Brown Sugar and Pecan Grilled Sweet Potatoes
A sweet, savory grill side that caramelizes brown sugar into a glossy glaze, then tosses in crunchy pecans for texture. This dish brings cozy fall flavors into a quick weeknight meal, pairing beautifully with grilled chicken, pork, or a simple green salad. Pepped up with cinnamon and a kiss of citrus, these potatoes become a crowd-pleasing star at any table.
Ingredients
- 2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into wedges
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
- 0.25 cup pecans, chopped
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 0.5 tsp salt
- 0.5 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp fresh lemon juice or orange juice
Instructions
- Preheat the grill to medium heat and prepare a clean grate. If you prefer, you can finish the potatoes under a broiler for a minute to deepen the caramelization.
- Toss the potato wedges in olive oil, salt, cinnamon, and lemon juice until they are evenly coated. The citrus helps brighten the sweetness and keeps the potatoes from drying out on the grill.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the melted butter and brown sugar until smooth and glossy. This will be your glaze that caramelizes on the grill.
- Place the potato wedges on the grill in a single layer. Cook for about 6 to 8 minutes per side, turning once, until they are tender and have browned edges.
- Brush the wedges with the brown sugar butter glaze as they cook, then sprinkle chopped pecans over the glaze on the second half of the grilling process so the pecans toast lightly and stick to the glaze.
- Continue grilling until the glaze is set and the pecans are fragrant and lightly toasted, about 2 to 4 more minutes. Watch closely so the glaze does not burn.
- Remove from the grill and let them rest for a couple of minutes. If you like, drizzle a tiny bit more lemon juice over the top to finish and balance the sweetness.