Once you’ve tried this recipe for air fryer tater tots, you’ll never go back to frozen!
These tasty homemade nuggets are perfectly seasoned, light, and fluffy inside with a crispy, cheesy coating on the outside!
Why We Love It?
- Party popular, these bite-sized tater tots are so easy to make from scratch using ready-made hash browns, saving on prep time so they don’t take long to make!
- Easy to change the flavor profile by mixing in different savory seasonings, cheeses, or even diced veggies!
- Serve them in place of fries with your fave burger or steak, or just as a wholesome snack with a dipping sauce of your choice! Try it with a homemade cheese sauce, use sauce from this mac and cheese recipe, or have it with this easy microwave buffalo sauce.
Ingredients and Variations
Potatoes – A bag of frozen shredded hashbrowns makes all the difference saving valuable prep time. However, you can use whole russet potatoes because they’re extra starchy, just boil and grate them.
Seasonings – Italian seasonings are likely already in your pantry, but maybe explore other options like Ranch seasoning, taco or chili seasoning, or a spicy Cajun blend! For garlicky tater tots, just add a teaspoon of garlic powder.
Toppings – Parmesan cheese is sprinkled on homemade tater tots while they are still hot! Other options include bacon bits, sour cream & chives, and other cheeses like cheddar or Tex Mex blend. Or use homemade tots to make these loaded tater tot skewers.
How to Make Tater Tots
- Pulse the hashbrowns in a food processor and add them to a mixing bowl with the remaining ingredients, except the parmesan cheese.
- Form the potato mixture into tots, and place them in the air fryer.
- Cook as per recipe below. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese while they are still warm.
- Serve with dipping sauce and enjoy!
What to Serve with Tater Tots
Air fryer tater tots are perfect on their own, but kids love ‘em with all kinds of dippable sauces like cheese sauce, ketchup, ranch dressing, or bbq sauce. Dip or drizzle them with homemade buffalo or a hearty meat sauce. Mix and match tater tots with broccoli tots for a colorful and healthy appetizer and the kids won’t even catch on!
Tips & Tricks
- Always start with a preheated air fryer so the initial blast of hot air seals the outside of the tots, keeping the inside nice and fluffy. Spray the tots with cooking spray before air frying so they get crispy and golden brown. Make sure there is space between the tots so the air can circulate and cook them evenly.
- Keep cooked batches of air fryer tater tots warm in the oven. Make them extra crunchy by putting them under the broiler for a few minutes just before serving.
- Reheat leftovers in the air fryer and freeze them for up to a month in a zippered bag.
More Quick & Easy Air Fryer Sides
Tater tots need other tasty sides! Chicken wings, egg rolls, jalapeno poppers, cheese sticks, and corn dogs make fast and easy work in the air fryer.
More Delish Appetizers
Homemade Air Fryer Tater Tots
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 16 ounce bag of frozen shredded hash browns
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Pulse hashbrowns in a food processor until finely chopped (don't allow them to become mashed potatoes).
- Gently mix the potatoes with olive oil, flour, garlic, & seasoning.
- Scoop tablespoon-sized amounts of the mixture and form into 1” tater tots. Place in the air fryer in a single layer, evenly spaced.
- Spray them with olive oil or cooking spray. Air fry tater tots at 375°F for 15-18 minutes until crispy and golden brown, shaking the air fryer basket once during cooking.
- Remove tots from the fryer, and sprinkle with shredded parmesan and seasoning. Serve warm.
Notes
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
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