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Home Vegetarian

Sweet potato steaks

By:Nagi
Published:16 Aug '23Updated:19 Aug '23
57 Comments
Recipe v Video v Dozer v

Introducing my (current) favourite sweet potato recipe: roasted thick steak-like slabs of sweet potato served with a whipped tahini sauce and a garlicky-sesame-chilli topping for a Middle Eastern inspired MEATY meatless dinner!

Roasted sweet potato steaks on a plate with whipped tahini yogurt sauce

Sweet potato steaks

Named as such because the thick slices of sweet potato kind of remind me of meaty steaks, I love this recipe because it uses economical sweet potatoes to make a really tasty, satisfying meat-free dinner that’s something a little different. Here in Sydney, you can even find “imperfect” sweet potato for as little as 99c/kg ($0.50/lb, GBP0.50/kg).

Cut thick slabs, roasted until tender then dig into it with a knife and fork like you would a rib-eye.

Though, today’s “steaks” are dressed up a whole lot more than I do with beef steaks! A generous smear of tahini yogurt, and a glittering, sizzling topping of garlic, sesame seeds, green and red cayenne peppers. STELLAR flavour combination!

Overhead photo of Roasted sweet potato steaks

Meet the players in todays’ recipe!

  1. Slabs of sweet potato roasted with a simple spice mix until golden on the surface and tender inside.

  2. The garlic-sesame-chilli topping.

  3. The Whipped Tahini Yogurt (well, it’s just whisked, but “whipped” sounds better 😂)

  4. Crunchy toasted flatbread for dunking! (Optional)

Making Roasted sweet potato steaks
Roasted sweet potato
Topping for Roasted sweet potato steaks
Topping (shortcut option available!)
Whipped tahini yogurt sauce
Whipped tahini yogurt sauce
Crispy toasted Lebanese bread with Roasted sweet potato steaks
Crisp toasted pita bread (optional)

Ingredients

Here’s what you need to make these meaty meatless steaks. I have an easy alternative for the topping if you need to speed things up. But don’t skip the Tahini Yogurt Sauce or the seasoning for the sweet potato!

a big sweet potato & Seasoning

Ingredients in Sweet potato steaks
  • Large sweet potato – We need a large one because we will be cutting 2 thick steaks from the centre of it. If you don’t have a large one, don’t fret! Just make more smaller ones. 🙂

  • Seasoning – Nothing unusual here, just all my usual players. I like to use smoked paprika because it’s got a lovely….well, smokey flavour. 😂 But you can just substitute with ordinary paprika.

Whipped tahini yogurt

“Whipped” is an elaborate name for something that takes 20 seconds to whisk!! 😂 I use the name as a clue of the texture which is more light and fluffy than a basic yogurt sauce. It’s almost like soft whipped cream.

Ingredients for Whipped Tahini Yogurt
  • Plain yoghurt – Not sweetened, and not flavoured.

  • Tahini – Paste made with sesame seeds. Usually found in the health food aisle at grocery stores. Use hulled tahini (more common), not un-hulled which is darker and more bitter. The jar label will specify which it is.

    Use Chinese sesame paste as a sub if you have leftovers from other recipes I’ve shared, like this one or this one!

  • Lemon – For tangy lemon flavour.

  • Garlic – Because it makes it tastier. Finely grate it using a microplane so you don’t have big lumps in the sauce.


TOPPING (or not)

This garlicky, oniony, sesame topping speckled with non-spicy flecks of green and red chilli adds interest, colour and flavour to this sweet potato dish. But on nights when it’s all too hard, I’ll give this a miss and just use a handful of store-bought Crispy Asian Shallots. Crispy, oily and salty, it works a treat as a finishing touch!

Ingredients in Sweet potato steaks
  • Shallot (US: eschalot) – Also known as French onions, they look like baby onions but have purple-skinned flesh, are finer and sweeter. Not to be confused with what some people in Australia call “shallots” ie the long green onions. Substitute with same amount of finely minced red onion.

