Candied Yams with Bacon
It’s almost hard to believe yams are really a vegetable. They’re so sweet and tender and tasty, they seem more like a dessert. Which may be why so many of the best sweet potato recipes treat them like one, piling them with goodies like marshmallows and candied pecans.
I love these super-sweet yam dishes, but I like to show the yam’s savory side too. Salt, pepper, fresh herbs, and a touch of spice play off nicely against the sweet potato’s sweetness.
These Candied Yams with Bacon are the best of both worlds. They play up the sweetness with brown sugar, maple syrup, and vanilla, and they strike the savory note with pepper, fresh thyme, chili powder, and bacon.
Along with that balance of flavors, they offer a great contrast in textures. The crunch of the bacon pops against the melting softness of the baked yams, and the sweet stickiness of the glaze ties the two together.
Email Me This Recipe!
Need to save time? Have this article emailed straight to your inbox + sign up for all the latest recipes!
With flavors to satisfy your sweet tooth and your savory side, these Candied Yams with Bacon are everything you could ask for in a sweet potato dish.
Recipe Tips:
- Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- I saw the tip about using the reserved yam water to help flavor the sauce here: https://www.thekitchn.com/candied-yams-recipe-23078147
- You can alternately just use water instead of the reserved yam water.
- If you do not reduce the liquid sauce before adding to the sheet pan, there will be a lot of liquid. It will evaporate off in the oven and the yams will still caramelize, but it may take a little longer. Not a big deal.
Candied Yams with Bacon
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper and set aside. Peel and cut yams into 1-inch cubes. Place yams in a deep skillet and just cover with water. Boil for 8-10 minutes, until yams are partially cooked (a fork should be able to poke into them, but they should not be so soft that the fork easily breaks them apart when pierced).
- Drain the yams, reserving 1⁄2 cup of the water for the sauce.
- Meanwhile, chop bacon into pieces and cook over medium heat in a separate skillet until crispy and browned.
- Remove cooked bacon from the skillet and place on the prepared sheet pan along with the drained yams.
- In the skillet with the bacon grease, add reserved yam water, butter, brown sugar, maple syrup, chili powder, salt, pepper, 2-3 sprigs of thyme, and vanilla. Bring mixture to a simmer, stirring well, until the sugar has fully dissolved into the sauce.
- Simmer 2-3 minutes longer to reduce sauce by about half. Pour sauce over the yams and bacon on the sheet pan and stir to combine. Spread ingredients into a single layer.
- Bake for 20-30 minutes, stirring halfway through, until all of the liquid has evaporated and the sauce begins to caramelize over the yams and bacon.
- Serve immediately, garnished with a bit more fresh thyme, if desired.
More of our favorite side dishes:
- Crockpot Cheesy Potatoes
- Savory Cauliflower Stuffing
- Southern Collard Greens
- The Best Baked Mac and Cheese
Candied Yams with Bacon
Email this recipe!
Get this recipe emailed straight to your inbox!
Ingredients
- 4 large garnet yams
- 1 pound bacon
- 1/4 cup salted butter
- 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 2-3 sprigs fresh thyme plus more for garnish
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper and set aside.
- Peel and cut yams into 1-inch cubes. Place yams in a deep skillet and just cover with water. Boil for 8-10 minutes, until yams are partially cooked (a fork should be able to poke into them, but they
- should not be so soft that the fork easily breaks them apart when pierced). Drain the yams,
- reserving 1⁄2 cup of the water for the sauce.
- Meanwhile, chop bacon into pieces and cook over medium heat in a separate skillet until crispy and
- browned.
- Remove cooked bacon from the skillet and place on the prepared sheet pan along with the drained
- yams.
- In the skillet with the bacon grease, add reserved yam water, butter, brown sugar, maple syrup, chili
- powder, salt, pepper, 2-3 sprigs of thyme, and vanilla. Bring mixture to a simmer, stirring well, until the sugar has fully dissolved into the sauce. Simmer 2-3 minutes longer to reduce sauce by about half.
- Pour sauce over the yams and bacon on the sheet pan and stir to combine. Spread ingredients into a single layer.
- Bake for 20-30 minutes, stirring halfway through, until all of the liquid has evaporated and the sauce begins to caramelize over the yams and bacon.
- Serve immediately, garnished with a bit more fresh thyme, if desired.
Video
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer: Family Fresh Meals is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is only an estimate. We recommend running the ingredients through an online nutritional calculator if you need to verify any information.
Did You Make This Recipe?
Make sure to share it with me below!
