Air Fryer Hasselback Potatoes With Cheese: Ultimate Comfort Food!

Hasselback potatoes are basically a sliced baked potato that’s loaded up with your favorite toppings. They look elegant beside your steak, but they’re equally delicious with anything at a cookout. These air fryer hasselback potatoes with cheese make them even easier to prepare!

air fryer hasselback potatoes with cheese recipe dinners done quick

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

By slicing your potato horizontally before cooking, you add all this great surface area to it. It’s perfect for browning and getting crispy edges, but it’s also ideal for holding flavor! You can use full sized potatoes like I am here, or mini potatoes as well – the choice is yours!

These air fryer hasselback potatoes are loaded up with garlic butter and topped with cheese. I mean, how can you go wrong?

closeup of cheesy air fried hasselback potato

If you’re looking for a sweet option instead of savory, though, check out my Air Fryer Hasselback Sweet Potatoes instead.

I love making hasselback potatoes in the air fryer because it’s faster than the oven, and doesn’t heat up your house. You can enjoy roasted potatoes all summer long!

What You’ll Need: Ingredients

ingredients to make air fryer hasselback potatoes with cheese
  • 2-3 russet potatoes (or about 1.5 pounds total)
  • 1 Tbsp olive oil
  • ½ tsp salt (or more to taste)
  • ¼ tsp black pepper (or more to taste)
  • 4 Tbsp melted butter
  • ½ tsp garlic powder
  • ¼ tsp onion powder
  • ¼ tsp dried parsley
  • ¼ tsp paprika
  • 6 slices cheddar cheese, cut into 8 pieces each (fold each piece in half 3 times)

Ingredient Tips and Substitutions

  • While I find russet potatoes to be great to work with, you can also use gold, white, red, or sweet potatoes (cooking times may vary slightly though). Also feel free to use an equivalent weight of mini baby potatoes (it’s a lot more cuts but they’re bite sized)
  • You can tweak any of the seasonings to your liking, but this combo is delicious. You can even prep the garlic butter ahead of time and store it for use as needed
  • If you use salted butter, you can reduce or omit the salt if you prefer
  • Feel free to swap the cheddar cheese for any other cheese you like. Mozzarella is another great choice, but most any cheese that melts well works. You can also leave the cheese off if preferred
  • Variations: Add other toppings as you like! Bacon is another favorite addition, or you can top the potato with sour cream and chives like a baked potato!

How to Make Hasselback Potatoes in the Air Fryer

  1. Preheat your air fryer to 350°F
  2. Using a sharp knife, cut slices into the potato widthwise about ¼” apart, stopping about ½” from the bottom. Pro tip: Use two wooden spoons or something similar on either side of the potato to stop you from cutting through accidentally
place spoons around potato to help easily cut slices
  1. Coat the potatoes in olive oil, then sprinkle with salt and pepper. Try to get some between the slices, but don’t force them open
brush potatoes with olive oil, salt, and pepper
  1. Place the sliced potatoes into the preheated air fryer basket
place hasselback potatoes in air fryer basket
  1. Cook on the air fry setting for 15 minutes, or until the potatoes begin to soften and the slices separate slightly
  2. While the potatoes are cooking, combine the melted butter and remaining seasonings in a small bowl
combine melted butter and spices in a small bowl
  1. When potatoes are finished, use a spoon or brush to apply the butter mixture over the tops and in between the slices of the potato. Reserve about 1 tsp for later
brush butter mixture over potatoes
  1. Cook the potatoes again for an additional 15-20 minutes, until they pierce easily with a fork
  2. Now, place a slice of cheese in between each slice in the potato (it’s alright if they stick out slightly)
add cheese inside each potato slice
  1. Air fry for 3-5 more minutes, until cheese is melted
  2. Top potatoes with reserved butter mixture, and garnish with fresh parsley if desired
overhead view of air fryer hasselback potatoes with cheese on a plate

What to Serve With Hasselback Potatoes

  • Steak
  • Roast chicken
  • Roast beef
  • Bacon 
  • Sausages
  • Pork chops
  • Ham 
  • Lamb
  • Grilled mushrooms
  • Stuffed peppers
  • Chili
  • Queso
  • Gravy
  • Applesauce

There are a variety of great meats, vegetables, and sauces to serve with hasselback potatoes.