  • Cayenne peppers – the large chilies that are not very spicy at all once deseeded. They provide a warm hum! If you’re concerned, leave it out and substitute with 1 tsp each coriander seeds and cumin seeds. Different flavour profile but they will bring something else to the dish to compensate.

  • Garlic – Finely minced and fried up until golden, it adds a stack of flavour to this topping!

  • Toasted pine nuts – For sprinkling on at the end. Substitute with other nuts: pistachios (love the green colour and flavour!), almonds, pepitas, sunflower seeds.

  • Coriander/cilantro – For a fresh finish and also for colour. Coriander haters can substitute with parsley or chives, but for me, I really like coriander for these Middle Eastern flavours.


How to make Sweet Potato Steaks

This recipe kind of reminds me of a salad – the ingredients list looks lengthy but the making part is low effort!

Cooking the sweet potato steaks

How to make Sweet potato steaks
  1. Sweet potato cutting – Using a sharp knife, cut a small slice off one end so you can stand the sweet potato upright, stable.

  2. Cut the cheeks off, then cut two x 1.8cm/0.7″ thick steaks from the middle that are flat on each side. Ignore my very specific steak size guide (1.8 cm thick, 17 cm long, 7 cm wide (0.7 x 6.5 x 2.75″), just cut whatever you can using the sweet potato you have!

    Too hard? If cutting steaks standing the potato upright is too hard, just cut 1.8cm/0.7″ thick rounds and make sweet potato “filet mignon”!! Depending on your potato size, you should be able to make 4 to 6.

How to make Sweet potato steaks
  1. Rub with just 2 teaspoons of olive oil then sprinkle with the seasoning mix.

  2. Bake at 200°C/400°F (180°C fan-forced) for 45 – 50 minutes or until tender. Don’t flip – we want good colour on the surface.

Topping, sauce & assembling

How to make Sweet potato steaks
  1. Whipped tahini yogurt sauce – Put the ingredients in a heatproof bowl and whisk to combine. Microwave for 20 seconds, then whisk again for 10 seconds – it will be like soft whipped cream. Serve straight away or at room temp.

  2. Toast the pine nuts in a dry small pan until they have golden patches, become shiny with oil and smell amazing. Remove immediately into a bowl.

  3. Topping – Heat the oil then sauté all the Topping ingredients for a few minutes until the garlic is golden.

  4. Assemble – Smear sauce on a plate.

How to make Sweet potato steaks
  1. Still assembling… Place the sweet potato on top.

  2. Almost finished…. Sprinkle with Topping, pine nuts, coriander/cilantro then a swish of olive oil. A pinch of sumac wouldn’t go astray either, if you’ve got some (lovely lemony red spice used in Middle Eastern / Mediterranean cooking). Now it’s ready to EAT!!

Eating Roasted sweet potato steaks

Crispy toasted Lebanese bread with Roasted sweet potato steaks
Crisp toasted pita bread (optional)

Highly recommended – crispy bread for serving

I will happily eat this just as it is. There’s so much flavour packed into one plate, and that yogurt sauce really makes it.

But if you want to take it over the top, serve with a crispy bread of some kind. Great textural contrast and excellent vehicle for piling! My favourite is some pita or Lebanese bread with a sprinkle of zataar or dukkah. Then just bake for 10 minutes until crispy – pop it in the oven with the sweet potato.

