Baked Japanese Sweet Potatoes (Yaki Imo)
User Reviews
4.7
Baked Japanese Sweet Potatoes (Yaki Imo)
Description
The recipe features Japanese sweet potatoes from the Satsumaimo variety, known for their delicate sweetness and creamy texture. After thoroughly washing and drying, the potatoes are pierced to allow steam to escape during baking. Some are wrapped in aluminum foil for a steamed effect, while others are baked unwrapped to develop a firmer skin. Baking is done at 325ºF (163ºC) for about 90 minutes until a skewer easily pierces the potatoes.
The cooking process develops the natural sugars, enhancing sweetness and softening the flesh. The wrapped potatoes retain more moisture and a slightly softer skin, while the unwrapped ones have a drier, more roasted exterior. Both yield tender interiors suitable for eating as-is or incorporating into recipes needing sweet potato.
This method is useful for enjoying the sweet potatoes as a wholesome snack or side dish with minimal ingredients. The comparison of wrapped versus unwrapped lets you choose the texture you prefer. Leftovers can be stored and reheated gently.
Ingredients
- 4 sweet potato 10 oz, 300 g each, Japanese, Satsumaimo variety
Instructions
- Gather all the ingredients. I‘m using four Japanese sweet potatoes; I will wrap and bake two in aluminum foil and leave the other two unwrapped (so I can show you the difference). Please read the post to decide which method you prefer.
- Preheat the oven to 325ºF (163ºC). Meanwhile, gently but thoroughly wash 4 Japanese sweet potatoes (Satsumaimo) really well with a brush. I use this Japanese tawashi brush to scrub root vegetables.
- Dry the sweet potatoes with a clean towel or paper towels. Poke a few holes in the sweet potatoes with a wooden skewer or fork so the hot steam can escape and keep the potatoes from exploding. Then, wrap the sweet potatoes in foil or you can leave them as they are.
- Place the sweet potatoes on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake for 90 minutes, or until you can easily insert a wooden skewer through the sweet potatoes. Remove from the oven, unwrap the foil (if using), and let them stand for a few minutes. If you don‘t remove the foil, the sweet potato skins will become wet and sticky from the steam. If you don‘t mind the wet skin, you can keep the sweet potatoes in the foil. Their texture will be creamy and super tender. You can experiment to see what you like the best. Serve hot—be careful!
- These images were taken right after they are done. The left image shows the sweet potato wrapped in foil while baking. The right image shows the sweet potato baked without foil.
To Store
- Once you have finished baking, let them cool completely. You can store the sweet potatoes in the fridge for 3 days and in the freezer for a month.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 4Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 258 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 258kcal | 13% |
| Carbohydrates | 60g | 20% |
| Protein | 5g | 10% |
| Fat | 1g | 2% |
| Saturated Fat | 1g | 5% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 1g | 6% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 1g | 5% |
| Sodium | 165mg | 7% |
| Potassium | 1011mg | 22% |
| Fiber | 9g | 36% |
| Sugar | 13g | 26% |
| Vitamin A | 42561IU | 851% |
| Vitamin C | 7mg | 8% |
| Calcium | 90mg | 9% |
| Iron | 2mg | 11% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
4.7
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