Coal Roasted Sweet Potatoes

I love baked sweet potatoes, but they take so long to make. Plus, you have to heat up your oven and thereby heat up your house. Not what you are looking for when it is hot outside. So I started to roast the sweet potatoes in coals of the grill. You need a charcoal grill for this method, but it is worth it. The high heat sears the outside and makes the sweet potatoes come out super sweet and tender in around 45 minutes.

Preparing the Coals

Start up a chimney of charcoal and allow it to get white ash on the coals. Once there is white ash on the coals, pour the coals out onto one side of your grill.

Cooking the Sweet Potatoes

Place the sweet potatoes directly on top of the coals.

After about 15 minutes rotate the potatoes by 1/3 of a turn.

After another 15 minutes rotate the potatoes by another 1/3 of a turn. At this point the outside of the potato should be completely blackened. Don’t worry, only the outside of the potato gets charred.

At around 45 minutes the potatoes should be fork tender. Remove and serve.

Serving and Toppings

I find that it is best to carve off a one inch strip of the charred skin and then split it open from there. Top each sweet potato with butter, brown sugar and a pinch of chili powder.

You can just split the sweet potatoes but some people believe that the charred skin affects the flavor. However, Dana and I love hints of the charred skin in the potato. This method is great as it cooks the sweet potato faster, seals in the sweetness and allows you to cook it without heating up your house. A win win in my book.

Coal Roasted Sweet Potatoes

Sweet potatoes roasted directly on charcoal coals. High heat sears the outside creating a charred exterior while keeping the inside creamy and tender. Ready in 45 minutes without heating your house.

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Prep Time 5 hours hrs

Cook Time 1 day d 21 hours hrs

Total Time 2 days d 2 hours hrs

Servings: 2 potatoes

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• 2 medium sweet potatoes
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 6 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 pinches chili powder

Method

 

1. Start up a chimney of charcoal and allow it to get white ash on the coals.
2. Once there is white ash on the coals, pour the coals out onto one side of your grill.
3. Place the sweet potatoes directly on top of the coals.
4. After about 15 minutes rotate the potatoes by 1/3 of a turn.
5. After another 15 minutes rotate the potatoes by another 1/3 of a turn. The outside should be completely blackened — this is normal!
6. At around 45 minutes total the potatoes should be fork tender. Remove from coals and allow to cool slightly.
7. Carve off a one-inch strip of charred skin and split the potato open from there.
8. Top each sweet potato with 2 tablespoons butter, 3 tablespoons brown sugar, and a pinch of chili powder.
9. Serve immediately while hot and creamy.

Notes

You can just split the sweet potatoes if you prefer. The charred skin adds a subtle smoky flavor that complements the sweet potato perfectly. This method is great because it cooks the sweet potato faster, seals in the sweetness, and allows you to cook it without heating up your house. Perfect side dish for grilled meats during summer BBQs. Use medium-sized sweet potatoes for even cooking. Equipment: Charcoal grill, chimney starter, long grill tongs or gloves.