The exact cook time can vary. Read below for our tips!
Want to make frozen tater tots in the air fryer? They are actually really easy to make! These tater tots turn out crispy on the outside and soft and hot on the inside.
Serve them with your favorite dipping sauce and/or as a simple side dish for breakfast, the big game, or dinner. They are quick to make and tasty every time!
If you’re feeling ambitious, you can also make air fryer potato tots from scratch.
Why Should You Air Fry Tater Tots?
- Tater tots in the air fryer generally cook faster than in the oven or a pan on the stovetop. The air fryer heats quickly since it has to heat a much smaller space than a huge oven.
- Compared to a frying pan – where you’d introduce more butter or oil – the tater tots crisp up really nicely with little to no extra oil.
Ingredients
- Frozen tater tots – Use one pound because you don’t want to overcrowd the air fryer.
- Oil spray (optional) – You can spray the tater tots with a bit of oil but it’s not really necessary since they usually already contain oil. We use avocado oil for the neutral taste and high smoke point.
- (Seasoning) salt (optional) – You can add a dash of seasoning salt – or just regular table salt – once the tater tots are done cooking, but this is completely optional.
Recipe Tips
- Don’t thaw the tater tots first. Take them out of the freezer and then add them straight to the preheated air fryer.
- Don’t overcrowd your air fryer so the tater tots cook and brown evenly. We use a 6-quart air fryer. If you have a smaller air fryer, you may have to cook them in two batches.
- Adding extra oil and salt is totally optional. If you do end up adding oil, we do not recommend using olive oil since it has a distinct taste. Instead opt for a neutral-tasting oil such as avocado oil, canola oil or vegetable oil.
- For a lower-carb option, you might want to try frozen veggie tots in the air fryer!
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Recipe Video
Step by Step Instructions
If you want visuals for how to make frozen tater tots in the air fryer, you can have a look at the photos in this section.
If you want to just skip to the recipe card, you can find it at the bottom of this post!
First, preheat the air fryer to 385 degrees Fahrenheit. A quick FYI: There is no need to defrost the tater tots – you can cook right from frozen.
As mentioned above, you usually don’t have to add extra oil to the tater tots but you can if you like.
Once preheated, place the frozen tater tots in the air fryer so that they are evenly distributed in one layer.
Make sure to not overcrowd your air fryer or else the tots might not cook and crisp evenly.
Cook the tater tots at 385 degrees Fahrenheit for about 15-18 minutes or until fully cooked and crispy. Shake the air fryer basket every 5 minutes to help with even cooking.
Your air fryer might be different than ours so keep an eye on the tater tots because the exact cooking times may vary slightly.
When they are done, remove the tater tots from the air fryer and place them in a serving dish. Adding seasoning salt (or just regular table salt) is optional. We often find that the tater tots don’t need extra salt.
Enjoy them plain or with your favorite dipping sauce – we always like good ol’ fashioned ketchup!
Storage Tips
It’s best to eat the tater tots fresh out of the air fryer when they are crispy and hot. If you have leftovers, you can put them in a sealed container and store them in the fridge for around 3 days.
They may get slightly soft in the fridge so we recommend reheating them in the air fryer over the microwave to make them crispy again.
Serving Suggestions
Air-fried tater tots make a great snack or quick side dish to other finger foods:
- You can serve them with chicken-based finger foods like chicken strips, chicken fries, or chicken nuggets.
- You could also make those delicious tater tots as your breakfast potatoes. They are kind of like frozen potato pancakes or air fryer hash browns – but we also made easy breakfast potatoes from scratch if you’re thinking this route!
- You could make them as a game day snack – they go well with other appetizers like mozzarella sticks or jalapeno poppers!
- When it comes to dipping, we like these tots with ketchup. Of course, you can also use mayonnaise or a spicy dipping sauce. We also like making a simple homemade Sriracha mayo by mixing mayo with a bit of Sriracha!
Related Recipes
If you’re looking for more air fryer potato recipes, try out these and see what you like:
- Homemade Air Fryer Potato Wedges
- Air Fried Fresh Cut French Fries
- Air Fryer Frozen French Fries
- Frozen Potato Skins in the Air Fryer
- Waffle Fries in the Air Fryer
Air Fryer Frozen Tater Tots
Ingredients
- 1 pound frozen tater tots
- oil spray, optional
- seasoning salt to taste, optional
Instructions
- Preheat your air fryer to 385 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Optional: Spray the tater tots with a bit of oil spray.1 pound frozen tater tots, oil spray
- Place the frozen tater tots in the air fryer basket and give it a gentle shake so that the tater tots are evenly distributed. Make sure to not overcrowd your air fryer as this could prevent the taters from getting crispy.
- Cook the tater tots at 385 degrees Fahrenheit for roughly 15-18 minutes, while shaking the air fryer basket every 5 minutes. Since every air fryer is different, the exact cooking time can vary slightly.
- Once done, place the tater tots in a serving bowl. You can sprinkle them with a bit of (seasoning) salt if desired but this is completely optional. Enjoy the tater tots plain or with your favorite dipping sauce!seasoning salt to taste
Notes
- If you want to use oil spray, opt for oil with a neutral taste such as avocado oil, canola oil or vegetable oil.
- We have a 6-quart air fryer so if yours is smaller, you may have to cook this amount of frozen tater tots in batches to avoid overcrowding the air fryer.
Nutrition
This nutritional information has been estimated by an online nutrition calculator. It should only be seen as a rough calculation and not a replacement for professional dietary advice.
This recipe was first published in February 2021 and updated in May 2024.
