How to Cook a Sweet Potato in the Microwave
Wash your sweet potatoes., Pierce the skin with a fork., Wrap your sweet potato for cooking., Put the plate in the microwave and select a cooking time., Check your sweet potato for doneness., Let your sweet potato cool., Serve the potato.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Wash your sweet potatoes.
Clean your sweet potatoes under cool running water and scrub with a produce scrubbing brush.
Make sure to clean your potatoes well.
Pat your potato dry with a paper towel.
This is especially important if you enjoy eating the sweet potato skin. -
Step 2: Pierce the skin with a fork.
Prick the skin of your sweet potato about six to eight times all around.
When you heat your sweet potato in the microwave, it warms up quickly and steam gathers in-between the fleshy inside and the skin.
If you don't poke holes in the skin for the steam to escape, your potato will explode in the microwave.
You only need to open small holes in the skin, so don't stab your potato deeply with your fork.
Alternatively, you can cut a shallow "X" onto the top of the potato, using a knife.
Trust me, you do not want to skip this step! , Take a full-sized paper towel and dampen it with cold water.
Gently squeeze out the excess water and take care not to rip the towel.
Lay the towel flat on a microwavable plate and place your sweet potato in the center of the paper towel.
Cover the potato by loosely folding the sides of the paper towel over it.
The wet paper towel will provide a steaming effect when microwaving your sweet potato.
This will also help to keep the potato moist and prevent it from shrinking, and it will also result in softer skin.
Never use aluminum foil for microwave cooking! Do not wrap your sweet potato in metal foil while cooking in the microwave.
This will cause sparking and is a potential fire hazard.
Doing this will also break your microwave. , Cooking times will vary depending on the size of the potato and the power of the microwave.
Most medium to large potatoes will take between 8-12 minutes to cook at full power.Try putting the potato in for 5 minutes to begin with, then take it out and turn it over so that both sides cook evenly.
Place it back in the microwave for another 3-5 minutes, depending on how soft it is already.
After that, if it still doesn't feel fully cooked, continue to microwave it in 1 minute bursts, checking after each minute.If you are cooking multiple potatoes at once, you will need to increase the cooking time by about two-thirds.
For example, if one large potato takes 10 minutes to cook, two large potatoes would take between 16-17 minutes.
If you prefer crispy skinned sweet potatoes, you can cook the potatoes in the microwave for 5-6 minutes, then unwrap your sweep potato and transfer it to a baking sheet and bake in an oven preheated to 400 °F (204 °C) for 20 minutes.
This method is great if you want oven-crisp potato skins, in less than half the normal cooking time!, Be careful when removing the sweet potato from the microwave.
Both the potato and the plate will be hot! The potato should yield to firm pressure but not be too mushy.
If the potato is too firm, microwave again for 1 minute increments, until cooked through.
You can check if a potato is cooked by sticking a fork in the center; if the fork goes in easily, but the center is still a little firm, the potato is ready.
When in doubt, it is best to err on the side of undercooking, as an overcooked potato may burn or explode in the microwave. , Unwrap your potato completely and discard the damp paper towel.
It's a good idea to let your sweet potato cool for about five minutes.
This allows the core of the potato to finish cooking using the heat that is trapped in the inner layers.
It also helps it to become fluffy on the inside without over-drying on the outside.
If you are saving a potato for someone who's running late, wrapping the potato in aluminum foil will keep it warm for a remarkably long time.
Just be sure to do this as soon as it comes out of the microwave, to conserve as much heat as possible. , Cut the potato in half and enjoy. -
Step 3: Wrap your sweet potato for cooking.
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Step 4: Put the plate in the microwave and select a cooking time.
-
Step 5: Check your sweet potato for doneness.
-
Step 6: Let your sweet potato cool.
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Step 7: Serve the potato.
Detailed Guide
Clean your sweet potatoes under cool running water and scrub with a produce scrubbing brush.
Make sure to clean your potatoes well.
Pat your potato dry with a paper towel.
This is especially important if you enjoy eating the sweet potato skin.
Prick the skin of your sweet potato about six to eight times all around.
When you heat your sweet potato in the microwave, it warms up quickly and steam gathers in-between the fleshy inside and the skin.
If you don't poke holes in the skin for the steam to escape, your potato will explode in the microwave.
You only need to open small holes in the skin, so don't stab your potato deeply with your fork.
Alternatively, you can cut a shallow "X" onto the top of the potato, using a knife.
Trust me, you do not want to skip this step! , Take a full-sized paper towel and dampen it with cold water.
Gently squeeze out the excess water and take care not to rip the towel.
Lay the towel flat on a microwavable plate and place your sweet potato in the center of the paper towel.
Cover the potato by loosely folding the sides of the paper towel over it.
The wet paper towel will provide a steaming effect when microwaving your sweet potato.
This will also help to keep the potato moist and prevent it from shrinking, and it will also result in softer skin.
Never use aluminum foil for microwave cooking! Do not wrap your sweet potato in metal foil while cooking in the microwave.
This will cause sparking and is a potential fire hazard.
Doing this will also break your microwave. , Cooking times will vary depending on the size of the potato and the power of the microwave.
Most medium to large potatoes will take between 8-12 minutes to cook at full power.Try putting the potato in for 5 minutes to begin with, then take it out and turn it over so that both sides cook evenly.
Place it back in the microwave for another 3-5 minutes, depending on how soft it is already.
After that, if it still doesn't feel fully cooked, continue to microwave it in 1 minute bursts, checking after each minute.If you are cooking multiple potatoes at once, you will need to increase the cooking time by about two-thirds.
For example, if one large potato takes 10 minutes to cook, two large potatoes would take between 16-17 minutes.
If you prefer crispy skinned sweet potatoes, you can cook the potatoes in the microwave for 5-6 minutes, then unwrap your sweep potato and transfer it to a baking sheet and bake in an oven preheated to 400 °F (204 °C) for 20 minutes.
This method is great if you want oven-crisp potato skins, in less than half the normal cooking time!, Be careful when removing the sweet potato from the microwave.
Both the potato and the plate will be hot! The potato should yield to firm pressure but not be too mushy.
If the potato is too firm, microwave again for 1 minute increments, until cooked through.
You can check if a potato is cooked by sticking a fork in the center; if the fork goes in easily, but the center is still a little firm, the potato is ready.
When in doubt, it is best to err on the side of undercooking, as an overcooked potato may burn or explode in the microwave. , Unwrap your potato completely and discard the damp paper towel.
It's a good idea to let your sweet potato cool for about five minutes.
This allows the core of the potato to finish cooking using the heat that is trapped in the inner layers.
It also helps it to become fluffy on the inside without over-drying on the outside.
If you are saving a potato for someone who's running late, wrapping the potato in aluminum foil will keep it warm for a remarkably long time.
Just be sure to do this as soon as it comes out of the microwave, to conserve as much heat as possible. , Cut the potato in half and enjoy.
About the Author
Mark Mendoza
Professional writer focused on creating easy-to-follow home improvement tutorials.
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