Mexican Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Feta and Lime Recipe
Soft, oven-roasted sweet potatoes topped with salty feta, fresh coriander and a squeeze of lime create a simple but very bold flavor combination. In Mexico, sweet potatoes often appear as a street snack, sold with various sauces and toppings. This dish can be a standalone dinner or a side for grilled meat.
This dish combines the street-food tradition of Mexican sweet potatoes with the simplicity of a home-cooked dinner – the sweetness of roasted potatoes contrasts with the pronounced saltiness of feta and tangy lime. Smoked paprika adds a slightly “grilled” aroma without a barbecue, and fresh coriander brings the distinctive herbal freshness known from Mexican salsas. With just a few ingredients you get a very bold, layered flavor that doesn’t need complicated extras.
Chef's tips
Make sure the sweet potatoes are really very soft – a fork should slide in like into butter, otherwise the centers will be floury and dry. Score the criss-cross cuts fairly densely so the oil and spices penetrate the flesh better and the potatoes roast more evenly. Crumble the feta directly over the hot halves, but don’t put it back in the oven so it doesn’t dry out and turn rubbery.
How to serve
Serve them with a simple salad of tomato, red onion and cucumber or alongside grilled chicken from a grill pan when you don’t want to fire up a real grill. To drink, water with lime slices and mint leaves or a lightly chilled pale beer works very well. It’s a great option for a lazy vegetarian weeknight dinner or as a colorful side on the table during a home “taco night”.
Ingredients
- sweet potatoes medium, well scrubbed - 3 piece
- feta cheese crumbled - 80 g
- vegetable oil - 2 tablespoon
- smoked sweet paprika for a smoky aroma - 0.5 teaspoon
- hot paprika, ground or more to taste - 0.25 teaspoon
- salt - 0.5 teaspoon
- black pepper, ground - 0.25 teaspoon
- lime juice freshly squeezed - 2 tablespoon
- fresh coriander (cilantro) chopped - 0.25 bunch
- thick natural yogurt for serving, optional - 3 tablespoon
Preparation
- Preheat the oven to 200°C (top and bottom heat). Line a baking tray with baking paper.
- Scrub the sweet potatoes thoroughly under running water with a brush, dry them and cut them in half lengthwise. Do not peel them.
- Place the sweet potato halves on the tray, cut side up. Score the flesh in a criss-cross pattern with a knife, making shallow cuts without cutting through the skin.
- In a small bowl, mix the oil, smoked paprika, hot paprika, salt and pepper. Brush or spoon the mixture over the tops of the sweet potatoes so the seasoning seeps into the cuts.
- Put the tray in the oven and bake for 30–35 minutes, until the sweet potatoes are very soft inside. You can check with a fork – it should slide in without resistance.
- Remove the baked sweet potatoes from the oven and immediately drizzle with lime juice so it soaks into the hot flesh.
- Sprinkle the tops with crumbled feta and fresh coriander. If using yogurt, add a small dollop on each half.
- Serve right away while the sweet potatoes are still hot and the cheese has warmed slightly.
Storage
Store cooled sweet potatoes in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. Reheat in the oven or microwave; add fresh coriander and yogurt or extra feta just before serving.
