Incredibly delicious Air Fryer Tater Tots that are crispy on the outside and tender and creamy on the inside. Try and cook tater tots in the Air Fryer from frozen, and you’ll never cook them any other way!
If you haven’t had tater tots recently, let me refresh your memory. They are truly the best form of potatoes, deep golden cylinders of crispy potatoes that are creamy and fluffy on the inside. Bite into one and you’ll be in potato heaven!
These Air Fryer Tater Tots make the perfect game day snack or a side dish to serve with chicken breast, fish, or shrimp. Air frying makes these tater tots taste deep-fried, but they are healthier as they’re cooked with a very small amount of oil until crispy and delicious.
What are Tater Tots?
Tater Tots are grated potatoes that are formed into cylinders and then deep-fried until golden and crunchy. They are served as a side dish or a snack, and are typically sold frozen in 16 or 32-ounce bags (unless you’re making them from scratch).
They are crispy on the outside, and tender and creamy on the inside. They’re naturally vegan and gluten free, but always double check the label just to be sure.
Why You Will Love This Recipe
- Healthier – Tater tots are normally deep fried in large amounts of oil, we are using a tiny amount of oil spray here.
- Ready in a pinch! You can make these from frozen in just 15 minutes.
- 3 Ingredients – You only need 3 simple ingredients and your Air Fryer!
Air Fryer Tater Tot Ingredients
This is so simple! All you need to do is grab a bag of your favorite brand of frozen tater tots (I recommend organic tater tots for the healthiest and best tasting option). You will need a spray oil, go for vegetable oil, olive oil, or avocado oil. You will also need salt or seasoned salt if you prefer.
Complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
How to Air Fry Tater Tots?
- Preheat the Air Fryer to 400°F/200°C.
- Add an air fryer liner if using (I love these and use them in my Cosori Air Fryer *not pictured).
- Add the frozen tater tots to the Air Fryer basket, spray with oil and season with a little salt. Air fry for 15 minutes shaking the basket at least twice for even cooking.
- Taste one and see if you need to season with more salt, serve with ketchup or any other dipping sauce.
Recipe Tips
This is a very easy and simple recipe, and it’s very difficult to mess it up. But here are a few tips to help you get perfect tater tots every time:
- Preheat the Air Fryer. If you skip preheating the air fryer, you’ll start with a cold air fryer and will need to add to the cooking time.
- Use Air Fryer Liners. While this is not necessary, it helps you keep your Air Fryer basket clean. Just make sure that you only add the liners right before adding the food.
- Don’t Skip the Oil. We’re using a little bit of cooking spray (vegetable oil) to help crisp up the tater tots. Skipping the oil will result in a softer exterior and that’s not what we want.
- Season. You want to add a little bit of flavor to your tater tots. I personally love adding just salt, but seasoned salt will greatly enhance the flavor of your tater tots. For even more flavor go for a seasoning blend such as Italian Seasoning, Taco Seasoning, or garlic powder.
- Shake the Basket. For even cooking, I recommend flipping/shaking the basket at least twice during cooking.
What to Serve Tater Tots with
Tater tots are the perfect snack for Sunday game day! Serve them along with Easy Cheeseburger Sliders, this 3-ingredient Sausage Dip, and Air Fryer Jalapeno Poppers.
Sauces! Tater tots and sauce are a match made in heaven. Serve with the best ever Fry Sauce! It’s homemade and incredibly delicious! You can also go for Chick-fil-A Sauce, Cane’s Sauce, Yum Yum Sauce, Homemade Ranch, Garlic Sauce, or simply ketchup.
More Potatoes! If you love potatoes as much as we do, and you’re making these for a party. Serve them along with Buffalo Smashed Potatoes, Baked Potato Skins, and Twice Baked Potatoes.
Storing Tips
If you happen to have leftovers, store in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days. Avoid storing cooked tater tots in a bag as they’ll become pretty soggy.
The tater tots will soften when they’re chilled. I recommend reheating in the air fryer for 3-5 minutes or until they’re warmed up and crispy.
Now that you’re a pro at Air Frying Frozen Tater Tots, be sure to check out my other Air Fryer Recipes. I give you easy and 100% tested recipes that you will always go back to! Check out my Air Fryer Croutons, Sweet Potato Fries, Perfect Steak, Kale Chips, and many more!
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!
Air Fryer Tater Tots
Ingredients
- 16-ounce bag frozen tater tots
- oil spray vegetable, olive, or avocado oil
- 1 teaspoon salt or seasoned salt
Instructions
- Preheat the Air Fryer to 400°F/200°C.
- Add an air fryer liner if using.
- Add the frozen tater tots to the Air Fryer basket, spray with oil and season with a little salt. Air fry for 15 minutes shaking the basket at least twice for even cooking.
- Taste one and see if you need to season with more salt, serve with ketchup.
Notes:
- Preheat the Air Fryer. If you skip preheating the air fryer, you’ll start with a cold air fryer and will need to add to the cooking time.
- Use Air Fryer Liners. While this is not necessary, it helps you keep your Air Fryer basket clean. Just make sure that you only add the liners right before adding the food.
- Don’t Skip the Oil. We’re using a little bit of cooking spray (vegetable oil) to help crisp up the tater tots. Skipping the oil will result in a softer exterior and that’s not what we want.
- Season. You want to add a little bit of flavor to your tater tots. I personally love adding just salt, but seasoned salt will greatly enhance the flavor of your tater tots. For even more flavor go for a seasoning blend such as Italian Seasoning, Taco Seasoning, or garlic powder.
- Shake the Basket. For even cooking, I recommend flipping/shaking the basket at least twice during cooking.
Nutrition Information
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
© Little Sunny Kitchen
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