Recipe Overview
Why you’ll love it: Hot out of the air fryer, these crunchy nuggets are irresistible! Homemade air fryer tater tots are easy to make and taste so much better than frozen tater tots.
How long it takes: about 35 minutes
Equipment you’ll need: food processor, mixing bowl, air fryer
Servings: makes 28 to 30 tots
Tots are The Best
Crispy on the outside, soft and warm inside, once you bite into a homemade air fryer tater tot, you’ll wonder what took you so long to try them!
What makes them special:
- Air fryer perfection! You’ll love air fryer tater tots. Like everything else we’ve tried in our air fryer, they’re perfectly done: crisp on the outside but soft and moist inside.
- Easy shortcut. I use pre-shredded potatoes for convenience. Some recipes show you how to start from a raw potato but it involves parboiling the potatoes, shredding them with a cheese grater, and pressing the moisture out with towels. That’s just not my style.
- A cinch to make. You’ll be able to have these tots in the air fryer in 20 minutes. Most of that time is spent shaping the tots so if you can enlist some help (your kids will love to play with these), it will go even faster.
Ingredient Notes
- Shredded hash brown potatoes: I like Simply Potatoes Shredded Potatoes which aren’t frozen, but frozen ones are fine, too. Just thaw them in the refrigerator ahead of time.
- Olive oil: Because these tots aren’t deep-fried, you’ll only need a couple of tablespoons of olive oil. Other kinds of oil are fine, too, such as avocado or grapeseed.
- Flour: A little all-purpose flour helps to stick the tater tots together.
- Seasoning: I season the tater tots with pantry seasonings: garlic powder, onion powder, and salt. Other seasonings can be added, if desired. Keep reading for ideas.
- Olive oil cooking spray: Misting the tater tots with oil spray before frying helps crisp them up and turn a golden brown. You can use a cooking spray like Pam, too, but olive oil spray has better flavor.
How To Make Tater Tots
Prep the potatoes. Using a food processor, pulse the shredded potatoes briefly to chop them into smaller pieces, so you can form the potatoes into a tater tot shape.
Mix ingredients. Add the potatoes to a large bowl, along with the rest of the ingredients, and mix everything together lightly. Have a light touch with this because you don’t want to mash the potatoes up. A little texture here is good.
Shape into tots. Scoop out a spoonful of the mixture and form it into a tater tot shape, or whatever shape you like. Keep scooping and shaping until you have about 30 tater tots. You don’t have to strive for perfection here. It’s okay if your tater tots look like they’ve been made by a person, and not a machine.
Air fryer the tater tots. Place the tater tots in a single layer into your air fryer. Try not to overcrowd them. and spray them lightly with oil. “Fry” them up until they are crisp and golden brown. I usually give the tots a shake halfway through the cooking time so they get crispy on all sides.
Serve immediately. Enjoy your tater tots just plain or with your favorite dipping sauce.
How To Cook Frozen Tater Tots
If you have a bag of frozen tots you purchased at the grocery store, make them in your air fryer. Preheat the air fryer to 350° to 400°F (or skip the preheat and just add a couple minutes to the cooking time). Spray the frozen tots with oil spray, sprinkle with salt, if desired, and put them in the basket. Cook them about fifteen minutes, shaking the basket frequently.
Recipe Variations
- Change the seasoning. Instead of garlic powder and onion powder (or along with them), add chili powder, taco seasoning, or Italian seasoning.
- Try an add-in. Jazz up your tater tots by stirring in minced green onions, chives, or garlic, finely shredded cheddar cheese, or whatever you like.
- Serve them with a sauce. Think beyond plain ketchup. Try creamy fry sauce, ranch dressing, or jalapeño ranch dip if you like a little heat. Everyone loves Chick-fil-A sauce or bang bang sauce! BBQ sauce or salsa are good choices, too.
- Make it a meal. Pile toppings on your air fryer tater tots, like bacon, sausage, shredded chicken, grilled or fresh veggies, and shredded cheese. These are tater tot dinners! I also love this cheeseburger tater tot casserole.
Prepare the tots up to a day ahead, refrigerate them, and air fry them when you’re ready to serve them.
Refrigerate/Freeze: Leftover tater tots can be refrigerated for 3 to 5 days, or frozen for a month.
Reheat: For best results, reheat leftover tater tots in your air fryer until heated through, about 5 minutes. Your toaster oven or a heated skillet are great options, too. The microwave, not so much. If the tots are frozen, double the reheating time.
More Potato Recipes
Air Fryer Tater Tots
Ingredients
- 1 bag (16 ounces) shredded hash browns (thawed if frozen)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- olive oil cooking spray, for frying
Instructions
- Using a food processor, pulse the shredded hash browns until finely chopped but not mashed.1 bag (16 ounces) shredded hash browns
- To a large mixing bowl, add potatoes, olive oil, flour, garlic powder, onion powder, and salt; mix lightly, trying not to mash the potatoes.2 tablespoons olive oil, 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon onion powder, ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- Scoop out about 1 tablespoon of the mixture, shaping a one inch tot in your hand. Place in greased air fryer pan. Repeat, until you have 28 to 30 tater tots.
- Mist the tots with an olive oil cooking spray and bake at 400°F for 16 to 18 minutes or until they are golden brown and crispy. Shake the air fryer basket halfway through cooking so the tots cook evenly.
- Remove from the fryer, sprinkle with a pinch of salt, and enjoy while warm.
Notes
- Pro tip: If your hash browns aren’t fully thawed, they might not stick together. If that happens, add a beaten egg to the mixture and they’ll come together perfectly.
- Possible add-ins: Minced green onions, chives, or garlic, finely shredded cheddar cheese.
- Storage & reheating: Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 5 days, or freeze for up to a month. Reheat in the air fryer, oven, or toaster oven for best results.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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