Enjoy! – Nagi x


Watch how to make it

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Overhead photo of Roasted sweet potato steaks

Sweet potato steaks

Author: Nagi
Prep: 10 minutes mins
Cook: 1 hour hr
Main, Side Dish
Middle Eastern
5 from 18 votes
Servings2
Tap or hover to scale
Print
Recipe video above. I know the ingredients looks exorbitantly long for something I describe as "an easy way to turn sweet potatoes into a really tasty meaty dinner"! But actually, it is very straight forward. Thick slices of sweet potato roasted with a simple spice mix, then served on a bed of tahini yogurt topped with a glitter of garlic-sesame-chilli and pine nuts. It's a fabulous flavour combination!
Serve with something crunchy – toasted pita bread is my pick. (Note 5)

Ingredients

  • 1 gigantic sweet potato – to cut 2 x “steaks” 1.8 cm thick, 17 cm long, 7 cm wide (0.7 x 6.5 x 2.75") – Note 1
  • 2 – 3 tsp olive oil

Spice mix:

  • 1 1/2 tsp smoked paprika (sub ordinary)
  • 1/2 tsp onion powder (or more garlic powder)
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder (or more onion powder)
  • 1/4 tsp cumin powder
  • 1/2 tsp cooking/kosher salt
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper

Whipped tahini yogurt sauce:

  • 1 cup plain yogurt (250g)
  • 2 1/2 tbsp tahini (Note 2)
  • 1 1/2 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 garlic clove , finely grated
  • 1/2 tsp cooking/kosher salt

Topping:

  • 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 3 garlic cloves , finely minced
  • 1 1/2 tbsp eschallot (US: shallot), finely chopped (Note 3)
  • 1 tbsp red cayenne pepper , deseeded, finely chopped (not spicy, Note 4)
  • 1 tbsp green cayenne pepper , deseeded, finely chopped (not spicy, Note 4)
  • 1 tbsp white sesame seeds

Serving:

  • 2 tbsp pine nuts , toasted
  • 2 tbsp coriander/cilantro leaves , finely chopped
  • Pinch of sumac , optional (or paprika)
  • Pita or lebanese bread , toasted (Note 5)

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 200°C/400°F (180°C fan-forced). Line a tray with parchment/baking paper.
  • Bake sweet potato – Rub sweet potato steaks with oil, then sprinkle each side evenly with spice mix (don’t rub, it smears). Bake 45 – 50 minutes until potato is soft. Don’t flip.
  • Tahini yogurt sauce – Whisk ingredients in a medium heat-proof bowl until mostly combined. Microwave for 20 seconds on high. Whisk again – it will be like softly whipped cream! Use warm or at room temp.
  • Toast pine nuts in a small pan (no oil) preheated over medium heat. Once lightly golden, remove into a bowl.
  • Topping – In the same pan, heat oil (still on medium). Add all Topping ingredients and cook, stirring, until the garlic is golden. Transfer into a bowl immediately.
  • Assemble – Smear most of the yogurt sauce on plate (save some for drizzling). Put sweet potato on top. Sprinkle with Topping, drizzle with yogurt sauce, then sprinkle with pine nuts, coriander and sumac. EAT with crunchy toasted flatbread!

Recipe Notes:

1. Sweet potato cutting – Using a sharp knife, cut a small slice off one end so you can stand the sweet potato upright, stable. Cut the cheeks off, then cut two x 1.8cm/0.7″ thick steaks from the middle that are flat on each side.
Ignore my very specific steak size guide, just cut whatever you can using the sweet potato you have! And if cutting steaks standing the potato upright is too hard, just cut 1.8cm/0.7″ thick rounds and make sweet potato “filet mignon”!! You can make more than 2.
2. Tahini – Paste made with sesame seeds. Usually found in the health food aisle at grocery stores. Use hulled tahini (more common), not un-hulled which is darker and more bitter. The jar label will specify which it is.
Use Chinese sesame paste as a sub if you have leftovers from recent recipes I’ve shared, like this one or this one!
3. Shallot (US: eschalot) – Also known as French onions, they look like baby onions but have purple-skinned flesh, are finer and sweeter. Not to be confused with what some people in Australia call “shallots” ie the long green onions. Substitute with same amount of finely minced red onion.
4. Cayenne peppers – the large chilies that are not very spicy at all once deseeded. They provide a warm hum! If you’re concerned, leave it out and substitute with 1 tsp each coriander seeds and cumin seeds. Different flavour profile but they will bring something else to the dish to compensate.
5. Crispy pita or Lebanese bread – Cut bread into manageable pieces (or roast whole then break by hand – fun!). Spray or brush with olive oil, sprinkle with salt, and toast in the oven under the sweet potato for the last 10 minutes or so until crisp.
6. Saving on calories – If you want to cut down on fat, please don’t lower the star rating because you’re not happy with the end result (that’s not fair! 😂) BUT here is what you can do (in order of what I’d do first):
a) Use olive oil spray for the sweet potato – save 50 cal per serving
b) Use oil spray to sauté the topping (but be a little generous else it’ll never sizzle!) – save 100 cal per serving
c) Use low fat instead of full fat yogurt – save 60 cal per serving (note: sauce will be thinner)
d) Skip tahini and just make plain yogurt lemon garlic sauce – save 110 cal per serving. I’d be really sad if you had to do this – tahini is so good!
Total potential calorie saving 330 cal (682 cal down to 352 cal).
Nutrition per serving, assuming all yogurt sauce is consumed. This is a big, hearty, meaty meal! See note 6 for calorie cutting.

