Tornado Potatoes Are Even Better Fully Loaded

Francesca Zani
·3 min read

This twist on a tornado potato is everything you love about a loaded potato—but on a stick. Maybe you’ve heard or seen tornado potatoes at a carnival or international street markets. With a nod to its South Korean roots and street food treasures, AKA Korean corndogs, I wanted to make this fun and easy to eat and make. This is great for a party or starchy hankering. Here are some things to consider before tackling this recipe.

Choosing the right potatoes:
Russet potatoes range in size from small to medium, and they’re good for roasting and contain the French fry starch content we love. You really can use any potato, but we like russets for their multipurpose nature.

Par-cooking the potatoes:
Sticking a skewer straight through the center of a raw potato is just…not happening. Through research, I saw many recipes that call for microwaving their potatoes to soften the center. If you don’t have a microwave, you can par-boil the potatoes, then let cool. But do not cook them all the way through; there should be resistance when poking with a skewer.

No spiralizer needed:
It’s not as much work as you might have predicted. All you need for this recipe is a cutting board, skewer, and knife. Make sure the potato is steady in your non-dominant hand. Using your dominant hand, with your chef's knife, slowly slice as you turn the potato. If the potato is too hot, use a clean cloth to hold it in place.

The bacon:
If the potatoes are going into the oven, so should the bacon. Separate your bacon on a foil-lined sheet tray and bake until crispy and crackly. Let cool, then crumble by hand so you don’t have to wash another knife.

Storage:
Once the potatoes have cooled, you can store in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat in your oven at 350°.

Made this recipe? Let us know in the comments.

Yields: 4 servings

Prep Time: 15 mins

Total Time: 1 hour

Ingredients

  • 4

    (6- to 8-oz.) russet potatoes

  • 2 tbsp.

    extra-virgin olive oil

  • 2 tsp.

    gochugaru or crushed red pepper flakes

  • 1 1/2 tsp.

    kosher salt, divided

  • 2

    slices thick-cut bacon

  • 4 oz.

    sharp cheddar, finely shredded

  • 1/4 c.

    sour cream

  • 1 tbsp.

    fresh lemon juice

  • 2

    scallions, sliced into thin rounds

Directions

  1. Arrange racks in upper and lower third of oven; preheat to 425°. Pierce potatoes all over with a fork. Place on a heatproof plate and microwave until just softened, about 3 minutes. Let cool slightly.

  2. Poke a skewer all the way through bottom of each potato, holding with a towel if potato is too hot. Holding potato steady on a cutting board, using a chef’s knife, cut a spiral at an angle around potato while rotating potato in the opposite direction, cutting all the way through to the skewer and trying to keep spirals as thin as possible. You can also cut thin diagonal slices on one side of the potato, flip, then cut diagonal slices on the opposite side. Carefully pull layers apart. Repeat with remaining potatoes.

  3. Arrange potatoes on a baking sheet. Rub exterior with oil, gochugaru, and 1 teaspoon salt.

  4. Roast potatoes on bottom rack until a knife inserted into thickest parts of spiral meets no resistance, 45 minutes to 1 hour.

  5. Meanwhile, on a foil-lined baking sheet, roast bacon on top rack until golden brown and crispy, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool, then crumble into bite-size pieces.

  6. Sprinkle cheese on top and in between crevices of potatoes. Turn on broiler. Broil potatoes, watching closely, until cheese is melted, 2 to 3 minutes. Let cool slightly.

  7. In a small bowl, combine sour cream, lemon juice, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt.

  8. Arrange potatoes on a platter. Drizzle with sour cream mixture. Sprinkle with bacon and scallions.

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