This Hasselback potatoes recipe turns an ordinary potato into dozens of crisp, golden edges wrapped around a soft, tender middle. As the cuts open in the oven, they create little pockets for seasoned butter and spread into the distinctive fan that makes Hasselbacks worth the extra knife work.
They’re the potatoes to make when you want baked-potato tenderness and roast-potato edges in a side dish that feels a little more special on the table.
That same shape is also what makes them easy to get wrong. Sometimes the slices barely move. Sometimes the base stays hard. And sometimes the potato looks beautifully roasted on top while the thick part underneath still catches on the knife.
The trick is recognizing that the fan and the thick body of the potato are cooking at different speeds. Use potatoes of similar size, cut almost to the bottom, season again after the slices loosen, and don’t mistake brown for cooked.
Table of Contents
Make the Potatoes
- 4 Things That Make Them Work
- Hasselback Potatoes Recipe
- Best Potatoes to Use
- How to Cut Them
- Time, Temperature & Doneness
Finish, Fix & Understand
4 Things That Make Hasselback Potatoes Work
Cut thin. More cuts mean more edges that can turn crisp.
Keep the hinge thin. The uncut base—the hinge holding the potato together—needs enough substance to stay intact, but not so much that the fan stays rigid.
Baste once the cuts open. That’s when seasoned butter can finally get down between the slices instead of mostly running over the outside.
Check the base, not the brown. The top can look beautifully finished while the thick potato underneath is still firm.
Hasselback Potatoes Recipe
The quantities and timing below are built around medium potatoes weighing about 6–8 oz / 170–225 g each. Using much smaller or larger potatoes? Check the size-based timing guide first.
First time making them? Use medium Yukon Golds, roast them from raw, start with oil, add seasoned butter once the cuts open and save the fresh garlic for the end.
Serves: 4
Prep: about 15 minutes
Cook: typically 55–70 minutes; allow up to about 75 minutes if extra crisping is needed
Total: about 1 hour 10 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes
Oven: 425°F / 220°C conventional; about 400°F / 200°C fan or convection
You’ll need: a sharp knife, 2 fairly slim chopsticks or wooden spoon handles, a rimmed metal baking sheet and a pastry brush
Ingredients
- 4 medium Russet or Yukon Gold potatoes, about 6–8 oz / 170–225 g each
- 3 tbsp / 1½ fl oz / 45 ml extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- 2 tbsp / 1 oz / 28 g unsalted butter, divided
- 1 tsp fine sea salt / about 6 g, divided, plus more to taste
- ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 2 garlic cloves, finely grated or minced
- 1 tsp finely chopped fresh rosemary or thyme
- 2–3 tbsp / ⅓–½ oz / 10–15 g finely grated Parmesan, optional
- 1 tbsp chopped parsley or chives, optional, for finishing
Using kosher salt? Crystal size varies between brands, so the gram amount is the better reference.
Leave the skins on for less prep and another surface that can crisp. Peel them if you prefer a softer exterior.
Why oil and butter? Oil handles the long roast and crisping well; butter goes on later for flavor, once the cuts are open enough to hold it.
Method
- Heat the oven to 425°F / 220°C. Use about 400°F / 200°C for fan or convection. Put a rack in the middle of the oven. A shallow rimmed metal baking sheet is ideal; parchment is optional.
- Scrub and dry the potatoes. Set each one on its broadest side. If it rolls, shave a paper-thin strip from underneath—just enough to steady it.
- Slice almost to the bottom. Put the potato between two fairly slim chopsticks or wooden spoon handles and make crosswise cuts at roughly 2–3 mm intervals. On a medium potato, roughly ¼ inch / 6 mm left at the base is a useful guide, not a rule.
- Oil and season. Brush with 2 tbsp / 1 fl oz / 30 ml olive oil, then add about ¾ tsp of the salt and all of the pepper. A raw potato won’t open much yet; there’s no need to force the slices apart.
Roast Until the Fan Begins to Open
- Roast for about 30 minutes. Keep space between the potatoes. You should now see small gaps appearing between at least some of the slices. It still won’t look especially dramatic, and that’s normal—the cuts have only just started loosening.
- Add the herb butter. Melt 1 tbsp / 14 g butter with the remaining 1 tbsp / ½ fl oz / 15 ml olive oil, the rosemary or thyme and the remaining ¼ tsp salt. Brush it over the potato and down into the openings. This is where the pastry brush really earns its keep.
- Roast for another 15–20 minutes. The slices should open farther and the finest tips should be turning golden. This is the stage where the potato finally starts looking like the Hasselback you were aiming for.
