sophisticated.kitchencomfort food recipes

Potato sideGarlic · Parmesan · crisp edges

Thin slices · hot oven · soft center

Crispy Hasselback Potatoes

Yukon gold potatoes sliced thinly, brushed with garlic butter or olive oil, seasoned with Parmesan and red pepper flakes, and baked until the edges fan open and crisp.

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Golden Hasselback potatoes baked in a dark tray with their sliced tops fanned open.
A tray of baked Hasselback potatoes shows the signature thin slices and crisped edges. Image resized from the original.Photo by Aurus Sy · CC0 1.0
70minutes
Prep
10 min
Bake
1 hr
Total
1 hr 10 min
Serves
6 servings

A Hasselback potato looks elaborate, but the promise is practical: more surface area for browning, a potato that stays whole enough to plate cleanly, and a tender middle that behaves like a baked potato with better edges.

“Hasselback potatoes are a unique side dish with crispy, buttery edges and soft-baked center; they are the perfect addition to any meal.”

Guard the knife

Two chopsticks or wooden spoons keep the bottom of each potato intact while you make close, even cuts.

Season the gaps

The source calls for coating the sides and between the slices, which is where the crisp edges start.

Check tenderness

Bake for color and a soft center; larger potatoes may need a few extra minutes even after the edges brown.

Mise checklistSteady cuts

Set the board before the slicing starts

The whole recipe depends on making thin slices without cutting through the potato. A stable board, steady potato, and two chopsticks solve most of the risk.

Ingredient notesSource-faithful

Simple ingredients, more exposed edges

The ingredient list stays short: Yukon gold potatoes, fat, garlic, Parmesan, salt, pepper, and a little red pepper flake heat.

01

Yukon gold potatoes

They bake into a creamy center while the cut edges pick up color.

Trim only enough from the bottom to make a stable base if a potato rocks on the board.
02

Butter or olive oil

The source gives either option; both carry seasoning between the slices.

Brush once before baking and use the brush to nudge fat into the opened cuts.
03

Garlic, Parmesan, and chile

Minced garlic seasons the fat, Parmesan browns late in the bake, and red pepper flakes add a small spark.

Add the cheese after the first 40 minutes so it browns without drying out too early.

Visual notesFans and edges

The cuts open slowly in the oven, giving the seasoned fat more places to brown.

One baked Hasselback potato on a white plate with herbs and seasoning.
The thin cuts help the potato fan open while the bottom stays intact. Image resized from the original.Photo by Rebecca Siegel · CC BY 2.0
Kitchen truth

Color alone can fool you. Test the center, then decide whether the potato is finished.

A plated meal with garlic Hasselback potatoes beside steak and sauce.
Garlic and potato are the quiet anchor here; this source recipe keeps the garnish simple with Parmesan and red pepper flakes. Image resized from the original.Photo by Siobhan Leachman · CC0 1.0
A small roasting dish with three deeply browned Hasselback potatoes.
Space on the pan matters: exposed sides brown more cleanly than crowded potatoes. Image resized from the original.Photo by jules · CC BY 2.0

Bake rhythm425°F oven

A one-hour bake with one late cheese move

Most of the time is hands-off: season first, bake for 40 minutes, add Parmesan, then finish the last 20 minutes.

  1. 0:00

    Slice with a guard

    Set each potato between chopsticks and cut crosswise into thin slices, stopping before the knife reaches the board.

  2. 0:10

    Heat and brush

    Preheat to 425°F, line the pan, stir garlic into the melted fat, and brush the potatoes well.

  3. 0:15

    Season the cuts

    Use salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes, working the seasoning around the sides and into the fans.

  4. 0:55

    Add Parmesan

    After 40 minutes in the oven, shower the potatoes with Parmesan and return them to finish.

  5. 1:10

    Serve hot

    The potatoes are ready when the centers are tender and the edges are browned and crisp.

Serve hotStorage

Keep the edges crisp

This is a hot-from-the-oven side dish. Prep can move earlier, but the slicing and bake are best close to dinner.

Best timing

Bake close to serving time; the crisp edges are strongest right from the oven.

Prep ahead

Scrub the potatoes and mince the garlic earlier in the day, but slice shortly before baking to avoid browning.

Leftovers

Refrigerate cooled potatoes airtight for up to 3 days.

Re-crisp

Use a 400°F oven or air fryer until hot. A microwave warms them but softens the fan edges.

RecipePrint ready

Crispy Hasselback potatoes

Six Yukon gold potatoes sliced into thin fans, brushed with garlic butter or olive oil, seasoned with Parmesan and red pepper flakes, and baked until tender and crisp-edged.

Hasselback PotatoesPotatoesSide DishParmesanGarlicVegetarianAmerican

Ingredients

Potatoes

  • 6 medium Yukon gold potatoes, scrubbed or peeled
  • 3 tablespoons melted butter or olive oil
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • Red pepper flakes, to taste

Directions

  1. Wash and scrub or peel the potatoes.
  2. Find a flat side on each potato and place it flat side down on a cutting board. If a potato will not sit steady, trim a thin slice from the bottom to make a flat base.
  3. Place two chopsticks or wooden spoons snugly along the long sides of one potato. Cut the potato crosswise into 1/8-inch slices, stopping when the knife reaches the chopsticks so the bottom stays intact. Repeat with the remaining potatoes.
  4. Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  5. Stir the minced garlic into the melted butter or olive oil. Place the potatoes on the prepared baking sheet and brush them with the garlic butter or oil.
  6. Season the potatoes with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Use your hands or a brush to coat the sides and work some of the seasoned fat between the slices.
  7. Bake the potatoes for 40 minutes.
  8. Remove the pan from the oven and sprinkle the potatoes with Parmesan cheese. Continue baking for 20 minutes, until the centers are tender and the edges are browned and crisp.
  9. Serve warm.

Image credits

Photography is used under open licenses with attribution: Aurus Sy, Rebecca Siegel, Siobhan Leachman, and jules.