Ina Garten Glazed Sweet Potatoes

Ina Garten glazed sweet potatoes turn diced sweet potatoes, maple syrup and aged balsamic vinegar into a tender, caramelized side dish in 30 minutes. It's an easy sweet potato side dish for Thanksgiving, Christmas dinner or Sunday suppers, and it's a simple one-pan recipe.

Cover the pan for the first 5 minutes so the potatoes steam through before they brown. Skip that and the outsides scorch while the centers stay hard.

Ina Garten noticed that baking whole sweet potatoes takes forever, so she dices them and cooks them in a sauté pan instead. A little maple syrup and aged balsamic added off the heat boost their natural sweetness, and the recipe comes from her book Go-To Dinners (2022).

Source: Go-To Dinners (2022)

Ina Garten Glazed Sweet Potatoes

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Course: Side DishCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy

Servings

4

servings

Prep time

10

minutes

Cooking time

20

minutes

Calories

250

kcal

Small cubes of sweet potato turn tender inside and lightly browned outside in a single skillet. A drizzle of maple syrup and balsamic coats them in a sticky, glossy glaze.

Ingredients

• 1½ pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and ½ to ¾-inch diced (4 small)
  

• Good olive oil
  

• 2 tablespoons (¼ stick) unsalted butter
  

• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  

• 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
  

• Aged balsamic vinegar, such as Villa Manodori
  

• Sea salt or fleur de sel
  

Directions

• Steam the potatoes: Place 1½ pounds diced sweet potatoes, 2 tablespoons water and 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large 12-inch sauté pan. Cover and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes so they start to soften.
• Season the pan: Remove the lid, then add 2 more tablespoons olive oil, 2 tablespoons butter, 2 teaspoons kosher salt and ½ teaspoon pepper. Toss everything together and spread the potatoes out in one layer.
• Sauté until tender: Cook the potatoes uncovered over medium heat for 12 to 15 minutes, tossing occasionally with a metal spatula. Raise the heat at the end to cook off the liquid, so the potatoes brown instead of staying wet.
• Glaze and serve: Take the pan off the heat and drizzle in 2 tablespoons maple syrup and 2 teaspoons aged balsamic vinegar. Toss well, sprinkle with sea salt, then taste for seasoning and serve hot.

Tools for this recipe

• Lodge 10.25-inch cast iron skillet, Victorinox Fibrox 8-inch chef's knife, Winco slotted fish spatula, Le Saunier de Camargue fleur de sel. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

FAQs

Can I use a different kind of potato?

Butternut squash cut to the same size works well, since it cooks in about the same time and takes the glaze the same way. Regular white potatoes would work, but you'd lose the sweetness that makes this dish special.

How do I store leftover glazed sweet potatoes?

Keep them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat them in a skillet over medium heat, since the microwave makes the edges soft and the glaze watery.

Can I make these ahead of time?

You can dice the sweet potatoes a day ahead and keep them in a container of cold water in the fridge. Drain and dry them well before cooking, because wet potatoes steam instead of browning.

What if I don't have a 12-inch sauté pan?

Use the biggest skillet you have, or cook the potatoes in two batches. A crowded pan traps steam, so the potatoes turn mushy instead of browning.

What's the most common mistake with this recipe?

Cutting the pieces too big or too uneven is the usual problem, because the small ones turn to mush before the large ones soften. Aim for ½ to ¾-inch cubes so everything finishes at the same time.