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A classic childhood favorite, Air Fryer Tater Tots come out perfectly crispy every single time in 15 minutes of less! Crunchy on the outside and fluffy on the inside, you're going to want to snack on the whole bag yourself!
Thanks to the air fryer, you can achieve tater tots that taste like they've been deep fried without the need to fry them in a vat of oil! The air fryer gets the tater tots oh so crispy with only a spritz of oil, just like these air fryer frozen french fries.
You won't even miss the deep fried version after you've made them at home.
Whether it's at a fairground or at an old-school diner, tater tots are always welcomed. But why confine tots eating to just that!
While getting deep fried tater tots is an option, I find that they lose their crisp by the time I get home (like these air fryer pizza rolls). But with the air fryer you can enjoy crispy tater tots in no time at home!
You can make it a whole fried food meal without the grease and heaviness of a deep fried using the air fryer! Try these air fryer popcorn shrimp, air fryer pierogies, air fryer potstickers or even these air fryer crab cakes!
And you can even have dessert with air fryer cheesecake or air fryer churros. It's awesome because it's ultra easy to use and food comes out so good!
Jump to:
What is an Air Fryer?
The Air Fryer is a healthier alternative to frying foods. It's basically a small, powerful convection oven that sits on your countertop.
It circulates hot air around the food you're cooking, which is what gives it that crisp texture that mimics fried food (without all the grease).
Read more about the health benefits of using an air fryer.
I personally use this Ninja MAX XL Air Fryer because it hold 5.5 quarts, which is more than most. It has worked great so far and we just love how easy it is to use!
Use a good quality spray oil (not PAM or equivalent) to avoid damaging the air fryer. I like to use this oil sprayer and fill with my favorite oil.
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Why This Recipe Works
- It doesn't require turning on the oven (and waiting for it to preheat!) to cook 1 to 2 servings of tater tots. Perfect for when you're having a lazy day and just want to snack on some tots.
- It's faster to air fry tater tots than it is to bake a tray of them! It's great for when you're in a rush or you have hungry children in the kitchen after school.
- The air fryer tater tots are way crispier than if you had baked them in the oven. It's difficult to achieve this level of crispiness at home without the air fryer!
The Ingredients
For this air fryer tater tots recipe, you won’t believe that you only need three simple ingredients!
Frozen tater tots — You may see them labeled as potato puffs, tater puffs, potato tots, etc. They're all the same and can be cooked in the air fryer in the same way. Pick your favorite brand!
Salt — A bit of salt makes them taste just like the tater tots you get from fairs!
Spray oil — I'm partial to canola oil and grapeseed oil for my air fryer.
Step by Step Instructions
Spray the bottom of the air fryer lightly with a spray oil.
Place the tater tots in a single layer in the bottom of the air fryer (don't stack them) and spray them with oil.
Lightly sprinkle them with salt.
Cook on 400F degrees for 15 minutes, shaking the basket every 5 minutes.
Take them out and serve them with ketchup, ranch dressing (the boyfriend's favorite), or my personal favorite, this Cajun remoulade (it's so good guys).
Can also be served with a steak, like this milk steak!
Expert Tips
- Sprinkle with ¼ teaspoon of black pepper, cayenne pepper or paprika for some extra spice.
- Be sure not to skip shaking the air fryer basket. You want the tater tots to evenly cook and shaking the basket helps with that.
- If you want to add more tater tots, make sure you don't fill your basket more than half way. For the least variation in crispiness, a single layer of tots is best.
- When spraying oil in the air fryer basket, be sure to use real cooking oil and not PAM as it's not ideal for your air fryer.
- Air fryers may vary so you might have to take a peek inside your air fryer basket at the 10 minute mark and see if it needs to full 15 minutes.
Common Questions
Tater tots should be naturally gluten-free. However, be sure to double check your bag as there might be gluten processed at the same facility!
Tater tots are best to be enjoyed immediately. However, if you have leftovers, be sure to store them in an airtight container and they should last up to 3 days in the fridge. Reheat them right in the air fryer until crisp!
While you can microwave leftover tater tots, they will lose their crisp. To keep leftover air fryer tater tots crispy, reheat them in the air fryer! Reheat them for 3 to 4 minutes at 350F.
No! Keep your tater tots frozen and air fry them as-is. There is no need to thaw tater tots before cooking.
I like the classic ketchup alongside my tater tots but you can try honey mustard, ranch, garlic sauce, or whatever sauce you are craving.
Craving More Snacks?
If you're craving more snack recipes with a crunch to them, try these:
Did you make this air fryer tater tots recipe? rate it and leave a comment below to let me know how it turned out!
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Recipe
Air Fryer Tater Tots
Instructions
- Spray the bottom of the air fryer lightly with a spray oil.
- Place the tater tots in a single layer in the bottom of the air fryer (don't stack them) and spray them with oil.
- Lightly sprinkle them with salt.
- Cook on 400F degrees for 15 minutes, shaking the basket every 5 minutes.
- Optional: Sprinkle with ¼ teaspoon of black pepper, cayenne pepper or paprika for some extra spice.
Expert Tips:
- Be sure not to skip shaking the air fryer basket. You want them to evenly cook and shaking the basket helps with that.
- If you want to add more tater tots, make sure you don't fill your basket more than half way. For the least variation in crispiness, a single layer in the air fryer is best.
- When spraying oil in the air fryer basket, be sure to use real cooking oil and not PAM as it's not ideal for your air fryer.
- Air fryers may vary so you might have to take a peek inside your air fryer basket at the 10 minute mark and see if it needs to full 15 minutes.
- For extra crispness, you can add 1-2 minutes to the air fry time. For less crispness, cook tater tots for 1-2 minutes less.
- I only use the spray oil if I need seasoning to stick to them. Otherwise, I would just skip it.
Nutrition
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