Brown sugar sweet potatoes are the fall side dish that always disappears at my house. You make them in a skillet with a glossy brown-sugar glaze that clings, no oven space is required. They are perfect for holiday cooking, but truth be told, I make them on random weeknights too.
Candied sweet potatoes are on repeat at my house every fall. Sometimes I make slow cooker sweet potatoes. These skillet sweet potatoes are another one I turn to again and again.
They are sweet, buttery, and perfect alongside everything from my Instant pot roast chicken to the holiday turkey breast.
These have a way of disappearing before they ever reach the table. At my house, there's always a point where I have to tell everyone to stop sneaking bites and save some for dinner.
The Glaze Is a Separate Thing (Here's Why That Matters)
This is the technique that changes everything about brown sugar sweet potatoes with butter. You don't add the brown sugar directly to the potatoes while they're cooking. You make the glaze separately, in a small saucepan.
The cornstarch gives the glaze enough body to cling to the potatoes rather than run to the bottom of the pan. It also protects the sugars from scorching against the hot skillet.
One more thing. The salt. A full teaspoon of salt makes these taste like a side dish, not dessert. Don't cut it.
Ingredient Notes
Cut the sweet potatoes as close to ¾-inch as you can. I am personally not the best with my knife skills. But this is one instance where a little extra effort pays off. If they are all different sizes, some will get overcooked and mushy, while others will be underdone.
Make sure you use fresh sweet potatoes. Canned or frozen have too much liquid in them to work in a skillet recipe, in my experience.
How to Make Brown Sugar Sweet Potatoes
About the Cook Time
I recommend you consider the timing of this recipe as a guide. Sweet potatoes can vary in their density and water content. Some sweet potatoes are tender at 20 minutes total. Some will need a little longer.
Before you add the glaze, you want them to be almost fork-tender. If you meet resistance when you slide a fork in, give them a little longer.
And if they are already soft enough? Add the glaze, then pull them as soon as it thickens.
If Your Glaze Looks Thin
Some sweet potatoes give off a lot of liquid during that first covered cook. If your glaze looks thinner than you want after a few minutes of cooking, don't panic. Bump the heat up slightly. The extra liquid will evaporate, and the glaze should start clinging.
What you're looking for: the glaze coats the potatoes and stays on them when you stir. If it's running to the bottom of the pan every time, it needs more time to reduce.
Make-Ahead Instructions
These hold well. You can make them a few hours ahead. Heat gently in the skillet with a small splash of water to loosen the glaze. For a holiday meal, I'd cook the potatoes for the first 15 minutes and then let them cool. You can go ahead and prep the glaze, too. Then reheat the potatoes with the glaze right before serving so everything stays glossy and the potatoes don't overcook on the second pass.
These are a good Thanksgiving or Christmas side specifically because they don't need the oven. Your oven is working a lot on those days. The skillet keeps things moving.
What to Serve With These
A holiday prime rib roast, a weeknight picanha or chuck roast, turkey, anything with a little savory richness, where you want something sweet and sticky alongside.
If you want some crunch, scatter a handful of Roasted Pecans with Brown Sugar over the top right before serving. They're good here.
For more sweet potato options, the Crockpot Sweet Potato Casserole is the marshmallow-topped version if someone at your table is expecting it. The Instant Pot Mashed Sweet Potatoes are a good hands-off option if you prefer the mashed route. And if you want something savory with your sweet potatoes, the Roasted Sweet Potatoes go a completely different direction.
Brown Sugar Sweet Potatoes
Ingredients
- 3 pounds sweet potatoes peeled and cut into ¾” cubes
- 6 tablespoons butter divided
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 2 ½ tablespoons water
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
Instructions
- Peel and dice the sweet potatoes into ¾” cubes.
- Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large skillet over medium heat.
- Add the potatoes and stir to coat. Cover and cook for 15 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes.
- While the potatoes cook, make the glaze. In a small saucepan, whisk the cornstarch into the brown sugar while they're still dry — this disperses the cornstarch so it can't clump. Add the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter, the honey, water, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Cook over medium, stirring, until everything melts together, turns glossy, and slightly thickens, about 3–5 minutes.
- Remove the lid from the skillet, and pour the brown sugar mixture over the potatoes. Cook for another 10 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender and the glaze is thick. You want it clinging and glossy. Taste for salt and serve warm..
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