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SWEET and SPICY! Sweet Potato Salad gets spice from diced fresh jalapeño and sweetness from a simple maple syrup vinaigrette.
If you’re headed to a Fall picnic or tailgate, Sweet Potato Salad is a healthy alternative to traditional potato salad and can be prepared in a half the time. This Sweet Potato Salad has a little kick because it is spiced up with diced fresh jalapeño peppers and it has a little sweetness from a simple maple syrup vinaigrette. Don’t get me wrong — I love, love, love traditional potato salad, but this flavorful dish has a fraction of the calories, so there’s no guilt in enjoying a second serving of this stuff!
Plus, these beautiful ORANGE potatoes are perfect for Tennessee Tailgating! All you VFL friends (Vols for Life) definitely need to store this recipe away for football season.
One of my favorite ways to prepare sweet potatoes is to roast them in the oven with a little olive oil and a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Cutting the potatoes into one-inch cubes speeds up the cooking time, so these are ready in about 20-25 minutes. Just like with traditional potato salad, the secret to this dish is to toss the warm potatoes with the dressing.
Add crumbled crispy fried bacon, a few sliced green onions, and as much or little diced jalapeño pepper as you like and toss with the simple vinaigrette. SIMPLE means that this dressing is literally just maple syrup and red wine vinegar seasoned with salt and pepper. That’s it! Nothing fancy, just good ingredients and flavors that compliment each other. I love it when something so good can be achieved with so little effort, don’t you?
The season opener is just days away for the Tennessee Vols and I know that a lot of fans are excited for this season. Let’s get ready to enjoy the Fall, SEC football, tasty tailgates, friends and fun! Go, VOLS!!
More sweet potato recipes!
Sweet Potato Salad
Ingredients
- 4 large sweet potatoes peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 3 slices bacon fried and crumbled
- 1/2 jalapeño pepper seeded and diced
- 2 green onions sliced
Dressing
- 3 tablespoons maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/4 cup olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Place sweet potatoes into a large bowl with the olive oil, salt, and pepper. Toss to coat evenly.
- Pour the potatoes onto a large baking sheet and roast in the preheated oven for about 30 minutes, or until fork-tender.
- Transfer the roasted potatoes to a large bowl and add bacon, jalapeño, and green onions, tossing gently.
- Pour the dressing over the warm potatoes and toss gently until coated. Serve immediately or chill to serve later.
Maple Vinaigrette
- Whisk together the maple syrup, red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, salt, pepper, cumin, and paprika until smooth. Slowly add the olive oil, whisking constantly, until the dressing is emulsified.
Notes
- I like to use Trader Joe's stone ground Dijon mustard, but any Dijon mustard works in this recipe.
Nutrition
How many servings does this make? Thanks!
Holly, this recipe should make four servings. Enjoy!