sautéed-sweet-potato

Last Updated on August 5, 2023

These sweet potatoes sautéed with five-spice are pungent and delicious.

Skillet sweet potatoes are cooked on the stove top and then mixed with salt and Chinese five-spice.

sautéed-sweet-potato

This is a straightforward Asian recipe with a handful of ingredients. Sweet potatoes are cut into small cubes before being pan-fried in olive oil, five-spice powder, and salt. It is similar to baked crispy roasted sweet potatoes but better.

This recipe is vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free. If you like your dish to look fancy, a small dab of good-quality vegan butter makes a gorgeous topping.

A fantastic side dish with veggies ready in just 20 minutes. Especially when you’re short on time and need to get food on the table as quickly as possible. 😄

Sweet Potatoes Sautéed with Five Spice

sautéed-sweet-potato

Herbs and spices complement sweet potatoes well. You can experiment with the seasonings you already have.

Personally, I have tried a few variations and they all taste great with skillet sweet potatoes. There are some sweet potato seasonings can be used as follows:

  • Ground Cinnamon
  • Ground Cumin
  • Ground Nutmeg
  • Chinese Five-spice
  • Italian Mixed herbs
  • Sage
  • Thyme
  • Rosemary

If you like it spicy, try adding some cayenne pepper, chipotle pepper, or chili flakes.

Peel or Not to Peel

The skin of sweet potatoes is edible and rich in nutrients. The skin does not necessarily have to be removed. It’s totally up to you whether you peel it or not.

I like to peel it, but if you’re looking to get the most nutrition out of the sweet potato, keep the skin on.

Sauteed Sweet Potatoes Recipe

recipe for sautéed-sweet-potato
  • Sweet Potatoes – peeled and cut into 0.5inch/ 1.5 cm cubes. The key to getting these pan sautéed sweet potatoes to cook through quicker is to cut them smaller.
  • Olive Oil – You can also use extra virgin olive oil, coconut oil, or avocado oil.
  • Chinese Five-Spice –  Chinese five-spice powder is a combination of cinnamon, fennel seed, star anise, and cloves. It has a distinct licorice-like taste due to star anise, with sweet and warm flavors from the cinnamon and fennel. I also use Chinese five-spice in these recipes: Vegan Spring Rolls, Vegan Dumplings, and Tempeh Popcorn.
  • Salt

How To Sauteed Sweet Potatoes

Sweet potatoes take around 10-15 minutes to cook on the stove top. The required time may differ if your cubes are chunkier. 

how to make sautéed-sweet-potato
  1. Peel potatoes and cut them into 0.5 inch/1.5 cm cubes. Heat up the cast iron or non-stick skillet on medium heat with olive oil. Add sweet potato cubes to the skillet. Stir occasionally for 10-12 minutes or until they are fork-tender and crispy on the surface.
  2. Add Chinese five-spice and salt, and stir until sweet potato cubes are well coated.
  3. Add thinly sliced scallion to the pan and mix for a minute.
  4. Serve immediately when hot and enjoy!
sautéed-sweet-potato

Air Fry Sweet Potato Cubes

You can air fryer for this recipe for sure. Add sweet potato cubes in a mixing bowl and tossed with five-spice, salt, and olive oil. Place the sweet potato cubes in the air fryer basket and bake.

Do not overcrowd the air fryer, cook them in batches if you cook in large quantities. Toss the sweet potatoes in half-way to make sure they cook evenly.

However, air-fried sweet potato cubes will be a little bit drier than sautéed in a skillet.

sautéed sweet potato

These sautéed sweet potatoes are great to serve with:

Hope you enjoy these easy sautéed sweet potatoes. A great addition to any meal! 😘

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sautéed-sweet-potato

Sweet Potatoes Sautéed with Five Spice

These sweet potatoes sautéed with five-spice are pungent and delicious. Skillet sweet potatoes are cooked on the stove top and then mixed with salt and Chinese five-spice.
5 from 12 votes
Print Rate
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 3 people
Calories: 262kcal
Author: SHU-CHUN

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Peel potatoes and cut into 0.5 inch/1.5 cm cubes. Heat up the cast iron or non-stick skillet on medium heat with olive oil. Add sweet potato cubes to the skillet. Stir occasionally for 10-12 minutes or until they are fork tender and crispy on the surface.
  • Add Chinese five-spice and salt, stir until sweet potato cubes are well coated.
  • Add thinly sliced scallion to the pan and mix for a minute.
  • Serve immediately when hot and enjoy! (*Note2)

Notes

*Note1-Sweet Potatoes- peeled and cut into 0.5inch/ 1.5 cm cubes. The key to getting these pan sautéed sweet potatoes to cook through quicker is to cut them smaller.
The skin of sweet potatoes is edible and rich in nutrients. The skin does not necessarily have to be removed. It’s totally up to you whether you peel or not. I like to peel them, if you’re looking to get the most nutrition out of the sweet potato, keep the skin on.
*Note2– You can air fryer for this recipe for sure. Add sweet potato cubes in a mixing bowl and tossed with five-spice, salt, and olive oil. Place the sweet potato cubes in the air fryer basket and bake. ( Do not overcrowd the air fryer, cook in batches if you cook in large quantities). Toss the sweet potatoes half way to make sure they cook evenly.
However, air fried sweet potato cubes will be a little bit drier than sautéed in a skillet.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serve