How to Bake a Yam

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Last Updated: December 11, 2022 References Tested

Yams are vegetables native to Africa and Asia, and are starchier and drier than a sweet potato. Sweet potatoes are more commonly found in America and Europe.^{[1]
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Go to source} Whether you are eating a yam or a sweet potato, baking is one of the easiest and most versatile ways to cook them. It is also a tasty, yet extremely healthy, way to prepare a yam. Baked yams are a perfect dish for paleo or clean eating diets. Follow these step-by-step instructions to bake a yam.

Ingredients

Basic Baked Yam or Sweet Potato

Yams or sweet potatoes
Aluminum foil and baking pan
2 tbsp brown sugar or maple syrup
Salt and pepper
Vegetable or olive oil

Paleo Baked Yam or Sweet Potato

Yams or sweet potatoes
Coconut oil
Cinnamon or nutmeg
Coconut butter

Baked Yam or Sweet Potato Medallions

4 yams or sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil (or other oils)
1/4 cup honey (sweet dish)
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon (sweet dish)
2 tablespoons of brown or white sugar (sweet dish)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper (savory dish)
Paprika (savory dish)

Baked Yam or Sweet Potato Fries

4 yams or sweet potatoes, sliced
2 tablespoons of olive oil, for tossing
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon garlic, curry powder, cumin, paprika (optional)

Microwave Baked Yam or Sweet Potato Potato

Yams or sweet potatoes
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
Butter
Vegetable or olive oil
Salt and pepper
Brown or white sugar

Method 1

Method 1 of 4:

Baking a Basic Baked Yam or Sweet Potato

1
Preheat your oven to 425°. Sweet potatoes and yams are forgiving vegetables, so you can cook them at temperatures ranging from 375-450°. This means you can place them in the oven while you cook other food.^{[2]
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2
Line a baking pan or dish with aluminum foil. Yams tend to ooze syrupy juice, which can be difficult to clean up. Lining your pan ensures an easy clean up process.
- Don't wrap your yams or sweet potatoes in aluminum foil. Simply lay them on the foil.
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3
Wash and pierce the yams. Gently scrub the yams under cold water. Poke each yam four or five times with a fork or sharp knife. Put them in the baking dish.
- You can drizzle vegetable or olive oil on the yams if you choose. Rub the oil evenly over the skins.^{[3]
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- For a paleo or clean eating variation, coat the sweet potatoes or yams in coconut oil.^{[4]
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4
Bake for approximately 1 hour. Once during cooking, turn them over. The sweet potato or yam is done when the yam is soft. Touch it with an oven mitt and test for softness. Insert a knife into the middle of the potato; it should easily glide into the potato if it's done. If it's not done, continue cooking.^{[5]
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Research source} Another way to tell it is done is that the outside will be darker when it's done.^{[6]
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- Cooking time will vary depending upon the size of the yams. Larger yams will take longer to cook. The yams can take from 45 to 75 minutes to cook.
5
Serve. Remove the yams from the pan and slice open with a knife. Serve the yam with small pats of butter.
- For a paleo or clean variation, cover with coconut butter and sprinkle with cinnamon or nutmeg. Another clean option is to top with maple syrup or honey.
- Add brown or granulated sugar and pumpkin pie spice for a sweeter taste. Add salt and pepper, paprika, or cumin for a more savory dish. Mix chili pepper with butter for a kick of spice.

Method 2

Method 2 of 4:

Baking Yam or Sweet Potato Medallions

1
Preheat oven to 400°. Sweet potatoes can be cooked at any temperature from 375-450°.
2
Peel and cut yams. Take 4 yams, peel, and then cut into one-inch cubes. Spread the medallions out into a roasting tray.
- An alternate way to cut the yams is to wash and leave the peel on the yams. Slice the yams into medallions, as narrow or wide as desired.^{[7]
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  Research source} Eating the peel provides extra nutrients and aids in digestion. Just make sure to wash extremely well if you are going to eat the peeling.
3
Drizzle with seasoning. First, drizzle oil over the potatoes.^{[8]
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Research source} If you do not want to cover the yams in oil, brush them with butter instead.^{[9]
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- For a sweeter dish, drizzle the yam chunks with honey, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Alternately, add brown or white sugar.
- For a savory dish, sprinkle salt, pepper, and paprika over the yams.
4
Bake for 30 minutes. Place into the oven. Cook until tender or the yams start to crinkle around the edges. Start testing the potatoes when they've been cooking for fifteen minutes.

Method 3

Method 3 of 4:

Baking Yam or Sweet Potato Fries

1
Preheat the oven to 425°. The sweet potato fries can be cooked at any temperature from 375-450°.
2
Wash and cut the yams. Since the peeling will be left on the yams, make sure to wash them thoroughly. Cut the yams into thin slices.
- For potato wedges instead of fries, cut into eighths. The yams will be in long wedge shapes.
3
Season the fries. Place fries into a large bowl or a plastic bag. Toss the fries with salt, pepper, and olive oil.
- You can also season the fries with other spices. Try garlic, paprika, cumin, chili powder, curry, or seasoning salt in any combination.^{[10]
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- To make the fries as a paleo or clean eating dish, use coconut oil instead.^{[11]
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4
Place the fries on a baking sheet. Spread the fries on a baking sheet. Bake them for 20-30 minutes, turning them over at least once while baking. Depending on the oven, it may take more or less time. Bake them until the fries are crispy and golden brown.^{[12]
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- Don't place the fries too closely together or stack them too high. You want them to crisp up.

Method 4

Method 4 of 4:

Baking the Yam or Sweet Potato in the Microwave

1
Bake the yams whole. If you want to microwave the yams whole, poke holes all over the yam or sweet potato.^{[13]
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- If you would rather microwave chunks, peel and cut the yams. Cut them into chunks about an inch wide. Place into a microwave-safe bowl.
2
Add seasoning. If you would like to add seasoning, place it on the yams before you microwave. Add 2 tablespoons (29.6 ml) of butter and 2 tablespoons of your choice of oil.
- If you would like a sweeter potato, add 2 tablespoons (29.6 ml) of brown sugar, white sugar, or maple syrup, 1 tablespoon of fresh-squeezed lemon juice, or cinnamon or nutmeg.
- If you want a savory potato, add salt and pepper.
3
Microwave on high. Cover the dish with a lid or plastic wrap. Microwave for 10 minutes, checking the softness at 5 minutes. Continue to microwave in 2-minute intervals until tender.
- If you have whole yams, turn them over halfway through cooking. If you have chunks, shake the container to spread contents.
4
Finished.

Community Q&A

Question

How do I cook grated sweet potato?

Binyamin Koretz

Community Answer

Mix with eggs and a little oil and flour. Add salt and pepper for savory, or brown sugar and raisins for sweet. Bake in a casserole dish at 350 until brown on top. You can also mix in grated carrots, and you can add some grated ginger (not dry ginger powder).
Question

Can you deep fry sweet potato fries?

Community Answer

Yes, you can deep fry them.