Want to make frozen tater tots in the air fryer? They are actually really easy to make!
These deliciously crispy tater tots turn out golden brown on the outside and soft and hot on the inside.
Served with your favorite dipping sauce and/or as a simple side dish for breakfast or the big game, air fryer frozen tater tots are quick and tasty every time!
Why Should You Air Fry Tater Tots?
- Tater tots in the air fryer generally cook faster than in the oven or in a pan on the stove top. The air fryer heats quickly due to the fact that 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. This can help them be healthier than if you’d deep fry or pan fry them because you’ve introduced less oil or fat. Tater tots are still not the pinnacle of health but at least the air fryer makes them crispy without extra oil.
Ingredients
These tots are so easy to make – you only need one ingredient really!
- 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
There’s not much to it if you want to make air fryer tater tots. However, if you’re unsure about anything, consider these tips:
- Don’t thaw the tater tots first. Take them out of the freezer and then add them straight to the preheated air fryer.
- It’s important that the tater tots have enough space in one even layer to cook and brown evenly. We use a 6 quart air fryer so if you are making frozen tater tots and have a smaller air fryer, you may have to cook them in two batches.
- Adding extra oil and salt is totally optional. As for oil, 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 out veggie tots from frozen in the air fryer!
How to Make Frozen Tater Tots in the Air Fryer – 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
read 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 do not have to add extra oil to the tater tots but you can if you like. This is an optional step.
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 for 15-18 minutes 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 exact cooking times may vary slightly.
Once cooked and golden brown, place the tater tots in a serving bowl. 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!
How Long to Cook Tater Tots in the Air Fryer?
The cooking time is going to depend on the size of the tater tots. We cook our frozen tater tots for about 15-18 minutes at a temperature of 385 degrees Fahrenheit.
We shake the air fryer basket every few minutes to ensure a nice, even crisp.
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 any leftovers, you can put them in a sealed container and store them in the fridge for around 3 days.
They might have gotten slightly soft in the fridge so we’d recommend reheating them in the air fryer over the microwave.
Can You Reheat Tater Tots?
Yes, you absolutely can reheat cooked tater tots that you’ve stored.
Microwaving them may make them less crispy so either toss them in the oven… or preferably just back in the air fryer to help them crisp up again!
We like the reheat setting on our air fryer – 285 degrees Fahrenheit for about 4-5 minutes should do the trick.
If you want them crispier, you can turn up the temperature a bit. But keep a close eye on them since you don’t accidentally want to burn the tater tots.
What to Serve Air Fryer Frozen Tater Tots With
Air fried frozen tater tots usually make a great snack or quick side dish to other fingers foods:
- You might think of going chicken-based for finger foods like chicken strips, chicken fries, or chicken nuggets.
- You could also make these delicious tater tots as your breakfast potatoes. This is a good idea – 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 might 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 love 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 from just mayo and sriracha!
Related Recipes
These tater tots are a great snack or side dish. If you’re looking for more great air fryer potato recipes, try out these ones 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
- avocado oil spray, optional
- seasoning salt to taste, optional
Instructions
- Preheat your air fryer to 385 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Once hot, 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 3865 degrees Fahrenheit for roughly 15-18 minutes, while shaking the air fryer basket every 5 minutes. Your air fryer might be different than ours so keep an eye on the tater tots because exact cooking times may 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!
Notes
- We do not recommend using virgin olive oil for spraying the tater tots since it has a distinct taste. If you want to use oil spray, opt for an oil with 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 make this amount of frozen tater tots in two batches to avoid overcrowding the tots in the air fryer tray.
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.
