These Air Fryer Tater Tots cook up perfectly in about 15 minutes making them ideal for an afternoon snack, weeknight side, or celebration appetizer. Feel free to season as you wish and serve with your favorite dipping sauce.
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Crispy and crunchy on the outside with a soft, pillowy interior, these tater tots bake to perfection in the air fryer. Lightly coated with cooking spray and a touch of salt, we guarantee you won’t be able to eat just one.
The perfect snack for the kids while you prepare dinner, ideal as a game day snack or appetizer for your next get-together or family celebration, you can’t go wrong with tater tots. I always keep a bag stashed in the freezer for those just-in-case days.
If you love these tater tots, you’ll love these Oven Roasted Potatoes, these Loaded Fries, and these Twice Baked Potatoes.
Why You’ll Love These Air Fryer Tater Tots
- Crispy: Tater tots in air fryer cook up nice and crispy on the outside and soft and fluffy on the inside. It's the perfect texture combination.
- Fast: You can easily get these tater tots air fryer into hungry mouths in about 15 minutes.
- Adaptable: Feel free to change up the flavor of the tater tots and coat them in your favorite seasonings.
- Crowd pleaser: Everyone loves tater tots!
Ingredients
- Tater tots: Use a bag of frozen tater tots.
- Nonstick cooking spray: You can use nonstick spray, olive or avocado oil to coat the tater tots. This helps them crisp up on the outside.
- Salt: Season with salt to taste.
See the recipe card below for exact ingredient amounts, nutritional information, and detailed instructions.
Variations
- Add your favorite seasoning: Toss the frozen tater tots in air fryer with garlic powder, Cajun seasoning, Italian seasoning, or any of your favorite spices.
- Top with cheese: Sprinkle the cooked tater tots with parmesan, cheddar, or freshly grated mozzarella cheese.
- Add some spice: Drizzle sriracha or sprinkle red pepper flakes over the tater tots.
- Garnish with green onions: Diced green onions or chives would complement the flavor of these tots in the air fryer well.
How to Make Air Fryer Tater Tots
Preheat your air fryer and read more about how to air fry tater tots before getting started.
Step 1: Place the tater tots in the air fryer. Place the frozen tater tots in the air fryer basket and lightly coat them with nonstick cooking spray, sprinkle them with salt, and toss to evenly coat.
Step 2: Cook the tater tots. Air fry the tater tots for 15 minutes, shaking the basket two to three times for even cooking.
Step 3: Serve the tater tots. Serve the tots hot with ketchup or fry sauce.
Hint
Space the tater tots out in the basket. If they are too crowded they won’t be able to crisp up properly since the air can't circulate around the tots.
Serving Suggestions
These tater tots go well with loads of recipes. Here are some great examples:
- Pair them as a tasty side with these Taco Joes, this Ground Turkey Sloppy Joe Recipe, or these Cowboy Beans.
- Make and serve as a party appetizer along with these Bacon Wrapped Smokies and this Pizza Dip.
- Serve with this Cottage Cheese Ranch Dip or this Wingstop Ranch Recipe for delicious dipping.
Expert Tips
- Don’t skip the cooking spray: If you like your tater tots crispy on the outside make sure to spray them with the cooking spray.
- If you are feeding a crowd: Cook each batch of tater tots separately so you don’t overcrowd the basket and compromise on the crispiness.
- Preheat the air fryer: You want the tater tots to start cooking as soon as they are in the air fryer so preheat it accordingly. If they sit in an un-preheated air fryer they may get soggy.
- Store leftover tater tots: Uneaten tater tots can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat the tater tots in the air fryer until warmed through or place them in the toaster oven.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, if you want to cook the tater tots in the oven, place them in an oven preheated to 425F on a lightly greased cooking sheet. Flip halfway through the cooking process so they get nice and crisp on all sides.
No, there’s no need to thaw the tater tots, just cook them from frozen.
About 15 minutes but air fryers are all different so it’s best to check for doneness about halfway through the recommended cook time so you don’t overcook them.
More Delicious Side Dishes
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Tater Tots in an Air Fryer
Equipment
Ingredients
- 16 ounces frozen tater tots
- nonstick cooking spray vegetable, olive, or avocado oil
- salt season to taste
Instructions
- Preheat your air fryer to 400ºF. Add frozen tater tots to the basket and lightly coat with nonstick cooking spray. Sprinkle with salt, and toss to coat.
- Air fry for 15 minutes, shaking the basket two to three times for even cooking.
- Serve while hot with ketchup or fry sauce.
Notes
- Don’t skip the cooking spray: If you like your tater tots crispy on the outside make sure to spray them with the cooking spray.
- If you are feeding a crowd: Cook each batch of tater tots separately so you don’t overcrowd the basket and compromise on the crispiness.
- Preheat the air fryer: You want the tater tots to start cooking as soon as they are in the air fryer so preheat it accordingly. If they sit in an unpreheated air fryer they may get soggy.
- Store leftover tater tots: Uneaten tater tots can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat the tater tots in the air fryer until warmed through or place them in the toaster oven.
Nutrition
*All nutrition information provided is automatically calculated and is an estimate and will vary based on ingredients, brands, and changes in cooking methods listed in the recipe. If you need exact numbers on your ingredients, I would recommend calculating them with your prefered nutrition calculator.
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