The thinly sliced and seasoned Hasselback potato turns out crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. Almost like thick potato chips, but better! Use my tips and kitchen hacks to help you easily make this impressive, tasty side dish!

What is a hasselback potato?

This name for this tasty side dish comes from the Swedish word Hasselbacken, the Stockholm restaurant where it was first served.

Crispy on the outside and tender soft on the inside, the baked potato slices are similar to thick potato chips, but the slices are still attached to the base.

The seasonings and fillings for my hasselback potatoes recipe are completely up to your imagination! They can be as simple as a bit of salt and pepper, or stuff fillings between the slices. Use seasonings, herbs, butter, bacon, cheese, and anything else you want!

Just like making a Perfect Baked Potato, there are just a few basic steps to making a simple yet amazingly delicious potato side dish. 

How to make perfect hasselback potatoes

1. Clean the potatoes. Be sure to scrub the potato clean with tap water and a vegetable scrub brush to remove any dirt. If there are any sprouts (eyes) on the potato, use a paring knife to remove them. Then, use paper toweling to pat dry the potatoes.
   
2. Grease the skin. Covering the outside of the potato with fat before baking helps the seasonings to stick, and it also creates crispier potatoes!
   
   I like to use reserved bacon fat, but vegetable oil, or any other type of cooking oil works.Rub the oil or fat over the surface of the potato all, then sprinkle it with kosher salt.
   
3. Create a flat base. Next, on a cutting board, slice a portion of the potato off of the side of the potatoes, as seen in the photo below. This creates a flat bottom, which makes it easier and safer to cut slices in the hasselback potato.

4. Slice the potatoes. I have a few tips to help you create perfect slices without cutting completely through the potato.

I can’t tell you how many times I have cut through and ruined the concept. Slice as many times as you can, making thin cuts along the potato.

Then what I do is get two chop sticks or any thin piece of wood or spoon etc. that will allow you to cut through the potato and stop at the chopstick on either side of the potato. Works like magic!

I can’t tell you how many times I have cut through and ruined the concept. Slice as many times as you can, making thin cuts along the potato, see below.

To Prevent Injury

These tips will help reduce the chance of you injuring yourself with a sharp knife.

The first tip is to use a vegetable holder/slicer. It’s a fantastic, inexpensive kitchen tool that stabilizes the potato to prevent it from slipping. Plus, it gives you a simpler way to cut even slices. 

In addition to using a hasselback potato slicer, before you start cutting, slice off a small portion from the base of the potato.

Hasselback potato recipe video

Watch the hasselback potatoes recipe video in the recipe card below to see how easy it is. Just be careful and take your time – it’s really easy!

5. Fan out the slices. To get the potato to fan out, you’ll use the piece of potato that you sliced off earlier. Invert it so it lays flat on the counter, then place the sliced potato upside down on top of it.
   
   This creates an arch and fans the slices out perfectly. Now it’s ready to accept butter, oil, herbs, and fillings of your choice!

Kitchen Hacks and Recipe Tips

How to Prevent Potatoes (and Other Produce) from Turning Brown

Some fruits (like apples and avocados) as well as vegetables (like potatoes) discolor when they’re exposed to air. The scientific name for this is oxidation.

To help slow the process with hasselback potatoes, after slicing them, place the raw potatoes into a bowl of water with a little bit of lemon juice or white vinegar.

For Crispier Hasselback Potatoes

Soaking the sliced potatoes for a few hours in that same vinegar water will also draw out the starch. As a result, your potatoes will bake up crispier!

Use Lots of Butter

Melted butter brushed over the potato slices adds a richness and flavor that can’t be beat. You even use some of my Herb Butter or Bleu Cheese Butter for added flavor!

Use Evenly-Sized Potatoes

Using potatoes that are the same size helps them cook at the same time as well as assists in keeping them uniform in color and crispness. No one wants an under or over cooked potato!

Be Careful Not to Slice Through the Entire Potato

By using my useful kitchen hack of chopsticks placed on either side of the potato when slicing, it doesn’t allow the knife to cut entirely through the potato and keeps them together. The arch hack helps so the thin slices fan out and get evenly crispy and golden brown.

Serving Suggestions
Just like mashed or twice baked potatoes, this hasselback potato side dish is delicious with grilled ribeye steak and grilled corn on the cob. Not only delicious, but it will also impress your guests.