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These air fryer tater tots are crispy, golden, flavor-packed potato morsels. Skip the oil splatter and frozen processed food!
If you love tater tots but would rather skip the oven and deep fryer, the air fryer is your best bet. I promise it’s the perfect method.
However, I noticed that when I browsed tater tot recipes online, most of them used frozen tater tots.
Sure, there’s nothing wrong with the occasional frozen tots, but making the tots from scratch means you know exactly what’s in them.
With just 9 ingredients, this air fryer tater tot recipe yields perfectly crispy tots in just 25 minutes!
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These air fryer tater tots work great in place of frozen and sweet potato tots.
Crispy and golden, you can use them in loaded totchos or Southwestern waffles.
Why You’ll Love This Air Fryer Tater Tots Recipe
- Making tater tots in the air fryer lets you free up the oven for other dishes and skip the excess grease of deep frying.
- Because these air fryer potato tots are made from scratch, you can easily customize their flavor and feel good knowing exactly what’s in them.
- With a soft, fluffy center, crispy exterior, and herby, savory flavor with a little kick, these tater tots in air fryer make the perfect appetizer, snack, and side dish, with or without dip.
Ingredients
Grated potatoes – Part of learning how to make tater tots in the air fryer is knowing which potatoes work best. We recommend using Russet potatoes because they’re starchy and won’t fall apart easily!
All-purpose flour – Our binder in this air fryer tater tot recipe.
Kosher salt and ground black pepper – You only need basic pantry seasonings to make these air fryer tater tots. Seasoned salt, like garlic salt, will also be tasty for these tater tots.
Garlic powder and onion powder – These give the air fryer homemade tater tots a deeper, savory flavor. However, feel free to experiment with different spices! Italian seasoning is another delicious option.
Chili flakes – For a little spicy punch in every bite.
Dried oregano and fresh parsley – I enjoy how herbs add layers of flavor to the tots. Keep reading for more seasoning inspo.
Avocado oil – Lightly greasing the tater tots with oil keeps them from sticking to the air fryer basket and helps create a nice, crispy exterior!
Ingredient Additions For Tater Tots in Air Fryer
Dips
Enjoy these crispy, golden air fried tater tots with creamy dipping sauces like sour cream, ranch dressing, spicy mayonnaise, cheese sauce, barbecue sauce, or honey mustard!
Seasonings
You can get creative with the seasonings to give your tots extra flavor.
Try paprika, Cajun seasoning, Parmesan, cumin, or thyme mixed into the grated potatoes!
Tips For Making This Recipe
Prepare the Potatoes
Grating potatoes into a bowl of cold water prevents browning and removes excess starch. After soaking, drain in a colander and press out as much water as possible to ensure beautifully crispy tots.
Use a Cookie Scoop
If making a big batch of air fryer tater tots, you can use a cookie scoop to portion the potato mixture!
Storage and Reheating
You can store leftover air fried tater tots in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. To serve, reheat at 350°F for 5 minutes, shaking the basket halfway through.
Tater Tots Air Fryer Recipe FAQs
How long should you cook tater tots in the air fryer?
We air-fried the homemade tots for 10 minutes, flipped them, and cooked them for another 5 minutes at 350°F for a total of 15 minutes. The exact time depends on your tots’ size and how crispy you like them, so always check around the 10-minute mark.
Do you have to preheat the air fryer for tater tots?
Yes! I always preheat the air fryer for this air fryer tater tot recipe. It speeds up the cooking time and gives you tots that are crispy and evenly cooked.
What are the common mistakes when air frying tater tots?
When making tater tots in the air fryer, avoid starting with too high a temperature just to save time. While 400°F might work, the tots could brown too fast and burn. It’s also best to cook them in a single layer in the basket so they crisp evenly!
What are the best frozen tater tots for air frying?
Ore-Ida Tater Tots are a classic go-to when it comes to frozen tots!
How long to cook frozen tater tots in air fryer?
If you’re making air fryer tots with frozen tater tots, you can cook them at 385°F for 12 to 15 minutes, turning them over at the 7-minute mark.
More Delicious Party Snacks
- TikTok Parmesan Potatoes
- Accordion Potatoes
- Sausage Balls with Cream Cheese
- Bacon Wrapped Smokies with Brown Sugar and Butter
- Sweet Potato Bites
I found this recipe for Waffle Fries that I HAVE to try!
Yay! You have made it this far, and I am so glad! Hey – If you make this recipe, I’d love for you to give it a quick review & star rating ★ below.
Air Fryer Tater Tots
Ingredients
- 1 lb boiled potatoes, grated
- 1 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp Kosher salt
- 1 tsp ground black pepper
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp chili flakes
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
- Avocado oil for lightly greasing the tater tots
Instructions
- Gather all the ingredients for the homemade air fryer tater tots.
- Transfer the grated boiled potatoes to a large bowl.
- Add the all-purpose flour, salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, chili flakes, oregano, and chopped parsley. Mix everything until a soft dough forms.
- Portion the dough into small balls, then gently shape them into tater tots. You should get about 20 tots from this recipe.
- Preheat the air fryer to 350°F for 5 minutes. You can also line the basket with foil.
- Arrange the tots in the air fryer basket and lightly brush the tops with oil.
- Air fry for 8 to 10 minutes. Flip the tots, then cook for another 5 minutes until they turn lightly golden brown.
- Serve the air fryer tater tots hot with your favorite dipping sauce. Enjoy!
Notes
- Grating potatoes into a bowl of cold water prevents browning and removes excess starch. After soaking, drain in a colander and press out as much water as possible to ensure beautifully crispy tots.
- If making a big batch of air fryer tater tots, you can use a cookie scoop to portion the potato mixture!
- You can store leftover air fried tater tots in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. To serve, reheat at 350°F for 5 minutes, shaking the basket halfway through.
Nutrition
PIN FOR LATER!
