Who doesn’t like roasted sweet potatoes? During the colder months, I roast them in the oven, and during the warmer months, on the stovetop. My usual preparation is pretty much the same as what I use for Roasted Fingerling Potatoes – an infused oil, salt and pepper, and some type of chile powder. However, I changed it up a bit with this Spicy Orange Sweet Potato dish.
Ghee (a type of clarified butter) is used in place of olive oil, and after roasting, the potatoes are tossed with orange juice and then sprinkled with chile powder. For this batch I used a new chile pepper from my friends at Ford’s Fiery Foods and Plants – murupi amerela. This is a completely different pepper than the urfa biber I introduced in the Fiery Chocolate Shots – quite a bit hotter and more of a citrus flavor than that of dates. To learn more about murupi amerela or to see alternative chile powders you could use, be sure read my Kitchen Notes.
As you can see in the pictures, the potatoes are Japanese sweet potatoes which have purple skin and whitish flesh. These sweet potatoes are a bit sweeter than other sweet potatoes and they are harder to slice, so be sure to use a large, sharp knife to cut them.
If you already have some ghee, then the prep time for these Spicy Orange Sweet Potatoes is about 15 minutes with an oven roasting time of 30 to 40 minutes. If you don’t have ghee, then tact on another 30 minutes OR read Kitchen Notes for alternatives. This dish is extremely easy to make and the flavors – citrus, spicy, buttery, and sweet – will make your taste buds happy.
A simple roasted sweet potato dish flavored with ghee, spicy chile powder and a touch of orange juice.
*See Kitchen Notes for substitutions and more information.
- 2 pounds sweet potatoes*, cut into 1/2″ (~1 cm) cubes
- 2 Tbsp. ghee*
- Juice from 1 orange
- 1/8 tsp. or to taste murupi amerela powder*
- salt to taste
- Preheat the oven to 375° F (190° C).
- Toss the cubed sweet potato with 2 tablespoons melted ghee and about 1/4 tsp. salt.
Transfer to an ovenproof skillet or roasting dish and roast in the oven for 30 minutes, stirring once after 15 minutes.
- After a total of 30 minutes in the oven, taste to see if the potatoes are done. If they aren’t done, return them to the oven for another 10 minutes.
- When done, transfer to a serving dish and toss with the orange juice and the chile powder.
- Taste. Add more salt if needed. Let sit for a couple of minutes for the orange juice to be absorbed into the potatoes, then serve.
Sweet Potatoes – The potatoes you see in the photos are Japanese sweet potatoes. However, any type of sweet potato or yam would work in this recipe. The Japanese sweet potatoes might actually be a little too sweet for some people’s taste, so just use your favorite. For another delicious recipe using Japanese sweet potatoes, check out the Candied Sweet Potatoes at Just One Cookbook.
Ghee – For some reason I have avoided making ghee for years thinking it was too much trouble for the outcome. Oh how wrong was I?! Not only is it EASY to make (I used the method at EasyFoodSmith), the outcome is uniquely delicious. A completely different taste from just butter. Because the milk solids are removed from the butter, ghee can handle temperatures up to 400° F, whereas butter burns around 250° F. By roasting the potatoes with ghee, the flavor of the ghee is incorporated into the sweet potatoes.
If you don’t have ghee, then roast the potatoes in 1 tablespoon mild olive oil and 1 Tbsp. butter. If vegan, the use 2 Tbsp. olive oil.
To learn more about ghee, what it is, its nutritional value, and how to make it, check out EasyFoodSmith’s post “Home Made DESI GHEE (Indian Clarified Butter)“.
Orange Juice – I chose to add the freshly squeezed orange juice after the potatoes had roasted to prevent the sugars in the juice from burning. By letting the cooked potatoes rest for a couple of minutes after tossing with the orange juice, it allows the juice to be absorbed into the potatoes.
Murupi Amerela – This pepper has a very unique flavor and the burn, it’s there, but it doesn’t last but a few seconds and it’s not a scorching burn. It’s just enough to wake you up and make sure that those taste buds are working properly, then it goes away leaving a sweet citrus flavor in the mouth. If you don’t have this particular chile powder, then use your favorite spicy sweet chile powder or a mild sweet chile powder like a Spanish sweet paprika, or one of the many red chile powders available. As far as how much of the murupi amerela to use, if you don’t like “heat”, then start with about 1/16 tsp (2 generous pinches) and work your way up. For us, 1/8 tsp was just right to provide a introduction of heat and flavor. (Read more about Murupi Amerela at the end of this post.)
