Air Fryer Hasselback Potatoes with Parmesan and Rosemary
These Air Fryer Hasselback Potatoes are whole potatoes sliced thinly across the top and flavored with Parmesan cheese, garlic, and rosemary. They cook fast in the air fryer, freeing up your oven for the rest of dinner. The finish is baked-potato style but prettier, with an optional bacon or sour cream garnish.
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Hasselback potatoes in the air fryer are a fancy looking side dish but surprisingly simple to master. They pair with all kinds of main dishes and are both hearty and delicious. Using the air fryer to make them works well because it’s a quicker method than baking.
Air Fryer Mashed Potato Bites are another air fryer potato dish, or you might like to try my Instant Pot Potato Salad or some of these Summery Potato Recipes. If you’re in the mood for fries, homemade French Fry Seasoning adds lots of flavor. Got some Parmesan left over? Make some Crescent Roll Garlic Bread with Parmesan.
Why You’ll Love It
- Air fryer side: The potatoes cook in your air fryer, leaving the oven free for the main dish.
- Dressed-up potato: If you want something a bit fancier than regular baked potatoes, the decorative slices make Hasselback potatoes a great choice.
- Garlic-herb flavor: Rosemary and garlic go deep into the sliced potatoes, not only on the outside, to really infuse them with flavor.
- Baked-potato finish: Cheese, herbs, sour cream, and/or bacon can be added at the end. Whatever you like on your baked potatoes will work with these too.
- Small batch friendly: The recipe makes four servings but if you’re serving more than four people, everything can easily be multiplied so long as your air fryer has enough basket space.
What are Hasselback Potatoes?
Hasselback potatoes are whole potatoes sliced almost all the way through across the top, with the base left intact. As they cook, the cuts open and the potato fans out, so you can add ingredients between the slices. The name comes from Hasselbacken, a restaurant and hotel in Stockholm, Sweden. Hasselbackspotatis (Hasselback potatoes in Swedish) were created there in 1953 by chef student Leif Elisson, when the site operated as a culinary school.
Hasselback Potatoes Air Fryer Ingredients
See the recipe card below for the full list of ingredients and exact measurements.
- Yukon Gold potatoes: Yukon Golds have a creamy middle and a thin skin, making them a great pick for this dish. Russets also work if you want a fluffier center.
- Olive oil: The oil coats the cut surfaces and helps the seasonings cling.
- Garlic: Thin slices go into the potato cuts for a bold garlic flavor.
- Fresh rosemary: Finely chopped rosemary fits between the potato slices better than larger sprigs.
- Parmesan cheese: Shredded, for a salty cheese finish.
- Bacon: An optional topping for a more savory baked-potato style finish. I almost always add some to mine!
- Green onion: For flavor and color.
- Parsley: Adds a fragrant herb flavor.
- Lemon zest: For brightness and contrast with the richer ingredients.
- Sour cream: A cool dairy topping you can add at the end. I sometimes use Greek yogurt instead, which is just as good.
Substitutions and Variations
- Try russets: Russets make a fluffier potato than Yukon Golds.
- Leave off the bacon: Skip it for a meatless side and add extra green onion or parsley.
- Greek yogurt topping: Greek yogurt gives a tangier finish than sour cream.
- Different herbs: Thyme can replace rosemary. It tastes softer and less piney.
- More cheese: Add extra Parmesan at the end if you want a stronger cheese finish.
How to Make Air Fryer Hasselback Potatoes (Step-by-Step Directions)
STEP 1: Preheat the air fryer. Wash and scrub the potatoes, then slice crosswise into thin cuts, leaving the base intact.
STEP 2: Place the sliced potatoes in an ice-water bath. Dry them well.
STEP 3: Cook and chop the bacon if using. Chop the green onion and parsley and zest the lemon.
STEP 4: Brush olive oil over the sliced potato tops. Add garlic and rosemary between the cuts.
STEP 5: Place the potatoes in the air fryer basket and season.
STEP 6: Cook until the cuts start to open. Brush with more olive oil and cook until a fork slides into the center.
STEP 7: Remove the potatoes from the air fryer. Add lemon zest, Parmesan, green onion, parsley, bacon, and sour cream or Greek yogurt if using.
Kim’s Tips
- Dry the potatoes well: Water left in the cuts slows browning and makes the oil slide off.
- Place garlic inside the cuts: Garlic left on top can scorch before the potato is tender.
