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Air Fryer Hasselback Potatoes are proof that a little extra preparation goes a long, long way. The secret? It takes less than a minute with a chef’s knife. Your guests will rave about these crispy edges, loaded with fresh parmesan cheese and Italian parsley.

A close up shot of four hasselback potatoes on a white plate with a black and white striped towel visible in the background.

Air Fryer Hasselback Potatoes

I’ve made Hasselback potatoes before. That probably goes without saying for anyone who knows me. My family eats a lot of potatoes. We adore the humble spud, in all of its wonderful ways. But, air fryer Hasselback potatoes? I was entering uncharted territory.

I knew what I wanted, though. I had recently tried some Parmesan french fries that were still on my mind. And, I wanted to recreate those divine flavors and textures. So, I broke out the shredded parmesan cheese and fresh Italian parsley. And, I’m happy to say that the potatoes were fantastic served with this zucchini meatloaf.

A top down shot of potatoes on a white serving plate with a metal fork beside them for serving.

What are Hasselback Potatoes?

If I lost you at Hasselback, don’t worry. There were a lot of people asking, “What are Hasselback potatoes?” back when these were making the rounds on social media. This distinctive method of preparing potatoes originated in Sweden in the 1950s at the Hasselbacken Restaurant. Hence, the name.

And, while they look difficult, they’re really quite simple to prepare if you use one easy to remember trick. Just lay a chopstick along either side of the potato. This allows you to slice the potato at intervals without cutting all the way through. The slices stay connected at the base, which makes the potato fan out as it bakes.

Aside from appearances, this method also lets you get plenty of seasoning on each slice of potato. And, the textures are incredible. At the outer edge it’s extra crispy, almost crunchy like a thick potato chip, while the center remains soft and creamy.

Four different process shots, showing how to make air fryer hasselback potatoes.

Hasselback Potatoes in the Air Fryer

Potatoes take a long time to cook, even in the air fryer. So, my favorite part of making Hasselback potatoes in the air fryer is that it leaves my oven available. The air fryer doesn’t exactly replace the oven, but is deputized for the battle to get dinner to the table. And, especially for getting crispy sides like an air fryer Hasselback potato, this little machine is a highly effective deputy, indeed.

I use the COSORI Air Fryer for all of my air fryer recipes. I’m partial to a square basket air fryer as I find it easier to fit more food into the basket. This is a 5.8QT air fryer, one of the largest machines I’ve found that works effectively.

The machine is a bit retro with simple knob controls. It turns out that I really like the basic settings and ability to set the time and temp like a traditional appliance. I’ve used a few different air fryers with pre-programmed settings and I found I was still tweaking the times.

This air fryer is surprisingly easy to clean and the two-part basket locks together (it’s literally impossible for it to detach the way some do) until you open the latch and then push the button to release it. I simply wipe down the baskets with a sudsy dish scrub brush or sponge, rinse and let them air dry on the counter.

A vertically aligned shot of potatoes on a white plate over a wooden tabletop.

Potato Sides

I did say that my family loves potatoes, right? You can see it in the sheer number of potato sides that appear on this blog. And, I’m not sorry about it. Because people need to know about these mouth-watering cheesy roasted potatoes. These are pure comfort food.

And, broccoli mashed potatoes are a very successful attempt (if I say so myself) to bring mashed potatoes and broccoli together, inspired by my family’s fondness for Irish colcannon.

This recipe for garlic parmesan smashed potatoes is the joyous marriage of fluffy, tender insides and delightfully crispy edges. Every flavor-packed bite will have your taste buds dancing.

If you want a fresh twist on the classic baked spud, then put my loaded baked potato salad on the menu. With fluffy potatoes, sour cream, cheddar cheese, bacon, and chives, there is a whole lot of flavor in every awesome bite.

You can even make delicious, thick steak fries at home with these roasted red potato wedges. I like to season them with our custom French fry seasoning, and then dip them in homemade ranch.

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Air Fryer Hasselback Potatoes

Mary Younkin

Crispy and cheesy, these easy Air Fryer Hasselback Potatoes with parmesan will make any meal feel gourmet.

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 30

Total Time: 40

Servings:

Ingredients

▢ (4) 6-8 ounce russet potatoes scrubbed well and patted dry
▢ 4 tablespoons olive oil or olive oil spray
▢ ½ teaspoon kosher salt adjust to taste
▢ ½ teaspoon granulated garlic or garlic powder
▢ ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
▢ ¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
▢ ¼ cup fresh Italian parsley finely chopped

Instructions

Preheat the air fryer to 350°F. Cut a very thin slice lengthwise from the flattest side of a potato. Place the potato on a cutting board cut side down, so that it is steady and doesn't roll. Place a chopstick along either side of the potato.
Slice as evenly as possible across the length of the potato, creating ⅛-inch thick slices. Make sure the knife cuts all the way down to the chopsticks each time, while keeping the potato in one piece. Repeat with the remaining potatoes.
Brush the outsides and between the slices with oil, or spray generously with oil, in between the slices and over the exterior of the potatoes. Sprinkle generously with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
Place potatoes in the air fryer and cook for 15 minutes. Brush or spray again with oil and cook until crispy on the edges and tender in the middles, about 15 minutes more. Top with Parmesan and fresh parsley.