Roasted sweet potatoes do not need maple syrup, marshmallows, or brown sugar. They are sweet enough on their own. One large sweet potato, sliced into rounds, tossed with two cloves of garlic, five or six sprigs of fresh thyme, olive oil, crushed red pepper flakes, black pepper, and sea salt. Roasted at 400°F (204°C) for forty minutes. One of my favorite simple side dishes to pull out in spring when you want something reliable and a little different.
The thyme and garlic turn savoury in the oven heat and pull the sweet potato away from dessert territory. The red pepper flakes add a slow warmth that builds after each bite. This is a side dish, not a candy.
Tips for Roasting Sweet Potatoes with Thyme and Garlic
Arrange in a single layer on the top rack
One layer on a foil-lined tray. Overlapping pieces steam instead of roasting. The top rack puts them closer to the heat source and gives them better colour. 
Check frequently after thirty minutes. The edges can go from browned to burnt quickly. Sweet potatoes have natural sugars that caramelise fast.
Leave the thyme sprigs whole
Drop the whole sprigs onto the tray with the sweet potato rounds. The leaves fall off during roasting and scatter through the dish. Picking the leaves off beforehand is unnecessary work.
Remove the bare stems before serving. The leaves that have fallen off stay where they are.
Thyme and Garlic Roasted Sweet Potatoes
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: Serves 2
- Diet: Vegetarian, Gluten-Free
Description
Sweet potatoes roasted to perfection with thyme and garlic.
Velvety inside, crispy outside – pure comfort food.
Ingredients
- 1 large Sweet potato
- 2 cloves Garlic
- 5-6 sprigs Thyme
- 3 tsp olive oil
- 1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
- ground black pepper
- sea salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F (204°C).
- In a medium-size mixing bowl, add all ingredients, sprinkling salt and ground black pepper to taste, and toss well to coat the sweet potato rounds.
- Arrange the sweet potato rounds in a single layer on a large baking tray lined with aluminum foil.
- Oven roast on the top rack until tender and browned, about 40 minutes. Check frequently towards the end to prevent burning.
- Serve warm or at room temperature.
Notes
- For extra caramelization, increase roasting time by 5-10 minutes and broil for the last 2 minutes, watching carefully.
- Substitute rosemary or oregano for the thyme for a different flavor profile.
- Store leftover sweet potatoes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat gently in the oven or microwave.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Roasting
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 large sweet potato
- Calories: 250
- Sugar: 15
- Sodium: 100
- Fat: 15
- Saturated Fat: 3
- Unsaturated Fat: 10
- Carbohydrates: 40
- Fiber: 5
- Protein: 3
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I peel the sweet potato?
The recipe does not specify. The skin is edible and crisps up during roasting. If you prefer a softer texture, peel them. Both ways work.
Can I use dried thyme?
One teaspoon of dried thyme for the five or six fresh sprigs. Dried thyme is more concentrated. Sprinkle it over the sweet potatoes before roasting.
How do I store leftovers?
In an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days. Reheat in the oven at 375°F (190°C) for ten minutes. The microwave softens them but loses the crispy edges.
Sweet potatoes used to be something I drowned in maple syrup as a kid, the only way my mom would cook them. Tried this thyme-garlic-pepper version tonight and it changed how I think about them entirely. The kitchen smelled like a savory roast, the slices came out caramelized at the edges, and we ate them straight off the sheet pan. My husband said it was the first time he’d actually wanted seconds of sweet potato. Going to be a Sunday-dinner regular.
I roasted these for forty minutes at 400, and half-inch slices was the sweet spot. Tried thicker rounds first and the centers stayed firm. Second pan came out perfect with a more careful cut. Skipped the maple syrup entirely, didn’t miss it.
These were delicious, my kids ate them without complaining about veggies! :)
Thanks for sharing this, exactly the side I needed for tonight’s dinner!
Sweet potatoes done right!
I’m here for sweet potatoes that don’t need marshmallows. Thyme and garlic with red pepper flakes turned them into a side that held up next to roast chicken last night.
Has anyone tried this with butternut squash instead of sweet potato? Same temp and time?