Seared Sweet Potatoes With Chermoula

By Pete Wells

Updated January 4, 2026

  • Rachel Vanni for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Spencer Richards.
Media 1 of 1
Total Time
1 hour 10 minutes
Prep Time
10 minutes
Cook Time
1 hour
Rating
5(700)
Comments
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This recipe is featured in a four-part series about creating healthier eating habits. Boiling sweet potatoes instead of roasting them slows the rate at which their sugars are absorbed into the bloodstream, as does serving them in their jackets, which contain even more fiber. (Maintaining steady blood sugar levels can help with a range of health issues, from poor sleep to weight management to liver disease.) The somewhat flat flavor of sweet potatoes really benefits from a fresh herb sauce such as chimichurri, Italian salsa verde, zhug or North African chermoula. The potatoes can be boiled in advance, then reheated in the microwave and seared at the last minute, making this a quick light dinner with a small salad of young arugula or crisp chicories.

Featured in: Our Former Restaurant Critic Changed His Eating Habits. You Can, Too.

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Ingredients

Yield:8 servings as an appetizer, 4 servings as a main course

  • 4 medium sweet potatoes

  • Salt

  • ½ cup packed cilantro leaves and tender stems

  • ½ cup packed parsley leaves and tender stems

  • 1 teaspoon roughly chopped serrano chile with seeds

  • 3 to 4 garlic cloves

  • 2 teaspoons sweet paprika

  • 1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin

  • ¼ teaspoon ground cayenne

  • ⅓ cup olive oil, plus more for searing the sweet potatoes

  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice

  • Roasted chickpeas, for serving (optional)

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (8 servings as an appetizer)

25 grams carbs; 121 calories; 1 gram fat; 4 grams fiber; 223 milligrams sodium; 4 grams protein; 5 grams sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Scrub the skins of the sweet potatoes and halve the potatoes lengthwise. In a pot, cover them with plenty of salted water and bring to a boil, then simmer until tender, 15 to 25 minutes.

  2. Step 2

    Meanwhile, make the chermoula. In a food processor, blend the cilantro, parsley, chile, garlic, paprika, cumin, cayenne and 1 teaspoon salt with a tablespoon or two of the oil to make a rough paste. Gradually blend in the rest of the oil. Finally, stir in the lemon juice. Adjust the seasonings: The flavor should be bright and assertive, so add more lemon juice, salt or cayenne (judiciously) if it needs a kick. Smooth out with 1 to 2 tablespoons additional oil if the chermoula is too thick. Put the sauce in a small bowl.

  3. Step 3

    When the sweet potatoes are done, fish them from the water and let them steam themselves dry on a dish towel while you warm a few tablespoons of olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches, sear the cut sides of the sweet potatoes to caramelize them, 4 to 6 minutes (you may need more oil for the second batch). Spoon some of the chermoula over the top and serve the rest on the side, with roasted chickpeas if desired.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
700 user ratings
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Comments

Pete Wells

@Moe a study from 2011 found that the glycemic index of boiled sweet potatoes is around 41, roughly half that of potatoes that are roasted (79) or baked (82). Food are assigned a glycemic index ranging from 1 to 100. The lower the number, the more slowly glucose from the food is released into the blood. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3205609/

Naima

Doesn't boiling the sweet potatoes mean that a lot of the nutrients end up in the water? The recipe blurb implies that somehow boiling "slows the rate at which their sugars are absorbed into the bloodstream."

Pete Wells

@CYW I too grew up in a house where no vegetable was boiled for less than 45 minutes. But in adulthood I've come to appreciate quickly boiled spinach, green beans and a lot of other vegetables. And boiling is the foundation of my mashed potato recipe. There's nothing wrong with throwing vegetables into a pot of hot water. You just have to know when to stop.

Leah

Next time I will make sure I have some bread to sop up all the tasty sauce! Yum! This was a knockout.

Anne

next time I would cut potatoes into 1/3 slices or maybe 1/4 depending on thickness- the sear is what made the potato lovely for our family- the chermoula was excellent and would make a larger batch next time

Sage

Confessino: We do something very similar... the lazy way... with Trader Joe's chimichurri sauce, made from Cilantro,Olive Oil, Parsley, Canola Oil, Water, Garlic, Red Wine Vinegar, Sea Salt, Cumin, and Crushed Red Pepper. Yes, chimichurri is more Argentinian in origin whereas chermoula is North African, but the version of chimichurri we get contains most of the same ingredients as Pete Wells's chermoula recipe (i.e. ecliantro, parsley, chili flakes, cumin, etc.)

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