I adore these grilled sweet potatoes as a side dish to summer-heavy meals as it feels like entering into the seasonal transition. When I got into gardening, I found a new love for the month of September. Summer tomatoes and peppers are abundant, and we now start to access cooler-weather crops and long-growing items, such as sweet potatoes!

Grilled Sweet Potatoes  

There are many ways to cook a sweet potato, but I really like this two-step process involving steam and a quick sear. 

Steam, then Fire

Don’t get me wrong; I really like whole-roasted sweet potatoes, especially when you see the sugar from the sweet potato caramelizing and bubbling through the skin. However, sometimes you want sweet potatoes a bit faster. 

Steaming sweet potato wedges and searing them over high heat gives you some of the caramelized flavor faster. I prefer to steam the sweet potatoes until tender, then grill over medium heat. Alternatively, you can sear using a cast iron skillet or similar heavy-bottom skillet. 

Sweet Potato Alternatives

It’s hard to go wrong with soy sauce and butter on vegetables (It feels like a sophisticated step up from the classic butter-and-salt combination!). Try this mix on steamed broccoli, grilled sweet corn, broiled asparagus, or roasted cauliflower. 

LARDER: Soy-Butter Sauce

Beyond swapping in other vegetables, this salty-rich sauce is delightful tossed with noodles, swirled into soup, and drizzled on eggs. I like to use this as a finish for a quiche or even some simple soft-boiled eggs. You can make a larger batch of the butter and save in the refrigerator for a week or so.

Grilled Sweet Potato Toppings 

As I mentioned, I kept this recipe simple, but I thought I’d share a few toppings I toyed with during testing. Try topping this dish with freshly cracked black pepper, fried shallots, or fresh basil. 

MAKE IT VEGAN

As always, use your favorite plant-based butter. I like Miyoko’s, but any brand should work.

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Grilled Sweet Potato With Soy-Butter Sauce

1 serving

In the rounds of testing for this recipe, I kept trying to give this recipe more complexity, but the layers never lined up. And so, I did the opposite and let minimalism take hold. The key here is to let the sweet potato get quite soft in the steamer, then caramelize on the grill or in a cast-iron skillet.

• 1 large (300 g) sweet potato
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 teaspoons soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
• Smoked sea salt for finishing

1. To make the sweet potato: Give the sweet potato a good scrub, then quarter. Heat a steamer basket and steam the sweet potato pieces until quite tender, 15 to 20 minutes, depending on the size of the sweet potato.
2. If you’re grilling, heat the grill to medium-high heat. Brush the sweet potato pieces with the olive oil and place cut sides on the grill. Grill until charred. Alternatively, heat the olive oil in a large skillet (cast iron is excellent here) over medium-high heat. Add the sweet potatoes, cut sides down, and sear until the edges caramelize.
3. To make the soy butter sauce: Heat a small skillet over medium heat. Add the butter, swirling and stirring the pan frequently as the butter melts. Let the butter foam and sizzle, continuing to stir, until it turns a light golden brown—almost brown butter. Remove from the heat and whisk in the soy sauce and rice vinegar.
4. To serve: Once the sweet potato finishes, place it in a small bowl and drizzle with the soy-butter sauce. Let rest for at least 5 minutes so the sauce can soak in. Sprinkle with the smoked sea salt before serving.

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