This post may contain affiliate links. Please see our disclosure policy.

Air Fryer Cowboy Casserole is the perfect way to make a hearty and easy recipe that the whole family will love. The crispy tater tots paired with the ground beef mixture will have even picky eaters pulling up a chair to fill a plate. Top with hot sauce, and lots of cheese, or just enjoy this easy dinner as is. You can’t go wrong as long as you’re savoring every bite!

Want to save this recipe?
Enter your email below & we’ll send it straight to your inbox. Plus you’ll get more great recipes and tips from us each week!
Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.
Fully cooked air fryer cowboy casserole in a white bowl with a spoonful of casserole ready to serve and a salt and pepper shaker.

This is seriously the perfect weeknight dinner. You have minimal meal prep with minimal effort and end up with this easy casserole recipe. It doesn’t get much better than that!

If you like this savory dish, you might also enjoy this homemade air fryer chili pot pie.

Save This Recipe Form

Want to save this recipe?

Enter your email below & we'll send it straight to your inbox. Plus you’ll get more great recipes and tips from us each week!

Table of Contents

INGREDIENTS:

  • lean ground beef – I used 90% lean so there wasn’t as much grease to drain off the ground meat.
  • whole kernel corn – Be sure to drain it. You can use sweet corn or not, up to you.
  • condensed cream of chicken soup – Cream of mushroom soup would work as well.
  • shredded cheddar cheese – Sharp cheddar cheese or any other type of shredded cheese is delicious in this, too.
  • milk – To thin out this easy casserole dish.
  • sour cream – Greek yogurt could be used.
  • onion powder – For flavor.
  • garlic powder – For flavor.
  • paprika – Smoked paprika is a great option as well.
  • ground black pepper – To taste.
  • Tater Tots – Frozen tater tots are perfect!
Ingredients shot with everything you need for cowboy casserole. Four clear bowls contain different elements: corn, tater tots, cream of chicken soup, and sour cream. Raw ground beef in the center of all the ingredients, a round white plate with onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, and ground black pepper. Three measuring cups are measuring; one consists of milk, and the other two measuring cups consist of shredded cheddar cheese.

How to Make Air Fryer Cowboy Casserole

  1. To make this delicious cowboy casserole, you need minimal prep and follow the simple step-by-step directions below!

  2. In a large skillet, cook and crumble the beef over medium heat until it’s no longer pink. 

    Ground beef cooked in a skillet with two clear bowls, one with corn and the second bowl with cream of soup, and the round plate showing the spices.

  3. Stir in corn, chicken soup, 1/2 cup cheese, milk, sour cream, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, and ground black pepper.

    SkilleSkillet with the cooked ground beef and all the ingredients added to make an air fryer cowboy casserole ready to mix, a clear bowl of tater tots, and an extra measuring cup of shredded cheddar cheese.

  4. Preheat the air fryer to 350° Fahrenheit. Place 1 cup of Tater Tots in a greased baking dish that can fit into your air fryer. 

    Picture of tater tots placed on the bottom of the greased casserole bowl with a little of the skillet showing that it has the cooked ingredients, with a measuring cup of shredded cheddar cheese and a little bit of a wooden spoon in the picture.

  5. Layer the tater tots with the seasoned, cooked beef mixture and add the remaining 1 cup Tater Tots.

    A round white bowl with layers of tater tots and seasoned ground beef with tater tots as the top layer. A small portion of the air fryer basket and wooden spoon are also in the picture, with a small measuring cup of shredded cheddar cheese.

  6. Cook, uncovered, until bubbly, about 15-18 minutes.

    Round white bowl in the air fryer basket uncovered with the cowboy casserole cooking. A wooden spoon is slightly in the picture with a measuring cup of shredded cheddar cheese.

  7. Add the remaining ½ cup cheese to the top of the casserole and the air fryer for an additional 2 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit. 

    Round white bowl in the air fryer with the cooked cowboy casserole cooked, and the final cup of shredded cheddar cheese sprinkled on top of the casserole. There is also a small clear bowl of chives and a small portion of a wooden spoon in the picture.

  8. Carefully remove from the air fryer and serve. 

I make this recipe in my Cosori 5.8 qt. air fryer or 6.8 quart air fryer. Depending on your air fryer, size and wattages, cooking time may need to be adjusted 1-2 minutes.

Variations

Add beans – Some people like to add beans to this dish. Chili beans, red kidney beans, pinto beans, or even black beans would all be good choices.

Chicken stock – If you want to use a little bit of chicken stop to thin out the mixture, you can.

Add veggies – If you’re a mom, you know how hard it is to get veggies into the kid’s diet! Now is your choice to add some diced red bell pepper or green bell pepper to this cowboy casserole recipe.

Use a different meat mixture – To cut down on the calories, you can use ground turkey in place of beef. You can even mix in a little taco seasoning or chili powder to add some heat!

A spoonful of fully cooked cowboy casserole made in the air fryer.

Top Tips

Make sure that you cook the beef mixture thoroughly on the stove top before adding it to the casserole dish. Break up the meat so that it’s easy to cook quickly and then cook until it’s fully done, with no pink at all. You will want to drain off any excess grease before adding it to the dish because if not, it will make the entire dish extremely greasy.

For the corn, a can of corn will work or you can use frozen corn as well. I would cook the frozen corn in the microwave or stovetop first and then drain and add for the best results.