- Check the center: Potato size and air fryer model change the timing, so use a fork test. Mine were quite large so took 5 minutes more than expected.
- Don’t skip the soak: It helps rinse starch from the cuts. I find the slices separate better after it.
- Don’t cut through the base: The potato needs an intact bottom, or the slices will just fall apart in the basket. I love this Hasselback potato slicer!
- Don’t crowd the basket: You need to leave room around each potato, especially around the sides, so they cook and crisp evenly and don’t become soggy.
How to Store
- Refrigerator: Store cooled leftover airfryer Hasselback potatoes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Add sour cream or Greek yogurt fresh, if possible, because dairy toppings can thin during reheating.
- Freezing: I wouldn’t freeze these. Cooked potato slices can be watery and grainy after thawing, and the dairy topping can separate.
- Reheating: Reheat in the air fryer until hot. Add sour cream or Greek yogurt after reheating.
Serving Suggestions
Serve Hasselback air fryer potatoes with Grilled Boneless Chicken Thighs, BBQ Pork Tenderloin, or Baked Citrus Salmon, and perhaps a side of Cucumber Dill Salad or Roasted Vegetables.
Hasselback Potatoes in Air Fryer FAQs
No, just scrub them to clean. The skin helps the whole potato stay intact during cooking.
Yes. Wooden spoon handles or chopsticks on each side of the potato stop the knife from cutting through the base.
They’re usually a side dish. With bacon, sour cream and cheese, they can also be served as a hot appetizer. Or you could pair one with a salad or lighter dish for lunch.
More Potato Recipes to Try
- Garlic Mashed Potatoes with Sour Cream are perfect with a steak.
- I bet you’ll really love the flavors in this Cajun Crockpot Potato Soup!
- Creamy and just a little spicy, Jalapeno Popper Potato Salad is a winner.
- My Broccoli Cheese Twice-Baked Potatoes are hearty and filling.
- And here are some Sweet Potato Recipes to try!
Air Fryer Hasselback Potatoes with Parmesan and Rosemary
Equipment
- Hasselback Potato Slicer or Chopsticks or Wooden Spoons
- Skillet if Using Bacon
- Metal Tongs if Using Bacon
Ingredients
- 4 Yukon Gold potatoes or russets, medium sized
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic thinly slicedd
- 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary finely chopped
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ cup parmesan cheese shredded
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley finely chopped
- 1 lemon zest only
- 1 green onion chopped
Optional Toppings
- ¼ cup bacon chopped
- ½ cup sour cream or Greek yogurt
Instructions
Prepare the Potatoes
- Preheat air fryer to 400°F. Wash and scrub the potatoes.
- Slice the potatoes thinly crosswise, leaving a quarter to half inch base. Use a Hasselback potato slicer for this, or place a wooden spoon or chopstick on either side of the potato, and slice down to that stop point.
Soak Them
- Place the sliced potatoes in an ice-water bath for 20 minutes to remove starch, then dry them.
Cook Bacon if Using
- While potatoes soak, fry and chop bacon if using, and chop green onion and parsley and zest lemon.
Fill the Potato Slits
- Place dried potatoes on a plate and brush oil on the tops (sliced part) of the potatoes.
- Stuff potato slits with sliced garlic and chopped rosemary. Don’t leave the garlic sticking out of the cuts or else it may burn.
Air Fry the Potatoes
- Place the potatoes in your air fryer basket and sprinkle salt and pepper on the tops.
- Close the air fryer and cook for 10 minutes, then open and apply a second coat of olive oil.
- Close and cook an additional 5-10 minutes until tender. Keep in mind that larger potatoes may take longer than this.
Add Toppings
- When potatoes are done, remove from air fryer and top with lemon zest, chopped bacon and/or sour cream if using, parmesan cheese and chopped green onion.
- Serve immediately and enjoy!
Notes
- Choose oval potatoes: They’re easier to slice evenly and usually fit the air fryer basket better.
- Flatten the bottoms if needed: A thin slice from the bottom can stop a potato from rolling while you cut.
- Add dairy last: Sour cream and Greek yogurt taste best when added right before serving.
Nutrition Information
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Air fryer Hasselback potatoes make a simple yet satisfying potato side with thin cuts that crisp at the edges, and plenty of garlic, rosemary, and Parmesan cheese. The cuts open up as they cook, so oil and seasonings can go further into the potatoes to give them max flavor! The Hasselback potatoes come out of the air fryer hot and tender, and you can finish them with your choice of bacon or sour cream (or both!)
