Grilled Sweet Potatoes

3.94

36

Save to FavoritesPrintJump to Recipe

This post may include affiliate links. Thank you for your support.

A simple recipe for grilled sweet potatoes with fresh thyme, salt, and pepper. They pair perfectly with just about any grilled protein, especially burgers! Vegan and gluten-free.

Grilling gives food a ton of flavor, so when the weather is nice I try to convince Isaac that we should grill just about everything! Throughout the summer months, we fire up the grill almost daily.

When it comes to grilling, we’re all about the classics… lots of grilled protein like turkey burgers, grilled chicken, grilled tofu, grilled shrimp skewers and grilled bbq tempeh, but I love experimenting with grilled fruits and veggies too.

We’ve done grilled pineapple, grilled peaches, grilled avocado (so creamy and delicious) and loads of grilled vegetables. Name any veggie and we’ve probably grilled it.

Most recently, I tried my hand at grilled sweet potatoes and they were just as a delicious as I’d imagined!

Plate of grilled sweet potato wedges on a plate, topped with fresh herbs. A creamy dipping sauce is to the side.

Why Eat Sweet Potatoes?

Sweet potatoes are a powerhouse vegetable! They’re packed with fiber, vitamins and minerals. They’re also high in antioxidants which help protect your body against free radical damage. Studies have shown that sweet potatoes positively impact gut, brain, eye and immune health. And some studies have shown that certain antioxidants in sweet potatoes may protect against certain cancers. Bottom line? They’re SO good for you and so delicious! No excuses to not incorporate them into your diet.  (Source)

Ingredients in Grilled Sweet Potatoes

  • sweet potatoes – the real MVP of this recipe!
  • olive oil – avocado oil will work as well.
  • fresh thyme – this is optional, but really helps to increase the flavor profile!
  • sea salt and ground pepper – to season the potatoes.
  • garlic aioli dipping sauce – all you need to make this simple dipping sauce is avocado oil mayo, garlic, lemon juice, sea salt, and black pepper.
Plate of grilled sweet potato wedges on a plate, topped with fresh herbs. A creamy dipping sauce is to the side.

How to Grill Sweet Potatoes

When it comes to grilling quick cooking veggies (like zucchini or asparagus), the process is pretty straight-forward, but for hearty vegetables (like potatoes) there’s a little prep work involved.

If you simply place a raw sweet potato on the grill, the exterior will get crisp and burnt before the sweet potato is cooked through on the inside, and it will be quite raw and crunchy. I don’t know about you, but I despise undercooked sweet potatoes, so here’s my advice:

Boil potatoes: For grilled sweet potatoes, I recommend partially cooking the sweet potatoes in boiling water first. Leave the potatoes whole with the skin on, otherwise they might start to fall apart on the grill. Boil the potatoes just until they are fork-tender (soft enough to slip a fork into them). This should take around 10 minutes, but it will depend on how large your sweet potatoes are. Don’t overcook them or they will be too soft and fall apart on the grill.

Let cool: Once partially cooked, remove from the boiling water and let cool until the potatoes are cool enough to handle and cut into wedges.

Mix ingredients: In a small bowl, mix together your olive oil, salt, pepper, and fresh thyme. Brush the oil mixture on the sweet potatoes.

Grill: Heat grill to medium-high, lightly oil grill rack and grill potatoes until grill marks appear and potatoes are cooked through, flipping once. This should only take 7-8 minutes.

What to Pair With Grilled Sweet Potatoes

These grilled sweet potatoes are the perfect addition to any meal. Here are some recipes that would be delicious with it:

They’re all amazing, it just depends on what you’re in the mood for.

Hand dipping a grilled sweet potato wedge into a bowl of creamy dip.

More Healthy Grilling Recipes To Try:

All My Favorite Sweet Potato Recipes:

Want to save this recipe? Enter your email below and we’ll send the recipe to your inbox. Plus you’ll get great new recipes every week!
3.94 from 32 votes

Grilled Sweet Potatoes

These easy grilled sweet potato wedges are the perfect veggie side and pair well with just about any grilled protein, especially burgers!
Prep Time: 7 minutes
Cook Time: 18 minutes
Servings: 3 servings

Ingredients  

  • 3 large sweet potatoes, scrubbed well
  • 1 Tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 Tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped (optional)
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper

Instructions 

  • Boil potatoes: Place potatoes in a large pot, cover with cold salted water then bring to a boil. Simmer until slightly resistant when pierced with a sharp knife or fork, about 10 minutes, depending on size. Drain well and allow to cool.
  • Let cool: Once cool enough to handle, slice potatoes in half lengthwise and into wedges.
  • Mix ingredients: In a small bowl, mix together olive oil, thyme, salt, and pepper. Brush this mixture on sweet potatoes.
  • Grill: Heat grill to medium-high, lightly oil grill rack and grill potatoes until grill marks appear and potatoes are cooked through, flipping once. This should take about 7-8 minutes.
  • Serve: Serve wedges with a dipping sauce, like ketchup, mustard or homemade garlic aioli.

