With so many different ways to prepare a potato, your side dish possibilities are endless. And while most of potato preparation methods are delicious, none are more fun than tornado potatoes. Served on a skewer and cut into a spiral, these crispy potatoes are perfect for any occasion. Whether you’re looking for a simple game day snack or a fun side to serve with dinner, these air fryer potatoes won’t disappoint.

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With so many different ways to prepare a potato, your side dish possibilities are endless. And while most of potato preparation methods are delicious, none are more fun than tornado potatoes. Served on a skewer and cut into a spiral, these crispy potatoes are perfect for any occasion. Whether you're looking for a simple game day snack or a fun side to serve with dinner, these air fryer potatoes won't disappoint.

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What Do I Need to Make Tornado Potatoes?

While these unique potatoes look complicated, they're super simple to make! And with a small ingredient list, they're perfect for whipping up as a last-minute snack. To make tornado potatoes at home, you'll need:

Russet or golden potatoes
Olive oil
Garlic powder
Salt
Pepper
Kabob skewers

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How Do I Make Tornado Potatoes in the Air Fryer?

Once you have your ingredients gathered, grab your air fryer to whip up this easy side dish. Follow these four quick steps to make your tornado potatoes in the air fryer.

Step One: Soften the Potatoes

Start off by using a fork to poke a few holes in potatoes Then, place the potatoes in the microwave and microwave on high for a few minutes to soften the potatoes. The time will vary depending on the size of your potatoes and the wattage of your microwave. When the potatoes are soft enough, slide a kabob skewer through the center of each potato. Push the potato down until it's at the center of the skewer.

Step Two: Slice the Potatoes

Use a sharp knife to make an angled cut in a corkscrew rotation from one edge to the other, cutting clear to the skewer. Loosen the ringlets by pulling the ends of the potato outwards to separate the slices. Measure the skewer to make sure it fits inside the air fryer basket and trim the wooden sticks to fit, if needed.

Step Three: Season the Tornado Potatoes

Brush the potatoes with olive oil, making sure to get the oil into each slice. Sprinkle the potatoes with garlic powder, salt, and pepper.

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Step Four: Fry the Potatoes

Place the seasoned potatoes in the basket of your air fryer. Cook at 400 degrees for 15 to 18 minutes, until the outside of the potatoes is crispy. Allow the tornado potatoes to cool slightly before serving.

Tornado Potato Recipe Ideas

With the help of your air fryer, you can whip up this fun side dish in no time. And since this basic recipe is so easy to make, you can adjust the flavors of these potatoes for a variety of occasions. Try these recipe ideas to add even more flavor to your air fryer potatoes.

Add more seasoning. This easy recipe uses a basic seasoning mix to create a deliciously simple side dish. But you can change up the seasoning on your potatoes to give them a different flavor profile. Try adding seasoning blends, like Italian seasoning or BBQ seasoning, to easily add a unique flavor to the dish.

Serve with dip. Since these potatoes are served on a skewer, they're perfect for dipping. There are a variety of different dipping sauces you could choose from when serving your potatoes, like:

Ranch dip
French onion dip
Honey mustard
Sour cream
Dijon mustard
Queso dip
Ketchup

Make them loaded potatoes. The deliciousness doesn't have to stop after your potatoes are finished cooking. Add some toppings to your tornado potatoes for added fun. To create loaded tornado potatoes, top your potato spirals with shredded cheddar cheese and chopped bacon. Return the potatoes to the air fryer basket to cook for another one to two minutes to give the cheese time to melt. Serve with sour cream for dipping.

Add some parmesan cheese. Another simple way to add even more flavor to this basic recipe is with the help of parmesan cheese. Two minutes before the cook time is up, remove the basket from the air fryer and sprinkle grated parmesan cheese over the top of the potatoes, making sure to get the cheese into the spirals. Return the basket to the air fryer and continue cooking.

Bake them in the oven. Using your air fryer is a great way to speed up the cooking process. But if you don't have an air fryer at home, don't worry! You can easily make this recipe in your oven. Start by preheating the oven to 350 degrees. Follow the preparation instructions below, then place your sliced potatoes on a baking sheet. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the potatoes are crispy on the outside.

How Do You Eat Tornado Potatoes?

Since these fun potatoes are cooked on a skewer, you can eat them directly off the kabob sticks. That makes them perfect for a party or a fun side for dinner! Simply take a bite from the skewer or use your fingers to pull of small, bite-sized pieces. Fill a small bowl with your favorite dip to enhance the flavor of your tornado potatoes even more.

You can also remove the potatoes from the skewer and use a fork to eat these crispy potatoes if you prefer to eat your side with utensils.

Tornado Potatoes in the Air Fryer

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Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: Air Fryer

Keyword: Air Fryer Tornado Potatoes, Tornado Potatoes

Prep Time: 15

Cook Time: 20

Servings:

Calories: 145kcal

Equipment

Air Fryer

Ingredients

4 medium sized russet or golden potatoes
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
Kabob skewers

Instructions

Start off by using a fork to poke a few holes in potatoes Then, place the potatoes in the microwave and microwave on high for a few minutes to soften the potatoes. The time will vary depending on the size of your potatoes and the wattage of your microwave.
Stick skewers through the center of each potatoes long ways. Place potatoes in the center of the skewer
With a sharp paring knife, make an angled cut in a corkscrew rotation from one edge to the other cutting clear to the skewer.
To separate, loosen the ringlets and pull outwards. Keep in mind the size of your air fryer basket. You might need to cut away excess skewer.
Brush potatoes with oil inside and out.
Combine the garlic powder, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Then, sprinkle the seasoning mix over the potatoes.
Place the potatoes in the air fryer basket and cook at 400° for 18 minutes or until potatoes are soft in the middle and crispy on the edges. NOTE: Cooking time will vary widely depending on the size of the potatoes.
Remove and let cool. Serve and enjoy!