Perfect Hasselback Potato

4.80 from 30 votes

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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!

hasselback potato on a sheet pan, after baking


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. 

hasselback baked potato, close up, garnished with chopped parsley

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.
  1. 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!

This seasoned Hasselback potato turns out crispy on the outside and tender on the inside everytime! Great kitchen hack, almost like thick potato chips.
  1. 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!
two russet potatoes on a sheet pan, sliced and ready for baking

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.

a hasselback potato fanned out (close up shot)

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.

crispy potato slices cut into the potato
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hasselback potato, close up, after baking

How to Make a Hasselback Potato

4.80 from 30 votes
The seasoned Hasselback potato turns out crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. Almost like thick potato chips, but better! Cool kitchen hacks for easier slicing, too.
Servings: 2 servings
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 1 hour
Total: 1 hour 10 minutes

Ingredients 

  • 2 russet potatoes (medium, about 6" in length)
  • 1 tbsp bacon fat or olive oil
  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt
  • 2 tbsp herbs of choice
  • 2 tbsp melted butter or olive oil to baste

Instructions 

  • Preheat the oven to 425°F.
  • Line a baking sheet with either aluminum foil, parchment paper or a silicone mat or use a baking stone (as in video).
  • Rub the potatoes all over with bacon fat or olive oil and sprinkle with kosher salt. Slice off a thin portion on one side of the potato and set aside.
  • Place the potato on the flat cut side and using chop sticks or wooden spoons, place one on either side of the potato lengthwise. Make 1/8” thick slices, cutting down to the chop stick or wooden spoon. This way you do not cut through the potato, you just achieve the proper slices to fan out.
  • Place the potato slice flat side down on the lined baking tray and place the fan sliced potato cut side down on top of the slice. This will make the potato fan out on the arch.
  • Mince herbs like thyme and parsley. Add to the melted butter along with any seasoning you prefer.
  • Lightly brush the potato and in between slices, get in and around each slice as best you can. Season with kosher salt, fresh cracked pepper or seasoning of choice.
  • Bake for 30 minutes, baste with butter and continue baking for another 20 minutes. Potatoes will be crispy and golden brown. Top with any remaining butter, fresh herbs and serve.

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 370kcal | Carbohydrates: 44.3g | Protein: 5.2g | Fat: 20.1g | Saturated Fat: 4.4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2.2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 12.7g | Cholesterol: 6.1mg | Sodium: 22.2mg | Fiber: 3.2g | Sugar: 1.5g

The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Western
Have You Made This Recipe? Let Me Know on InstagramTag @keviniscooking or tag me #keviniscooking!
titled photo for Pinterest shows a hack for making hasselback potatoes

Kevin

Whether in the kitchen or on the grill, you’ll find me cooking American favorites with a love for BBQ, Mexican and Tex Mex. I’m passionate about making tasty food because life’s too short to be bland!

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97 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    Thank you so much! I have tried these potatoes many times, impossible to make them fan out or “separate”. Your hack of cutting off a slice serves 2 purposes: easier to cut the slices into the potatoes, and then opens them during the cooking process. Wow. Great hack. Thanks so much! I used a toothpick to fasten potatoes to the bottoms during cooking. Came out perfect. Will make again. Thanks!

  2. 5 stars
    Great hack, I’ve been trying hasselback several times, cutting off the slice then sitting them on it (I used a toothpick to hold them together) is the key. A miracle. Thank you!

  3. so funny that you’re asking for bacon grease and kosher salt in the same recipe…

    (I know Kosher salt is just coarse salt, but it amuses me anyway)

  4. 5 stars
    They were absolutely great! I followed another recipe and they didn’t baste before baking. That’s makes a BIIIIIG difference!

  5. Can these be made with the smaller sized (new potatoes) for a party with “heavy” hors d’oeuvres? Adjusting cooking times of course, but a different type of potato?

  6. 5 stars
    Thank you very much for “cracking the code” on how to ensure these potatoes actually fan out when cooked!! I’ve had mixed success in the past but it worked perfectly once I used your trick. Looks like these will be moving into heavier rotation on my meal planning list. Thanks for sharing this recipe.

    1. So glad you tried and enjoyed my version here Ken. Appreciate you taking the time to come back and let me know, too. 🙂

  7. 4 stars
    WRT “I was always wondering why or how to get the potato to fan out…”. — So after you’ve sliced the potatoes, rinse them well in-between the slices with cold water and then put them in a bowl with enough cold water to cover them. Let ’em soak for a few hours, changing the water and rinsing them occasionally (gotta get the starch out). They’ll open up and separate nicely on their own. Basically the same method as making potato chips or french fries…soak ’em in cold water!

  8. 5 stars
    When trying something new I always check out a few methods to see which seems the most practical and has the least room for error. Boy, did I make the right choice here! I’ve made these potatoes according to your instructions three times, each with perfect results.
    Incidentally, your potato wedge solution has an unexpected benefit: that little potato “stand” spends an hour collecting all the drippings and seasonings. At the end, it’s like a French fry from paradise. And, in our house, anyway, part of the “chef’s portion.” 😉