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These Air Fryer Hasselback Potatoes look like a restaurant-worthy side dish but come together in under an hour! Hasselback potatoes are whole potatoes sliced fan-style so the edges crisp up beautifully while the center stays soft and fluffy, and the air fryer makes them faster and crispier than the oven ever could. They’re perfect for a weeknight dinner or your holiday table.
Quick Look At This Recipe
- ✨ Flavor: Crispy, golden edges with a soft and fluffy center that’s savory, garlicky, and finished with a touch of Parmesan.
- ⏱️ Prep time: 10 minutes
- 🔥 Cook time: 40 minutes
- ⏲️ Total time: 50 minutes
- 👥 Servings: 4
- 🥄 Tools: Air fryer, chopsticks, knife
- ❄️ Freezer friendly: No — refrigerate only for up to 3 days.
- 👩🏻🍳 Tip: Brush the oil on in two stages for the crispiest edges possible.
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I’ve been making these for years, and they never last long at the table. I promise once you try them out of the air fryer, you’ll never want to make them any other way. The circulating heat gets into every slice for crispy edges you just can’t replicate in a conventional oven.
If you are looking for more potato recipe ideas, try making these easy air fryer steak fries, air fryer potato wedges, and air fryer tater tots.
What are Hasselback Potatoes?
Hasselback potatoes are whole potatoes sliced with thin cuts that go almost all the way through but leave the base intact. The slices fan open as they cook, giving you crispy edges on the outside and a soft, fluffy center inside.
The name comes from the Hasselbacken Restaurant in Stockholm, Sweden, where the dish was first made.
The air fryer is an ideal way to cook them because the circulating hot air gets into every slice, crisping up the edges faster and more evenly than a conventional oven, without any extra effort.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- They look impressive but are incredibly easy to make. A handful of pantry ingredients and one simple slicing trick is all it takes to pull off a side dish that looks like it came from a fancy restaurant.
- The air fryer does the heavy lifting. Circulating heat crisps up every slice evenly and cooks more quickly than the oven. Even better, it frees up your oven for everything else on the table.
- Perfect for any occasion. Air-fried hasselback potatoes work just as well on a busy Tuesday night as they do on your Thanksgiving or holiday spread next to slices of air fryer turkey breast.
Looking for more air fryer recipes? I’ve got lots of easy air fryer recipes for beginners, as well as a full list of Thanksgiving recipes to make in your air fryer.
Table of Contents
Ingredients
You only need a handful of pantry staples to make this recipe. Here’s what you’ll need:
- Russet potatoes: Russets have enough starch to get crispy on the outside while staying fluffy inside, just like when air frying baked potatoes. Medium-sized potatoes work best, and you should look for potatoes that are roughly the same size so they finish cooking at the same time.
- Extra virgin olive oil: This gets brushed on in two stages to give the edges that deep golden crispiness.
- Seasoning blend: A combination of garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and black pepper makes these potatoes so flavorful without overpowering them.
The full list of ingredients with quantities is in the recipe card.
Variations
- Potatoes. Use different potatoes! We love to use Russet potatoes, but you can also use Yukon gold, red potatoes, or even sweet potatoes. The cooking time may vary depending on the size and variety. Baked sweet potatoes will likely cook more quickly. Check them earlier by piercing them with a fork. If it slides in easily, the potatoes are done.
- Butter. Swap the olive oil for melted butter if desired. It gives a richer-tasting hasselback potato.
- Seasonings. I love to use a mixture of seasonings, but you can change things up with different flavors such as Italian seasoning or adding garlic butter.
- Toppings. Use different toppings to change up the flavors and texture. Consider toppings such as a dollop of sour cream, bacon bits, fresh herbs, fresh chives, or slices of cheese.
- Loaded hasselback: After cooking, top with cheddar and then cook another 1-2 minutes to melt the cheese. Sprinkle with crispy bacon and add a dollop of sour cream.
How to Make Hasselback Potatoes in the Air Fryer
To get started, preheat your air fryer to 350° F and prepare the air fryer basket with nonstick cooking spray, olive oil spray, or parchment paper.
- Slice the potatoes into ¼” sections, making thin slices, but be careful not to cut all the way through the potato. It helps when slicing the potatoes to use a cutting board with two chopsticks. I place the chopsticks down on the cutting board with the potato on top, and then cut the potato, stopping at the chopstick before hitting the cutting board. It helps get those thin slices without cutting all the way through the potato.
