These air fryer tater tots are perfectly crispy and ready in about half the time it takes to make them in the oven! Serve them with your favorite dipping sauce for a quick and easy side dish any day of the week!
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Why you’ll love air fryer tater tots
- Super easy to make using frozen tater tots and ready in about 10 minutes!
- No waiting for the oven to preheat and NO HOT OVEN heating up the house!
- A favorite among all eaters - vegans, vegetarians, omnis…and totally kid-friendly!
- Perfect with your favorite dipping sauces such as ketchup, BBQ sauce, vegan ranch, smoky maple mustard sauce, vegan honey mustard, vegan cheese sauce and more!
- They’re great with so many mains, there are endless serving options! We love them with our ranch chickpea burgers, Buffalo chickpea veggie burgers, tofu bites, BBQ tofu and vegan BLT sandwiches made with our tempeh bacon.
- Because potatoes…um, I mean CRISPY potatoes! 😉
Ingredients you’ll need to air fryer tater tots
- 16 oz. Package of Frozen Tater Tots (aka tater puffs, potato puffs, potato tots, spud puppies, etc.) - I recommend using an organic brand such as 365, Cascadian Farms or Alexia. Be sure to check the label for gluten/non-vegan ingredients if needed.
- Avocado or Olive Oil Spray - Be sure to use the non-aerosol, propellant-free kind.
- Sea Salt & Freshly Ground Black Pepper
How to make frozen tater tots in an air fryer
If your air fryer has a separate elevated crisping tray or plate, be sure to insert it.
For example, my Ninja air fryer comes with a crisper plate that fits right into the basket.
Lightly grease the crisper plate or bottom of the air fryer basket with non-aerosol, propellant-free avocado or olive oil spray.
Add the tater tots to the air fryer basket.
Shake to distribute evenly.
Air fry at 400° for 5 minutes and then shake the basket to toss the tots.
Continue to air fry for 3-5 more minutes until the potato puffs are browned to your liking.
If you’d like them even crispier, continue to air fry for 2-5 more minutes until desired crispiness is reached.
Season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper before serving, if desired.
Tips for air frying tater tots
- Keep the tots frozen until ready to use. Do not thaw.
- Be sure to use a non-aerosol, propellant-free oil spray to avoid damaging your air fryer's non-stick finish. You can also use a spritzer bottle and fill it with your own oil.
- To reheat the tater tots, air fry at 350° F for a few minutes until warmed throughout. Be sure to check on them so that they don’t burn.
Frequently asked questions
The tater tots take approximately 8-10 minutes in a 5.5-quart air fryer. If you are using a larger capacity air fryer, they may take 1-2 minutes less. If you are using a smaller capacity air fryer, they may take a few extra minutes.
I found that the tater tots came out perfectly when cooked at 400° F. However, not all air fryers are created equal, and you may find that this is too hot for your model of air fryer. If you prefer the tots to be less browned, I suggest cooking them between 375° and 390° F.
More air fryer potato recipes
Recipe
Air Fryer Tater Tots
Ingredients
- 16 oz *package frozen tater tots
- non-aerosol, propellant-free avocado oil (can use non-aerosol, propellant-free olive oil if preferred)
- sea salt to taste
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- If your air fryer has a separate elevated crisping tray or plate, be sure to insert it. Lightly grease the crisper plate or bottom of the air fryer basket with the avocado or olive oil spray.
- Add the tater tots to the air fryer. Shake to distribute evenly.
- Air fry at 400° for 5 minutes and then shake the basket to toss the tots.
- Continue to air fry for 3-5 more minutes until the potato puffs are browned to your liking. If you’d like them even crispier, continue to air fry for 2-5 more minutes until desired crispiness is reached.
- Season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper before serving, if desired.
(Please refer to the post above for instructional photographs and other helpful information for this recipe)
Suggested Equipment/Tools
Notes
Nutrition
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