Perfectly Crispy Air Fryer Tater Tots

Make crispy perfectly done air fryer tater tots from frozen in under 20 minutes. No need to heat up your oven for four servings of air fryer tater tots. Pull them out of the freezer, spray them with a little oil, season them with salt, and pop them in the air fryer. After 15 minutes you will have the crispiest air fryer tater tots that everyone will love.

Jump to:

• 🥔 Reasons To Love This Recipe
• 🔪 How to Make Easy Tater Tots
• 💭 Cooks Tips
• Variations
• Storage
• 🍽 Serving Suggestions
• 📋 Recipe

🥔 Reasons To Love This Recipe

Fast and Easy. This air fryer tater tots recipe makes tater tots that are crispy and browned on the outside. The shredded potatoes inside stay the perfect texture. All you need is cooking spray and salt and you are on your way to delicious air fryer tater tots.

Energy Saving. Your typical oven is approximately 20 times the size of your 6 quart air fryer. This makes your air fryer much less expensive and faster cooking than your oven.

Less Expensive. You can buy a large bag of frozen tater tots and only air fry the amount of servings you want. This air fryer tater tot recipe calls for a 16 ounce bag of tater tots. Many times, frozen tater tots come in 28 ounce, 32 ounce or larger bags - often less expensive. Use the amount you need and freeze the rest when you crave more air fryer tater tots.

Perfect Serving Size. No need to worry about heating your whole oven for a few servings of air fryer tater tots. I also find that I air fry tater tots more often as I can make servings for only one or two people.

Versatile. With such simple steps, you can make different flavored tater tots. Change up the taste with simple pantry spices to give your air fryer tater tots a unique taste.

🔪 How to Make Easy Tater Tots

1. Prepare the Air Fryer. First, preheat the air fryer to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. I like to preheat my fryer. I'm more comfortable knowing I have the correct temperature and cooking times. Since all air fryers are different, preheating times can vary.
2. Prepare the Tater Tots. Add the desired amount of tater tots to the air fryer basket. Spray the tater tots with cooking spray. Season the tater tots with salt, if you prefer. Scatter the tots in a single layer. If they are slightly crowded, that's okay. The circulating air in the air fryer cooks them all around. And tossing them during cooking will get these air fryer tater tots done to perfection.
3. Air Fry the Tater Tots. Set the air fryer timer to 15 minutes. Halfway through the cooking time, toss the tater tots to ensure even browning. I have found that shaking the air fryer basket with the tots in them is the easiest way to turn them around. Using tongs or a spatula can smash the tater tots since they are still soft.
4. Check for Doneness. About 3 minutes before the end of the cooking time, open the basket and test for doneness. The tater tots should be crispy and golden brown with some spots medium brown. Poke a tater tot with a fork to check for tender insides and crispy outsides.
5. Serve Air Fryer Tater Tots. Immediately transfer the tater tots to a serving bowl. Use a spatula to remove the tater tots from the fryer. Serve hot.

💭 Cooks Tips

• Check the Size: Frozen tater tots come in various sizes and sometimes different shapes. Check the baking time on the bag and reduce it by one-quarter. For example, the tater tots I used called for 20 minutes baking time. I reduced this time by ¼th and came up with 15 minutes air frying time  (20 x .25 = 5, 20 - 5 = 15)
• Toss Gently. Halfway through the cooking time, toss your tater tots by gently shaking the basket from side to side and front to back. The tater tots are still very soft and could crumble if tossed another way.

Variations

• Explore Different Seasonings. Use seasonings such as onion salt, garlic salt, and seasoning salt. More great options include chili powder, paprika, or ranch dressing powder.
• Dips and Sauces. Pretty much any way you would dip your French fries works great for these crispy tots. Ketchup, mustard, ranch dressing, and honey mustard are top choices. You may want to try dipping in barbecue sauce such as this homemade Sweet and Tangy BBQ Sauce.
• Loaded Air Fryer Tater Tots. Top your tater tots like a loaded baked potato to take them up a notch. Top your tots with crispy bacon pieces, melted cheese, sour cream, and sliced green onions.
• Tater Tot Nachos. Want to make some 'Totchos"? To make these fun appetizers, arrange cooked air fryer tater tots in a serving dish. Then drizzle them with cheese sauce or queso. Sprinkle with sliced jalapenos, chopped tomatoes, avocado slices, and fresh cilantro. Use anything and everything that you love to have in nachos and treat yourself to this twist on nachos.

Storage

Leftovers. Store any leftover air fryer tater tots in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. To reheat, air fryer them at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 2 to 3 minutes. If your air fryer has a Reheat feature, you can also use that function. Follow your air fryer manufacturer's instructions for this feature.

🍽 Serving Suggestions

• Kid-Friendly Meal. For one serving, reduce this recipe to 4 ounces of tater tots and add 1 frozen corn dog. Air fry tater tots and corn dogs according to the instructions. Toss the tater tots and turn the corn dog halfway through cooking. Both frozen tater tots and corn dogs have similar cooking times and temperatures. Always check doneness about 3 minutes before the recommended time.
• Air Fryer Chicken Legs. Air fryer tater tots and chicken legs are a quick and easy meal that everyone is going to love. If you want a family-friendly lunch, this may become your go-to meal.

📋 Recipe