How To Make Hasselback Potatoes
Hasselback potatoes are thinly sliced but left joined at the bottom, then baked until the layers fan out into crispy rounds.
Serves4
Prep10 minutes to 15 minutes
Cook1 hour to 1 hour 20 minutes
The Hasselback potato is clearly the most impressive spud to ever call itself a side dish. It’s also like having all of your potato dreams come true at once. These potatoes have the crispy edges of your favorite french fries, but with middles as creamy as mashed potatoes. They also have the added bonus of being, essentially, wholesome baked potatoes in clever disguise.
Want one more reason to make them tonight? How about the fact that despite their frilly fancy-pants appearance, hasselback potatoes take no more time and little more effort than your average foil-wrapped baked potato. To make them, you may use any type of potato and slice straight down into the potato, but stop just short of cutting all the way through.
What To Know About Hasselback Potatoes
- They sometimes go under the name Accordion Potatoes or Pillbug Potatoes.
- They are sliced into thin wedges but left joined at the bottom, and then baked.
- Brushing them twice with olive oil, melted butter, or duck fat ensures crispy perfection.
- You can dress them with shredded cheese, chopped herbs, or crumbled bacon.
What Are Hasselback Potatoes?
We can thank the Swedes — and the chefs at Restaurant Hasselbacken, in particular — for the invention of this particular style of potato.
They also sometimes go under the name Accordion Potatoes or (my favorite) Pillbug Potatoes. Whatever you call it, the result is the same. A hasselback potato is a single potato, sliced into thin wedges but left joined at the bottom, baked until the layers fan out into rounds of crispy bliss.
Tips for Cutting and Cooking Hasselback Potatoes
- Any potato will do. I love Yukon Golds for this, but you can also use Russets, red potatoes, or even tiny new potatoes.
- Slice straight down into the potato, but stop just short of cutting all the way through. You can rest the potato on a large serving spoon to use as a guide.
- Make your slices as thick or as thin as you like. My knife skills tend to average slices that are 1/8-inch to 1/4-inch thick.
- Brush the potatoes with olive oil, melted butter or a combination of both. Heck, use duck fat if you have it! Bake it ,then halfway through brush with more fat.
- That second application of fat is key. Halfway through cooking, the potatoes start to fan out giving you space to coax some butter down into the nooks and crannies, plus the second coating ensures crispy perfection.
How to Dress Up Hasselback Potatoes
Now, I’m sure I’m not alone in feeling like those accordion folds are just begging to be stuffed with some extra toppings. Try out some of these ideas for over-the-top hasselback potatoes.
Make a few Hasselback potatoes for a family dinner or a whole sheet pan of them for a dinner party. My recipe here is for four potatoes, but you can certainly multiply that for a crowd. In my opinion, any dinner — big or small, casual or fancy — can only be improved with the addition of Hasselback potatoes.
Main Dishes to Serve with Hasselback Potatoes
How To Make Hasselback Potatoes
Hasselback potatoes are thinly sliced but left joined at the bottom, then baked until the layers fan out into crispy rounds.
Prep time 10 minutes to 15 minutes
Cook time 1 hour to 1 hour 20 minutes
Serves4
Nutritional Info
Ingredients
- 4
large potatoes, Yukon Gold, Russet, or Red Bliss
- 4 tablespoons
melted butter, olive oil, duck fat, bacon fat, coconut oil, or a mix
Salt
Pepper
Optional extras: minced fresh herbs, spices, grated cheese, bread crumbs, panko crumbs
Equipment
Chef's knife
Large serving spoon (optional)
Baking dish, oven-safe skillet, or baking sheet
Instructions
Heat the oven to 425°F. Arrange a rack in the bottom third of the oven and heat to 425°F.
Wash and dry the potatoes. Scrub 4 potatoes clean and pat them dry. Alternatively, you can peel the skins off.
Cut slits in the potatoes, leaving the bottom intact. Cut parallel slits into each potato, stopping just before you cut through so that the slices stay connected at the bottom of the potato. Space the slices 1/8-inch to 1/4-inch apart. You can rest the potato in a large serving spoon (or on 2 wooden chopsticks) and use that as a guide for when to stop slicing — slice straight down and when your knife hits the edge of the spoon, stop slicing.
Brush the potatoes with half the fat. Arrange the potatoes in a baking dish. Brush the potatoes all over with 2 tablespoons of butter or other fat, including the bottoms.
Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle the potatoes generously with salt and pepper.
Bake 30 minutes, then brush with more fat. Bake the potatoes for 30 minutes. At this point, the layers will start separating. Remove the pan from the oven and brush the potatoes again with the remaining 2 tablespoons of fat — you can nudge the layers apart if they're still sticking together. Make sure some of the fat drips down into the space between the slices.
Bake another 30 to 40 minutes. Bake until the potatoes are crispy on the edges and easily pierced in the middles with a paring knife, 30 to 40 minutes. If you're adding any extras, stuff those into the slits and sprinkle over the top 5 to 10 minutes before the end of cooking. (Total baking time is 60 to 70 minutes for average potatoes; if your potatoes are on the small side or are larger, adjust cooking time accordingly.)
Serve immediately. These potatoes are best straight from the oven while the edges are at their crispiest.
Recipe Notes
Storage: Leftovers can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 5 days.