- Check tenderness. Slide a thin knife into the thickest part. If you still feel obvious resistance, roast at the original temperature for another 5–10 minutes, then check again.
The roasting progression below is a useful reality check: the fan develops gradually, so a potato that still looks fairly compact halfway through the cook can be exactly on track.
Finish for Color, Garlic & Crispness
Need more color? If the potato is nearly tender but still pale, briefly raise the oven to 450°F / 230°C conventional, or about 425°F / 220°C fan/convection before adding garlic or cheese. Check after about 3 minutes and continue only if necessary, watching the thinnest ridges closely. Then return the oven to its original temperature.
- Add the garlic butter and finish. Melt the remaining 1 tbsp / 14 g butter and stir in the garlic. Brush it mostly between the slices. Add Parmesan now if using. Roast for another 3–5 minutes, until the garlic is fragrant, the Parmesan is melted or lightly golden and a thin knife slides easily through the thickest part down to the base.
- Serve while the edges are crisp. Finish with parsley or chives. The narrowest ridges should be crisp while the potato underneath yields easily. The end slices are often the crispiest.
Go deeper: Choose the potato · Cutting guide · Time & doneness
Which Potatoes Are Best for Hasselback Potatoes?
Choose fairly smooth, oval 6–8 oz / 170–225 g potatoes for easier cutting and more predictable cooking. Yukon Gold is the more forgiving choice; Russet gives the strongest fluffy-middle/crisp-edge contrast.
| Potato type | What you get |
|---|---|
| Russet | Fluffy center with drier, starchier crisp edges |
| Yukon Gold | Creamier center with a denser, naturally buttery texture |
| Red or other waxy potatoes | A firmer, denser Hasselback rather than a fluffy one |
Similar size matters more than chasing one supposedly perfect variety. A batch of evenly sized potatoes is much easier to manage than a mixture of narrow potatoes and much larger, rounder ones.
Long, fairly smooth potatoes are easier to slice consistently than deeply knobbled ones, too.
How to Cut Hasselback Potatoes Without Cutting Through
Cut Hasselback potatoes at roughly 2–3 mm intervals, stopping about ¼ inch / 6 mm above the board on a medium potato. Fairly slim chopsticks or wooden spoon handles on either side make an easy knife stop.
Stay nearer 3 mm for easier knife work and a sturdier potato; go nearer 2 mm for finer, crisper edges. A few wonky slices disappear surprisingly well once everything opens and browns.
Why Cutting Guide Thickness Matters
The guides prevent a complete cut-through, but their thickness matters. Very thick chopsticks or spoon handles can leave a broad untouched platform underneath, which keeps the fan stiff. Use slimmer guides or control the final depth carefully by hand. The goal isn’t thirty laboratory-perfect cuts; you just need a base thin enough to flex without breaking.
At the narrow ends, don’t chase exactly the same depth as through the thick middle. Leave a little more potato intact if necessary rather than cutting an end piece free.
Cut all the way through one section? Put it back where it belongs and keep going. A wooden toothpick can hold a larger split together while it roasts; remove it before serving or microwaving.
Do you need to soak Hasselback potatoes? No. A soak may remove some loose starch, but it isn’t necessary here. Drying matters more. Soaking plays a much bigger role in homemade French fries, where surface starch and moisture matter more to the crust.
Ready to cook? Back to recipe · Time & doneness · Crispy edges
Hasselback Potato Cooking Time, Temperature & Doneness
For 6–8 oz / 170–225 g potatoes, 425°F / 220°C is a good working oven temperature. Most medium potatoes land somewhere around 55–70 minutes, but begin checking sooner rather than treating that window as a promise.
| Potato size | Approx. weight | First baste / opening check | Start checking for doneness |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small | 3–5 oz / 85–140 g | 20–25 min | Around 40 min |
| Medium | 6–8 oz / 170–225 g | About 30 min | Around 50–55 min |
| Large | 9–12+ oz / 255–340+ g | 30–35 min | Around 65–70 min |
These are checking points, not finish times. Shape matters almost as much as weight. A slim 6-ounce Russet and a round 10-ounce Yukon Gold won’t finish together simply because they entered the same oven.
The potato is cooked when a thin knife slides easily through the thickest part down to the base. Open, golden ridges tell you the exterior is where you want it; they don’t prove the potato underneath is ready.
Brown ridges are only half the test. Check the base.
How to Get the Edges Crisp Without Drying Out the Potato
For crisp Hasselback potatoes, dry them thoroughly, leave room around each potato, baste again after the cuts open, and use a short hotter finish only once the potato is nearly tender.
