Sweet Potato Apple Hash with Sage
Sweet potato apple hash is an easy one-pan recipe made with tender sweet potatoes, sweet apples and fresh sage. You only need 6 ingredients and about 20 minutes to make it, and the combination of sweet and savory flavors makes it just as good for breakfast or brunch as it is for a fall dinner or holiday side dish.
I’ve been making this recipe since at least 2015, and it’s become one of my go-to sides for Thanksgiving, Friendsgiving and fall meals. I even gave the recipe to my sister when she didn’t cook very often, and she made it for Friendsgiving with no trouble and everyone loved it. The apples add sweetness, while the sage balances everything out and gives it that cozy fall flavor without making the dish feel heavy.
If you love sweet potatoes in a hash, try my sweet potato brussels sprouts hash next. Or if the apples are your favorite part, my apple brussels sprouts hash has that same sweet and savory fall combination. For another easy fall side dish, these maple mustard brussels sprouts are one of my favorites.
Ingredient spotlight
This is just a quick overview of some of the main ingredients. Please see the recipe card for the full ingredient list.
- Sweet potatoes: I usually leave the skin on because it makes prep so much easier. Just give the sweet potatoes a good scrub before cutting them into cubes. Any size sweet potato will work here.
- Apples: Choose an apple that holds its shape when cooked so you don’t end up with applesauce in your hash. Fuji, Granny Smith and Pink Lady apples are my favorites for this recipe.
- Fresh sage: Fresh sage adds so much flavor and a beautiful pop of color to the hash. It’s my first choice, but dried sage will work in a pinch. You can also use rosemary or thyme for a slightly different fall flavor.
Step by step instructions
Cut the sweet potatoes into 1/2 inch cubes. 
Preheat a large cast iron skillet (or stainless steel skillet) over medium heat for 2-3 minutes. Once hot, add the sweet potatoes and water and cover immediately. 
Allow the sweet potatoes to steam for 7 minutes on the stove. 
While the sweet potatoes are steaming, chop the apple into 1/2 inch pieces. I like so peel my apples but it’s not necessary. 
Finely chop the fresh sage leaves. I like to remove the very end of the stem then roll the leaves up together into a log. From here you can thinly cut the log into long strands, then run your knife over them to finely chop. 
After 7 minutes, remove the lid and add the olive oil. Stir well ensuring all the potatoes are well coated in olive oil. Cook 3 minutes. 
After 3 minutes, add the rest of the ingredients and stir well. Cook over medium heat for 7 minutes, stirring occasionally so they potatoes don’t burn and start to stick. If you notice the potatoes starting to stick, you can turn down the heat or add more olive oil. 
If you notice the potatoes starting to stick, you can turn down the heat or add more olive oil. Once the apples are soft and the sweet potatoes are cooked through, serve hot.
Making this for a crowd?
If you’re doubling the recipe for a holiday, Friendsgiving or meal prep, I recommend using the oven instead of trying to fit everything into a skillet. Spreading the sweet potatoes and apples out on a large baking sheet gives them more room to cook evenly, and you don’t have to work in batches. I’ve included my oven instructions below.
Sweet Potato Apple Hash (20 Minute Side Dish)
Ingredients
- 1 pound sweet potatoes, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
- 1/2 cup water
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 small apples - fuji, pink lady or granny smith
- 2 tablespoons fresh sage, finely chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon. sea salt
Instructions
- Dice sweet potatoes into uniform cubes, about 1/2 inch each.1 pound sweet potatoes, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
- Preheat a large skillet over medium heat 2-3 minutes while chopped potatoes. Once hot, add potatoes and water and cover with tight fitting lid.1/2 cup water
- Steam the potatoes for 7 minutes with the lid on.
- Peel and chop apples while sweet potatoes are cooking.2 small apples
- Finely chop the sage while the potatoes are cooking.2 tablespoons fresh sage, finely chopped
- After 7 minutes, remove the lid and add 2 tablespoons olive oil to sweet potatoes, toss well to coat. Cook over medium heat 3 minutes.2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- After the potatoes have cooked for 3 minutes with oilve oil, add the chopped apples, finely chopped sage, salt and garlic powder. Stir well.1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon. sea salt
- Cook for 5-7 minutes over medium heat, Stir occasionally to ensure sweet potatoes don't burn.
Recipe Notes
- Cut the sweet potatoes into similar sized cubes (½-inch) so they cook at the same rate.
- Use a large skillet with a well-fitting lid. The lid is important because the sweet potatoes steam during the first part of cooking.
- I prefer to peel the apples because the skin can stay a little firm once cooked, but you can leave it on if you’re short on time.
Nutrition Information
An easy way to add more vegetables
Sometimes I’ll add finely shredded kale when I’m serving this with dinner and want a little more color and another vegetable in the dish. Add the kale during the last 2–3 minutes of cooking with an extra pinch of salt. Make sure you shred it very finely so it has time to soften before serving.
Making a larger batch in the oven
If you’re doubling the recipe for a holiday, Friendsgiving or meal prep, I recommend using the oven instead of trying to fit everything into one skillet. Spreading everything out on a large baking sheet gives the sweet potatoes and apples plenty of room to cook evenly.
Toss the cubed sweet potatoes with olive oil and spread them out on a baking sheet. Bake at 425°F for 10–15 minutes. Add the apples, fresh sage, salt and garlic powder, stir everything together, then return the pan to the oven for another 10 minutes, or until the sweet potatoes are tender.
This apple sweet potato hash sounds absolutely delicious! I love how quick it is to prepare, and the combination of sweet and savory flavors is so appealing. Can’t wait to try it out for brunch this weekend!
I made this recipe for brunch. I didn’t have any sage so I used poultry seasoning and it was still delicious! Thank you for sharing.
Yum
The nutrition facts say that this recipe is 97 calories per serving, but it doesn’t say what the serving size is.
I love the recipe. I make it all the time. Thank you.
Ben
Thanks for the note, so glad you enjoy the recipe! The recipe has 4 servings. So you will need to divide the entire recipe in 4 to get 97 calories per serving.
Will this still work without the sage?
Thanks!
Yes! I hope you were able to enjoy this!
Yum! I pinned this recipe a few weeks back but just made it today. My first time making a sweet potato hash. So tasty!
Whoa this looks so tasty! I’m definitely including this in my thanksgiving recipe round-up. Thanks for sharing! <3
This looks great. I”m working on a sweet potato round up for this week for the Small Victories Link up….so you’ll definitely be my featured blogger from last week’s link up when it goes live tonight/tomorrow.
Leigh
YUM! I am so down with all of the ingredients here… will definitely have to make this! Thank you for linking up at Snickerdoodle Sunday- hope to see you again later today.