Sweet Potato Sliders Guacamole
E
By Emma
Certified Culinary Professional
•
Recipe tested & approved
Sweet potato rounds roasted with salt, pepper, and olive oil until tender. Topped with homemade guacamole mashed with lime juice, garlic, chopped jalapeño, and diced onion. Garnished with fresh cilantro and chopped tomato for brightness. Serves 8, a colorful snack or side. Uses baking times adjusted slightly and tactile cues to avoid mushy or hard rounds. Avocado mashed just enough for texture. Substitutes lime for lemon if needed. Quick, hands-on prep with tips on how to recognize doneness in sweet potatoes and guacamole flavor balance. A simple, fresh combo that plays well with spice and creaminess.
Prep:
15 min
Cook:
25 min
Total:
40 min
Servings:
8 servings
#snack
#vegetarian
#American cuisine
#easy prep
#healthy
#roasted vegetables
Roasted sweet potato rounds act as compact little bases. Each bite soft but with a slight charred edge crunch that signals done right. The smell when these hit the oven fills the kitchen with toasted sweetness; no guessing needed anymore where softness lies. Guacamole mashed with lime juice, garlic, and a hint of raw jalapeño cuts through that sweetness. Keeps it lively. Been down too creamy or oversalted roads before - fresh lime and careful seasoning keeps it bright without mask. Tomato and cilantro at the end bring pops of freshness — a vibrant finish, not mere decor. Combines cold creamy mash with warm soft veggie in a balance learned through trial. Works for guests or quick nosh. Ditch heavy buns for this earthy, clean bite.
Ingredients
- 3 large sweet potatoes sliced into 1 inch thick rounds
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 ripe avocados mashed but still chunky
- 1 teaspoon lime juice fresh squeezed
- 1 small garlic clove minced
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped red onion
- ¼ jalapeño seeded and minced (optional)
- Handful fresh cilantro roughly chopped
- ½ medium tomato diced fine
About the ingredients
Sweet potatoes – aim for firm but ripe. If organic, less peeling needed. Slicing 1 inch thick crucial. Too thick and they won’t soften through without burning edges. Too thin, and they’ll dry out. Olive oil as binder and roast booster but don’t overdo; too much oil and potatoes steam, losing crispness. Salt and pepper foundational; swap sea salt for kosher if handy. For guacamole, ripe but firm avocados ideal – mushy turns gluey, underripe turns bitter. Lime juice brightens and slows browning but lemon juice ok when desperate. Onion lends crunch and bite, adjust per heat tolerance with jalapeño optional. Cilantro and tomato add freshness and often it’s these last bits that turn the snack from good to something that stays memorable.
Method
- Heat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line baking sheet with parchment paper or lightly oil to prevent sticking.
- Rinse sweet potatoes, pat dry. Slice into rounds about 1 inch thick. Toss in bowl with olive oil, salt, and black pepper; coat evenly but lightly. Avoid drowning slices or they’ll steam not roast.
- Arrange rounds spaced on sheet so they roast not steam. Slide into oven. Roasting around 25 minutes but start checking at 20. Visual test: edges crisp and browned with a slight give when pressed with finger but not collapsing. Insert fork into center to confirm tenderness. Over roasting yields dry, crumbly rounds. Almost done - bubbling edges and sweet aroma fill kitchen.
- While potatoes roast, prepare guacamole. In medium bowl, mash ripe avocado using fork until chunky texture - not smooth puree. Fold in lime juice, garlic, minced red onion, and jalapeño for subtle kick. Taste and adjust with salt or more lime if needing brightness. Fresh lime preferred over lemon for punch, but lemon works in pinch. Jalapeño optional, but brings lively contrast.
- Once sweet potatoes come out, cool slightly to avoid avocado melting or sweating. Spoon generous dollops of guacamole onto each round. Scatter chopped cilantro and diced tomatoes over top for freshness and color.
- Serve immediately to enjoy contrast between warm soft rounds and cool creamy topping. Leftover rounds reheated can lose texture; best fresh.
- If sweet potatoes are underripe or oddly shaped, slice thinner and reduce roasting time. Overripe can be mushy; keep eyes on roast surface for browning clues.
