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    Home » Sides

    Air Fryer Tater Tots

    Published: Apr 7, 2021 by Sherri Hall · This post may contain affiliate links.

    pin showing tater tots on white plate with cup of ketchup
    These air fryer tater tots are perfectly crispy and ready in about half the time it takes to make them in the oven! Serve these crispy potato puffs with your favorite dipping sauce for a quick and easy perfect side dish for any day of the week!
    Cook Time 8 minutes
    Total Time 8 minutes
    JUMP TO RECIPE
    overhead of tater tots on white square plate with side of ketchup
    overhead of tater tots on white plate with side of ketchup
    Jump to:
    • Why you’ll love air fryer tater tots
    • Ingredients you’ll need to air fryer tater tots
    • How to make frozen tater tots in an air fryer
    • Tips for the best crispy air fryer tater tots
    • Frequently asked questions
    • More air fryer potato side dish recipes
    • Air Fryer Tater Tots
    tater tots seasoned with salt and pepper on a white serving plate with three cups of dipping sauces

    Why you’ll love air fryer tater tots

    • Super easy recipe 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!
    • No deep fryer necessary!
    • A favorite among all eaters - vegans, vegetarians, omnis…and totally kid-friendly!
    • Perfect with your favorite dipping sauces such as ketchup, barbecue sauce, vegan ranch, smoky maple mustard sauce, vegan honey mustard, vegan cheese sauce and more!
    • They’re great with so many mains and make an easy quick snack! There are endless serving options! We love them with our ranch chickpea burgers, Buffalo chickpea veggie burgers, tofu nuggets, BBQ tofu and vegan BLT sandwiches made with our tempeh bacon.
    • Because potatoes…um, I mean CRISPY potatoes! 😉
    holding potato puff with ketchup on it

    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 Oil or Olive Oil Spray - Be sure to use the non-aerosol, propellant-free kind.
    • Sea Salt & Freshly Ground Black Pepper
    potato puffs on a white plate with a cup of ketchup

    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.

    frozen tater tots in air fryer before cooking

    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. 

    The cook time may vary by make, model, and your desired level of crispiness.

    tater tots in air fryer after cooking

    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 the crispy tater tots with your favorite sauce.

    potato puffs seasoned with salt and pepper on a white serving plate with dipping sauces in the background

    Tips for the best crispy air fryer tater tots

    • Keep the tots frozen until ready to use. Do not thaw.
    • Always place the tater tots in the air fryer basket in a single layer so everything cooks evenly and the air fryer has room to circulate the hot air around.
    • 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.
    • Feel free to add any of your favorite seasonings to add some more flavor to these homemade tater tots.
    • To reheat the best air fryer 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.
    • Don't forget that these Air Fryer frozen tater tots can be used in tater tot breakfasts too, along with just about any main course.
    • I recommend air frying in batches so you end up with perfect tater tots every time. It may take a little bit longer but your tots will all cook evenly and end up with that crispy exterior if in small batches with enough room, especially if you have a smaller air fryer.
    dipping potato puff into ketchup

    Frequently asked questions

    How long do you cook tater tots in an air fryer?

    These tasty 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.

    At what temperature do you air fry tater tots?

    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.

    How do you store delicious air fryer tater tots?

    Any leftover tater tots can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. They may become soggy tater tots if you store them when they're still hot, so be sure to let them cool. They will most likely need to be reheated to get nice and crispy again. I recommend using the air fryer to reheat them and bring them back to the crispiest tater tots with that incredible crunch that you know and love!

    tater tots seasoned with salt and pepper on a white serving plate with a cup of ketchup

    More air fryer potato side dish recipes

    • Air Fryer Frozen Sweet Potato Fries
    • Air Fryer Home Fries
    • Air Fryer Hash Browns
    • Vegan Air Fryer Mashed Potato Balls
    overhead of air fryer tater tots on white plate with side of ketchup on left side partly cut off
    overhead of tater tots on white square plate with side of ketchup
    Print Recipe Save RecipeSaved!
    5 from 4 votes

    Air Fryer Tater Tots

    These air fryer tater tots are perfectly crispy and ready in about half the time it takes to make them in the oven! Serve these crispy potato puffs with your favorite dipping sauce for a quick and easy perfect side dish for any day of the week!
    Course Side Dish
    Cuisine American, Gluten-Free, Vegan
    Keyword air fryer, gluten free, potatoes, vegan, vegetarian
    Cook Time 8 minutes
    Total Time 8 minutes
    Servings 4
    Calories 200kcal
    Author Sherri Hall

    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

    Air Fryer

    Notes

    *I recommend an organic brand such as Cascadian Farms, Alexia or 365. Check labels to ensure ingredients are vegan and gluten-free if needed.
    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.
    The nutrition information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. Accuracy is not guaranteed. Information shown should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. Oil to grease the air fryer was not included in the nutrition calculation.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 200kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Fiber: 3g

    ©Watch Learn Eat. All content and images are copyright protected. Recipes and photos are not to be used or republished without prior permission. If you adapt this recipe, please re-write the recipe in your own words, and link back to this post for the original recipe.

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    About Sherri

    Founder, Author, Recipe Developer, & Photographer

    With a lifelong passion for cooking, I specialize in creating easy meatless meals that are omnivore-approved!

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