Hasselback Potatoes Are Proof That Baked Potatoes Can Be Cute

Potatoes are the best side dish. They’re culinary chameleons, adapting to almost any cooking method and taking on flavors with ease. Boil ‘em, mash ‘em, stick ‘em in a stew, potatoes are your ride or die for weeknight meals or company.

Hasselback potatoes embody what is best about the potato: sturdy, satisfying, and savory. But maybe the most notable thing about hasselback potatoes is that they’re cute as heck. Their accordion shape looks mighty appealing on the dinner plate, and even better, the unique way hasselback potatoes are prepared helps them take on any flavor you throw at them.

Where Are Hasselback Potatoes From?

Hasselback potatoes are Swedish. The story goes that they were invented by a culinary student at the restaurant Hasselbacken in the 1950s, but there is a recipe for the dish in the 1929 cookbook, “Prinsessornas Kokbok” (Princesses Cook Book). The restaurant may merely have popularized the dish.

Why Are They Called Hasselback Potatoes?

If this dish was truly invented at the Hasselbacken restaurant, it makes sense that these potatoes would be named for the restaurant. However, the recipe’s existence in an earlier cookbook throws that theory into question. The Hasselbacken restaurant dates back to the 18th Century, so it’s not a stretch to imagine that some version of these potatoes was served much earlier than 1929. The “Princessornas Kokbok” may merely be the first documented instance of hasselback potatoes that remains.

There is another possible explanation. The Swedish word “hassel” means “hazel” as in hazelnut, and “bäcken” means “hill” or “slope.” It is possible that hasselback refers to the color of the brown potato and its sloped shape.

Hasselback Butternut Squash Recipe

What is the Easiest Way To Cut Hasselback Potatoes?

You might be wondering how to cut a potato into the iconic hasselback shape without cutting all the way through it. The best way is to place the potato between the handles of two wooden spoons. As you slice down into the potato, the knife will hit the spoon handles, preventing you from cutting all the way through.

You don’t have to use wooden spoons for this. You can use chopsticks or even place the potato on a surface between two cutting boards of equal thickness. The main thing is to use something that you don’t mind being nicked by a knife and that won’t damage your knife’s sharp edge. So anything metal or ceramic is out.

Adding Flavor To Hasselback Potatoes

Our recipe for hasselback potatoes features an herb butter that is brushed over the potatoes partway through cooking. This is because when you first cut the potatoes into the hasselback shape, they will be a little brittle, and trying to get flavorings between the potato slices can cause the potatoes to break apart. During cooking the potatoes will soften and become more flexible, making it easier to get all that fragrant herb-flecked butter between the potato slices. 

Once the butter is brushed over the potatoes, they are placed back in the oven to finish cooking. During this final phase the butter will brown, adding even more flavor to these darling spuds. You can vary the herbs used in the butter, use your own favorite herb butter recipe, or add your own flourishes, like pepper flakes, curry powder, or even flavorful pastes like miso or gochujang.

Tips for Making Hasselback Potatoes

• Getting the hasselback shape—The easiest way to cut hasselback potatoes is to place the potato between the handles of two wooden spoons or other wooden utensils. They will prevent you from cutting all the way through the potato.
• Create a flat surface—Since potatoes can be a bit roly poly, cut a thin slice from one long edge of each potato so they will sit flat on the cutting board. This will make the whole hasselbacking process easier.
• Removing excess starch—After cutting the potatoes, rinse them under cool running water, getting between the slices. This removes excess starch so the potato slices will separate better during cooking, allowing the butter to more easily seep between the slices for an evenly seasoned potato.
• Maximum browning—Arrange the hasselbacked potatoes around the edge of your baking sheet for the crispiest edges and best browning.