. I’d rather end up with softer sweet potatoes than under-cooked potatoes and having to do a second pressure cooking cycle.
COOKING TIPS FOR INSTANT POT SWEET POTATOES
- Be sure to put the sweet potatoes on the metal trivet to keep them from touching the water in the bottom of the pot.
- Remember to allow the Instant Pot to naturally release for 10 minutes (just let the Instant Pot sit after the cook time ends) before quick releasing the remaining pressure.
- I have found that there can be some natural variation in the time needed to cook sweet potatoes, even when they are similar in size. The cook times listed in this recipe are what has worked best for me, in my Instant Pots.
- Depending on if you prefer your baked sweet potatoes softer or more firm, you can adjust the pressure cooking time by a minute or two.
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