Grilled Sweet Potatoes
Grilled Sweet Potatoes are sweet, savory, and caramelized to perfection, made with sweet potatoes sliced and tossed with olive oil and seasoning, ready in under 30 minutes!
Grilled Sweet Potatoes are the perfect summer side dish, made with sweet potatoes sliced, seasoned, and grilled until caramelized on the outside and soft on the inside. This recipe takes about 25 minutes from start to finish, with no crazy steps, and makes enough for four people. You can also prep this ahead of time and let the potatoes marinate in the refrigerator for a few hours before grilling.
For a full dinner, this pairs perfectly with my Garlic Aioli Dipping Sauce, Grilled BBQ Pork Loin or my Grilled BBQ Chicken Thighs. If you love this recipe, you’ll also love my Grilled Potatoes.
Table of contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Naturally Sweet – Sweet potatoes have a lot of natural sugars in them, which caramelize perfectly on the grill for an irresistible sweet and savory combination!
Quick and Easy – These sweet potato slices are easy to prep, just slice and toss in the seasoning mixture, and cook on the grill in under 20 minutes!
Ingredient Tips & Substitutions
Sweet Potatoes – In my opinion, the grill is the BEST way to cook these. Choose potatoes that are on the thicker side, so they are wide enough for the grill grates. Orange-flesh sweet potatoes are best for this recipe. Purple or white varieties will have a different flavor and texture.
You can also make this recipe with gold potatoes or russet potatoes.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil – This helps the potatoes caramelize, and helps the seasoning stick to the potatoes.
You can also use avocado oil or vegetable oil.
Brown Sugar – This adds more depth of flavor, balances the savory spices, and helps the outside of the potato slices caramelize.
You can also use maple syrup or honey for sweetness.
Spice Rub – The savory and warm spices bring out the natural sweetness of the potatoes. I’m using a mix of ground cinnamon, chili powder for some smoky heat, smoked paprika, garlic powder, kosher salt (or sea salt), and black pepper.
Kitchen Tools
For this recipe, you’ll need a medium mixing bowl and a gas or charcoal grill. If you don’t have a grill, you can make these on a grill pan or in a cast iron skillet.
How to Make Grilled Sweet Potatoes
Preheat grill to medium. Add the olive oil and seasoning to the mixing bowl and whisk together. Toss the sliced potatoes in the spice rub until evenly coated.
Place the sweet potato slices on the grill for 4-6 minutes on each side with the grill lid closed. Flip each piece over, then grill for an additional 4-6 minutes.
Would you like to save this recipe?
We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!
Once the potato slices are fork-tender, remove them from the grill and serve.
Recipe Variations
- Make these spicy with cayenne pepper or hot sauce in the spice mixture.
- Try cutting sweet potato wedges instead of rounds.
- Leave out the cinnamon, and add some extra garlic powder and parmesan cheese for a garlic parm version. Or top with chimichurri sauce, which comes together quickly in the food processor.
- Serve topped with a drizzle of sour cream or greek yogurt and herbs like fresh dill, fresh parsley, or fresh cilantro. Or top with some goat cheese or feta cheese and a drizzle of honey.
- Try using extra cinnamon and maple syrup for a maple cinnamon version. Toss with some melted butter and top with crushed pecans right before serving.
- Try leaving the cinnamon and brown sugar out of the spice rub entirely and go for a savory combination, like Italian seasoning and lemon juice, or taco seasoning with black beans and a squeeze of lime juice on top.
Recipe Tip! Slice the sweet potatoes to about 1/4 – 1/2 inch thick, so everything cooks evenly. Thicker slices will hold up on the grill better, but may take a few extra minutes to cook.
Frequently Asked Questions
If your potato slices are burning before they’re done, it’s because the heat is too high. When you see this start to happen, immediately lower the heat and flip the slices over, or move them to indirect heat. Keep the grill lid closed so they cook faster.
Recipe Tip! You can peel the potatoes or leave the peal on and just wash them really well. I leave the skin on because it gets a little crispy on the grill and adds to the flavor.
More Sweet Potato Recipes
Storage
Refrigerate leftovers for 2-3 days in an airtight container.
Freeze for 2-3 months in a freezer-safe container.
Cooking Tips
- Make sure the slices are evenly coated in the spice rub, using your hands if needed.
- These have more natural sugars, so wait until the slices release naturally before flipping so they don’t break apart. This also gives you nice grill lines on the potatoes.
- Close the grill while the potatoes are cooking, only opening it to check on them or flip them.
- Try not to move the potato slices too often, so they have a chance to caramelize and get grill marks.
- The potatoes are done when a fork goes through the center easily.
- We’re using direct heat for this recipe, meaning right over the flame. If they’re cooking too quickly, because heat levels can vary on grills, move them to indirect grilling (no flame below).
Tried this recipe? ⭐ Leave a review and share what worked best for you—your tips help other home cooks get the same delicious results!
Grilled Sweet Potatoes
Equipment
- 1 Grill
Ingredients
- 2 medium sweet potatoes, (about 1.5 pounds) cut into 1/4-1/2 inch rounds
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, or to taste
Instructions
- Preheat grill to medium. Add the olive oil and seasoning to the mixing bowl and whisk together. Toss the sliced potatoes in the spice rub until evenly coated.
- Place the sweet potato slices on the grill for 4-6 minutes on each side with the grill lid closed. Flip each piece over, then grill for an additional 4-6 minutes.
- Once the potato slices are fork-tender, remove them from the grill and serve.
Notes
- Make sure the slices are evenly coated in the spice rub, using your hands if needed.
- Close the grill while the potatoes are cooking, only opening it to check on them or flip them.
- Try not to move the potato slices too often, so they have a chance to caramelize and get grill marks.
- The potatoes are done when a fork goes through the center easily.
- We’re using direct heat for this recipe, meaning right over the flame. If they’re cooking too quickly, because heat levels can vary on grills, move them to indirect grilling (no flame below).
Nutrition
Would you like to save this recipe?
We’ll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!
We are a participant in both the RewardStyle and Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, which are affiliate advertising programs designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com and through RewardStyle.