Murupi Amerela is a Chinese pepper from the northern jungles of Brazil with a fruity flavor and serious heat. However, even though for some, the burn might be intense, it doesn’t last long at all. This chile pepper has a hint of citrus; therefore, it is a nice complement to the orange juice used in the recipe above, and the heat provides balance for the sweetness of the sweet potatoes.
This pepper is also nice sprinkled over any type of citrus salad or any salad for that matter. It can be added to soups, especially winter squash soups like my Butternut with Apples or Kabocha Squash with Fennel. Below are what the fresh peppers look like as well as the dried and ground pepper.
For more information on the murupi amerela pepper and other peppers found at John’s Fiery Foods, click on over the Spicie Foodie’s post Chiles of the World: 6 Chiles You Gotta Try! Click on an image to enlarge. I like to thank Ford’s Fiery Foods and Plants for the wonderful chile powders that they sent me!
Photo of the murupi amerela courtesy of Ford’s Fiery Foods and Plants. Unfortunately, Ford’s is no longer in business.
Disclaimer: I received no monetary compensation for this post, just a few vials of chile powder. The recipe – Spicy Orange Sweet Potatoes – and the opinions expressed here are my own.
For more sweet potato dishes, check out these recipes:
Oh, this dish sounds wonderful! So simple and so good, I love baked sweet potatoes and to add some orange juice sounds like great!
The orange juice does add a nice flavor to sweet potatoes. Thanks Adina!
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Looks like this is when I started to miss your posts… Wow… I missed a lot. I am so sorry!! What a fantastic flavor combination you have going on in these sweet potatoes.
What an interesting and different way to treat sweet potatoes! I imagine that the sweet and sour essences would be great together! X
Thanks Deena! This really is a great combination of flavors.
I’ve seen beautiful Japanese sweet potatoes online, but I’ve never had the opportunity to try them. I love the combination of orange and spice with the sweet potatoes and ghee is particularly interesting… Very tasty, MJ!
Thanks so much Mark! I can find Japanese sweet potatoes at the local market for about a month an that’s all so I grab them when I can. 🙂
I happen to have sweet potato in my pantry and love to try this recipe. This looks wonderful!
Thanks so much for stopping by!! I hope you get a chance to make these and enjoy!
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Love the idea of adding orange to the sweet potatoes. Since I have to eat more sweet potatoes, it is nice to find this fun, simple recipe! Yum, Hugs, Terra
I’m one… I find them so sweet… it just feels weird to be eating them as a “savoury” dish, but I must admit that when you amp up the spiciness with them they actually become very nice indeed. I didn’t try Japanese sweet potatoes before… well, I probably did, since I’ve been to Japan twice but it was a very long time ago now. Looks lovely MJ – even for someone who normally shuns the things!
I love the idea of orange with sweet potato. I think I’ll be trying this very soon!
Oh..yes, I am huge fan of sweet potatoes…and any dishes from it is welcomed whole heartedly. This one looks a winner…
Homemade ghee is always best Mj, Love that you roasted sweet potatoes with ghee. the flavor it adds is amazing.
Thanks Swathi! I’ve now become a huge fan of ghee!
I certainly know they must have tasted great! Love the fact that you used ghee. I usually roast these and serve drizzled with some sweet and sour tamarind chutney.
Oh this looks fabulous MJ! I do love sweet potatoes in any form, really. Though I must admit I’ve never spiced them up before! Definitely going to give this a try. I was recently reading about how to make ghee. And will have to attempt that as well! Fabulous recipe! : )
There is something about sweet and spicy that go so well together. Your potatoes sound great.
Simple and satisfying dish! I love the citrus and chili combo in it..
I¡¯m not that much of a internet reader to be honest but your blogs really nice, keep it up! I’ll go ahead and bookmark your website to come back later. Cheers
Totally love roasted veggies and even better with ghee!
I usually have my roasted sweet potato with bacon..LOL! This is a healthier version. BTW, Happy Blogiversary and cheers to more yummy years!
Yes, I love roasted sweet potatoes. I’ll have to look out for that chilli pepper because I’ve not heard of it before. I love how these have some orange in there as I think that would be a lovely combination of flavours xx
Thanks Charlie! The orange really is a nice complement to the sweet potatoes.
Haha! I don’t 🙂 Frankly, I don’t hate them, but I always prefer “normal” potatoes… (I have a problem with sweetish vegetables, also pumpkin for example though I prefer sweet potatoes rather than pumpkin!). However, I must admit they gain a lot of taste when cooked in a spicy way, so I’m sure yours are delicious.
