Charred on the outside and tender in the middle, grilled sweet potatoes are a delicious summer side dish. Serve them with whatever you're grilling!
This grilled sweet potatoes recipe was a game changer for me. I love sweet potatoes in all forms – baked sweet potatoes, mashed sweet potatoes, sweet potato fries, salads, tacos, etc. But almost every one of my favorite ways to cook them requires cranking the oven and heating up the house. In the fall and winter, that’s a major win. In the summer? Well, not so much.
With this grilled sweet potatoes recipe, I’ve finally found a way to get my summer sweet potato fix. They cook up with perfect creamy middles, puffed, charred edges, and an irresistible sweet and smoky flavor. You can serve them as a side dish with anything you’re grilling, but I like them so much that I often pile them with toppings and eat them as a meal on their own.
How to Grill Sweet Potatoes
Tender veggies like asparagus and zucchini cook up in minutes on the grill, but sturdier, starchy sweet potatoes require a little extra care. If you cut them up and tossed them on the grill raw, their edges would burn before the middles cooked through.
So, to ensure that they cook evenly, I par-boil them before grilling. Here’s how it goes:
Place the whole, unpeeled sweet potatoes in a large pot and cover them with several inches of water. Bring to a boil and cook until the potatoes are just fork-tender. They should have some give but still be fairly firm.
Drain the potatoes, let them cool, and slice them crosswise into 1/4-inch rounds. Toss the sliced potatoes with avocado oil, and season them with salt and pepper. If you like, you could spice them up more with pinches of chili powder or smoked paprika.
Then, it’s time to grill! Preheat a grill or grill pan to medium-high heat. Place the sweet potatoes on the grill grates and cook for 3-5 minutes per side, until the potatoes are tender and well-charred.
Remove from the heat, and enjoy!
Grilled Sweet Potatoes Serving Suggestions
These grilled sweet potatoes are a delicious summer side dish. Serve them with veggie burgers, black bean burgers, portobello mushroom burgers, BBQ sandwiches, or any protein you like. We love them seasoned simply with salt and pepper, but if you want to jazz them up more, top them with drizzles of chipotle vinaigrette or tahini dressing. They’re also fantastic with vegan ranch or creamy chipotle sauce for dipping.
If you want to make these grilled sweet potatoes into a meal, check out this recipe! At the moment, it’s one of my favorite dinners. I top the grilled sweet potato rounds with a mix of fresh corn and black beans, crumbled feta cheese, pickled onions, mango salsa, and plenty of chipotle dressing. It’s easy to toss together and packed with bold flavors – just what I want on a warm summer night.
More Favorite Grilling Recipes
If you love this grilled sweet potatoes recipe, try grilling one of these veggies next:
For more grilling ideas, check out this post!
Grilled Sweet Potatoes
Ingredients
- 2 medium sweet potatoes
- Avocado oil, for drizzling
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Pinches of chili powder, optional
Instructions
- Place the sweet potatoes in a large pot, fill with water, and bring to a boil. Boil for 8 to 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are just fork-tender, but still firm. The exact timing will depend on the size of your potatoes. Let cool and slice horizontally into ¼-inch rounds.
- Preheat a grill to medium-high heat. Toss the sweet potato rounds with oil, pinches of salt and pepper, and chili powder, if desired. Grill 3 to 5 minutes per side, or until char marks form.
I’m wondering why the Avocado oil? It’s not an item I keep in my pantry and hoping this can be replaced with Sunflower or Olive oil or if it changes the flavor somehow? Thanks!
Hi Elisa, yep you can use either of those oils – there won’t be much of a difference.
I don’t see Jeanine’s response here, but received it in my email almost immediately after asking about the oil, so I was able to make this last night for dinner! My family absolutely loved it. I served it with Instant pot Farro (saute function with some finely chopped onion and garlic, then add and saute the rinsed Farro until it smells toasted, then add veggie broth and high pressure cook) and a salad. Lovely, filling, flavorful and simple meal that tasted great.
I prepared 6 sweet potatoes last night because we use leftovers for lunches… or breakfast, as the case may be… My son drizzled some maple syrup over some of the leftovers this morning and ate them for breakfast! I must say that I had never thought of grilling sweet potatoes, but now that I have, this is going to be a regular weeknight meal (or pre-made breakfast, apparently)!
Hi Elisa, I’m so glad you all loved the sweet potatoes! Such a clever breakfast idea too!