Hasselback Potatoes

Hasselback potatoes are thin-sliced potatoes fanned open and roasted until the edges crisp and the centers turn creamy. The thin cuts cook quickly and brown at the edges while butter and seasonings soak through every layer.

Ingredients for Hasselback Potatoes

Russet potatoes hold their shape and stay creamy inside while the thin-sliced edges crisp up. Butter browns into the cuts and seasons each layer. Garlic and fresh thyme infuse the potato as it roasts. Salt and black pepper season throughout, and parmesan cheese adds a salty, nutty finish that browns on top.

Why This Hasselback Potatoes Works

Slicing partway through the potato creates dozens of thin edges that brown and crisp while the center stays moist. The cuts are shallow enough that the potato holds together as one piece, but deep enough that butter and seasonings reach all the way down.

Roasting at high heat browns the butter and potato skin without drying the inside. The potato releases its own starch as it cooks, which helps the edges brown faster and gives them a slight crunch. Basting with the melted butter halfway through ensures every cut gets seasoned and the top browns evenly.

Mistakes To Avoid

Slicing all the way through the potato splits it in half and the pieces cook unevenly. Stop your knife just before it touches the cutting board so the bottom stays intact and holds everything together.

Steaming instead of roasting happens when potatoes are crowded in the pan or when the oven is too low. Space them out and roast at 400°F so the edges brown and crisp instead of turning soft and pale.

Underseasoning comes from forgetting to salt inside the cuts, not just on top. The thin layers need salt worked down into them as the butter melts, so baste and season halfway through.

Burnt parmesan on the bottom ruins the texture when the potatoes sit on the cheese too long before it browns on top. Sprinkle it in the last 5 to 10 minutes of roasting so it crisps without burning.

As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.

Ingredients

• 4 russet potatoes, 6 to 8 ounces each
• 4 tablespoons butter, melted
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme, or 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese

Step-by-step Instructions

1. Heat oven to 400°F (200°C). Scrub potatoes clean and pat dry with a paper towel.
2. Place a potato on a cutting board. Using a sharp paring knife, slice down at a 1/4-inch angle, stopping just before the knife reaches the board. Repeat across the potato, spacing cuts 1/4 inch apart, then turn and slice in the other direction to create a crosshatch. Repeat with remaining potatoes.
3. Arrange potatoes cut-side up in a 9×13 baking pan. Drizzle with melted butter and sprinkle with minced garlic, thyme, salt, and pepper, working some of the seasonings into the cuts.
4. Roast for 40 minutes at 400°F, until the edges begin to brown and a fork slides through the thickest part with slight resistance.
5. Remove the pan from the oven. Baste the potatoes with the butter and juices from the bottom of the pan, working some of it into the cuts. Sprinkle parmesan evenly over the top.
6. Return to the oven for 10 minutes, until the parmesan is golden brown and the potato is completely tender when pierced with a fork or instant-read thermometer reads 205°F (96°C) in the center.
7. Rest for 5 minutes in the pan before serving.