Dicing sweet potatoes boils down to cutting the potatoes into ¼-inch to ½-inch in size. The end result is beautiful, perfect sweet potato cubes, ideal for cooking into a variety of different recipes like sweet potato casserole, or enjoying as roasted sweet potatoes for a simple snack or side dish!
Our step-by-step guide will show you how to cut sweet potatoes into the perfect dice to use however you please, like in our Air Fryer Sweet Potato Cubes recipe. Let's get started!
Jump to:
- Watch the Video
- What You'll Need
- Step 1: Prepare Your Workspace
- Step 2: Wash the Sweet Potatoes
- Step 3: Peeling Sweet Potatoes (Optional)
- Step 4: Cut off the Ends
- Step 6: Cut it in Half
- Step 7: Slice into Planks
- Step 8: Cut Crosswise
- Step 9: Repeat with the Other Half
- Step 10: Check for Uniformity
- Step 11: Cleaning Up
- Storing Cubed Sweet Potatoes
- More Guides for Cutting Vegetables
- How to Use Sweet Potato Cubes
- Are sweet potatoes healthy?
- How to Cut Sweet Potatoes into Cubes
- Feedback
Watch the Video
What You'll Need
- Sweet Potatoes: Look for sweet potatoes that are firm and have smooth, unblemished skin. Avoid any with cuts, bruises, or soft spots, as these indicate they may be old or damaged.
- Chef's Knife: A chef's knife has a wide and sturdy blade that can easily slice through sweet potatoes. Make sure to use a sharp knife for safe, accurate cuts.
- Cutting Board: The best type of cutting board for cutting sweet potatoes is one made of wood or plastic. Both wood and plastic boards provide a stable surface for cutting. Ensure your board is not warped in any way.
- Vegetable Brush (Optional): Useful for scrubbing the sweet potatoes clean before peeling or dicing! It helps remove dirt and debris from the sweet potato skins, promoting food safety.
- Vegetable Peeler (Optional): A vegetable peeler is handy for removing the skin efficiently. It helps in achieving a smooth, clean surface on the potatoes. We recommend a Y-peeler like we use in the video. You don't have to peel your sweet potatoes if you'd rather not, but we do recommend it.
- Container or Bowl (Optional): A bowl can be useful for holding the cubed sweet potatoes once they're cut. It helps keep your workspace organized and makes it easier to transfer the sweet potatoes to use in whichever recipe you're preparing.
Want a guide on cutting white potatoes instead? See our guide on how to dice potatoes.
Step 1: Prepare Your Workspace
Select sweet potatoes that are firm and have smooth, unblemished skin. Avoid any with cuts, bruises, or soft spots, as these are indicators the potatoes may be old or damaged.
Place a cutting board on a stable surface. Ensure that it's sturdy and not warped so that your knife will not slip while you're cutting.
Step 2: Wash the Sweet Potatoes
Rinse the sweet potatoes under cold water to remove any dirt or debris. You can use a vegetable brush or paper towel to scrub them gently if needed.
Step 3: Peeling Sweet Potatoes (Optional)
Depending on the recipe, you may choose to peel the sweet potatoes or leave the skins on. If peeling, use a vegetable peeler and remove the skin in long, downward strokes. We recommend a y-shaped vegetable peeler.
Step 4: Cut off the Ends
Using a sharp knife, cut off both ends of the sweet potato to create flat surfaces. This will make it easier and safer to handle.
Step 6: Cut it in Half
Use a sharp knife to cut the sweet potato in half lengthwise, creating two equal halves.
Then, turn one half on its side, and cut through the center lengthwise.
Stack these two pieces of potato back together again for dicing.
Step 7: Slice into Planks
Lay each stacked sweet potato half flat-side down on the cutting board. Hold the stack firmly with your non-dominant hand.
Using your dominant hand, slice the sweet potato into evenly sized planks, about ½ to 1-inch thick. The thickness of the slices will determine the size of your diced sweet potatoes. Aim for uniform thickness to ensure even cooking.
Step 8: Cut Crosswise
Hold the planks firmly with your non-dominant hand and make horizontal cuts across the width of the planks, creating ¼-inch to ½-inch cubes. Continue slicing until you reach the end of the sweet potato half.
Step 9: Repeat with the Other Half
Repeat steps 5-8 for the remaining potato half.
