These tender, extra-savory, thin-sliced Southwestern roasted sweet potatoes are a great Paleo side dish for your holiday table - or any time. Sweet potatoes roasted with olive oil, a touch of butter, garlic and the bold flavors of cumin, coriander and chile powder, garnished with cilantro.
Not only is this a delicious recipe, it’s beautiful, and very easy to put together. You could take this to any potluck gathering and impress your host and fellow guests.
The sweet potato dish is ideal for a novice cook. Once you've sliced the sweet potatoes and assembled the dish, there is no guessing about cooking it. The combination of baking the sliced, seasoned sweet potatoes covered first, then uncovered at a higher temperature, makes it a showy and tasty dish that only requires a steady hand in slicing.
Plus, I've included options for Thanksgiving or Mediterranean flavors, just by changing the seasonings.
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Steps in making this dish
Step 1.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Measure out the herbs and spices, peel and mince the garlic, then make the seasoned butter/oil mixture.
Stir together olive oil and melted butter with minced garlic, salt and pepper, and ground cumin, coriander, chile powder and chopped cilantro. Spread a tablespoonful or so of the mixture over the bottom of a 9 x 13 inch baking dish.
Step 2. Slice and season the sweet potatoes.
Peel and slice the sweet potatoes about ¼ inch thick. Making the slices the same thickness will help them cook evenly and make a more attractive dish. Hold each sliced potato together while placing it carefully in the pan. I place the first potato in the center of the side of the pan. Then I place half the slices from the second potato pointing in the opposite direction from the first (see photo). Continue alternating placement of the sweet potatoes.
Brush the remaining butter mixture over the tops of the potatoes. Cover the pan with foil.
Step 3. Roasting
Place the covered baking dish into the oven and roast for 45 minutes. Then remove the foil, turn up the heat to 450 degrees F and roast the uncovered potatoes for 15 more minutes (20-25 minutes at high altitude).
If the sweet potatoes have dried out during the last roasting, brush the tops with a small amount of olive oil just before serving. Enjoy this great side dish!
What can I serve this side dish with?
The roasted sweet potatoes are wonderful with Dutch oven Carne Asada and a green vegetable.
They are also a perfect non-sugary Thanksgiving side dish, especially with the substitution of pumpkin pie spice for the cumin, coriander and chile powder. We will be enjoying them with caramelized Brussels sprouts, Instant Pot salt potatoes, cranberry sauce with apples, and our roasted turkey.
What other seasonings are good on these sweet potatoes?
As I noted above, to harmonize this dish with your Thanksgiving dishes, use pumpkin pie spice instead of the cumin/coriander mixture. The sweet potatoes will have plenty of flavor without adding sugar. However, if your family is used to a sweet" sweet potato dish, stir in ¼ cup coconut sugar into the sauce before using it for basting.
As a Middle-Eastern variation on the Southwestern seasonings, substitute berbere seasoning, leaving everything else the same. So fragrant!
Other delicious side dishes
Roasted Sweet Potato Fries with Sriracha-Lime Mayo
Lemon-Roasted Broccoli and White Sweet Potatoes
Easy Caramelized Brussels Sprouts
Instant Pot Seasoned Salt Potatoes
Shop Southwestern Roasted Sweet Potatoes
If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo #amealinmind on Instagram. I’d love to see what you come up with. Thank you so much!!
Beth
Southwestern Roasted Sweet Potatoes - Paleo
Ingredients
- 3 pounds sweet potatoes peeled and thinly sliced
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup butter (or nondairy spread) melted
- 4-6 cloves garlic minced
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- ½ to 1 teaspoon salt to taste
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper or to taste
- ¼ cup cilantro leaves chopped and divided
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375F.
- Combine olive oil, melted butter or non-dairy spread, garlic, spices, salt and pepper and half the cilantro in a small mixing bowl; stir to combine.
- Spread 1-2 tablespoons of the mixture in the bottom of a 9 x 13 inch baking dish.
- Arrange sweet potato slices in the dish and brush potatoes with the remaining olive oil mixture, reserving a couple of teaspoonfuls.
- Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes.
- Remove foil and increase oven temperature to 450F.
- Roast potatoes for an additional 15 minutes, or until potatoes are slightly browned. Allow an extra 5 to 10 minutes at high altitude or if your sweet potatoes are large.
- Remove sweet potatoes from the oven and test an end piece for doneness. If the sweet potatoes have dried out during roasting, brush them with reserved seasoned olive oil.
- Garnish with cilantro leaves.
Notes
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Kate
This looks just great. We are going to try it. Many thanks for sharing it.
Beth
Thanks so much, Kate. I hope you enjoy the recipe!
Valerie Skinner
I never thought to use southwest seasonings on sweet potatoes. The flavors look like they compliment each other perfectly. Cant wait to try!
Beth
Valerie, the seasonings are really harmonious with the sweet potatoes - and they make great leftovers.
Anna
These sweet potatoes look so tasty, and would make a perfect side dish to almost any meal! I love all the spices you have used in this recipe, they must be so delicious together!
Beth
Hi, Anna, you are so right that this dish is so versatile. We have enjoyed it a lot.
Ramona
I love any recipe that includes roasted sweet potatoes or if it's just by itself! the flavours and the seasonings that you included in this recipe. I can't wait to try this out, thank you for sharing.
Beth
Thanks, Ramona. My family really enjoyed this simple yet tasty blend of flavors, and I hope yours will too.
Farrukh Aziz
These roasted sweet potatoes looks amazing and it tasted so good!. The best thing about sweet potatoes are they pair well with any kind of seasonings, and this southwest seasoning was perfect. Thanks for sharing! 🙂
Beth
I appreciate the comment, Farrukh, and agree that though we love these seasonings, have already been trying others.
Kushigalu
Love sweet potato in any form. This recipe sounds so flavorful. I will be making this soon. Thanks for sharing
Beth
Thanks, Kushi. These sweet potatoes are really quite wonderful.
Jacqueline Debono
I made these sweet potatoes as a side with our lunch on Sunday. They were so delicious and my hubby keeps asking if I can make them again next Sunday!
Beth
Jacqui, I'm so delighted to know that you enjoyed this recipe. I'm just putting a batch together right now!
Jessica Knott
I have been craving sweet potatoes all week but they have been sold out since Thanksgiving. I settled for butternut squash but as soon as I can find them again, this is the first recipe to make for the family. I just love the seasoning as they would be perfect to make with southwest egg rolls.
Beth
Jessica, I know what you mean about having to hunt for sweet potatoes! Luckily I had bought extras of these smaller-sized ones. They do sound perfect with the southwest egg rolls, yum.
Sandra Shaffer
Sweet potatoes are delicious on their own, but wow adding the spices just takes this to a whole new delicious level. Definitely a show stopper to share with guests!
Beth
Thanks, Sandra. This southwest seasoning has been a real family favorite, and the fact that the dish is so pretty has made it even more fun.
Natalie
Oh, I love the spices you used here in this recipe. Potatoes look absolutely amazing. So delicious and full of flavor. I'm making this today for dinner. Can't wait!
Beth
Thank you so much, Natalie. I am so excited that you are planning to make this recipe, and I hope you enjoy it!
Nisha
I can tell this recipe will turn out awesome just by looking at it Beth. I will definitely give it a try, love all the spices you have used and the way you have cut and arranged them in the baking dish, so easy to serve as well!
Beth
Nisha, these potatoes would also be great with a lot if the spices you use in recipes on your blog - I'm picturing how delicious they'd be with Indian seasonings.