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Yaki Imo (Japanese Sweet Potato Recipe)
Are you ready to try the delicious Yaki Imo, roasted Japanese sweet potato? This creamy, buttery treat has no added sugar, yet it’s incredibly sweet and will melt in your mouth!
Looking for Japanese sweet potato recipes? Try my Sweet Potato Tempura, Sweet Potato Soup, or Mashed Japanese Sweet Potato Recipe!
I’ll walk you through the ingredients and step-by-step instructions. I hope you enjoy it!
Why You Will Love This Recipe
Recipe Ingredients
Youโll need the following ingredients to make this Yaki Imo Recipe:
The only ingredients in this recipe are Japanese sweet potatoes! Choose the one that is uniform and gross without any bumps. Depending on the variety, there are various thicknesses, but pick those with a plump appearance. By the way, they differ from Japanese yams, which have a sticky, slimy inside.
How To Make Yaki Imo: STEP BY STEP
Here are some quick visual instructions! For the video and all the detailed ingredients and instructions, go to the printable recipe card below.
Step 1
Wash off Japanese sweet potatoes, dry them, and wrap them in foil.
Step 2
Place them on a baking sheet and roast them at 180 C.
There you go! When you open it, it looks like this, and it’s super hot!
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.
Japanese Varieties of Satsuma Imo
There are many types of sweet potatoes in Japan, each with its own unique flavor! 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! The following are some of the most popular Satsuma imo:
My personal preference is Beni Azuma or Silk Sweet, as they offer the perfect sweetness to my taste.
Want More Plant-Based Ideas?
Download 10 Vegetarian Recipes
More Japanese Sweet Potato Recipes You Will Love
Leave a Rating!
I hope you enjoy this Yaki Imo Recipe! If you try it, don’t forget to leave a rating to share your thoughtsโI love hearing from you!
Yaki Imo (Japanese Sweet Potato Recipe)
Ingredients
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180ยฐC (356ยฐF).
- Wash and dry the Japanese sweet potatoes.
- Wrap each sweet potato in aluminum foil.
- Place the wrapped sweet potatoes on a baking sheet and roast in the oven for 60 minutes.
Video
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”ย
Nutrition
This nutritional information is estimated and provided for general reference only.
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.
Hi Eurico, I didn’t know that! I would love to try Portuguese roasted sweet potatoes! Thanks for sharing:)