These Smoky Hasselback Potatoes are so delicious! Mini Yukon Gold potatoes sliced accordion-style, massaged in a smoky Spanish paprika and sherry vinegar sauce that gets into every single crevice, air fried until the edges are crispy and the insides are buttery, then finished with a warm garlic and parsley oil. This is the appetizer that disappears before you can put the platter down!
A Quick Look at the Recipe
✅ Recipe Name: Smoky Hasselback Potatoes (Air Fryer)
🕒 Ready In: ~ 20 minutes
👪 Serves: 4 servings
🍽 Calories: ~ 355 per serving (estimated)
🥣 Main Ingredients: Mini Yukon Potatoes, sweet paprika, hot paprika, garlic, extra virgin olive oil
👌 Difficulty: Easy
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This recipe was inspired by one of my favorite tapas in Spain! I first fell in love with patatas bravas while traveling in Spain 6 years ago. Little crispy potatoes arriving at the table in a clay dish, drowning in a bold smoky sauce that you could not stop eating even when you were absolutely full.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
Perfect for sharing: Appetizer for four that looks like you really tried. Nobody has to know how easy it was.
Crispy edges, creamy centers: The hasselback cut gives you maximum surface area for the sauce to caramelize on while the inside stays soft and buttery. Best of both worlds.
Air fryer does all the work: Twenty minutes at 380F and you have restaurant-worthy potatoes without turning on the oven or heating up a pot of oil.
Smoky Hasselback Potatoes (Air Fryer) Video
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Ingredient Notes
Mini Yukon Gold Potatoes: Mini Yukon Golds are the right call here for one specific reason - their naturally buttery, creamy flesh. They hold their shape during the air fryer process without drying out and the thin skin crisps up beautifully without being tough.
Sweet and Hot Spanish Smoked Paprika: Using both is intentional and non-negotiable. Sweet smoked Spanish paprika gives you that deep red color and the smoky backbone of the sauce. Hot smoked Spanish paprika adds the heat. Together, they are what make this taste authentically Spanish rather than just seasoned potatoes. If you want to learn more about Mediterranean spices, check out my Mediterranean herbs and spices guide.
Sherry Vinegar: The secret weapon in the smoky paprika sauce. Sherry vinegar adds a sharp, slightly nutty acidity that cuts through the richness of the olive oil and brightens the whole sauce. It is also the same vinegar I use in my Sheet Pan Garlic Shrimp sauce; once you have a bottle, you will find yourself reaching for it constantly.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil: :Two different jobs here - it is the base of both the smoky paprika sauce and the garlic parsley finishing oil. Use a good one. In a recipe this simple with so few ingredients, the olive oil is not in the background. It is front and center. If you want to know what to look for in a good bottle, my Mediterranean olive oil guide breaks it all down.
The Garlic Parsley Finishing Oil: Warming minced garlic, olive oil, and fresh parsley together and drizzling it over the hot potatoes right before serving adds a layer of fresh garlicky flavor. Do not skip it and do not add it too early or the fresh parsley will wilt and turn dark.
Pro tip
The Secret to Perfect Potatoes
When I was testing this recipe, I made the mistake of grabbing a bag with wildly different-sized potatoes and half of them were overdone before the larger ones were even close. Similar sizing is not optional. Learn from my mistake 🙂
Substitutions & Variations
No mini Yukon Golds? Baby red potatoes work well here. They have a slightly waxier texture but will still crisp up nicely in the air fryer.
No sherry vinegar? Red wine vinegar is the best substitute. The flavor will be slightly less complex but still very good.
Want more heat? Increase the hot smoked paprika to 1.5 teaspoons or add a pinch of cayenne to the sauce.
FAQ
It happens to everyone at least once. (Yes, even me.) The potato will still taste great, it just will not fan open as dramatically. Use the chopstick method every time and go slowly on the first few cuts until you get the feel for it.
Either the air fryer was not preheated, the basket was overcrowded, or the potatoes were too wet before the sauce went on. Pat the potatoes dry before adding the sauce and make sure they have space in the basket. Moisture is the enemy of crispy.
Yes. Roast at 425F for 35 to 40 minutes on a parchment-lined baking sheet. The edges will not get quite as crispy as the air fryer, but they will still be very good.
More Appetizer Recipes You'll Love
- Mediterranean Baked Wings30 Minutes
- Pan-Seared Cauliflower Steak15 Minutes
- Creamy Garlic Hummus5 Minutes
- Gambas Pil Pil10 Minutes
⭐️ Recipe
Smoky Hasselback Potatoes (Air Fryer)
Ingredients
Potatoes
- 12 mini Yukon Gold potatoes
- 4 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1.5 teaspoon sweet smoked Spanish paprika
- 1 teaspoon hot smoked Spanish paprika
- ½ tablespoon sherry vinegar
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Garlic parsley finishing oil
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 3 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup fresh parsley chopped
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
For Serving
- Store bought garlic aioli or blend ½ cup mayo with 2 garlic cloves
Instructions
Cut the potatoes
- Place one potato on a cutting board with a chopstick running lengthwise along each side. The chopsticks act as a stop so your knife cannot cut all the way through the potato. Slice cuts across the potato at roughly ¼ inch intervals all the way along. You should see the potato fan slightly when you are done. Repeat with all 12 potatoes. Try to keep them similar in size so they cook evenly in the air fryer.12 mini Yukon Gold potatoes
Make and apply sauce
- In a medium bowl whisk together the extra virgin olive oil, sweet smoked paprika, hot smoked paprika, sherry vinegar, salt, and black pepper until fully combined. The sauce should be a deep red and smell smoky and slightly sharp from the vinegar. Taste it -- it should be bold and well seasoned.4 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, 1.5 teaspoon sweet smoked Spanish paprika, 1 teaspoon hot smoked Spanish paprika, ½ tablespoon sherry vinegar, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- Add all the potatoes to the bowl and toss to coat. Then use your fingers to massage the sauce into every crevice of the hasselback cuts. This is the most important step - the sauce needs to get inside the cuts where it will caramelize against the potato flesh in the air fryer. Do not rush this step.
Air fry
- Preheat your air fryer to 380F for 2 to 3 minutes. Arrange the potatoes in the air fryer basket cut side up in a single layer. Do not overcrowd - work in batches if needed. Overcrowded potatoes steam instead of crisp and you will lose all that caramelized texture.
- Air fry at 380F for 20 minutes until the edges of the hasselback cuts are crispy and golden and a knife slides easily into the center of the largest potato. If your potatoes are on the larger side add 3 to 4 extra minutes.
Make the garlic parsley finishing oil
- While the potatoes cook, combine the minced garlic, olive oil, chopped parsley, salt, and black pepper in a small saucepan over low heat. Warm for 2 to 3 minutes until the garlic is fragrant and just starting to sizzle. Do not let it brown - you want the garlic sweet and soft, not bitter. Alternatively, combine everything in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave for 45 to 60 seconds until fragrant.3 garlic cloves, 3 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, ¼ cup fresh parsley, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Finish and serve
- Transfer the hot potatoes to a serving plate. Drizzle the warm garlic parsley oil generously over the top, making sure it gets into the cuts. Serve immediately with garlic aioli on the side for dipping. These are best eaten hot straight from the air fryer while the edges are still crispy.Store bought garlic aioli
redditor says
thank you for sharing this recipe on reddit! glad i found it!