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Air Fryer tater tots are just the best, hands down! This method produces tater tots that truly taste deep fried but are way healthier. Easy to make from frozen tater tots in just about 15 minutes. You’ll never, ever cook tater tots any other way.
Why This Recipe Is So Good
- This is a healthier way of cooking a favorite game day snack and side dish.
- It only takes 15 minutes to cook the tater tots from frozen.
- They are seriously delicious! They taste deep fried but are so much healthier!
- You only need three ingredients for unbelievably crispy tots!
What are Tater Tots?
Tater Tots are made from grated potato that is then deep fried. They are crispy on the outside and soft in the middle. They are naturally vegan and you can get varieties that cater to specific diets such as gluten-free.
A Healthier Way to Cook Them
There’s nothing quite like a crispy tater tot, but to get that restaurant quality crunch means you need to be reaching for the deep fat fryer. But no more! You can achieve the same crunchiness with far less fat by using an air fryer.
It’s so quick, easy and hassle free, and you can cook the tots right from frozen. This is for sure a must have dish for game day Sundays!
Serving Suggestions
Tater Tots are a classic side dish or party food. You can serve these with a meat main course as a potato side dish, or serve to a crowd of people as a party appetizer along with your sauces of choice.
You can also add various toppings to your cooked tots; cheese, sriracha, salsa and guacamole all work amazingly well!
Chef’s Tips
- Pre-heat your air fryer for the crispiest tater tots.
- The cooking spray and salt really help to crisp the tater tots, so don’t skip these ingredients!
- Flip the tots in the basket during cooking, so they cook evenly.
- Use organic frozen tater tots for the healthiest version
- Serve immediately!
Be sure to check out these other popular recipes!
- Air Fryer French Fries
- Egg Roll in a Bowl Recipe
- Baked Potatoes on the Grill
- Crockpot Potato Soup
- Sausage in the Air Fryer
- Mashed Potato Pancakes
- How to Toast Pecans
- How to Cook Acorn Squash
- Gluten Free Cornbread Recipe
- Crock Pot Chicken Wings
- Shrimp and Cabbage Stir Fry
Air Fryer Tater Tots
Equipment
- air fryer
Ingredients
- 16 ounces frozen tater tots
- air-fryer-safe avocado oil or other cooking spray
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Preheat your air fryer to 400ºF. Coat the frozen tots with a little cooking spray, like avocado oil. Sprinkle with salt and toss to coat.
- Cook for 15 minutes on 400ºF – flip them in the basket every 5 minutes or so until crisp and golden brown in a few spots. Add extra time if you want them crispier.
Video
- I recommend using organic frozen tater tots for the healthiest version.
- This is the air fryer I use.
- This method works for any number of tater tots, though if your air fryer is small or you’re cooking a large amount of tots, you’ll want to work in batches.
Approximate Information for One Serving
Nutrition Disclaimers
Number of total servings shown is approximate. Actual number of servings will depend on your preferred portion sizes.
Nutritional values shown are general guidelines and reflect information for 1 serving using the ingredients listed, not including any optional ingredients. Actual macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands and types of ingredients used.
To determine the weight of one serving, prepare the recipe as instructed. Weigh the finished recipe, then divide the weight of the finished recipe (not including the weight of the container the food is in) by the desired number of servings. Result will be the weight of one serving.
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Worked great. We got a side by side comparison with oven cooked because we were trying to feed someone in a hurry and air fryer was faster. When family tasted the oven ones, they threw them into the air fryer to try and crisp them up like the batch with your directions. This is especially great for warmer months to not have to use the oven. Thanks!
Oh, I love that so much! So happy these were such a hit for everyone. Thank you for sharing, Terri!
Nice and Crispy. Easy to do.
So glad you enjoyed them, Barbara! 😊
Taste great
So glad you enjoyed them, Cindy!
You are correct, this is how we will always make them
So glad you enjoyed them, Judi! Thanks for sharing! 🙂
Excellent!
Great! Thanks so much for the review, Ronald!
Thanks, it was great w/ chilli and chs-
Great! Thanks for the review!
Why would organic tater tots be healthier?
Organic versions tend to be made with better ingredients, fewer ingredients, and fewer additives and artificial preservatives than regular versions.
I did not get good results–set the air fryer to air fry at 400. Waited a few. Cooked for 15 minutes–shaking and baking every 5–and even pushed it to 35 minutes—not just as good as a deep fried tater tot. And, I don’t mean to be a hater-hot-(= but, am I missing something; they tasted weird and crumbly, not crispy. Did the cooking spray coating too. Any advice? I used one of those toaster oven looking air fryers
I’m so sorry you had that experience with this method, Joe! It sounds like your tater tots may have been expired before you cooked them. Were they frozen for longer than 6 months? An off-taste and crumbly or mealy texture are definitely signs of tater tots gone bad. I hope you’ll give it another try!
We tried air frying tater tots and they were very good. I had forgotten to pick up spray oil so they weren’t as crisp as they could have been. But still came out really well.
We’re so glad you enjoyed them, Joretta! 🙂