The best technique to make hasselback potatoes

Hasselback potatoes with their fan of golden slices, crispy outsides and tender interiors are a popular addition to any roast meal. They’re as tasty as they look, and all those nooks and crannies are the perfect vessel for buttery extra flavours and spices.

 

Hasselback potatoes may look intimidating, but they’re actually very easy. Make great hasselback potatoes with the tips below, and use your skills for your next Sunday roast!

Waxy potatoes are best for hasselback potatoes, as they hold their shape better than floury potatoes. This is ideal so that each slice remains distinct once roasted. Waxy potatoes in Australian supermarkets include red potatoes, chat potatoes and Nadine potatoes.

To get crunchy and flavourful hasselback potatoes, be generous with oil and good quality butter. In this Roast Herb, Chilli and Orange Butter Hasselback Potatoes recipe created by Western Star, butter is spread over each potato before baking. This ensures each slice in the potato is coated, adding flavour and enhancing crispiness. 

Position your potato with its flattest side on the chopping board. Use a sharp knife and make a cut every 3mm without cutting all the way through. You can place chopsticks or skewers on either side of the potato to stop your knife from slicing through the bottom.

Hasselback potatoes should be roasted on a sheet pan or a low-walled roasting pan. If the pan’s sides are too high it can hold in steam, making the potatoes soft instead of crunchy.

The cracks and crevices in hasselback potatoes are great for holding extra flavour. Try garlic butter, paprika and cumin butter, or herb, chilli and orange butter.