Notes

olive oil – avocado oil will work as well.
fresh thyme – this is optional, but really helps to increase the flavor profile!

Nutrition

Serving: 1potato | Calories: 204kcal | Carbohydrates: 38g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 5g | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 15g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Side
Cuisine: American
Keyword: grilled sweet potatoes
Did you make this recipe?Mention @eatingbirdfood and tag #eatingbirdfood!

About Brittany

Hey there, I’m Brittany, the creator of Eating Bird Food, cookbook author, health coach and mama of two littles. Here you’ll find quick and easy recipes that make healthy fun and enjoyable for you and your family!

More about Brittany
Chicken fajita filling on a sheet pan with a wooden spoon. Tortillas are resting on the bottom of the sheet pan.
Get Your FREE High-Protein Meal Plan
Struggling to eat enough protein? Subscribe to my email list and I’ll send you a 3-Day High-Protein Meal Plan with a Shopping List!

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




36 Comments

  1. Oh my goodness grilled sweet potatoes! I make mine in the oven in coins. I almost always burn the edges of the wedges – I’m notorious for getting side tracked and burning food 🙁 The coins are so much more forgiving 🙂 These look AMAZING though. I need to throw some peaches on the grill oh and tomatoes and romaine lettuce. MMMM grilled salad. 🙂 You’ve definitely got my mind spinning – thanks!!

  2. Those sound lovely! I usually lightly cook mine in coconut oil on the stove (even won a recipe contest once!) but those sound soooo good. We just broke our grill out a few days ago, so we’ll have to give this one a shot!

    1. Oh wow — that’s awesome. I love coconut oil on my sweet potatoes too. That’s what I use whenever I make baked sweet potato fries. 🙂

  3. That sounds like a great combo! I like all spice, cinnamon, and pink salt. But I am going to try the thyme!

  4. I love all grilled vegetables. I have never tried sweet potatoes though. Im sure they would work well with white potatoes as well. I seem to like those better.

  5. These look amazing, so simple and delicious. They can be tricky to not burn, but I need to try them again. Thanks!

  6. I have grilled regular potatoes but never sweet potatoes..I’ll definitely have to try it out. I am sure they are AWESOME!

  7. Sweet potatoes definitely go for breakfast!! Especially if you workout in the morning… Perfect pre- and post- option!! 🙂 Great post!!

  8. Ahhh…boiling them first! Great idea!! Do you think you’d do that with Brussels Sprouts too? I’ve tried grilling them and they burn before they’re cooked! I’ll have to try this method!! Thanks!!

    1. Hi Shaun. Yes, I’ve had the same issue with sprouts. Boiling or steaming the brussels sprouts for a bit before grilling works like a charm!

  9. These look amazing – I love the photos! Grilling is my preferred method of cooking sweet potatoes, especially with some cinnamon!

  10. 5 stars
    I love this recipe. I have used it many times. However, my husband doesn’t like to grill in the winter. Does anyone have adjustments to make this work in the oven? Please share!!

    1. Hi Emmy! I’m so glad that you enjoy this recipe. During the winter months I think you can easily make these in the oven — maybe just cut back on the amount of sweet potatoes (so you can fit the wedges on one pan). I think you can skip the boiling step too. Simply coat the wedges with the oil and spices and then roast at about 400 degrees until tender, about 40-50 minutes. Another recipe you could try during the winter months is this one for coconut oil roasted sweet potatoes. They’re delicious!

  11. 5 stars
    I learn so much from you as well! Thank you so much for sharing your helpful information. Keep it up.

  12. 5 stars
    Outstanding recipe! Cooked it for a casual summer dinner party. grill at 325 for 10-12 mins, turning the wedges as they start to get grill marks on each side. To avoid burning, lace them on tin foil. They still get grill marks and cook very well but are less easily burned. Bumped up flavor with s touch of cumin and lime Thyme.

    1. Ahh yay!! I’m so glad these were a hit with your family, Rachael. Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment + star rating. I really appreciate it. <3

  13. 5 stars
    Another perfect EBF Recipe!! I was looking for a new method to prepare sweet potatoes and this didn’t disappoint. I highly recommend throwing this into your summer grilling repertoire.

    1. Ahh that makes me so happy to hear, Ashlee. I’m so glad you enjoyed these grilled sweet potatoes. 🙂 Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment + star rating. I so appreciate it!

    1. Yay!! So glad these were a hit, Roy. Thanks for trying my recipe and for coming back to leave a comment + star rating. I so appreciate it!

  14. 5 stars
    We love sweet potatoes but I usually only bake them and eat them out of the skin w/ butter, s&p. Loved the ease of this recipe and with the thyme–so yum!!

  15. Hi! Is there a recipe for the aioli or just mix to taste? Or am I accidentally skipping over it 🙈