Give your side dish a little kick with these Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Barbecue Spices. Lots of flavor with no added salt!
We all know that we should limit our sodium intake. The recommended maximum intake of 2300mg/day doesn't go very far.
But how often do you cook without salt? I will have to admit that I don't very often - unless you count my morning cereal (which already has sodium added, in most cases).
I definitely add it to most things that come out of my kitchen, including bread, baked goods, soups, meats, and most veggies. I don't usually use a lot, and I don't add extra salt at the table.
I find most foods bland without at least a little salt. Except for these Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Barbecue Spices.
They are one of the few dishes I make that I don't add a speck of salt to. None of the spices I use to season them contains any salt. And they still taste great!
I first started making these sweet potatoes about 3 years ago when my then baby was first starting to eat solids. I gave her a few little pieces, not sure how she'd take them because they're a little on the spicy side.
I couldn't believe how fast she shoveled them in! Now she won't touch them, but Baby #2 can't get enough. I especially love these with a simple roasted or grilled meat or fish, and a green veggie or salad.
How do you make Roasted Sweet Potatoes?
The prep for these sweet potatoes is very simple. Just peel and slice the sweet potatoes, then toss with the oil and spices.
I like to cook them on parchment to prevent any sticking without the use of extra oil. However, they do take quite a long time to cook (about an hour and 10 minutes).
And note that you're not preheating the oven to cook them. Put them straight into a cold oven and turn it once they're already in.
This recipe would even be a great side dish to make during the holidays. Especially if you're looking to change it up from your standard Sweet Potato Casserole or Mashed Sweet Potatoes and spice things up a little.
However, if you're feeding anyone with very sensitive taste buds and you want to cut back on the heat, just omit the cayenne.
Want more Sweet Potato recipes?
Roasted Sweet Potatoes Nutrition Notes
This is the perfect side dish to make if you're trying to cut back on sodium.
Since they have no added salt, the sodium comes only from what is naturally present in the sweet potatoes and spices. The sodium content of the recipe provides only 5% of day's maximum recommended intake of 2300mg/day.
Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Barbecue Spices
Equipment
- Parchment paper or silicone baking mat
Ingredients
- 4 pounds sweet potatoes scrubbed, ends trimmed and sliced into ¾ inch thick rounds, (about 3 medium sweet potatoes)
- 1 ½ Tablespoons canola oil or another neutral-flavored cooking oil
- 1 ½ teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon chili powder
- ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne optional - omit if you don't want your sweet potatoes to be spicy
Instructions
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Toss sliced sweet potatoes with 1 ½ Tablespoons canola oil, 1 ½ teaspoons smoked paprika, 1 teaspoon brown sugar, ½ teaspoon dried oregano, ¼ teaspoon chili powder, ¼ teaspoon ground cumin, and ⅛ teaspoon cayenne. Arrange sweet potatoes on prepared baking sheet in a single layer. Cover tightly with aluminium foil.
- Adjust oven rack to middle position and place baking sheet on the rack. Heat oven to 425°F. Cook for 30 minutes.
- Remove foil and continue roasting until the bottoms of the sweet potatoes are lightly browned, 15-20 minutes. Flip sweet potatoes and roast for an additional 18-20 minutes, until the second side of the potatoes are browned.
Nutrition
* Recipe barely adapted from The America's Test Kitchen Healthy Family Cookbook
Annemarie @ justalittlebitofbacon says
Hello! I hope you're having a good week. Your roasted sweet potato recipe looked so tasty that I’ve linked to them my latest post on BuzzFeed. I'm still waiting to see if it will be promoted, so it would be great if you could stop by and upvote it, and also share it on your social media!
Here’s the link: http://www.buzzfeed.com/annemariewalker/16-amazingly-delicious-sweet-potato-sides-you-need-20ib5
I loved the recipe and I hope share more of your posts in the future. Have great day! 🙂