Breakfast

Steamed Sweet Potatoes

Name: Steamed Sweet Potatoes
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 20 min

Five ingredients, one tin, thirty-five minutes — and somehow my fussiest eater asked for seconds.

Nexaalance

Recipe developer · Mum of three

| Updated 26 May 2026 · 4 min read

4.9 from 312 parents who've tried it

tonight's dinner — sorted

35 min total time

kid-tested 4.9 / 5

Prep

15 min

Cook

20 min

Total

35 min

Serves

Serves 2

Difficulty

Easy

Diet

Gluten-free swap

A note from Sophie

This recipe was born out of a Tuesday meltdown — both kids tired, the fridge half-empty, and zero patience for "something fancy". I tipped chicken thighs and sweet potato into a tin, squeezed a lemon over the lot, and prayed.

Twenty-five minutes later, my fussiest eater asked, "can I have the lemon bit?" — which, honestly, was a parenting moment I didn't see coming.

It's been on weeknight rotation ever since, and after a few hundred reader emails confirming the same, I knew it had to be the first traybake on the site.

✓ Sweet potato edges go a little crispy & sweet.
✓ Mild lemon-garlic juice (no scary green herbs).
✓ Everything stays separate on the plate — no "weird sauce".
✓ Eats well cold the next day in a school lunchbox.

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The recipe card

Steamed Sweet Potatoes

4.9 · (312 parent reviews)

Servings 2

Ingredients

Tap each one as you grab it

For the traybake

4 boneless chicken thighs — or 2 chicken breasts, halved

2 medium sweet potatoes — cut into 2 cm chunks

1 unwaxed lemon — half sliced, half juiced

3 tbsp olive oil

2 cloves garlic — finely grated

To finish

handful fresh thyme or rosemary leaves — optional

crumbled feta or grated cheddar — optional

Instructions

Heat the oven & prep

Heat the oven to 200°C / 180°C fan / gas 6. Tip the sweet potato chunks into a roomy roasting tin, drizzle with 2 tbsp of the oil, season with a pinch of salt and toss to coat. Roast for 10 minutes while you prep the chicken.

Top Tip → Cut your sweet potato chunks the same size — chunky chips, not coins — so everything cooks evenly.

Add the chicken & lemon

In a small bowl, mix the remaining oil with the lemon juice, grated garlic and a pinch of salt. Tuck the chicken thighs and lemon slices in between the sweet potato. Drizzle the lemony oil all over.

Top Tip → Pat the chicken dry with kitchen paper first — that’s what gives you golden, glossy skin instead of a steamed grey thigh.

Roast & rest

Slide back into the oven for 22–25 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through (juices run clear) and the sweet potato is tender at the edges and a little caramelised. Scatter with herbs and feta if using, then rest for 3 minutes before serving with greens.

Top Tip → Spoon the lemony pan juices over each plate at the end — that’s the bit kids ask for more of.

Nutrition (per serving)

Estimated · per child-sized portion

412

Calories

28g

Protein

32g

Carbs

Fibre

18g

Fat

0.6g

Salt

Notes, swaps & little tweaks

Make it for fussier eaters

Skip the lemon slices and serve the juice on the side. Swap herbs for a sprinkle of cheddar — works every single time.

Freezer & batch notes

Roast a double batch and freeze portions in lidded containers for up to 2 months. Reheat covered at 180°C for 15 minutes.

Allergen-friendly swaps

Naturally gluten-free. For dairy-free, skip the feta. For nut allergies, no swaps needed — this is already nut-free.

What parents are saying

4.9 out of 5 — from 312 parent reviews.

Made it tonight? Rate it.

Your rating helps other busy parents find this faster.

Megan

Leeds

“Both kids ate it without a single negotiation. That has literally never happened with chicken before.”

Tom

Brighton

“Made it on a Tuesday after work, ten minutes hands-on tops. The lemon-garlic juice is the chef's kiss.”

Steamed Sweet Potatoes

Why kids love it