This Thanksgiving, I wanted to break up with the usual marshmallow-topped casserole and give sweet potatoes the glow-up they deserve. Thick slices get parboiled just long enough to turn tender inside, then kissed with smoke and blistering char on a screaming-hot grill. Right when they come off the fire, still steaming and striped with grill marks, they take a luxurious bath in bright, addictive Agave Lime Cilantro Vinaigrette. The result is stunning: glossy, vibrant orange rounds flecked with green, tasting like citrusy sunshine with a whisper of smoke and just enough sweetness. It’s familiar enough to feel like Thanksgiving, but fresh and bold enough to steal the show—every plate came back empty and everyone asked for the recipe.
Char Grilled Sweet Potatoes Recipe
Char Grilled Sweet Potatoes with Agave-Lime-Cilantro Vinaigrette
Equipment
- sauce pan
- slotted spoon
- glass bowl
- Grill
- large spatula
Ingredients
- 2 sweet potatoes – skinned and sliced into ¼" slices
- 1 tbsp sea salt
- ¼ cup olive oil – extra virgin olive oil
- 1 cup Agave Lime Cilantro Vinaigrette – made in advance
Instructions
- Peel, then slice the sweet potatoes into ¼-inch thick rounds.2 sweet potatoes
- Bring a pot of salted water up to a boil. Add sweet potato slices to the boiling water. Bring back to a boil, then turn off the heat. Steep the potatoes in the hot salted water for 5 minutes.1 tbsp sea salt
- Remove the potato slices to a glass bowl, and allow them to steam off for a few minutes. Then gently toss in olive oil, and the remaining salt.1/4 cup olive oil
- Oil the grates of your grill, then bring it up to 400℉. It's best to used good-quality lump charcoal. Oak works great, Mesquite will add even more flavor.
- Add the potato slices to the grill. Allow it to get some char marks before carefully turning.
- Once both sides are charred, remove them to a glass bowl with the Agave Lime Cilantro Vinaigrette, and carefully turn each medallion to coat in the dressing.1 cup Agave Lime Cilantro Vinaigrette
- Serve at room temperature.
PRIVATE NOTES
Nutrition
More Information
Thanksgiving is sacred, and so are the classics, until you pause and ask yourself the quiet, dangerous question: do I actually like sweet potatoes drowning in brown sugar and smothered with toasted marshmallows, or have I just been smiling politely for thirty years so Aunt Jen doesn’t cry into the gravy boat? Be honest. That cloying, tooth-aching casserole has had its moment. This year, take the wheel before someone else does. Bring these grilled sweet potato rounds, blistered and smoky from the fire, then glossed with a bright, herbaceous agave-lime-cilantro vinaigrette. They’re still unmistakably sweet potato, still feel like holiday orange on the platter, but they taste alive: a little char, a little citrus, a lot of “oh wow, who made these?” No marshmallows were harmed (or required), Aunt Jen stays happy, and your taste buds finally get to tell the truth. Tradition, respectfully updated.
These char grilled sweet potatoes aren’t a one-day wonder—they’re too good to stay locked in November. They’re a show-stopping vegetarian main when you have plant-based guests (hearty, smoky, and satisfying on their own), yet they play just as nicely beside a juicy ribeye, roast chicken, or cedar-plank salmon. Tuck the glossy rounds next to grilled mahi-mahi for a tropical vibe. Instead of fries, serve these with burgers for an instant upgrade. Or, let them cool slightly and tumble them into salads for sweet-charred pops of flavor. Vibrant orange edged in char and glistening with that cilantro-lime sheen, they look like they belong on a magazine cover and taste even better. Weeknight, cookout, or fancy dinner, they fit everywhere.
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