With a crispy skin and soft filling, Hasselback potatoes are a delicious side dish perfect for any dinner. But there’s no reason to heat up your kitchen by making these flavorful potatoes in the oven if you have an air fryer at home! These air fryer Hasselback potatoes are the perfect way to prepare this popular side. And since they’re loaded with cheese and bacon, the flavor of this popular side can’t be beat.
What Do I Need to Make Air Fryer Hasselback Potatoes?
Making Hasselback potatoes in your air fryer is one of the best ways to get that crispy, crunchy skin that makes this fun side dish stand out. But before you can start baking your potatoes in your fryer, you’ll need to make sure you have all the ingredients you need to make them! To cook Hasselback potatoes in your air fryer, you’ll need:
- Russet potatoes
- Cheddar cheese
- Bacon
- Olive Oil
- Minced garlic
- Salt
- Pepper
- Dried parsley
How Do I Make Air Fryer Hasselback Potatoes?
You’re going to love how easy it is to make these pretty baked potatoes with the help of your air fryer! Just follow these easy instructions for prepping and cooking your potatoes at home:
Step One: Prepare the Potatoes
Before you can start cooking your potatoes in the air fryer, you’ll need to do a little bit of prep work. Start by washing your potatoes to remove any dirt from the skin, then dry the outside of the potato. Next, slice a thin layer of skin off the bottom of the potato to create a flat surface and cut horizontal slices around 1/8th inch thick all the way down the potato, making sure not to cut all the way through the bottom.
Step Two: Steam the Potatoes
Once you have your potatoes sliced, brush or spray the top of each one with a small amount of olive oil. Place the potatoes in the microwave for 10 minutes. After that, remove the potatoes from the microwave and allow them to cool slightly.
Step Three: Prep the toppings
While the potatoes are cooking in the microwave, slice the cheddar cheese and bacon pieces into squares. Make sure each piece is small enough to fit in between the slices in the potatoes.
Step Four: Air Fry the Potatoes
After giving your potatoes time to cool enough for them to be handled safely, brush each one with more oil. Sprinkle a small amount of minced garlic, salt, and pepper over each potato and alternate slices of cheese and bacon between each slice in the potato. Place the stuffed potatoes in the air fryer basket and cook at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 20 to 30 minutes, until the slices are tender on the inside and crispy on the outside.
Is There a Tool to Make Hasselback Potatoes?
While there is a special tool you can use to slice your potatoes in the Hasselback style, there’s no reason to add another utensil to your kitchen. With these slicing tips, you can prepare these delicious potatoes without the need for any special tools at all.
- Flatten the bottom. One of the things that makes slicing Hasselback potatoes so difficult is the fact that potatoes are round. That means they’ll roll around as you’re trying to cut them! To help hold your potato in place while you cut, start by standing the potato on its end. Holding the potato upright with one hand, run your knife down the side of the potato to create a flat side. Then, lay your potato on the flat side so it won’t roll around while you’re slicing.
- Use wooden spoons. The next issue many people face while trying to make their own Hasselback potatoes at home is cutting too deeply into the potato. While you want to make thin slices all down the potato, you don’t want to cut it all the way through. That’s where a pair of wooden spoons comes in handy. Place the handles of the spoons on each side of the potato. As you’re slicing, the spoon handles will prevent you from slicing too deeply.
- Make sure your knife is sharp. Now that you have your potato ready for slicing, the last thing you’ll need to do is sharpen your knife. Since each slice needs to be around 1/8th inch thick, a very shark knife is essential. The sharper your knife is, the easier it will be to make thin, precise cuts every time you make a slice.
Can You Precook Hasselback Potatoes?
Getting the right texture on your Hasselback potatoes isn’t always easy. That’s because the outside of the potato may begin to get crispy before the inside of the potato is completely softened. That’s why it’s a good idea to precook your potatoes before you place them in your air fryer.
Heating the potatoes in the microwave is the best way to steam the white of the potatoes without worrying about burning the skin. Simply place the potatoes in the microwave until the inside of the potato is just beginning to soften. After that, you can finish cooking the potatoes in the air fryer to create the crispy exterior that makes this side dish so delicious.
PrintAir Fryer Hasselback Potatoes with Bacon and Cheese
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 6 1x
- Category: Side Dish
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 3 large russet potatoes
- 6 oz cheddar cheese
- 9–10 slices bacon
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 1 tablespoon of minced garlic
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- Dried parsley for garnish
Instructions
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Wash any dirt off potatoes.
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Slice a thin layer off the bottom of the potatoes to allow for a flat bottom to prevent rolling.
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Place two similar wood spoons on each side of the potato running parallel with the potato.
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Using a sharp knife, cut 1/8”-1/4” slices all the way down to the spoon handles.
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Brush with oil and microwave for 10 minutes, let cool and remove.
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Slice the cheese and bacon into squares that will fit in between the slices of potatoes.
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Once potatoes have cooled to touch, place a slice of cheese and bacon alternating in each slice of the potatoes.
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Brush with more oil, season with garlic, salt, and pepper and place in the air fryer basket. Air Fry at 400° Fahrenheit for 20 to 30 minutes until potatoes are tender inside and crispy on the outside. Garnish with parsley.
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Let cool and enjoy!