If you are looking for a kid-friendly gluten free vegetable side dish, these pan-fried sweet potatoes with leeks and honey are so good! This savory-sweet dish goes with so many entrees.

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Today is all about simplicity.
Do you ever need an easy recipe that is simple to make? Our family loves sweet potatoes. No matter how picky my kids are, this is the one vegetable they will always eat.
Pan fried sweet potato rounds are easy to make, and because they are sliced thinly, they cook really quickly too.
Why this pan-fried sweet potatoes recipe is great:
- There is no long ingredient lists, complicated steps, or hard-to-find ingredients. Just an easy sweet potato side dish recipe that is perfect all year round.
- This pan-cooked sweet potato dish is paleo, vegan, and totally kid-friendly.
- All you need is four simple ingredients, yet these four ingredients yield a wonderful flavor. The honey caramelizes to creates a glaze on the sweet potatoes.
- This side dish is a tasty accompaniment to any dish, including spicy foods. It is really easy to cook sweet potatoes on the stove. I use a cast-iron skillet because it gets really hot and makes the sweet potatoes a little crispy.
Dinner is always best with two or more sides so here are some additional gluten free side dishes to choose from :-).
Recipe step by step directions:

Step 1: Slice your sweet potatoes thinly, or in thicker slices.

Step 2: Slice your leeks thinly. They will caramelize as they cook adding a deliciously sweet flavor to your sweet potatoes.
Note: if you don't have leeks you can use onions.
Step 3: Heat oil in a pan on medium heat. Add your leeks or onions and sauté for 3-4 minutes until they are softened.
Use coconut oil or another high-heat oil. Do not use olive oil in the pan. Olive oil is not made for high heat and can add an off taste if you use it in this recipe.)
Step 4: Add the sweet potatoes and continue to cook them until they are almost softened. Drizzle on the honey and cook until they are soft enough to pierce with a fork.
It takes about 15-20 minutes to pan fry sweet potatoes, depending on how crispy you like them.
If you love sweet potatoes, try my Sweet Potato Nachos recipe. If you are looking for a fun side dish to serve with these potatoes, try these baked tomatoes with cheese too.

Tips and Recipe FAQ:
Yes, it is one of my favorite ways to cook sweet potato rounds.
Of course...yams have a very similar flavor profile to sweet potatoes.
This recipe uses coconut oil, which is a healthy fat. Sweet potatoes are full of nutrients, as are leeks. You will find this recipe is much healthier than regular potatoes.
You can easily air fry these sweet potatoes. Place into an air fryer basket. Cook at 375º F for 10 minutes. You will want to drizzle the honey on when they are cooked because the baked honey may be hard to clean from the basket.
These sweet potatoes will keep for up to 4 days in an air-tight container
Serve with:
Serve one of these delicious gluten free recipes with the pan-fried sweet potatoes for a great family dinner.
📖 Recipe

Sweet Potato and Leeks with Honey
Ingredients
- 4 sweet potatoes sliced
- 2 leeks sliced
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a large cast iron skillet, heat oil on medium heat.
- Add sweet potatoes and leeks.
- Cook until done. (The sweet potatoes will be soft if you stick a fork in it.)
- Turn heat to low.
- Drizzle with honey.
- Toss to coat.
- Add salt and pepper to taste.
Notes
SPECIAL NOTE
Please know that every gluten free flour blend has a different starch to grain ratio. If you use a blend I didn't test, you may need to adjust your moisture levels in your baked goods.
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer
Nutritional information is an estimate provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the actual nutritional information with the products and brands you are using with your preferred nutritional calculator.

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Dawn
I just picked up a sweet potato last night, I think I will make it like this!
Sandi Gaertner
I hope it turned out great 🙂
misty
It might be iffy to get my toddler to eat it, but she likes fried potatoes, so maybe if I start by mixing the two for her.
Sandi Gaertner
That sounds like a great idea Misty!