Should You Wrap Sweet Potatoes In Aluminum Foil To Bake (Yes And No)

By: VidJovanovic
Date: January 19, 2023
Time to read: 5 min.

Yes, wrapping sweet potatoes in aluminum foil before baking them can help speed up the cooking process and reduce the amount of heat lost. This method can also help to keep sweet potatoes from drying out during the baking process.

If you want to bake sweet potatoes quickly and easily, wrapping them in aluminum foil is a great option.

Key Takeaways

Wrapping sweet potatoes in aluminum foil can help them bake faster.
The foil also helps to keep the potatoes moist, so they don’t dry out.
Wrapping sweet potatoes in foil also help to prevent them from burning.
You should not wrap sweet potatoes in foil if you plan to eat the skin, as the foil can cause it to become tough and rubbery.
If you wrap sweet potatoes in foil, use oven-safe foil so it doesn’t melt or leach chemicals into your food.

Table of Contents

Here’s The Answer To Should You Wrap Sweet Potatoes In Aluminum Foil To Bake

You should not wrap sweet potatoes in aluminum foil to bake them. Sweet potatoes are best baked unwrapped to crisp up on the outside while staying moist on the inside.

If you choose to wrap them in foil, make sure to poke a few holes so steam can escape.

Sweet Potatoes Are A Versatile And Healthy Root Vegetable

Sweet potatoes are versatile and healthy root vegetables used in everything from salads to sandwiches, casseroles, and even side dishes.

Sweet potatoes are low in sodium and calories, contain no cholesterol, and have no trans fat. Additionally, they provide a good amount of fiber, vitamins, and minerals.

Vitamin A is an important nutrient that helps your eyes function properly and protects against infection. One medium sweet potato contains 28 percent of your daily value for vitamin A! Vitamin C helps heal wounds by increasing iron absorption in the body.

They Can Be Baked, Roasted, Or Boiled

You can bake, roast, or boil sweet potatoes. Baking is the most common way to cook sweet potatoes. It’s the only way I’ve ever cooked them.

However, roasting and boiling are also options! Roasting is great if you’re looking for a crispy texture that pairs well with your favorite dishes – like salads or burgers (or even just on their own).

Boiling is great because it’s quick and easy—especially if you’re looking for something fast to go alongside whatever else you’re making with your meal prep day!

Baking Is The Most Common Way To Cook Sweet Potatoes

You may have heard of another method of cooking sweet potatoes that involves wrapping them in foil.

This method is fairly common and seems like it would be an easy way to cook your vegetables. Still, it’s not very healthy or quick.

You can easily bake your sweet potatoes on a baking sheet at 400°F for about an hour or until they are tender when pierced with a fork. As the sweet potatoes bake in the oven, you will have plenty of time to prepare the rest of the meal.

Wrapping Sweet Potatoes In Aluminum Foil Before Baking Them Can Help To Retain Their Nutrients And Moisture

Oven-roasted sweet potato is one of my favorite side dishes, but I’ve had a hard time making it turn out well.

Sweet potatoes can be difficult to bake: they’re watery and tend to dry out quickly. Wrapping them in aluminum foil before roasting helps keep the moisture, helping you achieve the perfect texture for your baked sweet potato dish.

Aluminum foil also acts as a conductor of heat. It will cook your sweet potatoes evenly throughout—so no more dried-out ends.

If you’re worried about all those aluminum toxins getting into your food, don’t worry too much—the amount absorbed through cooking is negligible (about 0.1 percent).

If You Do Wrap Sweet Potatoes In Foil, Be Sure To Use A Food-Grade Aluminum Foil That Is Safe For Cooking

If you’re going to wrap your sweet potatoes in foil, use food-grade aluminum foil. That means it’s very thin and will bend easily when cooked.

It also has no slits or holes, so the steam isn’tcan’t escape easily.

If you’re using standard household aluminum foil, thicker and shinier than what we’re talking about here, don’t bother wrapping your sweet potato because it won’t work.

So yeah: food-grade aluminum foil only, please.

Does Wrapping Sweet Potatoes In Aluminum Foil Affect The Nutritional Value?

So, it’s not a good idea to wrap sweet potatoes in aluminum foil before baking. Not only does it not affect the nutritional value of your sweet potato, but it helps improve them by keeping them moist.

Plus, if you’re trying to cook up some Thanksgiving dinner this week (or any other time of year), there’s no need to worry about drying out your sweet potatoes while they bake.

Just throw them in their foil blanket and let ’em heat up until they’re done!

Are Any Safety Concerns Associated With Using Aluminum Foil To Bake Sweet Potatoes?

The quickest response to whether aluminum foil is safe in the oven is that it is.

But let’s be clear: it’s not exactly a healthy food. As far as we know, cooking with aluminum foil has no negative health effects for most people—but there are some exceptions.

In addition to being an essential part of your silverware drawer and used to wrap up leftovers from takeout sushi lunches (or maybe just leftovers of any kind). When you want something tightly wrapped around whatever is within the pan, you can use aluminum foil in the oven as a substitute for parchment paper or tin foil.

Aluminum foil does have one downside: it can cause minor reactions in some people.

How Do You Properly Wrap A Sweet Potato In Aluminum Foil For Baking?

You have a sweet potato and want to bake it, but you’re not sure how to wrap it properly in aluminum foil. Should I wrap it? Why would I do that? What does that do for me?

First off, there’s no need for all the questions here. It’s very simple: place your sweet potato on a baking sheet and cover it with aluminum foil.

Crimp the edges of the foil together to seal them around your sweet potato, then bake at 400 degrees F for 45-60 minutes until soft inside.

Bottom Line

You should not wrap sweet potatoes in aluminum foil to bake them. Sweet potatoes are best baked unwrapped to crisp up on the outside while staying moist on the inside.

If you choose to wrap them in foil, make sure to poke a few holes so steam can escape.

Author

I’m Vid Jovanovic and I’m 36 years old. I’m a teacher by profession and my passion lies in baking. I have been baking since my early teens, when my grandmother taught me how to make a simple cake that you can find in any supermarket. My passion for baking grew as I got older and I started experimenting with different ingredients and recipes.