How to store

The good news is that once you make this hearty casserole, you’re going to have some leftovers for the next day! Just be sure to let the casserole cool down before adding it to an airtight container. If you don’t have a lid, you can cover the leftovers with aluminum foil.

Store it in the fridge, and eat it within 2-3 days.

How to freeze

Did you know that this delicious dinner can be frozen? You actually have two options when it comes to freezing it!

The first option is to follow the recipe card below and make this simple casserole dish, right up to where you don’t bake it. You can then put the entire tater tot casserole recipe into the freezer, covered with an airtight lid. When you’re ready to eat it, just take it out, and bake it!

If you’ve already cooked this easy weeknight meal, and you want to freeze some for later, just follow the same process of covering it, and then adding it to the freezer.

Overhead shot of a fully cooked and ready-to-serve cowboy casserole made in the air fryer with a small clear bowl of chives and salt and pepper shakers.

FAQs

What goes well with tater tot casserole?

Honestly, you don’t really need side dishes to pair with this since the tator tots, and all the other ingredients create quite the hearty meal.

But, if you like options and it’s part of your meal plan process, a nice side salad would be a great accompaniment.

How do you make frozen tater tots crispy in the oven?

Crispy tots are key for this yummy dish! You need to make sure that you’re putting the tots on top of the rest of the ingredients in a single layer. If you push them down into the mixture, they’re going to absorb the moisture and they won’t be as crisp.

Also, if you stack them on top of each other, it won’t give them the chance to cook and you’ll miss out on that golden brown coloring and crispiness that you’re going for.

How do you get tater tots to stick together?

You want the tater tots to stick together on the top of the casserole as it forms a cool look and a great topping. The great thing is that as long as you’re laying them closely but not overlapping, they’re going to stick together as they bake.

Two small white round plates stacked on top of each other with a serving of cowboy casserole made in the air fryer on the top plate with a fork. The large round white bowl is at the top of the image, with a spoonful of cowboy casserole missing.

More Easy Air Fryer Recipes

We Would Love to Hear From YOU!

Let Us Know What You Think!

Be sure to leave a review of this recipe and give it a star rating. It lets us know how we are doing and lets others know they should try it! 

Tag Us In Your Photos! Are you on Facebook? If so, join our Easy Air Fryer Recipes Group (with over a million Air Fryer Foodie Fans!) and share your photos! We love to see your creations. 

Like to watch TikTok? Follow along with our recipes on TikTok @airfryingfoodie.

Are you on Instagram? Follow along and TAG US @airfryingfoodie.

Have a Question or General Feedback?

Jump down to the COMMENT section and let us know! We would love to help and also love feedback on all of our posts. 

Air fryer cowboy casserole fully cooked with a wooden spoon removing a serving.
5 from 2 votes
Servings: 4

Air Fryer Cowboy Casserole

By Jen
This simple tater tot casserole recipe is the best! Full of delicious ingredients!
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 20 minutes
Total: 30 minutes
Pin Rate Print
Save this recipe!
Get this sent to your inbox, plus get new recipes from us every week!
Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.

Equipment

  • 1 Air Fryer

Ingredients 

  • ½ lb lean ground beef, 90% lean
  • 1 can whole kernel corn, drained
  • ⅔ cup condensed cream of chicken soup
  • ¾ cup shredded cheddar cheese, divided into ½ cup and ¼ cup
  • ⅓ cup milk
  • 3 tbsp sour cream
  • ¼ tsp onion powder
  • ¼ tsp garlic powder
  • ¼ tsp paprika
  • ½ tsp ground black pepper
  • 2 cups Tater Tots, frozen

Instructions 

  • In a large skillet, cook and crumble the beef over medium heat until it’s no longer pink.
  • Stir in corn, chicken soup, 1/2 cup cheese, milk, sour cream, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, and ground black pepper.
  • Preheat the air fryer to 350° Fahrenheit. Place 1 cup of Tater Tots in a greased baking dish that can fit into your air fryer.
  • Layer the tater tots with the seasoned, cooked beef mixture and add the remaining 1 cup Tater Tots.
  • Cook, uncovered, until bubbly, about 15-18 minutes.
  • Add the remaining ½ cup cheese to the top of the casserole and air fryer for an additional 2 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
  • Carefully remove from the air fryer and serve.

Notes

Did you know that this delicious dinner can be frozen? You actually have two options when it comes to freezing it!
The first option is to follow the recipe card and make this simple casserole dish right up to where you don’t bake it. You can then put the entire tater tot casserole recipe into the freezer, covered with an airtight lid. When you’re ready to eat it, take it out, and bake it!
If you’ve already cooked this easy weeknight meal, and you want to freeze some for later, just follow the same process of covering it, and then adding it to the freezer.
I make this recipe in my Cosori 5.8 qt. air fryer or 6.8 quart air fryer. Depending on your air fryer, size and wattages, cooking time may need to be adjusted 1-2 minutes.

Nutrition

Calories: 403kcal, Carbohydrates: 31g, Protein: 22g, Fat: 22g, Saturated Fat: 8g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g, Monounsaturated Fat: 7g, Trans Fat: 0.2g, Cholesterol: 67mg, Sodium: 879mg, Potassium: 526mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 2g, Vitamin A: 391IU, Vitamin C: 6mg, Calcium: 207mg, Iron: 2mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Like this? Leave a comment below!

Jen West

More About Me

You May Also Like

5 from 2 votes (2 ratings without comment)

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating