Savory Smoked Paprika Mashed Sweet Potatoes
Looking for a new way to serve sweet potatoes as a side dish? These savory mashed sweet potatoes are seasoned with smoked paprika, chili powder, and cayenne! You will LOVE their deliciously warm, smoky, and spiced kick. A healthy, super easy alternative to “sweeter” sweet potato recipes.
Smoked paprika is one of my all-time favourite spices (this smoked paprika shrimp recipe is a prime example). I knew I wanted to use this rich, warm, and smoky spice in a veggie side dish – mashed sweet potatoes seemed like the perfect pairing to me!
This simple recipe is such a nice change up to more common mashed potato dishes, such as the ones flavoured with cinnamon and/or topped with marshmallows. Don’t get me wrong, those are delicious too, but it’s nice to have a more savory variety.
You will love how the flavours pair really well with all sorts of protein dishes – from chicken or turkey, to seafood like salmon and shrimp. Enjoy these as part of your weekly meal prep, or add them to your holiday menus!
Looking for more dietitian-designed sweet potato recipes? These maple-roasted sweet potatoes and carrots, these roasted japanese sweet potatoes, or these miso mashed sweet potatoes are other delicious side dish options!
About the ingredients
- Sweet potatoes: While there are many varieties of sweet potatoes out there, I used the ones with the distinct orange flesh for this recipe. Good varieties to choose are the “Jewel” or “Garnet” sweet potatoes!
- Smoked paprika: This Spanish spice has a similar flavor profile to regular paprika, but with a much smokier and richer flavour. It is not meant to be spicy in this dish, so do not use a “hot” variety!
- Chili powder: Chili powder is made from ground red chili peppers along with other spices like cumin, paprika, oregano, garlic, and onion. I regularly pair it with smoked paprika in recipes to add more depth – the two go SO well together!
- Cayenne: A pinch of cayenne pepper is added to the sweet potatoes as well. It has a *very* light kick of spice, but I promise it does not make this recipe spicy. You can omit it if you don’t have it on hand.
- Garlic powder: I forgot to picture this in the ingredients image above, but a sprinkling of garlic powder adds a lovely touch! I prefer it to minced garlic cloves in this instance, as it provides a more subtle flavour – we don’t want the garlic to be overpowering.
- Honey: A very small amount of honey is added to this recipe (literally one teaspoon), but it just balances out the flavours a bit!
- Butter: You may use regular butter (I chose unsalted), or a plant-based butter alternative.
- Milk: You may use regular cow’s milk for this recipe, or a plant-based alternative. If using a plant alternative, make sure that the milk you choose is UNSWEETENED and unflavoured (no vanilla!) I personally made this with almond milk.
Full ingredient measurements and detailed instructions are located in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post!
Visual guide: how to make savory mashed sweet potatoes
STEP 1: The first step of making this recipe is peeling the sweet potatoes and cutting them! I like to first cut them into roughly 1-inch thick rounds…
STEP 2: …then, cut those rounds into roughly 1-inch “cubes.”
STEP 3: Repeat until all your potatoes are cut. The cubes don’t have to be perfect – cutting them just helps to increase the surface area to cook them before mashing!
STEP 4: Next, place the sweet potato cubes in a large pot and add water, till the potatoes are almost completely covered. Cover and bring to a boil, then lower the heat and allow the potatoes to simmer for 15 minutes.
STEP 5: Once the potatoes are soft, drain the water. Add in your milk, butter, and all the spices.
STEP 6: Using a potato masher, mash potatoes until desired texture is reached. A potato masher will have a more “lumpy” texture, but if you want these potatoes completely smooth – do this step in a food processor instead!
Sweet potato nutrition benefits
Sweet potatoes are a great source of dietary fibre, with one medium-sized sweet potato providing almost 4 grams (15% of your daily needs).
From a micronutrient standpoint, sweet potatoes are an incredible source of beta-carotene, which converts to vitamin A. One medium sweet potato provides 386% of your daily vitamin A needs! Beta carotene also has antioxidant properties, helping to prevent cellular damage.
Sweet potatoes are also a source of other micronutrients, like:
- potassium
- magnesium
- calcium
- iron
- phosphorus
- vitamin B6
- vitamin E
- vitamin C
More sweet potato recipes
- Sweet Potato Salad With Smokey Tahini Dressing
- Salmon With Sweet Potato Mash & Coconut Sauce
- Sweet Potato Pie Smoothie With Apples
- Brussels Sprouts & Sweet Potato Hash
Did you give this Savory Mashed Sweet Potatoes Recipe a try? Let me know by leaving a comment and recipe rating below!
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Get the Recipe: Savory Mashed Sweet Potatoes (Smoked Paprika!)
Ingredients
- Approx. 2 pounds sweet potatoes (roughly 3 medium-sized; choose ones with orange flesh)
- 1/4 cup milk (cow's milk or unsweetened, unflavoured plant alternative)
- 1/4 cup butter (regular, unsalted or plant alternative)
- 1 Tbsp smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp chili powder
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- A pinch of cayenne pepper
- 1 tsp honey
- Salt + pepper, to taste
Instructions
- PREP: Peel and wash sweet potatoes. Then, cut them into roughly 1-inch thick "cubes."
- Place the sweet potato cubes in a large pot. Add water, till the potatoes are almost completely covered (roughly 4 cups). Cover the pot with a lid and bring to a boil.
- Once boiling, reduce heat to low and allow potatoes to simmer for about 15 minutes, or until they are easily pierced with a fork.
- Turn off heat, then drain water from sweet potatoes.
- To the cooked and drained sweet potatoes, add in the remainder of the ingredients. Season generously with salt and a bit of black pepper.
- Mash with a potato masher until desired texture is reached. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. Serve hot!
Notes
- Using a potato masher will be less clean up but will result in a more “lumpy” texture (not a bad thing!!) However, if you want these mashed potatoes completely smooth (like a puree), add everything to a large food processor and blend until smooth instead.
- If you’d like to add a pretty garnish, you can sprinkle some chopped parsley overtop for a pop of green.
Nutrition
As a dietitian, I create recipes with whole food ingredients that provide the nutrients needed for optimal health. My nutrition philosophy does not focus on numbers; however, I understand that this information can be helpful.
Do note that the nutrition info provided is an estimate and I cannot guarantee correctness of the displayed values. These numbers will differ depending on brands used, recipe modifications, and amount eaten. If you require specific nutrition information due to medical reasons, please consult with your dietitian or physician.
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Let me know by leaving a recipe rating below, or by tagging @walderwellness on Instagram. I love seeing your beautiful creations!
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