The Unexpected Ingredient for the Most Delicious Roasted Sweet Potatoes

Savory miso adds a backbone of deep flavor to these simple roasted sweet potatoes.

Published November 11, 2024

A bowl of roasted sweet potatoes with scallions. — Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik

Why It Works

Par-cooking the potatoes in 160°F (70°C) water enhances the development of simple sugars, leading to sweeter and more flavorful roast potatoes.
Roasting the potatoes on aluminum baking sheets conducts more heat, browning and crisping them better and faster.

This is an unconventional, but delicious, variation on a classic Thanksgiving side. It blends miso with mirin and fresh scallions for a Japanese twist. As long as you have the ingredients, it's also very simple to make. Simply whisk miso—I used white, but any kind will work, each giving its own shade of flavor to the dish—with mirin (a type of rice wine), sugar, oil, and water. Toss this dressing with the roasted potatoes, and fold in the scallions.

If you want, you can also sprinkle on some shichimi togarashi, Japan's seven-spice chile powder. It adds some extra layers of flavor, plus a mild kick of heat, which work nicely with the sweet-savory flavors in the dish.

Looking for something unique, but more traditional? Try sweet potatoes with brown butter and rosemary. And if you want warm spices and smoke, this pecan-studded version might be for you.

October 2016

Recipe Details

The Unexpected Ingredient for the Most Delicious Roasted Sweet Potatoes

Prep 5 mins

Cook 110 mins

Total 115 mins

Serves 6 to 8 servings

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Ingredients

3 pounds (1.4kg) sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch chunks
4 tablespoons (60ml) vegetable or canola oil, divided
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons (30ml) miso (we used white miso during testing, but you can use any type)
1 tablespoon (15ml) mirin
1/2 tablespoon (8g) sugar
2 tablespoons (30ml) water
2 scallions, white and light-green parts only, thinly sliced
Shichimi togarashi, for garnish (optional; see notes)

Directions

Place sweet potatoes in a large saucepan and cover with cold water. Heat water to 160°F (70°C) as registered on an instant-read thermometer. Cover and set aside for 1 hour.
Adjust oven racks to upper-middle and lower-middle positions and preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Drain sweet potatoes and transfer to a large bowl. Toss with 3 tablespoons (45ml) oil and season to taste with salt and pepper. Spread sweet potatoes on 2 rimmed baking sheets and roast until bottom sides are browned, about 30 minutes. Carefully flip potatoes with a thin spatula and roast until second side is browned and potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes longer. Keep potatoes warm.
When ready to serve, in a large mixing bowl, whisk together miso, mirin, sugar, water, and remaining 1 tablespoon (15ml) oil until smooth. Add potatoes and gently toss to coat. Fold in scallions and transfer to a serving bowl. Sprinkle with shichimi togarashi, if using, and serve.

Special Equipment

Aluminum rimmed baking sheets, instant-read thermometer

Notes

Shichimi togarashi is a Japanese seven-ingredient chile powder.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
233	Calories
7g	Fat
38g	Carbs
4g	Protein

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6 to 8
Amount per serving
Calories	233
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 7g	10%
Saturated Fat 1g	3%
Cholesterol 0mg	0%
Sodium 299mg	13%
Total Carbohydrate 38g	14%
Dietary Fiber 6g	21%
Total Sugars 13g
Protein 4g
Vitamin C 34mg	170%
Calcium 70mg	5%
Iron 1mg	7%
Potassium 828mg	18%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.