Grilled Sweet Potatoes In Foil
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our Disclosure Policy.
Make the perfect grilled sweet potatoes with this easy, delicious recipe! Enjoy the flavor of grilled sweet potatoes in foil in only 20 minutes, a quick and tasty summertime side dish. Try this recipe today!
This post was updated in 2019 to improve our reader’s experience. No changes were made to the recipe.
Grilled Sweet Potatoes in foil can’t be easier and make the perfect side dish for any meal. If you’re not a griller, we will show you how easy they are to bake in the oven too!
These sweet potatoes are good for you and delicious. Oh, and cleanup can’t be any simpler either! Here are some great reasons we love grilling sweet potatoes in foil.
Why We Love Grilling Sweet Potatoes in Foil
- Easy clean-up! Just throw out the foil and you are finished cleaning up the mess.
- They don’t dry out. By grilling sweet potatoes in foil, you are essentially baking them.
- Making sweet potato packets prevent the potatoes from falling through the grill grates.
- Delicious – By cooking them in foil the olive oil and spices are infused into the sweet potatoes.
- You can tailor the spices to your taste. We love rosemary, thyme, cayenne, or just salt and pepper with a drizzle of olive oil.
- Can easily be done in the oven if you don’t have a grill or discover you’ve run out of propane. Or, in our case, knee-deep in snow.
- Convenience – Can be grilled alongside your chicken or burgers so your meal is all done at once. I love hanging out with John while he’s grilling instead of being in the house.
- Grilling sliced sweet potatoes makes them cook faster. An oven-baked whole sweet potato takes 40 to 60 minutes depending on their size. My grilled sweet potato recipe takes twelve minutes on the grill.
- No heating up the house.
- Sweet potatoes are naturally gluten-free and a great source of vitamins, minerals, and fiber.
How to Grill Sweet Potatoes
- Before you start preparing the potatoes, get your grill going so that it’s nice and hot when your packets are ready to go.
- Prepare your sweet potatoes by washing them and removing any blemishes. You don’t have to peel sweet potatoes before grilling or baking them. If you prefer to remove the peeling, remove it with a vegetable peeler.
- Slice the sweet potato in half once lengthwise. Turn each half so that it is cut side down, and slice 1/4 inch slices from the halves. If the potato is large, make two sweet potato packets. A good knife and cutting board are a must!
- Cut foil slices large enough to fan out the slices of half of one sweet potato with room to fold it into a packet. Spray the foil with cooking spray.
- Fan out the sweet potato slices on the foil and drizzle with olive oil, herbs, salt, and pepper. Fold it all up and crease the folds well to prevent leakage of oil.
- Place all of this on your preheated grill for about twelve to fifteen minutes, turning the packet over halfway through.
Ingredients for the Grilled Sweet Potato Recipe
- Sweet Potatoes. If you have extra-large ones you can split each potato into two foil packets which is what we do.
- Olive Oil.
- Herbs of Choice. We use fresh rosemary and thyme most of the time. Dried herbs will work in a pinch. Other fresh herbs also work well – check out our list of variations!
- Salt and Pepper.
How long to grill sweet potatoes?
Check the potatoes after 10 minutes by opening up the packet. Pierce them with
a fork. If they are getting soft, just seal them up and remove them from the grill.
The heat of the packet will continue to cook the sweet potatoes for a short period of time.
If they are still hard, seal them back up and cook them for an additional 3 to 5
minutes.
FAQ’s
Can I bake sweet potato slices in the oven? Yes!
How to bake sweet potatoes in foil
- Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- Place the sweet potatoes on a foil-lined baking sheet that’s been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray or drizzled with olive oil.
- You can also wrap the sweet potatoes in foil just as you would if you grilled them. We put the foil packets on a baking sheet which makes them easier to remove from the oven and assures our juices don’t drip into the oven if our foil packet leaks.
- How long does it take to bake sweet potatoes at 375°? You’ll want to check them after 10 minutes. It can vary according to how thick you cut the sweet potato slices. Just pierce them with a fork and if they’re tender, remove them from the oven. If they’re not tender check them frequently.
What Goes Well With Sweet Potatoes?
If you are looking for great proteins to serve with our grilled sweet potatoes in foil try one of these main dishes: Cheese Stuffed Meatloaf, Pork Chops, or Grilled Lamb Loin Chops.
One of the dishes that I always make Sweet Potato Packets with is Turkey Sloppy Joes! It’s a match made in yummy heaven.
