This savory, spicy sweet potato mash adds bright flavor to any meal. Serve it alongside pork, chicken, in tacos or rice bowls, or enjoy it as a snack — it’s versatile and crowd-pleasing.
These mashed spicy roasted sweet potatoes get a lively finish from fresh lime and chopped cilantro or parsley. The recipe is simple, but the result is deeply flavorful and worth the effort.
Roasting sweet potatoes concentrates their natural sweetness and preserves more flavor and nutrients than boiling. I often make a double batch: one night with roasted or grilled chicken, another night in a rice bowl with black beans and carnitas, and another night on tacos. A little extra work yields several great meals.
How to Choose Sweet Potatoes at the Grocery Store
Shopping tips: Choose firm, clean sweet potatoes with smooth skin and no cuts, bruises or discoloration. If one end is tough, you can trim it away after roasting.
Storage: Avoid storing potatoes under the sink, where temperature changes are frequent. The ideal storage spot is cool (around 43°F to 50°F), dark and well ventilated — a basement or root cellar in a perforated plastic or paper bag works well. Do not refrigerate uncooked sweet potatoes: cold converts starch to sugar, which can create an odd taste and discoloration.
Ingredients:
- Sweet potatoes (about 1½ pounds)
- Neutral oil (canola, sunflower, grapeseed, vegetable, or refined coconut oil)
- Kosher salt
- Chipotles in adobo (canned) — 1 to 3 peppers, depending on heat preference, plus some adobo sauce
- Fresh lime (juice of ½ lime)
- Fresh cilantro or parsley, chopped
Equipment:
- Oven or toaster oven
- Rimmed sheet pan
- Fork
- Potato masher
Mashed Sweet Potatoes with Chipotle
Roasting is the best way to prepare sweet potatoes: leave the skins on, pierce each potato with a fork so steam can escape, rub with a neutral oil and kosher salt, and roast until very tender and caramelized. Avoid low smoke-point oils like extra virgin olive oil or unrefined coconut oil for roasting.
Roasting concentrates the potato’s sweetness, so you don’t need to add maple syrup or brown sugar. After roasting, scoop the flesh into a bowl with chipotles and adobo sauce, add lime juice and a bit more salt, then mash to your preferred texture. Finish with chopped cilantro or parsley.
Adjusting the Heat
Control the spice by varying the amount of chipotles in adobo. If you prefer mild heat, use a single pepper and remove the seeds. For more heat, use two or three peppers or add red pepper flakes or cayenne. If you have leftover chipotles and adobo sauce, freeze portions in an ice cube tray and store them in airtight containers for future use.
Spicy Sweet Potatoes — Method
Preheat the oven to 400ºF (200ºC).
Wash and dry the sweet potatoes. Pierce each potato several times with a fork, rub them with about 1 teaspoon neutral oil and 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and place on a rimmed sheet pan. Roast for about 30 minutes, or until very soft and caramelized juices begin to escape. Larger potatoes may need a few extra minutes.
Remove from the oven and let cool just until they are comfortable to handle. In a heat-safe mixing bowl, mash the desired number of chipotles with about 2 tablespoons of adobo sauce. Scoop the roasted sweet potato flesh into the bowl over the chipotles, add the remaining ½ teaspoon kosher salt and the juice of half a lime. Mash to your preferred consistency, taste, and adjust salt and spice as needed.
Garnish with chopped cilantro or parsley. Serve hot, warm, or at room temperature.
Mashed Spicy Sweet Potatoes
Rebecca Lindamood
Equipment
- sheet pan
- fork
- potato masher
- oven
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds sweet potatoes
- 1 teaspoon neutral oil (canola, sunflower, grapeseed, vegetable, or refined coconut oil)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt plus ½ teaspoon reserved
- 1-3 chipotles in adobo depending on heat preference, plus 2 tablespoons adobo sauce
- ½ lime juiced
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro or parsley
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400ºF.
- Wash and dry the sweet potatoes. Pierce each potato with a fork, rub with oil and 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and roast for about 30 minutes or until very soft and caramelized.
- Let the potatoes cool until comfortable to handle. Mash the desired number of chipotles with the adobo sauce in a heat-safe bowl.
- Scoop the roasted sweet potato flesh into the bowl, add the reserved ½ teaspoon kosher salt and the juice of ½ lime, and mash to your preferred consistency. Taste and adjust salt and spice.
- Garnish with chopped cilantro or parsley. Serve hot, warm, or at room temperature.
Nutrition
Carbohydrates: 23g
Protein: 2g
Fat: 1g
Sodium: 492mg
Potassium: 387mg
Fiber: 3g
Sugar: 5g
Vitamin A: 16130IU
Vitamin C: 3mg
Nutritional information is an estimate. Calculate values using the exact ingredients you use if precise nutrition data is needed.
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