Easy Chipotle Sweet Potato Puree

Do you dislike eating sweet potatoes?

• Maybe you can't make it through the sweetness of the traditional Thanksgiving sweet potato casserole loaded with sugar and topped with marshmallows or pecan crumble.
• Did you try roasting whole sweet potatoes in the oven and found them to be less than appetizing as they quickly deflated, leaving really wet pulp under their skin?
• Perhaps you had another less than stellar sweet potato experience because the potato came from a can.

Why You'll Love This Recipe

You can make chipotle sweet potato puree as a vegetable side dish for a weekday meal because it has only 5 ingredients and uses a microwave to speed up the cooking without heating up the house.

You can grill or pan-sear a protein like pork, chicken, or flank steak while the sweet potatoes are cooking, and both dishes come together simultaneously.

When serving this chipotle sweet potato puree for friends and family, many people return for seconds, and then ask for this recipe!

Try this recipe. It will turn sweet potato haters (like myself) into sweet potato lovers!

🔥 Why These Sweet Potatoes Rock

• This sweet potato recipe can be made ahead and reheated before your meal.
• They travel easily to your tailgate, potluck, or lake weekend with family and friends.
• Microwave sweet potato puree saves you prep time during your work week and spares using your oven during the hot summer months.
• It's a refined and elegant side for a Sunday supper or a Thanksgiving feast.
• You don't have to peel raw sweet potatoes.

Common Issues When Making Sweet Potato Puree

• Some sweet potato recipes are too sweet. No added sugar in this recipe allows the sweet potato's natural sweetness to come through.
• Undercooked pulp can be an issue resulting in firm lumps. Make sure your sweet potato is cooked throughout.
• They're underseasoned. Taste your final dish to see if some additional salt is needed.
• The consistency is too runny from adding too much liquid. This recipe has minimal additional liquid to maintain a naturally thick puree.
• The texture is too chunky. Mashing sweet potatoes by hand is fine, but using a food processor will create a smoother and more refined texture.

Ingredients

You only need 5 staple ingredients to make this amazing sweet potato puree!

• Whole sweet potatoes: When shopping for sweet potatoes at the grocery store, you will notice that they vary in size. It's important to purchase similar-sized sweet potatoes. I find that 3 pounds is about 5-7 sweet potatoes. Also, the thicker sweet potato at the market is more desirable than the skinny one as there is more pulp per potato that you can scoop out.
• Chipotle pepper: Canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce are located in the international aisle of the grocery store next to Mexican ingredients.
• Salted butter: My favorite brand is Plugra with a higher fat content and less water. If Plugra is not available in your area, Land of Lakes butter is the second choice. Unsalted butter works, too. You may need to add salt during your taste test.
• Lemon: Look for a medium-sized lemon with a little bit of give when you lightly squeeze it at the store.
• Diamond Crystal kosher salt: I prefer the brand Diamond Crystal because their shape is lighter and flakey and dissolves faster which helps prevent over seasoning. If using Morton or table salt, cut the salt measurements by half.

See the recipe card below for ingredient measurements.

Variations

• Spicy - You can add an additional chipotle pepper or two, if you like more spice.
• Equipment - If you don’t have a microwave, use an oven and bake on a cookie sheet at 350°F for about 50 minutes.
• Butter - While you don't have to add butter, it definitely makes it taste better. You can even add more butter if a higher, creamy mouthfeel is your thing. Sometimes it’s mine!
  

How to Make Chipotle Sweet Potato Puree

Before you start: If you have a smaller microwave, you may find it beneficial to microwave the sweet potatoes in 2 batches. Don't forget to pierce the potatoes with a fork before microwaving them.

Step 1: Microwave the sweet potatoes until soft then split the potatoes in half on a cutting board.

Step 2: Spoon out the pulp and transfer it to the food processor bowl. Add the butter.

Step 3: Add the chipotle pepper, lemon juice, and salt to the food processor.

Step 4: Puree the mixture for 60 seconds. Remove the lid and stir the mixture with a spoon. Close the lid and puree 30-60 seconds longer until smooth.

FAQ

Storage Information

Store this chipotle sweet potato puree in a microwavable dish in the refrigerator uncovered until they are cool then cover for up to 4 days. Reheat the dish in the microwave for 2-3 minutes stirring once in between to warm them up before serving.

This dish does stand up well to freezing for 3-4 months. To freeze, let them cool in a freezer-proof container uncovered on the counter to room temperature or place in the refrigerator to cool. Cover, label, and date it, then place it in the freezer.

To thaw, either pull it out to the fridge the day before serving or defrost it in your microwave. Once defrosted, reheat it in the microwave to a minimum internal temperature of 165°F while pausing to stir the puree.

What to Do with Leftover Chipotle Chili Peppers

You will have an open can of chipotle chili peppers in adobo sauce after making this recipe. Save those chipotle peppers by freezing them.

I place each chili pepper in a sandwich bag, remove as much air as possible, and seal the bag. Then, place all of the sandwich bags in a gallon freezer bag that is labeled and dated.

Remove as much air as you can and seal it before storing it in the freezer for up to 4 months.

Pull out one at a time as needed for chipotle salad dressing, or this easy chipotle sweet potato puree!