Air Fryer Frozen Tater Tots Recipe

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Learn how to make air fryer frozen tater tots quickly and deliciously in a matter of minutes. Straight from the freezer to your air fryer, these are the best tots you’ll make all year! Great replacement for boring French fries or shredded potatoes.

Plate filled with air fryer tater tots with ketchup in the center.

Why This Recipe Works

Tater tots are such a simple little food, but somehow wrapped up in a fun little package makes them extra tasty. I love a good tot as a side dish, stuffed into a breakfast casserole or layered on top of a savory tater tot casserole.

My oldest son loves dipping them in ketchup and he would enjoy this as a side dish for every single meal if he could, including breakfast. That is not an exaggeration.

I happen to have all of these amazing, miraculous appliances sitting in my kitchen (hey hey, Instant Pot Duo and Awesome Air Fryer!), so I began wondering how easy and tasty it would be to simplify the cooking process involved in making tots. Because the oven-baked version can take a while and microwaves can produce soggy tater tots (icky).

I grabbed a bag of frozen tater tots from the grocery store down the road, rushed back home and threw them into my trusty air fryer for a few minutes. They emerged lightly golden brown with a crispy texture, perfectly cooked through and ready to eat. Who knew?! Air fryer tots cook perfectly!

Recipe Ingredients

Frozen tater tots – This is the only ingredient necessary, making this the easiest side or finger food to make. And you don’t even need to thaw them first! Any variety will work great. Pull them straight from the freezer!

Black pepper – I don’t recommend adding salt to tater tots since they already contain a large amount of sodium, but a sprinkling of pepper over the

How To Make Air Fryer Tater Tots

Step 1

Place frozen tots in a single layer in the basket of your air fryer or the inner pot of a pressure air fryer.

Frozen tater tots lined up in a single layer inside an air fryer.

Cook at 375 degrees F for 4 minutes. Flip and cook for an additional 4 minutes.

Tongs flipping tater tots over in an air fryer.

Step 2

When cooking time is up, use tongs or a spatula to remove from the air fryer. Place on a few paper towels to remove any excess oil. Transfer to a serving bowl and serve alongside ketchup, bbq sauce or your favorite fry sauce.

Heaping plate of tater tots just out of the air fryer.

Recipe Notes

For best results, add a little bit of cooking spray or olive oil before cooking. Use an oil sprayer to avoid using excess oil.
Any brand of tater tots works great for this recipe.
Pop leftover tater tots in the fridge (stored in a ziploc bag or airtight container) and reheat the next day in the microwave or in the air fryer for just a couple minutes.
It is a good idea to have them lined up in a single layer so that none are overlapping while they cook.
This is the perfect side dish to go alongside burgers or hot dogs or turn them into tater tot nachos!

Favorite Dipping Sauces

Ketchup
Seasoned sour cream
Ranch dressing
Hot sauce or sriracha
Barbecue sauce
Honey mustard

Ketchup surrounded by tater tots, with a bite taken out of one in the middle.

FAQ About Tater Tots

Are tater tots gluten free?

Not all varieties of tater tots are gluten free, so be sure to check the nutritional labels before purchasing.

Are tater tots healthy?

One serving of tater tots contains approximately 150 calories and 8 grams of fat and over 400 mg of sodium. The extraordinary amount of sodium makes it a rather unhealthy food.

How many tater tots in a serving?

There are approximately 10 tater tots in a single serving of tater tots.

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