Nutrition Information:

Calories: 682cal (34%)Carbohydrates: 69g (23%)Protein: 15g (30%)Fat: 41g (63%)Saturated Fat: 7g (44%)Polyunsaturated Fat: 11gMonounsaturated Fat: 21gCholesterol: 16mg (5%)Sodium: 1373mg (60%)Potassium: 1403mg (40%)Fiber: 11g (46%)Sugar: 18g (20%)Vitamin A: 36466IU (729%)Vitamin C: 26mg (32%)Calcium: 340mg (34%)Iron: 5mg (28%)
Keywords: sweet potato recipe, sweet potato steaks
Did you make this recipe?I love hearing how you went with my recipes! Tag me on Instagram at @recipe_tin.

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Life of Dozer

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This was at the Ballroom Dinner at the Four Seasons Hotel in Sydney last week, hosted by Dymocks bookstore. You can watch the video here!

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Hi, I'm Nagi!

I believe you can make great food with everyday ingredients even if you’re short on time and cost conscious. You just need to cook clever and get creative!

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57 Comments

  1. Jenny says

    October 7, 2023 at 2:13 pm

    This was scrumptious. Changed it up a wee bit with sunflower seeds (can’t afford pine nuts) & couple other bits. Doesn’t matter what you do, it will be yummy. The yogurt & tahini sauce was such a tasty surprise. Just loved this. What a creative recipe. Thank you

    Reply
  2. Christine says

    September 27, 2023 at 10:30 am

    This was sooo good. I’m a big fan of sweet potatoes, but have never had them quite like this. What a treat. I loved all the flavors. The yogurt sauce was my favorite part.
    Will definitely be making this again.
    Thank you for all your wonderful recipes.
    I have your cookbook and love it!

    Reply
  3. Rachael Ramsey says

    September 26, 2023 at 7:53 am

    5 stars
    So very wonderful. My husband didn’t come up until all was gone. I followed your recipe exactly, except for using jalapeños instead of cayenne peppers since it’s all I could find. Thank you, again, Nagi. You rock!

    Reply
  4. Kaye says

    September 11, 2023 at 8:00 pm

    5 stars
    OMG. This is a showstopper. Spectacular. Friend just said it was if it was served up at Bennelong.

    Reply
  5. MSS says

    September 8, 2023 at 7:16 am

    Hi Nagi, to make this completely kid friendly heat wise, do you suggest subbing chillies for capsicum red and / or green either fresh or cooked, or best to just leave them out all together so it doesn’t mess up the harmony of other flavours? Thanks in advance for advice to nail this dish!

    Reply
  6. Helen Leach says

    September 7, 2023 at 5:57 pm

    Just ate the beautiful sweet potato steaks Nagi and they were delicious and I got a 👍👍👍from the man of the house

    Reply
  7. Marca says

    September 6, 2023 at 7:38 am

    Thank you SO VERY much for sharing the adorable picture of Dozer’s first time in the ocean!!! He was such a CUTE puppy! Love him!!!

