How to Cook Yams

Co-authored by Hema Agwu and Jessica Gibson

You probably see yams on sale during the holiday season, but they're great to eat throughout the year. Try roasting yams with a simple seasoning of salt and pepper to bring out their flavor. Or if you're short on time, microwave the yams until they're tender. You can also boil yams on the stove and mash them along with butter and milk for a creamy side dish. Traditional candied yams are also a great way to satisfy your sweet tooth.

Ingredients

Roasted Yams

1 large yam, peeled and cut into ¹⁄₄ inch (0.6 cm) (6 mm) thick slices
1 teaspoon (5 g) kosher salt
1 teaspoon (2 g) freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons (30 ml) olive oil

Makes 1 to 2 servings

Microwaved Yams

Yams

Mashed Yams

4 medium yams (about 2 pounds or 907 g), peeled and cut into large chunks
1 teaspoon (5 g) salt
1/2 cup (120 ml) milk
2 tablespoons (28 g) butter

Makes 6 servings

Old-Fashioned Candied Yams

8 medium sweet potatoes, baked, peeled and sliced in half lengthwise
2 1⁄2 cups (590 ml) water
1 1⁄3 cups (266 g) packed dark brown sugar
4 tablespoons (56 g) unsalted butter
1 1⁄2 teaspoons (4 g) cinnamon
1 1⁄2 teaspoons (7 ml) vanilla
1 1/2 cups (75 g) mini-marshmallows, optional

Makes 8 servings

Method 1

Method 1 of 4:

Making Roasted Yams

1
Preheat the oven and prepare a pan. Turn on the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Get out a rimmed baking sheet and lay aluminum foil across the bottom. Set the pan aside while you prepare the yam.^{[1]
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2
Cut the yam and place it on the sheet. Wash 1 large yam and use a vegetable peeler to remove the peel. Take a sharp knife and carefully cut the yam into 1/4-inch (6 mm) thick slices. Slice the yam horizontally so you get circular slices. Place the slices on the sheet so they overlap a little.^{[2]
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- Aim to keep your slices uniform so that they’re all the same size. This way, your yams will roast evenly.
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3
Season the yam. Drizzle 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of olive oil over the yam and sprinkle the slices with 1 teaspoon (5 g) of kosher salt and 1 teaspoon (2 g) of freshly ground black pepper.^{[3]
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4
Roast the sliced yam for about 30 minutes. Put the pan in the preheated oven and bake the yam for about 30 minutes. Insert a fork to ensure that the yam is totally soft once it's finished cooking. It should begin to curl slightly around the edges too. Remove the yam and serve it immediately.^{[4]
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- You can store leftover yam slices in an airtight container in the refrigerator. They'll keep for a day or two.

Method 2

Method 2 of 4:

Making Microwaved Yams

1
Wash and poke the yams. Get out as many yams as you'd like to cook. Wash them thoroughly and dry them with a kitchen towel. Take a small knife and carefully poke the yams a few times. This will let steam escape as they cook.^{[5]
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- Try to find yams that are the same size so they cook evenly in the microwave. Keep in mind that you can probably only fit 3 or 4 yams in your microwave at a time.
2
Arrange the yams on a plate. Place the prepared yams on a microwave-safe plate or bowl. Run a paper towel under some water and wring it out. Lay the damp paper towel over the yams and put the plate in the microwave.^{[6]
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3
Microwave the yams for 5 minutes. Set your microwave to high and microwave the yams for 5 minutes. If you're only cooking one yam, it should take only 5 minutes. If you're cooking several yams, you'll need about 5 minutes for each yam.^{[7]
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4
Check the yams and microwave them for 5 more minutes if needed. Carefully lift away the paper towel and poke the yams with a fork to see how tender they are. If you're cooking more than one yam, turn the microwave on for another 5 minutes and then check them again. Keep microwaving the yams for a couple of minutes at a time until they're soft.^{[8]
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- If you're using several orange or yellow yams, it should take about 10 minutes total for them to cook. Purple yams will take longer and you might need to wet the paper towel again as the yams cook.
5
Peel and serve the cooked yams. Wear oven mitts to remove the plate of cooked yams from the microwave. Let the yams cool until they're cool enough to handle. Use your fingers to peel the yams. You can eat them with a little bit of butter and seasonings or slice them and use them in another recipe.^{[9]
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- You can refrigerate the cooked yams in an airtight container for several days.

Method 3

Method 3 of 4:

Making Mashed Yams

1
Peel and cut the yams. Wash 4 medium yams (about 2 pounds or 907 g). Use a vegetable peeler to remove the peel from each yam. Cut the yams into large pieces. The pieces should be even in size so they cook evenly. Put the chunks into a medium saucepan.^{[10]
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2
Cook the yams in a pot of water for 20 minutes. Pour enough water over the pieces of yam to cover them completely. Stir in 1/2 teaspoon (2.5 g) of salt and turn the heat to high. Once the water boils, turn the heat down to medium. Let the yams simmer for about 20 minutes.^{[11]
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- Poke the yams with a fork to see if they've finished cooking. The fork should easily slide into the cooked yams.
3
Heat the milk with the butter. Pour 1/2 cup (120 ml) of milk and 2 tablespoons (28 g) of butter into a small saucepan. Turn the heat to medium and stir the milk for a few minutes until the butter melts. Turn off the heat.^{[12]
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4
Drain the yams and mash them with the milk and butter. Place a colander in a sink and pour the cooked yams into it so the water drains. Transfer the cooked yams back into the medium saucepan and pour the warmed butter and milk mixture over them. Add the remaining 1/2 teaspoon (2.5 g) of salt and use a potato masher to mash the yams until they're as smooth as you'd like them. Serve the mashed yams while they're warm.^{[13]
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- Avoid mashing the yams for too long or they'll become pasty.

Method 4

Method 4 of 4:

Making Old-Fashioned Candied Yams

1
Cook 8 medium yams and slice them. Bake or microwave 8 medium yams. Once they're cool enough to handle peel them and slice them in half lengthwise. Or if you're roasting the yams, you can peel and slice them before you bake them. Lay the cooked yams in a 9 x 13-inch (22 x 33-cm) baking dish in a single layer.^{[14]
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2
Combine the syrup ingredients and preheat the oven. Measure 2 1⁄2 cups (590 ml) of water into a 2-quart (1.9-liter) saucepan. Stir in 1 1⁄3 cups (266 g) of packed dark brown sugar, 4 tablespoons (56 g) of butter, 1 1⁄2 teaspoons (4 g) of cinnamon, and 1 1⁄2 teaspoons (7 ml) of vanilla. Turn the oven on to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).^{[15]
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3
Cook the syrup for about 45 minutes. Turn the heat to high so the syrup ingredients come to a boil. Turn the heat down to medium-low so the mixture bubbles gently. Simmer the syrup for about 45 minutes so it begins to thicken and reduce. You'll need to stir the syrup every once in a while to prevent it from sticking.^{[16]
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4
Pour the syrup over the yams and cover with the mini-marshmallows. Carefully pour the syrup over the cooked yams in the baking dish. Ensure that all of the yams are coated with the syrup. If you want to use mini-marshmallows, sprinkle 1 1/2 cups (75 g) of mini-marshmallows over the yams.^{[17]
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5
Bake the candied yams for 45 minutes. Place the yams in the preheated oven and bake them for about 45 minutes. The yams will soften even more and the syrup will look bubbly. Let the candied yams sit for a few minutes before you serve them.^{[18]
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- To help the yams cook evenly, you might want to spoon some of the syrup over them every 15 minutes during the cooking time.