Cut sweet potatoes into thick wedges and serve with a dipping sauce such as this amazing blooming onion dipping sauce for an easy appetizer.
Tips to Make Our Grilled Sweet Potato Recipe
- Slice the sweet potatoes evenly so that they will cook evenly and be done at the same time. We recommend 1⁄8 and no larger than 1⁄4 thick.
- If you want a heartier slice of potato, slice them thicker or into wedges. Just note that they will take a bit longer to cook.
- By cooking sweet potato slices in foil, no parboiling is required which is recommended when you put the slices directly on the grill.
- We prefer putting 1/2 of the potato in a foil packet. That’s a serving size in our house, and it makes a manageable-sized potato packet for the grill.
- Check the potatoes after 10 minutes by opening up the packet. Pierce them with a fork.
- If they are getting soft, just seal them up and remove them from the grill. The heat of the packet will continue to cook them for a short period of time. You don’t want them to overcook. They’ll become very soft. If that accidentally happens, just mash them up. They’ll still be delicious and no one will know the difference.
- We don’t recommend adding ingredients that will add liquid such as canned pineapple which would make the grilled sweet potato soggy. You could do so at the end by opening up the packet and just spooning on a little crushed pineapple for the last couple of minutes.
Variations on Grilled Sweet Potatoes In Foil
- You can use a yam or sweet potato for this recipe.
- Grilling sweet potatoes makes their natural sweetness come out. I generally just drizzle them with a little olive oil.
- However, for those that love a candied sweet potato, a drizzle of maple syrup or honey or even a sprinkle of brown sugar would be delicious too.
- Any of these herbs and spices work well with sweet potatoes: just a sprinkle of salt and pepper, chili pepper, cilantro, cinnamon, coconut, garlic, ginger, nutmeg, rosemary, thyme, smoked paprika, allspice, cinnamon, and clove. Try one or combine a few and see what you love!
- Add dried fruit to the packet. If you prefer, you can add fresh or canned fruit as indicated in our “Tips” section.
Related Recipes
If you like this recipe, we would appreciate your comment and a 5-star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ review!
Grilled Sweet Potatoes in Foil
Ingredients
- 1 sweet potato
- olive oil
- salt and pepper
- herbs (optional) I use rosemary and thyme
Instructions
- Wash the potato and remove any blemishes. Keeping the skins on is optional. There is a lot of vitamins in that skin! Slice in half lengthwise. With the cut side down, cut 1/8 inch to 1/4 inch slices. Try to keep them all the same thickness.
Grilled
- Spray a piece of foil large enough to fan out the sliced potato. Lightly drizzle olive oil over potato slices. Sprinkle with rosemary, thyme, (fresh is best but dry will do), salt, and pepper over the potatoes. Fold the foil to create a packet. You can also split the potato into two packets if the potato is large.
- Place on a preheated grill for 15 minutes or until done, turning over halfway through cooking.
Oven Baked
- Preheat the oven to 375 °F.
- Cover a cookie sheet with foil and spray with non-stick cooking spray or spray the pan directly. Spread out the potato slices on a baking sheet.
- Lightly drizzle olive oil over potato slices. Sprinkle rosemary, thyme, (fresh is best but dry will do), salt, and pepper over the potatoes.
- Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, turning the pan halfway through baking. The thicker the potatoes are sliced, and the more potatoes on the sheet determine how long they will take to bake. I set my timer for about 12 minutes as my halfway point. It usually tells me how close they are to being done. This small amount was done in 15 minutes, larger amounts may take twice that.
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
This recipe was calculated using the exact brands and measurements I used to make this recipe. If you are following a strict diet please note changing anything will cause the nutritional info to change. My calculations are intended as a guide only.
Are you a sweet potato lover? What is your favorite way to prepare them?
Pin it!
So simple yet so delicious! I didn’t have rosemary so I only used thyme but that was plenty flavorful for me.
Love it! Thanks, Mindy.
Made these to go with our flank steak the other night, so delicious and I love that I didn’t have to turn the oven on!
Great combination! Thanks, Kathi!
I’ve never used these spices on my sweet potatoes before– so good!
We love them, Lynn! Thank you!
I had never made sweet potatoes on the grill and your post was super helpful! Will be making these all summer long.
I’m glad you enjoyed it! Thank you.
I love sweet potatoes in any form!
I’m with you! Thanks, Liz!
