Cooking Sweet Potatoes In Instant Pot

Posted: 4/16/20 Updated: 8/23/20

Perfect Instant Pot sweet potatoes each and every time, with perfect, creamy insides. A time chart based on the width of your sweet potatoes ensures they are perfectly cooked each time.

While I love a baked sweet potato and the convenience of a crock pot sweet potato, sometimes we just need to get it done quickly, right? Enter Instant Pot sweet potatoes. Ready in a fraction of the time, and they come out perfectly creamy, each and every time!

sweet potatoes arranged by size with the Instant Pot cook times indicated on each

The thing is, there are way too many 'one size fits all' Instant Pot sweet potato recipes out there, and can we be real? Not all sweet potatoes are made the same, so why should the cooking method be?

After being constantly disappointed by under-cooked sweet potatoes, I set out to test dozens of sweet potatoes, until I came up with a formula so that you can have perfect sweet potatoes as well.

Reasons you'll ♡ Instant Pot sweet potatoes

they cook in a fraction of the time as the oven
they are perfectly tender and creamy
they are hands off...set the button and go on with your day while they cook!

Recipe Video

Want to see exactly how to cook sweet potatoes in the Instant Pot? Watch this 1-minute video! You can find more recipe videos on my YouTube channel.

Don't forget to pin this post to save it for later!

a hand holding two small sweet potatoes with the cook time indicated

collage image of a hand holding two different sized sweet potatoes with Instant Pot cook times indicated

Measure the width of your sweet potatoes

In my experimentation, I discovered that the cook time of your sweet potatoes is completely dependent on the width of your sweet potatoes.

After testing dozens of sweet potatoes, I came up with the following formula:

small (2 inches or less in width): 15 minutes + 10 minute natural pressure release
medium (2-3 inches in width): 30 minutes + 10 minute natural pressure release
large (3-4 inches in width): 60 minutes * + 10 minute natural pressure release

* honestly, depending on what you're going to use those gargantuan sweet potatoes for, you're probably better off cutting them into cubes to cook faster

How to cook sweet potatoes in the Instant Pot

A few simple steps stand between you and your perfect sweet potatoes:

measure (or estimate) the width of your sweet potatoes
scrub sweet potatoes, and prick with a fork 4-5 times
place 1 cup of water in the Instant Pot insert (or 1.5 cups for an 8 quart Instant Pot ), and place the trivet on top
arrange your sweet potatoes on the trivet
place the lid on the Instant Pot and set the valve to 'sealing'. Pressure cook for the time indicated on recipe card based on the width of your sweet potatoes
allow pressure to release naturally for 10 minutes, then carefully release the remaining pressure

Ta da! Perfect sweet potatoes

Which Instant Pot works the best?

You can cook sweet potatoes in a 6 or 8 quart Instant Pot with no change to the cook time. The one thing that does change between the two sizes is the amount of water you add to the pot.

add 1 cup to a 6 quart Instant Pot
add 1.5 cups to an 8 quart Instant Pot

I have not tested in a mini Instant Pot, and am not sure if the sweet potatoes would fit. If you have tried, would you leave a comment below to let us know how it worked for you?

instant pot sweet potatoes before cooking

FAQ

Can I cook regular potatoes using these cook times?

No, regular potatoes require a different cook time. See this post for Instant Pot Baked Potatoes.

Can I stack the sweet potatoes or do they need to be in a single layer?

My testing was done with a single layer, however in theory, you should be able to stack them up without additional cook time. If you find that your sweet potatoes need additional cooking time, you can simply put the lid back on, add more time, and the pot will come back to pressure really quickly.

Is it better to use the 'steam' or the 'manual' setting to cook sweet potatoes?

I've done it both ways, and it worked fine either way. The steam setting simply cooks from full power straight away, since it assumes there is just water in the Instant Pot and there is no risk to burning food in contact with the base.

sweet potato on plate with melted butter

Wondering how to use up your sweet potatoes?

Whether you use your Instant Pot sweet potatoes as twice baked sweet potatoes, in hummus, breakfast burritos, or any of the recipes, using the Instant Pot to cook them ahead definitely makes your meal prep go a little faster.

Enchilada Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
Smoky Sweet Potato Hummus
Freezer Sweet Potato Taquitos
Freezer Sweet Potato Waffles
Taco Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

More Instant Pot Recipes

7 Instant Pot Chicken Breast Recipes
Instant Pot Whole Chicken
Instant Pot Steel Cut Oats
Instant Pot Spaghetti Squash
Instant Pot Chickpeas

Did you make this? Tag me on social @sweetpeasandsaffron and be sure to leave a comment and rate the recipe!

Perfect Instant Pot sweet potatoes each and every time, with perfect, creamy insides. A time chart based on the width of your sweet potatoes ensures they are perfectly cooked each time.

▢ 2-4 sweet potatoes

Measure or estimate the width of your sweet potatoes.
Scrub sweet potatoes, then prick 5-10 times with a fork.
Add 1 cup of water to the insert of a 6 quart Instant Pot or 1.5 cups to an 8 quart Instant Pot.
Add the trivet to the Instant Pot and arrange sweet potatoes on the trivet.
Place the lid on the Instant Pot, and set the valve to 'sealing'.
Make sure your Instant Pot is set to 'high pressure', and select manual (or 'pressure cook', depending on your model). Then set the timer depending on the thickness of your sweet potatoes:

small- under 2 inches: 15 minutes,

medium- 2-3 inches: 30 minutes,

large- 3-4 inches: 60 minutes.
When timer beeps, allow pressure to naturally release for 10 minutes before releasing the rest of the pressure.
If for some reason your sweet potatoes are not fully cooked through, place the lid back on the Instant Pot and add an additional 5-10 minutes. Your Instant Pot will come back to pressure quickly.

Storage

After cooking, the sweet potatoes may be stored in the fridge for up to 4 days.

Whole sweet potatoes may also be frozen for up to 3 months.

Serving: 1 cup , Calories: 260 kcal , Carbohydrates: 60 g , Protein: 6 g , Sodium: 182 mg , Fiber: 4 g , Sugar: 6 g

© Sweet Peas & Saffron - Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited.

Meet Denise Bustard

Denise Bustard is the creator of Sweet Peas and Saffron, a meal prep-focussed food blog. With a PhD in biochemistry, Denise takes a scientific approach to perfecting her recipes. You can find Denise's work featured on Huffington Post, MSN, Self and more.