- Mix together the olive oil and seasoning in a small bowl. Use a pastry brush and brush half of the mixture onto the potato slices. Place the potatoes in a single layer in the air fryer basket.
- Air fry the potatoes for 20 minutes. Open the basket, brush the remainder of the oil and seasoning mixture on the potatoes, and then continue to cook for an additional 20 minutes. Remove the cooked potatoes from the air fryer and sprinkle parmesan cheese and fresh parsley before serving. I love these with a juicy air-fried ribeye or pork steak in the air fryer.
Expert Tips
- Cut without slicing through. Place two chopsticks flat on either side of the potato before you start slicing. They act as a built-in stopper so your knife can’t go all the way through.
- Don’t overcrowd the basket. Give each potato enough room for air to circulate around it. Crowding traps steam and is the most common reason hasselback potatoes come out soft instead of crispy.
- Most modern basket-style air fryers won’t require flipping. I use a Cosori Dual Blaze, which circulates heat evenly on all sides so there’s no flipping needed. If your potatoes aren’t browning evenly on top, flip halfway through the second cooking stage.
- Storing and reheating: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Avoid freezing as the texture of the potato slices suffers after freezing and thawing. Reheat in the air fryer at 350°F for 4–5 minutes, or until heated through. Avoid the microwave if you want to keep the edges crispy.
Air Fryer Hasselback Potatoes Recipe FAQs
Yes, absolutely! Slice the potatoes ahead of time and store them submerged in a bowl of cold water in the refrigerator to prevent browning. When you’re ready to cook, drain and pat them completely dry before adding the oil and seasoning.
Yes, but you will need to cook them in batches of two rather than all at once. Overcrowding a smaller basket will steam the potatoes instead of crisping them, so it’s worth the extra round.
The three most common reasons: not enough oil worked between the slices, potatoes were overcrowded in the basket (which traps steam), or the slices were cut too thick. Make sure to brush the oil mixture generously in two stages and give each potato room to breathe in the basket.
Place two chopsticks (or wooden spoon handles) flat on either side of the potato on your cutting board, and slice straight down. The chopsticks act as a stopper and prevent your knife from cutting all the way through. Aim for slices about ¼ inch apart.
Serving Suggestions
These potatoes are a versatile side that pairs well with just about any main. They’re especially good alongside something from the air fryer. Try them with air fryer filet mignon or air fryer pork chops for a dinner that feels a little more special.
They also make a great addition to a holiday spread next to air fryer green bean casserole and your favorite roast.
More Recipes for Air Frying Potatoes
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Air Fryer Twice Baked Potatoes
Side Dishes
Air Fryer Cheesy Potatoes
Side Dishes
Cheesy Air Fryer Scalloped Potatoes
Side Dishes
Air Fryer Loaded Baked Potatoes
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Air Fryer Hasselback Potatoes
Equipment
- Air Fryer
Ingredients
- 4 medium Russet potatoes
- 4 tbsp olive oil , extra virgin
- 1 tsp ground black pepper
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 2 tbsp parmesan cheese, optional
- 1 tbsp parsley, chopped, fresh, optional
Instructions
- Preheat Air Fryer to 350 degrees. Prepare the Air Fryer basket with nonstick cooking spray, olive oil spray, or parchment paper.
- Slice the potatoes into 1/4" sections, careful not to cut all the way through the potato.
- Add olive oil and seasoning to a small bowl and mix well until combined.
- Use a pastry brush and brush half of the mixture onto the potatoes.
- Bake the potatoes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 20 minutes. Open the basket and brush the remainder of the mixture to the potatoes and continue to cook for an additional 20 minutes.
- Remove from the Air Fryer and sprinkle parmesan cheese and fresh parsley before serving.
Notes
- Place two chopsticks flat on either side of the potato before slicing. They act as a built-in stopper so your knife can’t go all the way through.
- Give each potato enough room in the basket for air to circulate. Crowding traps steam and is the most common reason hasselback potatoes come out soft instead of crispy.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Added cheese between every other slice, did the 350 then 400. Sour cream and bam best air fryer potatoes. Thanks for the ideas and recipe.
Great recipe. I changed it up a bit and did 20 min on 350 and 20 min on 400 to make my skin a bit more crispy.
Glad you liked it! I love the change, thanks for sharing. 🙂