Instant Pot Sweet Potatoes

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Updated:

October 13, 2025

5 from 3 votes

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This Instant Pot Sweet Potatoes recipe is a lifesaver! They cook up quicker than in the oven and they’re deliciously fluffy and creamy every time! Learn how to make perfect sweet potatoes in the pressure cooker in just about 30 minutes!

Split open sweet potato on grey plate with pats of butter and fork.

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I love using my Instant Pot for side dishes like rice, quinoa, baked potatoes, mashed potatoes, and farro since the process is basically hands free, leaving you time to prepare the rest of your meal. It’s a great way to simplify things in the kitchen.

So today I’m back with another Instant Pot side dish recipe for your arsenal – delicious sweet potatoes.

I’ll often overlook sweet potatoes as a side dish since they take so long to cook in the oven. Admittedly, I’m not much of a planner, so when I’m throwing something together for lunch or dinner, it’s often last minute.

That’s why these Instant Pot Sweet Potatoes are such a lifesaver. It’s my new favorite way to cook them, since they cook up in just 30 minutes. And I think they’re 10x better than in the oven because their texture just becomes so creamy & delicious in the pressure cooker.

These Instant Pot Sweet Potatoes are perfect for meal prep. They’ll keep in the fridge for up to five days. Use a microwave to reheat and top with your favorite toppings.

Hosting a party?

Create a Baked Potato Bar. It’s a fun and festive way to feed a crowd, and the topping possibilities are endless. You can cook up to 8 sweet potatoes at once in your Instant Pot.

Table of Contents

How long does it take to cook sweet potatoes in the Instant Pot?

The amount of cooking time depends on the size of your sweet potatoes. Because of that, if you are cooking multiple potatoes, be sure to look for ones that are roughly the same size and weight.

I’ve provided both a scale guide and a measurement guide (in case you don’t own a kitchen scale).

Here are the general guidelines :

Small Sweet Potatoes (2” or less in diameter/ 8 oz. or less) – 20 minutes
Medium Sweet Potatoes (2-3” in diameter / 9-15 oz.) – 30-35 minutes
Large Sweet Potatoes (3-4” in diameter / 16 oz. and up ) – 45-50 minutes

The most difficult part of making sweet potatoes in the Instant Pot is timing them correctly. Just like you would do in the oven, you’ll want to check them after their cook time. If they pierce easily with a fork, they are done. If not, reseal the Instant Pot and cook for 2 minutes longer with natural pressure release.

As with all Instant Pot recipes, be sure to take into account the time it will take for the pressure to build and release in the Instant Pot.

For these Instant Pot Sweet Potatoes, it will take about 10 minutes for the pressure to build and 10 minutes for the pressure to release. That will make your total pressure cooking time for a small sweet potato around 40 minutes.

Timesaver: Instant pot sweet potatoes cut in half

If you’d like to reduce the cook time of large potatoes in the Instant Pot, you can cut them in half to shorten their cook time. Slice them in half lengthwise and place them cut side up on the trivet. Cook time will be half of what it would normally be based on the cooking chart above.

Timesaver: Cubed sweet potatoes

You can cube sweet potatoes to shorten their cook time in the Instant Pot. Cut them into 1” cubes and add them to a steamer basket. Add 1 cup water and cook for 8 minutes at HIGH pressure. Quick release the pressure when cook time is up.

Sweet potato cubes are delicious when used to top these Chickpea Buddha Bowls, or easily mashed with a bit of butter and milk or cream for Mashed Sweet Potatoes.

How to cook sweet potatoes in the Instant Pot

Add water and a trivet (or steamer basket) to the Instant Pot. You only need a cup of water. Be sure that the potatoes are not touching the water.
Be sure your potatoes are all the same size. Varying sizes mean varying cooking times. Be sure that your sweet potatoes are all about the same size, and use my cooking chart below to time things correctly. Scrub them clean before adding to the pot.
Pierce the potatoes. Piercing each potato with a fork 5 times ensures that they won’t explode during cooking and that steam will escape.
Seal the pot and cook.
Natural pressure release for 10 minutes. Then release any remaining pressure by turning the valve to vent.

You can also make Instant Pot Baked Potatoes with Crispy Skins in a similar way! Or try these Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes with Sour Cream.

Split open sweet potato on grey plate with pats of butter and fork next to instant pot.

FAQs

Is it better to steam or bake sweet potatoes?

Instant Pot steamed sweet potatoes are such a lifesaver. It’s my favorite way to cook them, since they cook up in just 30 minutes. And I think they’re 10x better than in the oven because their texture just becomes so creamy & delicious in the pressure cooker.

Do sweet potatoes cook faster or slower than regular potatoes?

I love making baked potatoes in the Instant Pot. And the process for making sweet potatoes is very much the same as russet potatoes. The cook time will depend on the size of your potatoes.

How do you use the trivet in the Instant Pot?

Simply place a metal trivet in the bottom of the pot and add 1 cup of water. When you add your sweet potatoes on top of the trivet, they should be above the height of the water. This prevents them from becoming soggy or waterlogged.

Topping Ideas

Cheese – Cheddar cheese, parmesan cheese, goat cheese
Sauces – Sour cream, chipotle crema, salsa, BBQ sauce
Meat – Bacon, brisket, taco meat
More → 50+ baked potato topping ideas

What to serve with them

Instant Pot Carnitas (Use as a topping with all your favorite taco toppings)
Instant Pot Lentil Soup
Mojo Sauce

More sweet potato recipes

More Instant Pot recipes

Did you try this instant pot sweet potato recipe?

If you loved these instant pot sweet potatoes, I would appreciate it so much if you would give this recipe a ⭐️star review⭐️! Also, be sure to snap a picture of your finished dish and share it with me on Instagram using the hashtag #platingsandpairings and tagging me @platingsandpairings.

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