Microwaved yams is the easiest and foolproof method to bake these spuds.

Baking sweet potatoes/yams in the oven USED to be my go-to method for cooking these spuds. Since I rarely eat them right out of the oven and I peel the skin, I’ve starting cooking them in the microwave instead. Using the microwave, I can cook the yams in a fraction of the time and there’s no risk of me burning down the house. Win win!

The different types of sweet potatoes/yams cook at various times – the yellow and orange ones are wetter and cook in about 10 minutes whereas the drier purple ones can take up to 20 minutes.

For all types of sweet potatoes, my method is the same.

Time to make Microwaved Yams or Sweet Potatoes!

Serves 2 – 4

Ingredients:

  • 4 yams or sweet potatoes

Equipment:

  • All of my recommended kitchen tools are listed here.

Method:

I wash and dry similarly-sized sweet potatoes/yams…

Wash and dried sweet potato yams on a countertop.

…stab them all over with a sharp paring knife…

Someone stabbing through the skin of a sweet potato with a paring knife.

…and arrange them in a circle in a Pyrex dish.

I cover the yams with a damp paper towel…

Yams are in a shallow microwave-safe bowl and are being covered with a wet paper towel to make microwaved yams.

…and nuke them on high for 5 minutes. (If you’re just making one yam, it only takes about 5 minutes.) Then, I rotate the yams and nuke them for another 5 minutes. I keep checking and nuking the yams until they are soft to the touch.

Orange and yellow yams are normally done after a total of 10 minutes. For the purple yams, I usually need to nuke them for a total of 20 minutes and I rewet the paper towel halfway through the cooking process.

Don’t be lazy and zap the spuds for a total of 10-20 minutes right off the bat – you’ll end up with unevenly cooked sweet potatoes. Break up the cooking time in 5 minutes intervals x2 and then shorter intervals (e.g. 1-2 minutes) as the spuds soften.

Once they’re finished, I let them cool to room temperature, peel them…

A cooked microwaved yam cut in half in a glass container.

Peeled and ready to eat microwaved yams in a shallow glass bowl.

…and stick them in the fridge in the same dish. Why waste your time washing a pan or dish when you can do it later?

Easy and quick post workout carbs!

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Microwaved Yams / Sweet Potatoes

5 from 4 votes
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Total Time40 minutes
Servings 4
Baking yams/sweet potatoes in the oven USED to be my go-to method for cooking these spuds. Using the microwave, I can cook the yams in a fraction of the time and there’s no risk of me burning down the house. Win win!

Ingredients  

  • 4 sweet potatoes or yams
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Instructions 

  • Wash and dry the yams/sweet potatoes and stab them all over with a sharp paring knife.
  • Arrange the yams/sweet potatoes in a circle in a Pyrex or microwave safe dish.
  • Cover the yams/sweet potatoes with a damp paper towel and nuke on high for 5 minutes. Then, rotate the yams and nuke for another 5 minutes. Continue this process until the yams are soft to touch.
  • Once the yams/sweet potatoes are finished, let them cool to room temperature then peel them and stick them in the fridge in the same dish to eat for later!

Notes

The different types of sweet potatoes/yams cook at various times – the yellow and orange ones are wetter and cook in about 10 minutes whereas the drier purple ones can take up to 20 minutes.
Don’t be lazy and zap the spuds for a total of 10-20 minutes right off the bat – you’ll end up with unevenly cooked sweet potatoes. Break up the cooking time in 5 minutes intervals x2 and then shorter intervals (e.g. 1-2 minutes) as the spuds soften.

Nutrition

Calories: 112kcal | Carbohydrates: 26g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 1g | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 5g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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About Michelle Tam

Hello! My name is Michelle Tam, and I love to eat. I think about food all the time. It borders on obsession. I’ve always loved the sights and smells of the kitchen. My mother was (and is) an excellent cook, and as a kid, I was her little shadow as she prepared supper each night. From her, I gained a deep, abiding love for magically transforming pantry items into mouth-watering family meals.

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