Are you ready to experience the delight of this yummy Japanese Sweet Potato Recipe? It's a creamy, buttery dessert with a sweet nutty flavor...and best of all, it has no added sugar! It's so delicious and will melt your taste buds!
Yaki imo or roasted Japanese sweet potatoes are not only tasty but also a healthy snack that's easy to prepare at home. Wrap the sweet potatoes in foil, bake them in the oven for an hour, and voila!
Give it a try and enjoy these simple and delicious Japanese treats!
- This recipe is for you if:
- You love Japanese sweet potato (Satsuma imo).
- You want to know how to cook Japanese sweet potato.
- You are looking for a yaki imo (roasted Japanese sweet potato) recipe.
Let me walk you through the ingredients and the instructions. If you want to check the recipe, click the link below. Let's get started!
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About This Recipe
- Japanese sweet potato recipe
- A healthy and easy snack
- Sweet and creamy
- Cooking Time: 60 minutes in the oven
What is Yaki Imo?
Yaki Imo is a beloved snack among Japanese people.
While Japanese sweet potatoes, known as Satsuma imo, are available year-round, the best season to enjoy yaki imo is from fall to winter. I tend to purchase a large quantity during this time and make yaki imo until we've had our fill. My kids love them!
We sometimes spot street vendors selling these purple sweet potatoes during cold months in Japan. Their yaki imo are roasted over charcoal, which gives them a caramelized, chestnut-like flavor, and they are so tasty!
📋 Ingredients
Here are the ingredients (amounts are in the recipe card below).
The only ingredients in this recipe are Japanese sweet potatoes!
Japanese Sweet Potatoes (Satsuma Imo)
Japanese sweet potatoes are called Satsuma imo in Japanese. Satsuma refers to Kagoshima prefecture, which is located on Kyushu island (southern Japan) and is famous for growing and harvesting Satsuma imo. The word "imo" in Japanese translates to "potato".
They are magenta in color and have white flesh inside. The standard size is about 300g to 400g, and the best season is from fall to winter.
Satsuma imo is known for its rich and creamy texture, as well as its natural sweetness, making it an excellent choice for baking and desserts. Compared to your regular sweet potatoes, Satsuma imo can be sweeter, but it's a versatile ingredient that you can use in a variety of dishes. It works wonderfully in tempura, miso soup, salads, simmered dishes, and as a perfect side dish for other main courses.
By the way, they differ from Japanese yams, which have a sticky, slimy inside.
Where to Buy Japanese Ingredients
If you live in the US, you can find Japanese ingredients in the list below.
- Japanese market: Mitsuwa Marketplace, Marukai
- Asian market
- Whole Foods Market
- Health food stores
- Online stores: Instacart, Walmart, Amazon
🔪Instructions
Let me show you how to make it with these three simple steps!
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 180C/356F.
Step 2
Wash off Japanese sweet potatoes under cold water, dry them, and wrap them in foil.
Step 3
Place them on a baking sheet and roast them at 180C/356F for 60 minutes
That's it! It takes less than a minute to prep, then all you need to do is wait!
There you go! When you open it, it looks like this, and it's super hot!
Please do not take them out of the oven immediately. Leave them in for an additional 15-20 minutes in order for the sweet potatoes to cool down.
How to Eat Yaki Imo
You can eat it either hot or cold! Hot yaki imo are delicious, but cold ones are just as tasty.
After the yaki imo cools down, open the foil, grab the yaki imo, divide it in half by hand, and eat from the middle. The inside should be a beautiful golden brown.
You can eat the purple skin of Japanese sweet potatoes (I always do), but if you don't like the starchy texture, feel free to remove the single layer. Leave the end because it's hard and tastes bitter, so you don't want to eat that part.
Storage
After the yaki imo is completely cooled down, remove its moisture by wrapping it up tightly with cling wrap, putting it into a Ziploc bag (or airtight container), and storing it in the fridge or freezer.
It will last five days in the fridge and one month in the freezer.
If you decide to freeze yaki imo, here's the best way to enjoy it:
After removing it from the freezer, let it sit at room temperature for about five minutes. Then, scoop the frozen yaki imo into your mouth, and savor its creamy, ice cream-like texture!
Japanese Varieties of Satsuma Imo
There are many types of sweet potatoes in Japan, each with its own unique flavor! The following are some of the most popular Satsuma imo:
- Beni Azuma: The most standard sweet potato in Japan.
- Silk Sweet: has soft and flaky textures.
- Annou Imo: is gooey and much sweeter than other types.
- Beni Haruka: is gooey and much sweeter than other types.
If you have access to well-stocked grocery stores, especially local Asian grocery stores or Japanese grocery stores, I encourage you to explore the different variations and discover your favorite!
My personal preference is Beni Azuma or Silk Sweet as they offer the perfect sweetness to my taste.
Thanks For Stopping By!
Yaki imo is a delicious, healthy, nutritious snack and one of my favorite sweet potato recipes. They are rich in vitamin C and dietary fiber but, be careful not to eat too much as they are high in calories! I do hope you like this traditional Japanese dessert!
Thank you for taking the time to read my blog♡ If you’ve tried this recipe (or any other recipe on the blog), please give it a star rating below!
Also, if you have any questions or remarks, please don't hesitate to leave them in the comments section below. I love hearing from you!
Chef JA Cooks is a Japanese food blog that shares simple and healthy Japanese home cooking recipes, including vegan and vegetarian. From traditional Japanese recipes to modern recipes with step-by-step instructions.
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📖 Recipe
Perfect Japanese Sweet Potato Recipe (Yaki Imo)
Print Pin SaveIngredients
- 5 Japanese sweet potatoes, or as much as you like
Instructions
- Preheat the oven at 180C/356F.
- Wash and dry the Japanese sweet potatoes.
- Wrap them in foil.
- Roast at 180C/356F for 60 minutes.
Notes
- Storage: It will last 5 days in the fridge and one month in the freezer.
- Do not take them out of the oven immediately. Leave them in for an additional 15-20 minutes in order for the baked Japanese sweet potatoes to cool down.
- The taste and texture would be different depending on which Japanese sweet potatoes you use. See "Varieties of Satsuma imo"
Eurico
I'm Portuguese, and roasted sweet potatoes are a common snack in Portugal, normally eaten cold, I still eat them all the time. I also love Japanese sweet potatoes, sweet and a wonderful texture, I usually eat the peel first and then enjoy the sweet inside, yummy.
JURI
Hi Eurico, I didn't know that! I would love to try Portuguese roasted sweet potatoes! Thanks for sharing:)