Crowding traps moisture. If the potatoes are almost touching, use a second sheet rather than hoping extra oven time will fix weak browning.
Extra oil at the beginning doesn’t help much because tight raw cuts can’t hold it. The later butter is more useful once there are actual openings for it to settle into.
The hotter finish works because it concentrates browning on the exposed ridges without forcing the whole potato through another long roast. If a nearly tender potato is still pale, use that short burst of higher heat before adding exposed garlic or cheese, then return to the gentler finishing stage.
You’re aiming for narrow ridges that crunch rather than bend while the thicker potato underneath still yields easily. Once the knife reaches the base easily, stop chasing brown.
Toppings—and When to Add Them
The potato may need an hour in the oven. Fresh garlic and grated cheese do not.
| When | Add |
|---|---|
| At the start | Olive oil, most of the salt and black pepper |
| When the cuts open about 30 min for medium potatoes | Butter, remaining salt, rosemary or thyme |
| Final few minutes | Fresh garlic and Parmesan, cheddar, Gruyère or another melting cheese |
| After roasting | Crisp bacon, parsley, chives, lemon zest or other fresh finishes |
Cheesy Hasselbacks: add Parmesan for the final few minutes, or tuck small amounts of cheddar or Gruyère into some of the opened cuts once the potato is nearly tender.
Loaded Hasselbacks: add cheese late and scatter crisp bacon over the finished potatoes rather than roasting the bacon for the entire cook.
Add smoked paprika, cayenne or chili flakes to the herb butter when you want heat. A vegan version works with olive oil or plant-based butter. And when the potato already feels rich enough, chimichurri brings the herbs and acidity that all that butter is asking for.
Troubleshooting: What Went Wrong?
| What you see | Likely reason | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Brown outside, hard underneath | The exterior is ahead of the thick body | Lower the heat, shield very dark ridges if needed and continue until a knife passes easily through the potato |
| Slices barely open | Cuts are too thick, too shallow or the base is too substantial | Let the potato soften, then gently loosen the slices with the brush |
| Pale, soft edges | Moisture or crowding | Give the potatoes more room and use a brief hotter finish once nearly cooked through, before adding exposed garlic or cheese |
| Garlic burns | Fresh garlic went on too early or sat in clumps on top | Add it only near the end and brush most of it between the slices |
| The potato splits | You cut through the base | Reposition the section and use a wooden toothpick if necessary |
| Dry, hard ridges | The potato stayed in too long while chasing color | Stop when the potato is tender; use only short high heat for extra browning |
| Inside tastes bland | Most seasoning stayed on the outside | Brush seasoned butter into the opened cuts later in the cook |
| Potatoes finish at different times | Different sizes or shapes | Remove finished potatoes individually |
| Potato keeps rolling | Unstable shape | Turn it onto its broadest side or shave a very thin strip from underneath |
| Cheese burns | It went on before the potato was nearly done | Add cheese only for the final few minutes |
Emergency Rescue for One Undercooked Potato
Dinner is already waiting? A short microwave assist can rescue one stubbornly undercooked potato. Remove any toothpick, skewer or other support first, and never put metal in the microwave. Once the potato softens, return it to the hot oven briefly to bring some crispness back.
Should You Parboil Hasselback Potatoes?
For this oven method, medium Hasselback potatoes don’t need parboiling. Roasting from raw is simpler, and a firm potato is easier to slice and handle.
A partial pre-cook becomes more useful with a very large potato, an air fryer that browns aggressively or a big batch where you need more control over timing. Other methods deliberately parboil first to push the result toward a fluffier middle and more aggressive crisping. Parboiling, steaming or microwaving can all work, but softened Hasselbacks are noticeably easier to break.
Air Fryer Hasselback Potatoes
Small-to-medium potatoes work best. For potatoes around 6–8 oz / 170–225 g, start around 390–400°F / 200–205°C. Begin checking at about 25 minutes; many will need roughly 30–40 minutes, depending on their shape and the air fryer.
Oil the potatoes, air fry for about 20–25 minutes, baste again once the cuts loosen, then continue until a thin knife reaches the base without resistance. Leave room for air to circulate around each potato.
The air fryer is excellent at crisping exposed edges, which is also why a large potato can fool you: the outside races ahead while the thick part is still catching up. If that happens, lower the temperature a little or partially pre-cook very large potatoes rather than simply extending the high-heat cook.
Make Ahead, Store & Reheat
Cutting Them Ahead
You can cut Hasselback potatoes up to a day ahead. Keep them fully submerged in cold water in the refrigerator, then drain and dry them extremely well before oiling. Those narrow cuts hold more water than the outside of the potato suggests.