- Storing guacamole: keep covered with plastic wrap pressed tight to surface to avoid browning if prepping early.
Cooking tips
Preheating the oven sets the stage for crisp outsides and tender insides. Parchment paper helps cleanup; if none, lightly oil and shake off excess before baking. Tossing sweet potato slices evenly sprinkling salt and oil crucial – too much oil creates soggy mess, too little dry patches. Space slices well on the sheet for air to circulate, no overcrowding. Roasting times vary with potato size and oven quirks - rely on touch and color rather than clock. The guacamole gets mashed just enough to keep texture but blend flavors; raw garlic needs fine mincing to avoid overwhelming. Adding jalapeño last lets you control heat darts. Once cooked, letting the potatoes cool briefly avoids wilting the guacamole once applied. Serve fast — texture fades fast with time as moisture shifts. Practice this rhythm and you get a balance of hearty sweet and cooling creaminess every time.
Chef's notes
- 💡 Sweet potatoes sliced about 1 inch thick work best. Thinner slices dry out; thicker slices take longer, risk burning edges. Watch the edges turn crisp and darken slightly. Use light olive oil coating; too much leads to steaming. Spread slices apart, no crowding. Visual and touch cues beat the clock. Press rounded edge gently to test softness; fork goes through center no problem. Avoid soggy mess by keeping oil and spacing right.
- 💡 Guacamole only mashed enough to hold shape. Avoid puree. Chunky texture is key for matching soft rounds. Add lime juice fresh to slow browning and punch flavor. Garlic minced fine but not overpowering; blends into background heat. Minced onion and optional jalapeño give crunch and kick. Taste repeatedly adjusting salt and lime; lime adds brightness not just acidity. Jalapeño optional according to heat tolerance but lifts flavor noticeably.
- 💡 Oven preheated fully to 350°F before roasting. Parchment paper or lightly oiled pan prevents sticking but don’t soak sweet potato slices. Baking times shift with potato size and oven quirks. Start checking at 20 minutes; expect around 25 minutes. Visual test crucial: crisp edges bubbling, aroma sweet and toasty. Avoid overbaking; dry, crumbly rounds lose pleasant texture. Let cool briefly before topping or guacamole melts and sgrained texture lost.
- 💡 If potatoes underripe or oddly shaped, slice thinner to compensate. Adjust roasting time downward to avoid mushiness. Overripe potatoes tend to be soft inside, watch carefully. Color transition and slight resistance when poked are good doneness signs. If prepping in advance, keep guacamole covered tightly with plastic wrap pressed directly on surface to minimize browning and oxidation. Prepare guacamole last minute ideally to keep fresh, but workable wrapped early.
- 💡 Serving tight timing favors contrast of warm sweet rounds and cool creamy guacamole. Leftover reheated tend to lose texture, get soggy faster. Best eaten soon after assembly. Cilantro and diced tomato sprinkled last minute for freshness and visual pop. Experiment with swapping lime for lemon juice if no lime, though flavor less bright. Salt type flexible; kosher or sea salt preferred. Garlic and onion quantities can be dialed down or up depending on desired assertiveness.
Common questions
How to know when sweet potato rounds are done?
Look for crisp browned edges. Press gently - slight give but not collapse. Smell sweet roasting scent fills kitchen. Fork should pierce without resistance. Timing varies by slice thickness.
Can lemon juice substitute lime juice?
Yes, if lime not available. Lemon adds acidity but less punch. Adjust salt and taste. Lime preferred for brightness and slow browning. Works in pinch but changes flavor profile subtly.
What if guacamole gets too mushy?
Mash less next time - chunkier texture keeps guac from turning gluey. Use ripe but firm avocados. Overripe leads to sticky mouthfeel. Also, add acid like lime juice to slow enzymatic breakdown.
How to store leftover guacamole or sliders?
Guacamole best covered tightly - press plastic wrap right on surface to reduce air exposure and browning. Refrigerate. Sweet potato rounds store cool but reheat gently; texture lost if soggy. Best fresh but workable leftovers with care.