Try these air fryer hasselback potatoes with my amazing Air Fryer Kielbasa, topped with creamy Air Fryer Queso or hearty Air Fryer Chili, or alongside any of these amazing Air Fryer Pork Steak Recipes.

Recipe FAQs

Do You Peel Hasselback Potatoes?

No, you do not peel typically hasselback potatoes. The skin helps the slices and the potato itself to maintain the shape after cooking.

Potatoes get very soft after cooking, so otherwise the slices would fall apart. If you really want to peel it you can, but you’ll need to exercise caution in transferring it to a plate.

How Long to Cook Hasselback Potatoes in an Air Fryer?

Typically hasselback potatoes need to cook for 30-40 minutes in an air fryer. The time will vary based on the size of your potato, as well as your specific air fryer.

Mini or baby hasselback potatoes are closer to 20 minutes of cooking time in an air fryer, due to their smaller size.

What is the Easiest Way to Cut Hasselback Potatoes?

The easiest way to cut hasselback potatoes is to place a guide on either side of the potato. This could be a wooden spoon, thick chopsticks or skewers, or something similar. Then, cut the potato with a sharp knife downwards until you hit the guide.

Not only does this hold the potato in place, it ensures you don’t cut through accidentally and that all cuts are the same depth.

How Do You Keep Hasselback Potatoes From Turning Brown?

If you won’t be cooking them for a bit, place cut hasselback potatoes in cold salted water or squeeze with lemon juice to stop them from turning brown.

Generally, it takes about 10 minutes to start seeing a noticeable change, so if you get them cooking before then you’ll be in good shape.

Recipe Pro Tips

  • The amount of cheese you’ll need will vary based on the size of your potato and number of cuts. I had very large russets with about 20 cuts each. You can also do every other slice with cheese if you prefer
  • If you’re struggling to get the garlic butter or the cheese in between slices, use a fork to gently push the slices apart to make life easier
  • I recommend a flat spatula to help in removing the potato from the air fryer so it doesn’t break apart
  • My large russet hasselback potatoes took about 40 minutes total in a Ninja air fryer to cook through. Other potato sizes and air fryers may vary slightly
three air fried hasselback potatoes with cheese oozing out

Storage and Reheating

  • Store leftover potatoes in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Do not freeze
  • Reheat hasselback potatoes in the air fryer for 5-7 minutes at 350°F, or until heated through. You may also treat it like Reheating a Baked Potato in the Microwave

More Air Fryer Potato Recipes to Try

Final Thoughts

These air fryer hasselback potatoes are so easy to make, yet look so elegant. I love them alongside a grilled steak, or honestly anything from the cookout!

Thanks to the air fryer, you can enjoy them all summer long without heating up the house like the oven does. The savory combination of garlic butter and cheese is the perfect combination!

This recipe works great with both large potatoes as well as mini (baby) potatoes, so you can choose your family’s favorites.

If you’re looking for a way to shortcut the process even further, make sure to check out my preparation of Trader Joe’s Hasselback Potatoes in the Air Fryer or my Microwave Hasselback Potatoes, too!

air fryer hasselback potatoes with cheese recipe dinners done quick featured image

Easy Air Fryer Hasselback Potatoes (With Cheese)

These easy air fryer hasselback potatoes feature garlic butter and cheese for a flavor explosion. They roast up beautifully in around 40 minutes total.
5 from 1 vote
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Course Side Dish
Cuisine American, Vegetarian
Servings 3
Calories 571 kcal

