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Grilled Yam

Grilled yam is candied or savory yam cooked by the application of dry heat on preheated grill. Grilled yams are mildly sweet because of the natural sweetness of yams. The sugars of the yam get caramelized upon grilling. It is the use of several spices and herbs which help in making the grilled yams posses a savory flavor. The candied flavor is attained due to use of sugar as one of the ingredients of this grilled vegetable.

Yams are often cooked directly on the grill. However, a few recipes suggest steaming yams prior to grilling to reduce the grilling time. Yams can be cut in the form of wedges or oval shaped slices before being grilled. Yams tend to dry out very quickly on the grill. Therefore, it is recommended to baste the yam slices with a light basting sauce to prevent them from drying out.

Yam is a staple tuber vegetable of West Africa, and consumed quite popularly in Africa, US, Asia, and Canada. It is dark brown in color, which appears somewhat like potato. Yam is a popular counterpart to sweet potato, which is light orange or yellow in color.

Preparation Analysis

Grilled yam can be prepared in quite a few ways. The simplest grilled yams recipe suggests placing olive oil coated and salt seasoned yam slices over grill grate on hot grill and grilling them until gazed and tender. The grill grate is oiled slightly before the yam slices are placed onto it, so as to prevent them from sticking to grill. Yam can be grilled with or without peel. Though, grilled yams taste good after being simply seasoned with salt, however several spices and herbs of choice can be used to enhance the flavor and savor of grilled yams. The candied grilled yams recipe suggests grilling olive oil coated yam slices till soft, and then serving them after being drizzled with a mix of brown sugar and lemon juice. The marinated version of preparing grilled yams is also quite popular. The yam slices are marinated in a mix of herbs, spices, and oil, and then grilled. Yam slices are often basted with a sauce made of lime juice and butter during grilling, so as to attain the best flavor and prevent the yams from drying out.


  • Grilled yams pair very well with grilled steak, fish, or chicken.
  • It is also a nice accompaniment to burgers.

Culinary Uses

Grilled yam is often used as one of the ingredients of salad made with onions, bell peppers, and several herbs, spices, and seasonings.

Nutrition and Health Facts

Grilled yam encompasses the goodness of yam, which is a high energy vegetable, with 100 g of yam providing around 118 calories mainly obtained from soluble dietary fiber and carbohydrates. Including yams in the diet does not allow the blood sugar level to rise rapidly, hence making it a healthy choice of consumption for diabetics. Further, due to being rich in dietary fiber, the consumption of this vegetable helps in decreasing bad cholesterol level and reducing constipation.