Four vivid orange sweet potato boats sit on a platter, filled with glossy black-eyed peas, red pepper, and golden corn. White coconut drizzle, pale cucumber pickles, green herbs, and crushed bronze plantain chips create striking color and texture from above.

Slow-Cooker Tamarind-Glazed Sweet Potato Boats with Coconut Black-Eyed Peas

Name: Slow-Cooker Tamarind-Glazed Sweet Potato Boats with Coconut Black-Eyed Peas
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 300 min
Total time: 325 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Caribbean
Ingredients: 4 medium, about 8 ounces each sweet potato scrubbed and pierced 3–4 times; 1 can, 15 ounces canned black-eyed peas rinsed and drained; 1 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels; 1 small red onion ¾ finely diced and ¼ very thinly sliced; 1 red bell pepper finely diced; 2 scallion thinly sliced, with white and green parts separated; 2 cloves garlic minced; 1 tablespoon fresh ginger grated; ½ chile Scotch bonnet chile seeded and minced; optional; 1 teaspoon ground allspice; 1 teaspoon dried thyme; ½ cup unsweetened coconut milk; 2 tablespoons, divided tamarind concentrate; 1 lime zested and juiced; cut into wedges for serving; ½ cup cucumber finely diced; 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar; 2 teaspoons, divided maple syrup; ⅓ cup unsweetened coconut yogurt; ¼ cup fresh cilantro leaves chopped; ¼ cup plain vegan plantain chips crushed; 1 tablespoon, divided neutral oil; to taste kosher salt; to taste black pepper freshly ground

Tamarind-glazed sweet potatoes with coconut peas and bright pickles.

Category Main Course

Prep 25 minutes

Cook 300 minutes

Style Caribbean

Technique Slow-cooking

Diet Friendly Vegan

Daily recipe · September 17, 2026

A little about this dish

Instead of becoming another braise, sweet potatoes are gently cooked whole in the slow cooker, then broiled until their edges caramelize. Tamarind, allspice, coconut, black-eyed peas, fresh corn, and a cucumber-lime pickle create a colorful Caribbean-inspired balance of sweet, savory, creamy, tangy, and crisp.

Ingredients (for 4)

Sweet potato — 4 medium, about 8 ounces each — scrubbed and pierced 3–4 times
Canned black-eyed peas — 1 can, 15 ounces — rinsed and drained
Fresh or frozen corn kernels — 1 cup
Red onion — 1 small — ¾ finely diced and ¼ very thinly sliced
Red bell pepper — 1 — finely diced
Scallion — 2 — thinly sliced, with white and green parts separated
Garlic — 2 cloves — minced
Fresh ginger — 1 tablespoon — grated
Scotch bonnet chile — ½ chile — seeded and minced; optional
Ground allspice — 1 teaspoon
Dried thyme — 1 teaspoon
Unsweetened coconut milk — ½ cup
Tamarind concentrate — 2 tablespoons, divided
Lime — 1 — zested and juiced; cut into wedges for serving
Cucumber — ½ cup — finely diced
Apple cider vinegar — 2 tablespoons
Maple syrup — 2 teaspoons, divided
Unsweetened coconut yogurt — ⅓ cup
Fresh cilantro leaves — ¼ cup — chopped
Plain vegan plantain chips — ¼ cup — crushed
Neutral oil — 1 tablespoon, divided
Kosher salt — to taste
Black pepper — to taste — freshly ground

Preparation

Step 1 — 🍠⏲️

Place the pierced sweet potatoes in a single layer in a slow cooker. Cover and cook on HIGH for 2½–3 hours or LOW for 4½–5 hours, without adding water, until tender.
Step 2 — 🥒🧅🥄

Toss the finely diced cucumber and very thinly sliced red onion with apple cider vinegar, 1 teaspoon maple syrup, and a pinch of kosher salt. Let stand for at least 15 minutes.
Step 3 — 🍳🌶️🔥

Heat 2 teaspoons neutral oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the diced red onion, red bell pepper, and scallion whites. Cook for 4–5 minutes, until softened.
Step 4 — 🧄🫚🌿

Stir in the garlic, ginger, allspice, dried thyme, Scotch bonnet chile, and a few grinds of black pepper. Cook for 1 minute, until fragrant.
Step 5 — 🫘🌽🥥

Add the black-eyed peas, corn, coconut milk, 1 tablespoon tamarind concentrate, and ½ teaspoon kosher salt. Simmer uncovered for 8–10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thick and creamy. Lightly mash some peas, then stir in half the lime juice.
Step 6 — 🥣🍁✨

Whisk the remaining tamarind concentrate with the remaining maple syrup and 1 teaspoon neutral oil.
Step 7 — 🍠🖌️📄

Transfer the tender sweet potatoes to a foil-lined baking sheet. Split them lengthwise and gently press them open, then brush the cut surfaces with the tamarind glaze.
Step 8 — 🔥👀🍯

Broil the sweet potatoes for 2–4 minutes, watching closely, until the glaze bubbles and the edges are lightly caramelized.
Step 9 — 🥥🍋🥄

Stir the coconut yogurt with the lime zest, remaining lime juice, and a pinch of kosher salt.
Step 10 — 🌱🍽️🎉

Spoon the coconut black-eyed pea filling into the sweet potato boats. Drizzle with the lime coconut yogurt and top with the quick-pickled cucumber and onion, scallion greens, chopped cilantro, and crushed plain vegan plantain chips. Serve with lime wedges.

A final fox tip

Choose sweet potatoes of similar size so they finish together. For a milder dish, omit the Scotch bonnet; for extra crunch, replace the plantain chips with toasted coconut flakes. Children can help mix the pickle and scatter the colorful toppings.