    Reply
  8. Amanda says

    September 5, 2023 at 8:37 pm

    5 stars
    Incredible recipe! Even won over my hubby who doesn’t typically like sweet potato or yoghurt.
    Thanks for this amazing vego recipe Nagi ♥️ Love your work.

    Reply
  9. Tracie says

    September 4, 2023 at 6:55 am

    Yuuummmm!!!!! Thanks Nagi!

    Reply
  10. Rosemaree Tacken says

    August 27, 2023 at 8:29 pm

    Sensational! Have now cooked this 2 weeks in a row. Definitely worth making the flat great and toasting some. I’ve used the leftover whipped Tahiti sauce as a dip. Cannot get enough of this.

    Reply
  11. Leanne Woodall says

    August 26, 2023 at 3:50 pm

    This recipe is so yummy!

    Reply
  12. Claireholmes66@hotmail.com says

    August 24, 2023 at 7:15 am

    Amazing. Followed the recipe and it was fantastic. Solid by Nagi as usual.

    Reply
  13. Lee says

    August 22, 2023 at 1:08 pm

    5 stars
    Loved it.

    Reply
  14. Vanessa Wright says

    August 22, 2023 at 12:28 pm

    5 stars
    Absolutely delicious! I just made this for lunch and will definitely be making it again. Couldn’t get Cayenne peppers so swapped for roasted capsicum and some crushed chilli

    Reply
  15. Kylie says

    August 21, 2023 at 10:59 pm

    5 stars
    Absolutely delicious, even without tahini and coriander.
    Highly recommended.

    Reply
  16. David Vernon says

    August 21, 2023 at 9:02 am

    5 stars
    This was wonderful. Nobody could be believe how filling this was and we were filling a young basketballer! The flavours were fabulous. Replaced pine nuts with pepitas and sunflower seeds.

    Reply
  17. Donna Z says

    August 19, 2023 at 7:14 pm

    5 stars
    What a filling meal! No pine nuts, no drama we used walnuts. Not really a fan of that much fresh chilli, no drama we added some chilli powder to spice rub. For the topping we used half a red onion, half a red capsicum. a few spring onions & one rasher of bacon. Not a fan of tahini, so just omitted it. My daughter & I both agreed that this will be “fakeaway” instead of buying takeaway. Thanks once again Nagi for a super feast. PS the house smelled amazing 😉

    Reply
  18. Conny says

    August 19, 2023 at 12:11 pm

    Wow, this was absolutely superb! Fantastic flavour and texture combination!! I cut one huge sweet potato crosswise into “medallions” and it made two meals for my husband and I. He doesn’t like sweet potatoes but he had very high praises for this recipe. Thanks Nagi!!

    Reply
    • Conny says

      August 19, 2023 at 12:16 pm

      5 stars
      Sorry, I forgot to give this 5 stars – I would give it more if I could!

      Reply
  19. Meta says

    August 18, 2023 at 11:42 pm

    5 stars
    Nagi, You are a gem. I have been following your recipes for a long time now. I have to say this recipe was absolutely superb. Fantastic mix of flavours and textures. Unfortunately I don’t want to make sweet potato any other way now – unless you come up with something even more sublime! Well done yet again!

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      August 19, 2023 at 10:50 am

      WOW that is a high praise!! I’m so glad you enjoyed this Meta, thank you for coming back to let me know what you thought! – N x

      Reply
  20. Rhoda says

    August 18, 2023 at 8:07 pm

    5 stars
    Absolutely loved. Haven’t seen such a positive response from hubby in long time

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      August 19, 2023 at 10:49 am

      I LOVE HEARING THAT!!! Thanks for taking the time to come back and share the feedback – N x

      Reply
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Hi, I'm Nagi!

I believe you can make great food with everyday ingredients even if you’re short on time and cost conscious. You just need to cook clever and get creative! Read More

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