Totchos

Add a twist to your regular nacho night by making these fun Tater Tot Nachos (Totchos!). Crispy baked tater tots are topped with seasoned ground beef, black beans, melted cheese, pico de gallo, and more! This fun shareable meal is sure to be a hit!

Move over regular nachos, here comes a fun spin called Tater Tot Nachos (a.k.a. Totchos)! We can all agree that sharing a big platter of nachos is always a good time. These nachos replace regular tortilla chips with tater tots and still deliver all of those amazing toppings we love.

What are tater tots you ask? They are made of grated potato that is then formed into small cylinders that crisp up when fried/baked. Sometimes they are also referred to as ‘potato gems’, ‘potato crunchies’, or “Tasti Taters’ depending on where you live.

In this totchos recipe, we use frozen tater tots which get baked in the oven and then are loaded with spicy ground beef, beans, gooey cheese, pico de gallo, sour cream, and jalapeno peppers! The result is a crispy, spicy party in your mouth!

The great thing about these totchos is that they’re easily customizable. You can swap the beef for shredded chicken, or leave it out altogether. Add some lime crema instead of sour cream or opt for a salsa verde instead of pico de gallo. The choice is yours, so feel free to get creative!

Also, if you’re making these for a crowd, you can easily double the recipe. For a full Mexican-inspired meal, you can also serve them alongside tacos or burritos or add to the nacho theme with my chicken nachos.

Next, use tots to make Chicken Tater Tot Casserole, Crock Pot Tater Tot Casserole with ground beef and cheese, or a beefy Cowboy Casserole instead.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

1. They’re versatile. Highly customizable, you can add just about anything on top of your tater tots. 
2. Perfect for feeding a crowd. This totchos recipe serves 8, but for a larger crowd, you can easily scale it up. It makes the perfect party dish!
3. Easy clean-up. You can serve the totchos right on the parchment-lined baking sheet for minimal clean-up.

Ingredients In Totchos

I give some suggestions below for toppings but feel free to customize these totchos to your tastes. Vegetarian? Skip the beef. No spice? Leave off the jalapenos. Go ahead and make it your own!

• Frozen tater tots: Look for these near the French fries in the frozen food section of your grocery store.
• Cooking oil: Oil is added to a skillet to cook the ground beef. You can use olive oil or for a more neutral taste, try vegetable/canola oil. 
• Lean ground beef: Typically, this is beef that contains no more than 10% fat. Lean ground beef works well here as it won’t render too much fat, so you don’t have to drain it after cooking. Leave out the meat if you’re making vegetarian totchos.
• Taco seasoning: I have a homemade recipe for taco seasoning that I use, or you can buy store-bought.
• Canned black beans: Rinse and drain the beans before adding them to your totchos.
• Shredded Mexican cheese blend: This blend of cheese usually includes cheddar, Monterey Jack, asadero, and queso quesadilla cheese. This blend is smooth and creamy when melted. Feel free to use a cheese blend that works for you!

Toppings for Totchos:

• Pico de gallo: This is a chopped and chunky salsa that usually has tomatoes, onions, and lime. Check out my homemade recipe for pico de gallo or if you prefer, just chop up some tomatoes and onions. 
• Sliced jalapenos: These peppers give a bit of spice without being overly hot. If you really want to curb the heat, make sure to remove the seeds from the pepper.
• Sour cream: A classic topping for traditional nachos, sour cream adds a cool and creamy tang to the dish.
• Cilantro leaves: I know not everyone likes the taste of cilantro, so if you’re one of those people, go ahead and leave it out.
• Diced avocado or try my recipe for homemade guacamole.

Complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.

How To Make Totchos

This is a fun dish that’s so simple to throw together. Follow these steps to make the perfect totchos!

1. Bake tots. Throw your frozen tater tots on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake at 400°F/200°C for about 25-30 minutes. (Always check the package instructions first).
2. Cook beef. While the tots are baking, heat oil over medium-high in a large skillet and cook the ground beef with the taco seasoning. Break apart the beef while it’s cooking to make sure everything is cooking evenly. Cook until the beef is browned and then remove the skillet from the heat.
3. Add beans and cheese. Stir the beans into the tater tots. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and spoon the beef and beans over the tots and top with cheese. Put the sheet back into the oven and bake until the cheese melts, which takes about 5 minutes.

1. Add toppings. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and sprinkle over the remaining toppings.
2. Serve! It’s best to serve these scrumptious tater tot nachos right away!

Recipe Tips

• Space out your tots when baking. Try to space out your tater tots as best you can on the baking sheet. You want them to crisp up as they bake rather than steam, which is what will happen if they’re all piled on top of each other.
• Eat right away. The longer the totchos sit, the softer they will become. Try to time it so you’re serving them immediately after they come out of the oven.
• Serve on the baking sheet. Who doesn’t love minimal clean-up? Don’t dirty another serving tray and serve your totchos directly on the baking sheet. Fuss-free is the way to go!

Storing Tips

Totchos are best eaten right away. Because there are so many toppings on them, they start to lose their crispiness the longer they sit. It’s because of this reason, I don’t recommend keeping the leftovers.

What To Serve With Totchos

You can serve these totchos on their own as a main meal or as a snack. Sometimes, I like to create a whole feast with a Mexican-inspired theme. Here are some options you could consider:

• Birria Tacos
• Stuffed poblano peppers
• Walking taco casserole
• Ground Beef Nachos
• Air fryer Buffalo chicken wings (Ok, not Mexican, but still necessary!)

Recipe FAQs

Save this recipe for the next time you need a fun shareable dish for movie night, a party, or a weekend with the family! Pin it for more people to enjoy too!