Try these perfectly baked Korean sweet potatoes that are sweet, soft, and fluffy on the inside with crispy purple skin. It's roasted until tender and caramelized with a sweet chestnut flavor!
Baked Korean sweet potatoes are an easy and delicious snack that's great all year round but especially during the fall and winter. It's roasted until soft and caramelized on the inside with a crispy skin on the outside.
All About Korean Sweet Potatoes (고구마)
Korean sweet potatoes, called goguma (고구마) are a healthy, delicious snack that's popular all throughout Korea. They're sweet, satisfying, and full of healthy carbohydrates that will keep you full for hours.
They're so popular in Korea, they're sold from street vendors and even made into cakes, cookies, chips, and bread!
Varieties of Korean sweet potatoes:
Bam goguma 밤고구마 (Chestnut sweet potatoes): These have a chestnut like flavor and turn a golden, yellow color when roasted. The flesh is slighter more dense and dry. The skin is edible with a reddish, purple hue that gets crispy when baked.
Mul goguma 물고구마 (Water sweet potatoes): Water sweet potatoes have a higher water content compared to chestnut sweet potatoes, hence their name. They also have a reddish, purple skin with a golden yellow flesh, though they come smaller in size.
Benefits
- Great source of fiber in both the skin and the flesh.
- Full of vitamins and minerals including B vitamins, vitamin C, iron, selenium, and calcium.
- Keeps you full for hours.
- Great source of healthy carbohydrates.
Where to buy them
You can find them in Korean grocery stores and most Asian grocery stores. They're also called Japanese sweet potatoes, Asian sweet potatoes, and Korean yam.
Look for ones that have a smooth, blemish free skin and feel firm to the touch.
Korean sweet potatoes vs American sweet potatoes
American sweet potatoes have a bright orange flesh and high water content making them great for casseroles and mashed sweet potatoes.
The Korean variety on the other hand, usually have a yellow or pale white flesh with a denser, drier texture depending on the variety. I find the Korean variety to be sweeter, though they're both great options for baking and roasting.
Try out my baked American sweet potato recipe!
How to Bake Korean Sweet Potatoes
- Wash and dry the sweet potatoes then take a fork and poke about 5 to 6 holes per potato. This is to help the steam vent during the bake.
- Place it on a baking rack lined with parchment paper and bake at 400 degrees F for 45 minutes to 1 hour, depending on the width of the sweet potatoes.
- They're ready when soft and fluffy. Use a fork or toothpick to pierce the sweet potatoes to check that it's fork tender. The skin should start to wrinkle and easily separate from the flesh when removed from the oven.
Other ways to enjoy them
- Sweet potato bread
- Dried sweet potato strips
- Sweets - sweet potato cakes, cookies, chips
- Sweet potato pizza
FAQ
American sweet potatoes have a bright orange flesh and high water content making them great for casseroles and mashed sweet potatoes.
On the other hand, the Korean variety usually has a yellow or pale white flesh with a denser, drier texture depending on the variety. I find these to be sweeter, though they're both great options for baking and roasting.
They're a great source of fiber in both the skin and the flesh, they're full of vitamins and minerals including B vitamins, vitamin C, iron, selenium, and calcium.
I hope you enjoy this recipe! Please share, rate, or comment below. I'd love to hear from you!
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Thanks so much for stopping by! 🧡 -Jamie
More recipes:
Recipe
Perfect Baked Korean Sweet Potatoes
☑ Ingredients
- 4 Korean sweet potatoes
- pinch of salt - for serving
Instructions
- Prep: Preheat to 400° F. Wash the sweet potatoes and using a fork, poke a few holes in them to allow venting. See Note 1.4 Korean sweet potatoes
- Bake: Bake until soft and fork tender, about 45 minutes to 1 hour depending on the thickness of the sweet potatoes. Use a toothpick or fork to check for doneness. There should be no resistance. See Note 2.
- Serve: Remove from the oven and serve once cool enough to handle. The skin should be wrinkled and easily separate. Sprinkle with salt if preferred. Enjoy!pinch of salt
✎ Recipe Notes
- Poke 4 to 6 holes per sweet potato.
- There's no need to wait for the oven to preheat. Add the sweet potatoes in the oven once prepped.
- Leftovers can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
- Freeze for up to 1 month.
Nutrition
*Nutritional information is an estimate, calculated using online tools.
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