Really nice and easy to make sweet potatoes. Loved the recipe!
Thank you!
I have never made sweet potato’s on the grill before but these sound amazing.
Thanks, Jessie! I hope you’ll give it a try.
Never made the potatoes this way but glad I did. The potatoes are not soggy or too soft and hold their shape. Beautiful recipe!
I’m glad it worked for you! Thanks, Julia.
This is my absolute favorite way to cook sweet potatoes!
Mine too! Thank you, Megan!
I had never thought to cook my sweet potatoes like this but so happy we did because they are PERFECT! Great recipe, thank you!
Thank you, Tawnie!
I loooove sweet potatoes!! I’m definitely gonna try to cook them like this! Thank you for sharing! By the way, I really like your blog, happy to have found you!
https://fromdreamtoplan.wordpress.com/
Thank you! So happy that you dropped in. I’ll definitely be hopping over to your site too. Have a wonderful weekend!
How can anyone not like sweet potatoes! This is a nice quick way to fix them. Thanks!
Thanks Patti! It’s just another option when we are trying to put these meals together right?
Sweet potatoes are one of my favorite things. This looks just as good as candy or cookies to me. I have not tried pairing them with rosemary. Yum! Pinning this to make soon. Thanks, Julie! By the way, my husband doesn’t like sweet potatoes either.. I’m still waiting for him to have the epiphany that your husband had! 🙂
Ha! If John can change is stuck in the mud ways, there is a chance for your husband! Nice thing about packets is you can make yours a sweet potato and his a white tater. Thanks Shari!
Sweet potatoes are so good…they don’t need all the sugar people usually use. Your simple version really lets the natural sweetness be the star.
Thank you so much Karen! I totally agree with you. Thanks for stopping by and hope you have a wonderful day!
These look delicious and I was just thinking of what to serve with the lamb chops for dinner. Thank you for this quick and easy side dish (although I could probably have them for dinner alone).
Thank you Liz! I could eat them as a meal too. John would wonder where the rest of his dinner was. 🙂
That would happen at my house as well. But one of my favorite solo dinners is a roasted sweet potato with goat cheese. These would only need a crumble of goat cheese and a sprinkle of arugula to be a perfect solo meal.
BTW, they were delicious with the lamb chops. Thank you.
I love that idea Liz. That sounds delicious!
I love sweet potato any way I can have it. Your recipe is so simple, delicious and easily adaptable. Thanks for sharing:)
Thank you Lily! It’s nice to have options for meals I say!
Rosemary and sweet potatoes are such a delicious combo. Healthy baked and for me a real treat! Gorgeous photo that makes me want to reach into the screen and grab a slice. Pinning!
Thank you so much! I appreciate you stopping by and hope you are having a wonderful day!
I’m sure they are good and delicious, but I heard they are also very healthy! I love that I can use the oven. Great pictures!
Thank you Ana! They are yummy and good for you.
The first time I had sweet potato was a sweet potato pie on my first visit to the USA. I have to admit I found it very strange and stayed away from them for a long time but I love them now and the way you cooked them is just perfect! 🙂
Thank you Petra! It’s hard to try something again after you’ve ha a not so good experience with it. I’ve never had sweet potato pie. They are very popular in the south though.
Sweet potatoes in any form sounds good to me!!
I agree Elaine!
Sweet potatoes always make a good side dish and if you cut them thin enough they cook in no time. You must have some sort of mandoline to get such uniform, thin slices. Even though I have a mandoline I always seem to cube them – easier for me 🙂
Thanks Judi. I actually just cut them in half and then slice them with a knife. Sometimes they are more uniform than others. I have a hard time using a mandolin with sweet potatoes. I need to work out more I think. Cubing would be a great idea too!
Delicious looking sweet potatoes Julie….Great shot of the end product too 🙂
Thank you my dear! Hope you are enjoying your weekend!
I just love sweet potatoes. These are so good, Julie. Very easy to prepare, yet so delicious! Thanks for sharing!
Me too Jhuls! Thank you!!
I can’t wait to try these!
Great to see you see you here Donna! They are yummy. We can make them when we get the hubs together!
I just LOVE me some sweet potatoes, so I’m salivating over this dish Julie.It’s simple, quick and looks delicious. Happy FF 😉
Thank you so much Jess! It just says summer to me. I’m crossing my fingers hoping it warms up soon and we can just sit outside and get that grill going. Happy FF to you too!