Soul Food Candied Yams (Print Version)

Tender yams glazed in brown sugar syrup and cooked in a skillet for deep caramel notes.

# What You'll Need:

→ Yams

01 - 3 large yams (approximately 2 pounds), peeled and sliced into 1/2-inch thick rounds

→ Syrup

02 - 1 cup packed light brown sugar
03 - 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
04 - 1/4 cup water
05 - 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
06 - 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
07 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
08 - 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

→ Optional Garnish

09 - 1/4 cup chopped pecans

# How to Make It:

01 - Melt butter in a large 12-inch skillet over medium heat.
02 - Add brown sugar, water, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt to the melted butter. Stir continuously until the sugar dissolves and the mixture begins to simmer.
03 - Arrange yam slices evenly in the skillet, turning each piece to coat thoroughly in the syrup mixture.
04 - Cover the skillet and reduce heat to medium-low. Cook for 20 minutes, gently stirring and turning the yams occasionally to ensure even cooking and glaze distribution.
05 - Remove the lid and increase heat to medium. Continue cooking for 10 to 15 minutes, spooning syrup over the yams repeatedly, until they are fork-tender and the sauce achieves a thick, glossy consistency.
06 - Stir vanilla extract into the skillet and combine thoroughly with the yams and sauce.
07 - Transfer to a serving dish and sprinkle with chopped pecans if desired before serving warm.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The yams caramelize into tender, glossy rounds that taste infinitely better than candied yams from a can.
  • Everything happens in one skillet, so cleanup is blissfully simple on busy holiday evenings.
  • It's naturally vegetarian and gluten-free, so you're not scrambling to feed everyone at the table.
02 -
  • Don't skip the uncovered cooking at the end—that's where the magic happens and the sauce transforms from thin to luxurious.
  • If your syrup seems too thick before the yams are tender, add a tablespoon of water at a time; if it's too thin at the end, just keep cooking until it coats the back of a spoon.
03 -
  • Use a skillet with a lid that fits snugly—this traps the steam and keeps your yams moist while they braise underneath that syrup.
  • Don't walk away during the uncovered cooking phase; those yams caramelize fast once the heat is up, and you want to be there spooning that sauce over them so they get evenly golden.
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