Step 10: Check for Uniformity
Once all the sweet potatoes are diced, inspect them to ensure they are relatively uniform in size. This will help them cook evenly.
Step 11: Cleaning Up
After you've finished cutting the sweet potatoes, clean up your workspace by wiping down the cutting board and washing the knife.
And that's it! You now have perfectly peeled and cut sweet potatoes ready to be cooked immediately.
Storing Cubed Sweet Potatoes
Raw sweet potatoes, once cut, do not store well as they begin to oxidize and soften quickly. However, there's a trick you can use to store them for a few days in the refrigerator.
Place your sweet potato cubes in a bowl and cover them with cold water so they are submerged. Store for up to about 3 days. While we recommend you wait to cut the sweet potatoes until you're ready to use them, you can use this method if you need to prep them ahead of time for any reason.
More Guides for Cutting Vegetables
How to Use Sweet Potato Cubes
- Roast 'em and eat as-is: Use your oven or air fryer to roast the sweet potato cubes with a little bit of olive oil (or avocado oil), salt, and black pepper. It sounds simple, but this mix works for roasting any vegetable. It's an easy side dish we can safely say is completely delicious! Feel free to sprinkle in other seasonings, too, like chili powder, cayenne pepper, paprika, or garlic powder.
- Soups and stews: Use tender roasted sweet potato chunks to blend into delicious creamy soups and stews.
- In salads: If you roast your sweet potato cubes, you can easily toss them into a seasonal salad to enjoy. They pair especially well with herbs and honey vinaigrette, so give that a try!
- In casserole: You can easily use these sweet potato cubes as a base for sweet potato casserole.
Are sweet potatoes healthy?
Sweet potatoes are a wholesome and nutritious vegetable packed with vitamins, such as vitamin C and vitamin A, and fiber. They're a great choice as a healthy side dish or snack. Read our source for more info on sweet potato nutrition!
Leave a comment and review for us below if you enjoyed this recipe, or if you have questions about any of our air fryer recipes!
How to Cut Sweet Potatoes into Cubes
Equipment
- Sharp chef's knife
- Cutting board
- Vegetable peeler (Optional)
- Vegetable scrubber (Optional)
Ingredients
- 1 sweet potato
Instructions
Prepare Your Workspace
- Select sweet potatoes that are firm and have smooth, unblemished skin. Avoid any with cuts, bruises, or soft spots, as these are indicators the potatoes may be old or damaged.
- Place a cutting board on a stable surface. Ensure that it's sturdy and not warped so that your knife will not slip while you're cutting.
Wash the Sweet Potatoes
- Rinse the sweet potatoes under cold water to remove any dirt or debris. You can use a vegetable brush or paper towel to scrub them gently if needed.
Peeling Sweet Potatoes (Optional)
- Depending on the recipe, you may choose to peel the sweet potatoes or leave the skins on. If peeling, use a vegetable peeler and remove the skin in long, downward strokes. We recommend a y-shaped vegetable peeler.
Cut off the Ends
- Using a sharp knife, cut off both ends of the sweet potato to create flat surfaces. This will make it easier and safer to handle.
Cut in Half
- Use a sharp knife to cut the sweet potato in half lengthwise, creating two equal halves.
- Then, turn one half on its side, and cut through the center lengthwise.
- Stack these two pieces of potato back together again for dicing.
Slice into Planks
- Lay each stacked sweet potato half flat-side down on the cutting board. Hold the stack firmly with your non-dominant hand.
- Using your dominant hand, slice the sweet potato into evenly sized planks, about ½ to 1-inch thick. The thickness of the slices will determine the size of your diced sweet potatoes. Aim for uniform thickness to ensure even cooking.
Cut Crosswise
- Hold the planks firmly with your non-dominant hand and make horizontal cuts across the width of the planks, creating ¼-inch to ½-inch cubes. Continue slicing until you reach the end of the sweet potato half.
Repeat with the Other Half
- Repeat steps 5-8 for the remaining potato half.
Check for Uniformity
- Once all the sweet potatoes are diced, inspect them to ensure they are relatively uniform in size. This will help them cook evenly.
Cleaning Up
- After you've finished cutting the sweet potatoes, clean up your workspace by wiping down the cutting board and washing the knife.
Comments
No Comments