How Long to Bake a Sweet Potato at 400 F

Baked a sweet potato at 400 with foil in the oven so they are fluffy inside. Covered for extra tender in the middle or without foil like our sweet potatoes in air fryer if you want extra crispy skins!

Baked Sweet Potatoes at 400 with Foil

Ok so you wanted to know the best way to make baked potatoes which we shared years back. Those were using Russets and another great selection with dinner too. BUT there are so many other varieties out there. These aren’t just for mashing folks, they are fabulous sliced and stuffed too.

Is it better to bake sweet potatoes in foil or not?

That is preference. If you just want the insides to mash I would wrap in foil to become ultra tender. Served as baked on the side of a meal I would crisp the skins without. No matter which you choose, you always want to wash the outside first. Unlike other produce in the stores, taters are typically just bagged and have quite a bit of dirt and debris on the outside.

Cook Times

A higher temperature will yield a more crispy skin. If you just want tender thru and thru, this is how long to bake potatoes at 375 in foil instead, for a bit longer. About 45-60 minutes is what you are looking at depending on their size.

You can cook these and pork roast in oven at 375 at the same time for a complete meal served together.

at 350

This doesn’t take that much longer. Instead of this one at 45-60 minutes you’re looking at closer to 60-75 minutes. No matter what there will be a range depending on their size. I highly suggest that you choose pieces that are all very similar. It will ensure that they can all be taken out at the same time. Use this temp when making chuck roast in oven at 350 together.

at 425

I would only do this if yours are on the smaller side and you want the outside to get quite browned and crunchy. It will be a bit faster at 40-50 minutes (depending on how large they are) but at a lower temperature for longer will get you a better result.

How to Prepare

Clean – Wash under cool water and rub to remove debris. Then you always want to dry them off with some paper towels.

Prepare – You want to poke each one all the way around, this is a must. Even when you are making smoked potatoes you need to allow the steam to escape, cook all the way to the center evenly, and not explode.

Cover – For the most tender result you will want to cover your dish with foil or wrap each one. The latter is handy if you don’t have a pan, you can just set them on a baking rack.

There isn’t a huge difference with this bit higher temp. The biggest difference is that you could take top off at the end and crisp as is without switching to broil since it should be high enough. I use this when making our roasted frozen vegetables in oven at the same time.

How to Cook Sweet Potatoes in the Oven

• Rinse and dry with paper towels.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Use a fork or knife to stick potatoes 6-10 times to vent
• Place on baking sheet lined with parchment or foil if you’d like
• Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 45 minutes – 1 hour 15 minutes
• Test them all after 40 minutes cooking time (or so) with a fork or knife.
  • Insert into the center of each one, should be easy to slide in and out showing it is tender.

Carefully slice cooked sweet potato (they will be hot), use a fork to fluff the middle and add all the things. I mean all the things y’all. Use your imagination and think of your favorite flavors when it comes to these. There isn’t a wrong answer. You could even create a potato bar during the holidays and let everyone dress up their own.

How to Get Skins Crispy

If you want crispy outer skin, remove foil once tender. Brush olive oil on top and all sides. Sprinkle sea salt all over and set to broil for 2-3 minutes or until outside is as crispy as you’d like.

How long to cook diced

f you want to make these smaller without the skins at all you can with our roasted sweet potato cubes in oven directions. Tossed with olive oil and cinnamon to make them sweet and cooked faster.

Quicker option

If you just want to kinda’ keep them savory as a side dish I would add the salt with the oil at the end to the skins. Just add butter to the inside like we do with pressure cooker sweet potatoes recipe.

How to Make Sweet Potato Skins

If you want to make killer air fryer sweet potato skins you would want the skins to be crisped. Allow to cool to the touch before slicing lengthwise. Fluff the insides and fill with all the goodies. Then cook as directed in the link above.

What can I put on top of sweet potatoes?

1. Brown sugar + salt and pepper is a nice sweet and savory idea
2. Honey
3. Maple syrup
4. Mini marshmallows
5. Diced candied pecans

What to make with leftovers

Or you can scoop out the insides and just use that to make homemade sweet potato muffins or your favorite Thanksgiving casserole. If you need easy meal prep ideas, these are it. Hardly anything to do and can be prepped and sitting on the counter for hours until you’re ready to pop them in.