The first good sign is the way the potato opens at the cuts: thin layers fan out, the edges crisp, and the middle stays tender. These air fryer Hasselback potatoes get that contrast without needing a full-size oven or a long list of ingredients. I use medium russets so there’s enough room for the slices to separate while the bottom stays attached.
The garlic herb butter goes on after the potatoes have had their first cook, so the fresh garlic and herbs get a shorter turn in the heat. Brush it between the slices, not just over the tops, and the flavor works its way down through the layers. Each potato comes out crisp-edged, fragrant with garlic, and soft enough in the center for a thin knife to slide through.
Kitchen Note
Dry the potatoes well after scrubbing, especially around the cuts. Water left on the surface makes it harder for the olive oil to coat the skin and the edges evenly.
Save these air fryer Hasselback potatoes for crisp edges, tender centers, and garlic herb butter tucked into every slice.
Why the Garlic Butter Waits Until the Potatoes Have Cooked
It’s tempting to brush the potatoes with the garlic butter at the start, but the fresh garlic would spend the whole cooking time exposed to hot air. That can leave it browned and bitter before the potato centers are tender. Giving the potatoes their first 30 minutes with olive oil lets them cook through and gives the cuts a chance to open before the delicate finish goes on.
The butter also has a job the oil doesn’t: it carries the minced garlic, parsley, and thyme into the narrow spaces between the slices. Melt it gently, cook the garlic just until fragrant, then take the pan off the heat before stirring in the herbs. Once you brush that mixture over the potatoes, the final air-fry gives it time to settle into the cuts while the edges turn crisp. Keep the two cooking stages in that order, and you get the herb-butter aroma without putting raw garlic through the full cook.
Russets, Olive Oil, and Butter: What Each One Adds
- Russet potatoes — Their starchy flesh turns fluffy inside while the cut edges dry and crisp. Choose potatoes close in size so they cook at a similar pace; a Yukon Gold can work, but its waxier texture will be less fluffy.
- Olive oil — It coats the skin and the cut surfaces before the first cook. A basic olive oil is fine here; save a delicate finishing oil for another use, since its nuances won’t stand out after air-frying.
- Unsalted butter — It gives the garlic and herbs a rich coating without adding hidden salt. Salted butter works, but it makes the finished potatoes saltier alongside the kosher salt.
- Fresh garlic — Minced garlic spreads through the butter and slips into the cuts. Fresh cloves give a sharper, more fragrant result than garlic powder, which won’t create the same little flecks of garlic in the finish.
- Parsley and thyme — Fresh herbs keep the butter bright and savory. If you’re missing one, use the other on its own; the potatoes will still have a clear herb flavor, just a simpler one.
- Kosher salt and black pepper — Seasoning between the slices matters as much as seasoning the skin, where it’s easy to taste only the outside.
The Cut, the First Cook, and the Garlic Butter Finish
Make Even Cuts Without Slicing Through
Scrub and dry the potatoes, then set one between two chopsticks. Slice crosswise at 1/8-inch intervals, stopping when the knife meets the chopsticks so about 1/4 inch at the bottom stays intact. That attached base holds the layers together when you lift the potato into the basket. Keep the slices close to even so the edges cook at a similar pace.
Oil the Layers Before the First Cook
Preheat a 6-quart air fryer to 375°F for 3 minutes. Brush olive oil over each potato and work it between the slices, then season with kosher salt and black pepper. Set them in the basket and cook at 375°F for 30 minutes. If you only oil the outside, the exposed inner edges won’t get the same coating.
Warm the Garlic Gently
While the potatoes cook, melt the butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Add the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute, stopping when it smells fragrant rather than waiting for it to brown. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the chopped parsley and thyme. Low heat gives the garlic time to perfume the butter without scorching.
Brush Between the Slices and Finish
Brush the garlic herb butter over the potatoes and into the cuts. Return them to the air fryer at 375°F for 10 to 15 minutes, until the edges are crisp and a thin knife slides easily into the centers. If the edges look ready before the knife meets little resistance in the middle, give them more time within that range. Rest the potatoes for 5 minutes before serving.
Three Small Changes That Still Let the Potato Shine
Make the Finish Dairy-Free
Use olive oil in place of the butter for the garlic-herb finish, warming it gently with the garlic before stirring in the parsley and thyme. The result won’t have butter’s creamy richness, but the garlic and herbs still coat the slices and keep the dish dairy-free.
Go Parsley-Only
Leave out the thyme and keep the chopped parsley with the garlic butter. The finish tastes cleaner and more familiar, with less of thyme’s earthy, woodsy note.
Let the Garlic Stand Alone
Skip both herbs and brush the garlic butter into the slices on its own. You’ll get a more direct garlic-and-butter finish, which is a good fit when you want the potato itself to be the main flavor.
Storage and Reheating
- Refrigerator: Store leftovers in a covered container and eat within 3 to 4 days. The potato stays tender, but the crisp edges soften in the refrigerator.
- Freezer: Freezing isn’t ideal; thawed russets tend to turn mealy, and the separate slices lose their definition.
- Reheating: Reheat in the air fryer until hot throughout to bring some crispness back to the edges. Avoid reheating until the outside is dark and dry while the center is still cool.
Answers to the Questions That Come Up While Making These Potatoes
Air Fryer Hasselback Potatoes with Garlic Herb Butter
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Preheat a 6-quart air fryer to 375°F for 3 minutes.
- Scrub and dry the potatoes.
- Place each potato between two chopsticks and slice crosswise at 1/8-inch intervals, stopping about 1/4 inch from the bottom so the slices stay attached.
- Brush the potatoes all over and between the slices with olive oil.
- Season with the salt and pepper.
- Set the potatoes in the air fryer basket and cook at 375°F for 30 minutes.
- Melt the butter in a small saucepan over low heat.
- Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
- Remove from the heat and stir in the parsley and thyme.
- Brush the garlic herb butter over the potatoes and into the slices.
- Air-fry at 375°F for 10 to 15 minutes, until the edges are crisp and a thin knife slides easily into the centers.
- Rest the potatoes for 5 minutes before serving.