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If you’re craving the ultimate crunchy snack, these Air Fryer Tater Tots will become your new favorite side dish! Golden brown, crisp on the outside, and fluffy on the inside. Air frying tater tots gives you that perfect texture every time, without the grease of deep frying.
“Literally the best tater tots are made in the air fryer!” – Kelly
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Making tater tots in the air fryer is fast, foolproof, and hand-off. You’ll get restaurant-quality results in less time than the oven, and they’re perfect for weeknight dinners, game day snacks, or an after-school treat.
- Perfect texture.
- Quick and convenient.
- Kid-friendly.
- Customizable.
Table of Contents
Why make Tater Tots in the Air Fryer?
You might ask yourself, what’s the big deal about making tater tots in the air fryer? Well, I have several reasons!
- No more heating up the oven and heating the entire house.
- No more soggy tater tots from the microwave.
- PERFECT crispy and delicious tater tots EVERY TIME without using oil.
Those are just a few reasons, but you’ll understand as soon as you make them.
Ingredients Needed:
- Frozen Tater Tots (I like Ore Ida)
How to Make Air Fryer Tater Tots
Step 1: Preheat the Air Fryer to 400°F (200°C) for 3-5 minutes. Prepare the air fryer basket if needed.
Step 2: Place the frozen tater tots into the air fryer basket in a single layer. Avoid overcrowding to ensure even crispiness. Lightl spray with olive oil for an extra crunch.
Step 3: Air fry the tater tots at 400°F (200°C) for 12-15 minutes, tossing the tots every 4-5 minutes for even browning.
Step 4: Check for your preferred crispiness and add 1-2 minutes of cooking time for extra crispy tots if needed.
Step 5: Season and serve hot!
Tips for the Best Air Fryer Tater Tots
- Don’t overcrowd the basket: Give tots room for the hot air to circulate.
- Use a spritz of oil: A light coating helps them crisp up even more.
- Shake halfway: This ensures an even golden color all around.
- Add seasoning last: Season immediately after cooking so it sticks well.
What do I serve with Tater Tots?
Tater Tots can be served as a side dish and also as a snack or appetizer.
When serving Tater Tots, serve them with ketchup, mustard, cheese sauce, and any of your other favorite dipping sauces.
This is such a quick and easy recipe, and it’s perfect for anyone who is new at Air Frying and looking to try something easy.
FAQs
Tater tots generally have enough oil in them, but you can spray a light coat of cooking oil to enhance the crispiness.
Yes, shaking the basket or flipping the tater tots halfway through the cooking time helps them cook evenly and become crispy on all sides.
Preheating the air fryer for a few minutes before adding the tater tots helps ensure they cook evenly and get extra crispy.
Yes! If your tater tots are thawed, reduce the cooking time by about 2-3 minutes and watch them closely so they don’t over-brown.
Classic ketchup, ranch, cheese sauce, or your favorite spicy dip all work perfectly.
We hope you enjoy this simple recipe for making crispy, delicious tater tots in the air fryer!
More Air Fryer Appetizers
Appetizers
Air Fryer Pizza Rolls
Appetizers
Air Fryer Jalapeño Poppers
Chicken
Air Fryer Chicken Wings
Appetizers
Air Fryer BBQ Little Smokies
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Air Fryer Tater Tots
Equipment
- Air Fryer
Ingredients
- 2 cups Tater Tots
Instructions
- Preheat the Air Fryer to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Prepare the air fryer basket.
- Add the Tater Tots to the air fryer basket in a single layer.
- Cook the Tater Tots on 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 12 minutes, tossing the tots every 4 minutes. Add an additional 1-2 minutes for crispier tots.
Notes
- Serve Air Fryer Tater Tots as an appetizer or side dish.
- Dip Tater Tots in sauces such as ketchup, mustard, BBQ sauce, cheese sauce, and more.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Directions say to prepare the air fryer basket – Are we supposed to spray or brush olive oil on the basket after preheating?
If you need to prepare the basket with olive oil, avocado oil, parchment paper, etc. Some air fryers require that, and some do not.
I just got my air fryer so I’m a newbe. Last nite I tried cooking tots & chops for my grandchildren. I went by the recipe for the pork chops 450 on the grill plate turning after 7 min. Since the tot recipe said 400 for 12 minutes 2min more for crispier tots. I figured that would be fine. I was using frozen tot in a crisper basket but when I tried to turn them they were getting soft & were falling apart so I didnt turn. I cooked them 14 min then & additional 6 min they never crisped up. The chops turned out fine. Please tell me what I did wrong!!!
I am not sure what happened there. One small troubleshoot idea, is to spritz the tator tots very lightly with olive oil halfway through cooking. This should help them crisp up a bit. And check to see what feature you were using. “Baking” takes a bit longer than if using the “air fry” setting. Hope that helps.
I have an air fryer with racks and a rotating basket. Can I just put the tater tots in the basket and let it turn? Same time??
And do they need to be defrosted or just leave them frozen??
You can leave them frozen. No need to thaw. You can put the tots in the basket, or on a tray and place onto the racks. Depending on the size and wattage of your air fryer, you may need to adjust cooking time by a minute or two. Enjoy!