How to Make Roasted Sweet Potatoes Using a Rice Cooker

Roasted sweet potatoes are a favorite treat for many people, but not everyone has an oven at home.

Sweet potatoes are a humble yet highly nutritious food. Nowadays, they are widely loved due to their well-known health benefits, including being rich in fiber, vitamins, and natural sugars. Among the many ways to enjoy them, roasting sweet potatoes is arguably the most delicious method. When roasted, the flesh becomes soft and naturally sweet, and the golden syrup-like caramelized exterior makes every bite irresistible—especially for the popular “khoai lang mật” variety, known for its naturally high sweetness and creamy texture. Unlike starchy varieties, these sweet potatoes remain moist and tender rather than crumbly when cooked.

However, not everyone owns a charcoal oven or a dedicated baking device. The good news is that you can make perfectly roasted sweet potatoes using just a rice cooker. Here’s a step-by-step guide to achieve soft, sweet, and aromatic roasted sweet potatoes right at home.

Steps to Roast Sweet Potatoes in a Rice Cooker

1. Choose the right sweet potatoes
   Select 3–4 medium-sized “khoai lang mật” sweet potatoes. Look for long, slender, and evenly sized tubers so that they cook uniformly. Wash them thoroughly and cut off both ends, as these areas tend to have more fibers and may harbor bacteria. Avoid overly large sweet potatoes, as they are more difficult to cook evenly. For optimal sweetness, it’s best to let the freshly harvested sweet potatoes sit for a few days before cooking. During this period, the starch naturally converts into sugar, enhancing their sweetness.

2. Soak in saltwater
   After washing, soak the sweet potatoes in lightly salted water for about 15 minutes. This step helps disinfect them and removes any residual dirt or bacteria from the skin.

3. Pierce the sweet potatoes
   Use a fork or a sharp skewer to poke multiple holes in each sweet potato. This allows heat to penetrate more evenly and helps them cook faster.

4. Arrange in the rice cooker
   Place the sweet potatoes in the rice cooker, putting the larger ones at the bottom and the smaller ones on top. There’s no need to add water for roasting. If you have a high-frequency rice cooker, this method becomes even more convenient and efficient.

5. Cook and flip
   Turn on the rice cooker and set it to the regular cooking mode. After about 20–30 minutes, the cooker will switch to “keep warm” mode. Use chopsticks or a spatula to carefully turn the sweet potatoes, then press the “cook” button again for another 10–15 minutes. At this point, the sweet potatoes should be fully cooked and start releasing their golden, fragrant natural syrup.

When done, the roasted sweet potatoes should have a golden color, a slightly sticky caramel-like coating, and a sweet, fragrant aroma.

Why This Method Works Best

“Khoai lang mật” is a sweet potato variety that becomes soft and moist when cooked. Roasting preserves its creamy texture, whereas boiling can make it mushy. Compared to starchy sweet potatoes, “khoai lang mật” stays tender and rich without becoming hard or dry, making roasting the ideal method to bring out its natural flavor.

With just a rice cooker, you can enjoy this traditional treat anytime without needing a specialized oven. It’s an easy, convenient way to make sweet, soft, and aromatic roasted sweet potatoes right in your own kitchen.