Well, now that is funny! We pretty much have the same tastes, but I guess this is an exception. I’m not a big of pumpkin either, but I do love sweet potatoes and regular potatoes as well. The spice is a great addition. Thanks for your comments as always Sissi!
I love sweet potatoes and we eat it quite often, baked, cooked, in soups and curries but I’m also intrigued by that pepper…never heard of it so now will be on the lookout!
Thanks so much Simone! Please check out the links I provided to the peppers. Ford’s has a great selection!
I love sweet potatoes.. And this looks so good, loved the flavor of orange .. I’ll try this recipe soon.. Thanks for sharing…. Hugs
Thanks so much Gloria! Hope you enjoy!
You are right, MJ, we love roasted sweet potatoes, but haven’t tried them with orange before, which sounds yummy! A great side dish for just about anything. 🙂
Thanks Judy! You’re right – a great dish for just about anything. We’ve had it with chicken and pork and worked with those. 🙂
Mmm, orange is such a great flavour to add to potatoes 😀
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
I agree Uru! Thanks!
Nothing better than roasted sweet potatoes but the ghee and the orange and murupi amerela – would send me to heaven.
Thanks Maureen! It certainly was a great transformation! 🙂
I’ve never met a roast sweet potato I didn’t like. Never. 😉 But I have to say, I think you’ve taken them to a new height! These look fabulous. And you’re right that making ghee (or clarified butter, for that matter) isn’t at all difficult. I need to do that again. So I can make this recipe. 😉
Thanks so much John! I know I’ll be making ghee again. The batch I made for this is almost gone.
Ghee and potatoes, any kind….you just can’t beat that!! As an Indian, I can’t do without ghee, and often, when in hurry, I reach out to it because simply adding 1 tsp of ghee to practically anything makes it refreshing and delicious! I can imagine the flavors that have married here, especially with the peppers. Yummm!
Thanks Minnie! This was my first personal experience making and cooking with ghee and I’m already hooked. It’s great stuff!
I love sweet potatoes so much that I can honestly eat it in every meal. I just had them in tempura at a Japanese restaurant here in Taiwan… My family knows how much I love sweet potatoes so I exchanged with my shrimp tempura. Yeah I’d pick sweet potato over shrimp tempura! 😀 Anyway, this is wonderful. I’ve never tried cooking with juice of orange – how interesting and I’m so intrigued to give it a try, MJ! Love the spice of your choice too, and see if I can get the same. Thank you so much for linking to my sweet potato recipe. I’ll thoroughly enjoy a big skillet of these potatoes. <3
I’m with you on sweet potato tempura Nami! The place we go for sushi makes that and it’s SO good! I’ll think you’ll love them with the addition of the orange juice. And you are most welcome. I love your sweet potato dish as well.
MJ’s loved this recipe. The Murupi Amerela sounds like it complemented the sweet potatoes perfectly. Another fabulous work of art 🙂
Thanks so much John!!! And thanks again for the wonderful chile powders!
Well, I love sweet potatoes in virtually every form (including garlicky sweet potato fries, if you must know 🙂 ) — the addition of orange juice sounds lovely here (when I first read the title I thought you were roasting the oranges). I like the technique of adding the juice at the end once the potatoes are cooked – the flavours from the orange and the chili most come through very nicely this way. What a great little side dish MJ!
There’s not a thing wrong with garlicly sweet potatoes fries in my book either! I love them! And you’re right – the title does make it sound like I’m roasting the oranges. Hum – I need to change that. Great catch! The orange added at the end really added a “delicacy” to the potatoes that you don’t get in roasted vegetables at times. Thanks as always for your comments Kelly! 🙂
Besides being beautiful, I bet these roasted sweet potatoes taste amazing with the addition of orange and chilies.
Thanks Liz! Yes – orange and chile do enhance the flavor!
I do love sweet potatoes and roasting them is wonderful. I like the use of ghee and orange here. And you are such a reference when it comes to chile pepper, curious to try this one.
Thanks Evelyne! I do like my chile peppers. 🙂
Never had roasted sweet potatoes (here are not so easy to find), but I bet they’re delicious, especially with this added flavor!
Thanks Giulia! WOW – sweet potatoes are hard to find there? I’m not sure why that surprises me, but it does. Of course one very seldom sees sweet potatoes in Italian cuisine. 🙂 Let me just say that if you ever do see them, buy some and give them a try. you’ll Love them!
Exactly…who doesn’t? I actually love all the roasted veggies. This sounds really good with orange and ghee.
Thanks Angie! I’m with you – love ALL roasted veggies. 🙂