Yaki Imo (Japanese Roast Sweet Potato)

Name: Yaki Imo (Japanese Roast Sweet Potato)
Total time: 1 h 15 min
Cuisine: Japanese
Ingredients: 4 sweet potatoes, medium, about 250 g each, scrubbed; 2 tsp olive oil; 0.5 tsp flaky sea salt; 1 tbsp black sesame seeds

Sweet potatoes roasted low and slow until the skin crackles and the flesh turns sticky, soft and sweet as a pudding.

Time1 hr 15
LevelEasy
Costabout £0.28 a head
Oven180°C (160°C fan)

Cost is worked out from Aldi and Tesco shelf prices in October 2026. Your shop and brands will differ.

4 servings

Ingredients

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4sweet potatoesmedium, about 250 g each, scrubbed
2 tspolive oil
½ tspflaky sea salt
1 tbspblack sesame seeds

Method

1
Heat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan). Prick the sweet potatoes a few times with a fork and rub the skins lightly with the olive oil.
2
Place them on a baking tray lined with baking paper. The sugars will leak out and stick, so the paper helps.
3
Roast for 60 to 70 minutes, turning once halfway, until the skins are wrinkled and papery and the flesh is soft all through.
65 min
4
Test with a skewer, which should slide in with no resistance. Syrupy juice may ooze out, which is a good sign.
5
Rest for 5 minutes, then split open and scatter with the sea salt and black sesame seeds. Eat hot, skin and all.

Double check before you cook. Recipes can contain mistakes. Any diet labels come from the ingredients as written in this recipe and are a guide, not a guarantee. Always check every ingredient and the packet label for allergens and cross contamination, and ask your doctor or dietitian what is right for you, especially with coeliac disease, diabetes or a serious allergy. This is not medical advice.