Pit Boss Smoked Sweet Potatoes

Sharing is caring!

This smoked sweet potato recipe is simple, and the results are always delicious!. They’re perfect for holiday meals like Thanksgiving and Christmas, but also make an excellent side dish for weeknight dinners or backyard cookouts.

Now they’re a regular on my dinner table, and I love loading them up with bacon, butter, green onions, and cheese for a hearty smoked side dish that everyone asks for.

No time to read the recipe? Pin it to read later ⤵️

Easy Smoked Sweet Potatoes

These smoked sweet potatoes are perfect for big holiday meals or just a regular weeknight dinner. They’re incredibly simple to make – just season them and let the smoker do all the work. You’ll end up with tender, flavorful flesh and crispy skin that has that amazing smoky taste. Once you try them this way, you’ll wonder why you ever bothered with regular baked potatoes.

What You Need

• Sweet Potatoes: buy similar-sized ones so they finish at the same time. I go for medium-large — big enough to hold toppings but not so large they take forever at 250°F. Garnet or Jewel varieties are my default — they’re sweeter, and the flesh stays moist through the 2-hour smoke.
• Melted Butter: melted and mixed with the BBQ rub before going on. The butter carries the seasoning into the skin and helps it crisp. I use salted butter here — the salt on the skin is one of the best parts.
• Your favorite BBQ Rub: whatever you’re already using on your main cook. I use the same rub on the sweet potatoes that I’m using on the meat so everything ties together on the table.
• Toppings of choice 

How to Smoke Whole Sweet Potatoes

1. Prep The Smoker

Preheat your Pit Boss to 250°F. You can also use any other type of smoker or grill for this recipe.

2. Preparing The Sweet Potatoes

Sweet potatoes need very little prep. Scrub the skin under cold water and dry completely — any moisture on the skin will steam in the smoker instead of crisping.

Pierce 8–10 times all over with a fork — this lets steam escape and allows the smoke to get into the flesh. Try to find potatoes of a similar size for more consistent cooking.

3. Season The Potatoes

Melt the butter and mix with your BBQ rub until combined. Brush the entire surface of each potato generously — including the ends. The butter-rub mixture is what gives the skin that slightly caramelized, seasoned finish.

For a sweet version, substitute the BBQ rub with cinnamon, brown sugar, and a drizzle of maple syrup — it smokes into a sticky glaze that works particularly well alongside a smoky main.

4. Smoking The Sweet Potatoes

Place the sweet potatoes directly on the grill grates in indirect heat. Close the lid and smoke at 250°F for 2 hours. At the 60-minute mark, brush with the remaining butter mixture — the first coat will have absorbed, and the skin will look slightly matte and darker. The second coat is what finishes the skin.

At 2 hours, pierce with a fork — it should go through with almost no resistance. The skin will be slightly wrinkled and the ends will look caramelized. The whole smoker will smell of sweet potato and smoke — slightly sweet and nutty. Pull when the internal temperature reaches 210°F or when the fork goes through cleanly with no resistance.

What Temperature to Smoke Sweet Potatoes At?

For this recipe, we ran at a medium heat temperature of 250°F for about 2 hours. Setting at a lower temperature of 225°F will take about 3-3.5 hours.

Turning the heat to 275°F will speed up the process and get you cooked sweet potatoes in an hour and a half.

Wood Recommendation for Vegetables

For sweet potatoes I use apple or maple — both give a mild, slightly sweet smoke that enhances the natural sweetness of the potato rather than competing with it. Cherry also works well. Pecan adds a little more depth if you want something between a fruit wood and a heavier hardwood. Avoid mesquite entirely on sweet potatoes — too heavy for a 2-hour cook on a delicate vegetable and will make the skin taste bitter rather than smoky.

Tasty Topping Ideas for Sweet Potatoes

You can stretch your imagination here. Go light, or turn the side into the main meal. To get you started, here are a couple of ideas for toppings:

• Salsa, guacamole, and sour cream, topped with grated cheese.
• Scrambled egg, spicy sauce, grated cheese, and chopped fresh chives.
• Olives, pepperoni, capsicum, and salsa.
• Mince or lentils with Greek yogurt, corn, and lime juice.

For a sweet twist, try:

• Almond butter, berries, granola, and toasted coconut.
• Berries and ricotta sprinkled with cinnamon and orange zest.

How to Store Leftovers

Store leftover smoked sweet potatoes in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat in a 375°F oven for 12–15 minutes until warmed through and the skin re-crisps. An air fryer at 375°F for 6–8 minutes is the best reheating method — the skin comes back close to fresh.

Avoid the microwave — the skin goes completely soft. Leftover smoked sweet potato flesh is also excellent mashed with butter and a pinch of cinnamon, stirred through a curry, or used as a base for soup.

📌 Did you try this recipe?

Have you made this delicious recipe and loved it?

I would love it if you took a minute to leave a star rating and review. It is also helpful if you made any substitutions or changes to the recipe to share that; thank you!

📌 Please also pin the image below, then you can find the recipe for the next time you want to cook.

What to Serve With Sweet Potato 🍠

• 🍖 Oven Roasted Pork Butt
• 🥩 Oven Baked Tri-Tip
• 🍗 Baked Chicken Drumsticks
• 🍗 Baked Chicken Thighs
• 🍗 Baked Chicken Breasts
• 🥩 Smoked Sirloin Steak
• 🍗 Grilled Whole Chicken

Smoke On!

Charlie

Hungry For More?