For entertaining, get the fiddly knife work out of the way early. Roasting is much easier to manage later.
Roasting Them Ahead
Best texture: do most of the roast ahead and stop before the final garlic-butter stage. Cool and refrigerate the potatoes within 2 hours. Later, reheat and re-crisp them first, then add garlic butter and optional cheese for the final few minutes.
Simplest: cook the potatoes fully through before refrigerating, then reheat and re-crisp them later. If you’re adding fresh garlic or cheese, put those on only after the potato is hot and nearly as crisp as you want it. The edges won’t be quite as crisp as potatoes finished straight from the first roast, but the workflow is easier.
There are three useful make-ahead routes: cut them ahead, partly roast for the best final texture, or fully cook them when simpler service matters more.
Cooking for a Crowd
Use two sheet pans rather than squeezing a large batch onto one. Choose similarly sized potatoes and remove individual potatoes as they finish. There is no prize for leaving a perfect 6-ounce potato in the oven while a 10-ounce one catches up.
Storing and Reheating Leftovers
Refrigerate cooked Hasselback potatoes within 2 hours and use them within 3–4 days. That follows USDA leftovers guidance.
To reheat a medium potato, start around 350°F / 175°C for 15–20 minutes and continue until hot throughout. USDA guidance for reheated leftovers is 165°F / 74°C if you’re checking with a thermometer. An air fryer also works well; a microwave is faster but softens the crisp edges.
Cooked Hasselbacks can be frozen, but the texture is noticeably softer after thawing. Refrigeration is the better option when the crisp ridges are part of the appeal.
What to Serve With Hasselback Potatoes
Hasselbacks are especially good beside anything with pan juices, gravy or a good sauce because those opened slices catch it. Alongside smothered pork chops, for example, the crisp ridges give the onion gravy somewhere to settle without turning the whole potato soft.
For lighter plates, keep the finish simpler with olive oil, herbs, lemon or another fresh acidic element instead of loading every opening with cheese. Either way, get them to the table while the narrow edges are still crisp.
What Are Hasselback Potatoes?
Hasselback potatoes are whole potatoes cut into closely spaced slices that remain attached along the bottom. Roasting exposes all those cut surfaces to the heat while the potato stays in one piece.
The preparation is Swedish and is commonly called Hasselbackspotatis. Restaurant Hasselbacken in Stockholm attributes the dish to a student chef working at the restaurant school there in 1953.
You may also see them called fan potatoes or scored potatoes. A classic Hasselback stays connected underneath; fully separated baked potato slices are a different preparation.
Hasselback Potatoes vs Accordion Potatoes
The names are sometimes used loosely, but the modern preparations are usually different:
| Feature | Hasselback potato | Accordion potato |
|---|---|---|
| Potato shape | Whole potato | Usually a thick slab or plank |
| Cuts | Repeated cuts from one side | Cuts made from opposite sides |
| What holds it together | Uncut base or hinge | Alternating lattice of potato |
| Finished shape | Fan | Stretchable accordion or lattice |
Fully separated sliced baked potatoes are different again because no hinge remains underneath. Sweet potatoes can also be cut Hasselback-style, but their softer, sweeter flesh tends to soften and darken more quickly, so they deserve their own timing rather than being treated as a direct swap.
FAQs
1. What potatoes are best for Hasselback potatoes?
Yukon Gold is a forgiving first choice because it stays creamy and holds its shape well. Russets give a fluffier center and crisper, starchier edges. Fairly smooth potatoes of similar size are easier to cook evenly.
2. How thin should Hasselback potato slices be?
Aim for cuts at roughly 2–3 mm intervals. Around 3 mm is easier to cut; closer to 2 mm gives finer, crisper edges.
3. Why aren’t my Hasselback potatoes opening?
The cuts may be too thick or shallow, or the base may be too substantial. Raw slices are also naturally tight; they usually loosen much more after the potato begins to soften in the oven.
4. How do you know Hasselback potatoes are done?
A Hasselback potato is cooked when a thin knife slides easily through the thickest part down to the base. Golden, open slices are a good finish cue, but surface color alone does not prove the potato underneath is tender.
5. Can Hasselback potatoes be made ahead?
Yes. You can cut them up to a day ahead and refrigerate them submerged in cold water, or do most of the roasting ahead and save the reheating, re-crisping and final garlic-butter finish for closer to serving.
Hasselback Potatoes Cheat Sheet
Use this quick reference to separate the setup numbers from the doneness cues worth carrying into the kitchen.
Once a knife slips easily through the base and those narrow ridges are crisp, get the potatoes to the table—that contrast is at its best while they’re hot.
