Smoked Sweet Potatoes
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Did you know that you can smoke sweet potatoes? Whether you do it for the light smoke flavor or for the convenience of making a side at the same time as the main entree, it's a very good idea and I'll show you the easy steps below to smoked sweet potato nirvana!
- Sweet Potatoes (as many as you'd like)
- Olive oil
- Kosher salt
- Butter
- Brown Sugar (optional)
- Jeff's original rub (optional)
Scrub the potatoes under cool water to remove any dirt, grime, etc.
Dry them with a clean paper towel.
I was always taught to poke potatoes before baking them to let the steam escape and prevent exploding.. there is a lot of skepticism regarding this being really necessary but I figure it's easy to do and life is too short for taking these kind of chances. It's your potatoes.. so, you assume the risk;-)
Set them on a cooling rack or Weber grill pan as this makes it really easy to transport them to and from the smoker but you can use anything you like.. even a large bowl.
Brush on some olive oil..
Then some kosher salt.
Voila! They are ready for the smoker!
At 225°F, you are looking at 2.5 to 3 hours however if you crank the heat up to about 275-300, you can get these done in about 1 hour 30 minutes.
Place the potatoes directly on the rack or leave them on the cooling rack and set the whole thing in the smoker.
let them cook with smoke flowing until they are soft just like you like them.
If you like them al dente, then you can remove them a little sooner or if you like them really soft (like I do) then leave them longer.
If they get done before the other food, keep them hot for several hours in the oven at 170°F.
You can eat them savory or sweet or try both and see which you like better.
A little butter with my original rub is really good or if you prefer, butter and plenty of brown sugar is good enough to be dessert.
I paired these sweet potatoes with some citrus rosemary cornish hens and the combination was a hit!
Smoked Sweet Potatoes
Ingredients
- Sweet Potatoes (as many as you'd like)
- Olive oil
- Kosher salt
- Butter
- Brown Sugar (optional)
- Jeff's original rub (optional)
Instructions
Prepare the Sweet Potatoes
- Scrub the potatoes under cool water to remove any dirt, grime, etc.
- Dry them with a clean paper towel.
- I was always taught to poke potatoes before baking them to let the steam escape and prevent exploding.. there is a lot of skepticism regarding this being really necessary but I figure it's easy to do and life is too short for taking these kind of chances. It's your potatoes.. so, you assume the risk;-)
- Set them on a cooling rack, Bradley rack or Weber grill pan as this makes it really easy to transport them to and from the smoker but you can use anything you like.. even a large bowl.
- Brush on some olive oil.. Then some kosher salt.
- Voila! They are ready for the smoker!
Smoke the Sweet Potatoes
- At 225°F, you are looking at 2.5 to 3 hours however if you crank the heat up to about 275-300, you can get these done in about 1 hour 30 minutes.
- Place the potatoes directly on the rack or leave them on the cooling rack and set the whole thing in the smoker.
- Let them cook with smoke flowing until they are soft just like you like them.
- If you like them al dente, then you can remove them a little sooner or if you like them really soft (like I do) then leave them longer.
- If they get done before the other food, keep them hot for several hours in the oven at 170°F.
- You can eat them savory or sweet or try both and see which you like better.
- A little butter with my original rub is really good or if you prefer, butter and plenty of brown sugar is good enough to be dessert.
- I paired these sweet potatoes with some citrus rosemary cornish hens and the combination was a hit!
For an amazing sweet side potato, combine 1 stick (unsalted) soft butter with some maple syrup and a little cinnamon. Mix it up then roll it in plastic wrap and chill.
I have had potatoes explode when I haven’t pierced them. I have not had them explode when they were pierced. They don’t always explode when not pierced.
Yams are pictured and used in this recipe. Sweet potatoes took me a little longer. Peach wood is my personal favorite, but can be hard to find. I will have to try orange wood with this sometime.
Yams and sweet potatoes are often mislabeled and/or used interchangeably in the USA. Based on my research, the vegetables I cooked here are truly sweet potatoes.
On exploding potatoes…the fear is real
https://www.instagram.com/p/BxD7gLGFTg9/
do wood chips and pellets go bad. I have had mine for awhile and they don’t leave much of a flavor if any. Please answer this for me as no one else seems to know of I get a smart response. I have the 30 inch Masterbuilt in red and I also use a Treager load star elite. They both seem to have lost flavor.
I have had an electric Masterbuilt for years, maybe 20, use a variety of woods every time. Always plenty of smoke and whatever I’m smoking the flavor is phenomenal.
I like to slice the sweet potatoes (about 1/2″ thick), put them in a plastic bag with olive oil and Jeff’s Original Rub and shake to coat them. I let them set in the bag while I get the grill ready, then put them on a Bradley rack and in the grill for about an hour. They taste great and don’t need any further seasoning or toppings.
What kind of wood should a person use?
I cooked these at the same time as the citrus cornish hens so they got orange wood. I would say any fruit wood would compliment them well. Pecan, oak, hickory, etc. would also work fine if that’s what you have.