Equipment

Ingredients
  

  • 2-3 Medium russet potatoes (about 1 ½ pounds total)
  • 1 Tbsp olive oil
  • ½ Tsp salt (or more to taste)
  • ¼ Tsp black pepper (or more to taste)
  • 4 Tbsp butter (melted)
  • ¼ Tsp garlic powder
  • ¼ Tsp onion powder
  • ¼ Tsp paprika
  • ¼ Tsp dried parsley
  • 6 Slices cheddar cheese, cut into 8 pieces each (fold each piece in half 3 times)

Instructions
 

  • Preheat your air fryer to 350°F
  • Using a sharp knife, cut slices into the potato widthwise about ¼” apart, stopping about ½” from the bottom. Pro tip: Place two wooden spoons or something similar on either side of the potato to stop you from cutting through accidentally
    2-3 Medium russet potatoes
  • Coat the potatoes in olive oil, then sprinkle with salt and pepper. Try to get some between the slices, but don’t force them open
    1 Tbsp olive oil, ½ Tsp salt, ¼ Tsp black pepper
  • Place the sliced potatoes into the preheated air fryer basket
  • Cook on the air fry setting for 15 minutes, or until the potatoes begin to soften and the slices separate slightly
  • While the potatoes are cooking, combine the melted butter and remaining seasonings in a small bowl
    4 Tbsp butter, ¼ Tsp garlic powder, ¼ Tsp onion powder, ¼ Tsp paprika, ¼ Tsp dried parsley
  • When potatoes are finished, use a spoon or brush to apply the butter mixture over the tops and in between the slices of the potato. Reserve about 1 tsp for later
  • Cook the potatoes again for an additional 15-20 minutes, until they pierce easily with a fork
  • Now, place a slice of cheese in between each slice in the potato (it’s alright if they stick out slightly)
    6 Slices cheddar cheese, cut into 8 pieces each
  • Air fry for 3-5 more minutes, until cheese is melted
  • Top potatoes with reserved butter mixture, and garnish with fresh parsley if desired

Notes

  • While I find russet potatoes to be great to work with, you can also use gold, white, red, or sweet potatoes (cooking times may vary slightly though). Also feel free to use an equivalent weight of mini baby potatoes (it’s a lot more cuts but they’re bite sized)
  • You can tweak any of the seasonings to your liking, but this combo is delicious. You can even prep the garlic butter ahead of time and store it for use as needed
  • If you use salted butter, you can reduce or omit the salt if you prefer
  • Feel free to swap the cheddar cheese for any other cheese you like. Mozzarella is another great choice, but most any cheese that melts well works. You can also leave the cheese off if preferred
  • Variations: Add other toppings as you like! Bacon is another favorite addition, or you can top the potato with sour cream and chives like a baked potato!
  • The amount of cheese you’ll need will vary based on the size of your potato and number of cuts. I had very large russets with about 20 cuts each. You can also do every other slice with cheese if you prefer
  • If you’re struggling to get the garlic butter or the cheese in between slices, use a fork to gently push the slices apart to make life easier
  • I recommend a flat spatula to help in removing the potato from the air fryer so it doesn’t break apart
  • My large russet hasselback potatoes took about 40 minutes total in a Ninja air fryer to cook through. Other potato sizes and air fryers may vary slightly
  • Store leftover potatoes in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Do not freeze
  • Reheat hasselback potatoes in the air fryer for 5-7 minutes at 350°F, or until heated through
  • Exact nutritional values will vary based on brand of ingredients, swaps, sides added, and quantity consumed, so please consider this a guideline only

Nutrition

Serving: 308gCalories: 571kcalCarbohydrates: 42gProtein: 18gFat: 38gSaturated Fat: 21gCholesterol: 96mgSodium: 797mgPotassium: 1011mgFiber: 3.4gSugar: 1.9gVitamin A: 1069IUVitamin C: 41.4mgCalcium: 437mgIron: 1.9mg
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air fryer hasselback potatoes with cheese recipe dinners done quick pinterest
Katie Vine