Air fryer loaded tater tots is one of our favorite game day snacks or appetizers. Topped with red onion, red bell pepper, black olives, jalapeños, shredded cheese, and bacon, these loaded tots are crispy, cheesy, and very easy to make.
We top ours with salsa, sour cream, guacamole, and green onion before serving, but you can customize the toppings to suit your taste. These tater tot nachos (different from our Irish nacho recipe) won’t last long once they hit the snack table!
Ingredients
- Frozen tater tots – Use your favorite brand of frozen tater tots.
- Cheese – We often use marble, but Monterey Jack, cheddar, or similar also work well.
- Red onion – For some extra crunch and flavor; feel free to skip if you don’t like onions.
- Bell pepper – Any color.
- Black olives – Green olives also work; just be sure to use pitted olives.
- Bacon strips – We cooked the bacon and then finely chopped it, but you can use premade bacon strip crumble if you prefer.
- Jalapeño pepper – Adds a hint of spice; feel free to skip.
- Additional toppings/garnish: We like to add salsa, sour cream, and guacamole for dipping as well as green onion.
Recipe Tips
- Don’t overcrowd the air fryer when cooking the tater tots so they can get crispy.
- Make sure the tots are cooked and crispy before adding the toppings. The second air fry is for melting the cheese, not continuing to crisp the tater tots.
- Keep the parchment paper low in the air fryer basket and weighed down by food so it doesn’t touch the heating element.
- To switch up the flavors, you can add cooked and seasoned ground beef or shredded chicken.
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Step-by-Step Instructions
First, preheat the air fryer to 375 degrees Fahrenheit (190 degrees Celsius). Then add the frozen tater tots in one layer and cook until crispy, about 9-12 minutes. Shake the basket every 3-4 minutes.
When the tater tots are done and crispy, remove them from the air fryer, line the air fryer with some parchment paper, and then add the tater tots back in one even layer.
Sprinkle the tater tots with shredded cheese, diced red onion, diced bell pepper, black olives, chopped bacon, and jalapeno slices (if using) or other toppings of your choice.
Air fry for an additional 3-5 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the toppings are heated.
Then remove the loaded tater tots from the air fryer and serve (careful, hot). We like to top ours with salsa, guacamole, sour cream, and chopped green onions before serving. Enjoy!
Storage Tips
Leftover loaded tater tots can be stored in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 2 days. Try eating leftovers the next day as they may get soggy over time.
For reheating, place the loaded tater tots in the air fryer at a lower temperature, such as 320 degrees Fahrenheit, for just a few minutes. We don’t recommend reheating them in the microwave since it can make the tater tots more soggy.
Related Recipes
Here are more air fryer snacks and appetizers (great for game day) that you may want to try next:
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Air Fryer Loaded Tater Tots
Ingredients
- 1 pound frozen tater tots, approximately
- 1 cup shredded cheese, (marble, cheddar, or Monterey Jack work well)
- 1/2 medium red onion, finely diced
- 1/2 medium bell pepper, finely diced
- 1/2 cup sliced black olives
- 2 strips cooked bacon, chopped
- 1 jalapeño pepper, sliced (optional)
- salsa, sour cream, guacamole, and green onion, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the air fryer to 375 degrees Fahrenheit (190 degrees Celsius).
- When hot, add the frozen tater tots into the air fryer basket in one even layer.1 pound frozen tater tots
- Air fry the frozen tater tots at 375 degrees Fahrenheit (190 degrees Celsius) for 9-12 minutes, or until golden brown and crispy on the outside and heated through. Shake the air fryer basket every 3-4 minutes to help with even cooking.
- Remove the cooked tots from the air fryer and line the basket with parchment paper (large enough so you can grab the sides but low enough so it doesn't touch the internal heating element).
- Return the cooked tater tots back into the lined air fryer basket and sprinkle with shredded cheese, diced red onion, diced bell pepper, black olives, chopped bacon, and jalapeno slices (if using).1 cup shredded cheese, 1/2 medium red onion, 1/2 medium bell pepper, 1/2 cup sliced black olives, 2 strips cooked bacon, 1 jalapeño pepper
- Air fry for another 3-5 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the toppings are heated.
- When done, carefully grab the parchment paper and remove the loaded tater tots from the air fryer.
- Optionally top with salsa, guacamole, sour cream, and green onions and serve right away.
Video
Notes
- You can use any color bell pepper.
- Don’t overcrowd the air fryer when cooking the tater tots so they can get crispy.
- Make sure the tots are cooked and crispy before adding the toppings. The second air fry is for melting the cheese, not continuing to crisp the tater tots.
- Keep the parchment paper low in the air fryer basket and weighed down by food so it doesn’t touch the heating element.
- To switch up the flavors, you can add cooked and seasoned ground beef or shredded chicken.
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.
