I could eat a simple baked sweet potato with brown sugar and cinnamon butter for every meal. But I’ve always been frustrated that I can’t replicate the tender, melt-in-your-mouth sweet potatoes found in steakhouses and other restaurants. What’s the secret to those irresistibly fluffy interiors?
Rich in nutritional value and lower in calories than white potatoes, sweet potatoes make an easy side dish for dinner or a light lunch . Read on to learn how to bake sweet potatoes to bring out their sweetness and achieve that light, fluffy texture we all love.
Knife on fork
If you’re like me, you’ve probably tried the fork-slicing method when baking potatoes. If that didn’t work for you, try cutting the potato crosswise about eight times from top to bottom.
This will help the heat reach the center of the potato and allow moisture to escape during the cooking process (so you don’t end up with a watery result).
Dry for clear skin
After thoroughly washing your potato, you want to make sure the skin is as dry as possible. Cooking a wet or damp potato means you’ll be steaming the skin. Ensuring your sweet potato is dry will help you achieve that crispy, dry skin.
Line your baking sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper and lightly spray with cooking spray. Sweet potatoes have natural sugars that ooze out and caramelize during baking, so using aluminum foil or parchment paper will prevent sticking as much as possible.