Air Fryer tater tots are a perfect snack for people of all ages. Cooking tater tots in the air fryer is quicker than in the oven and they cook up perfectly crispy on the outside and tender and fluffy on the inside.
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I love cooking frozen tater tots with this easy air fryer recipe, and I think you will, too. I use Ore Ida brand, and using an air fryer gets you perfectly cooked tater tots every time.
You can use any brand, and they turn out best when cooked from frozen.
Deep fried tater tots can be tasty, but they are loaded with extra fat. Air frying tater tots gets them perfectly cooked.
The air fryer circulates hot air in a closed environment. This hot air cooks the tater tots so they are crispy on the outside and fluffy inside in a fraction of the time it would take in the oven!
Be sure to check out my guide to cooking times for air fryer recipes of all kinds. And check out the latest frozen foods I’ve tried cooking in the air fryer: Texas toast and chicken pot pie. These tater tots also go great with air fryer frozen burgers.
❤️ WHY YOU’LL LOVE TATER TOTS COOKED IN THE AIR FRYER
- The tater tots are ready in 15 minutes.
- They come out crispy on the outside and tender inside.
- It’s an easy and delicious side dish for any main dish.
- Tater tots are a kid-friendly snack but are loved by people of all ages.
- The air fryer is the best way to cook the tots!
💡 Tips for the best frozen tater tots in the air fryer
How to get crispy tater tots
- Preheat your air fryer to 400° F for best results.
- Keep the tater tots frozen until you’re ready to air fry them in the preheated air fryer.
- At a minimum, shake the basket halfway through cooking. I actually recommend that you flip them twice during cooking, at the 5-minute mark and 10-minute mark.
- You don’t need to use oil in this recipe, but if you want the potato puffs to be extra crispy, use this tip: spritz the tater tots with a little oil. Use olive oil, avocado oil, or vegetable oil in a spray bottle. Don’t use canned cooking spray.
Recipe Variations
If you want to season the tater tots, toss the frozen tater tots with some oil and your favorite seasonings before air frying. Here are some options:
How much to cook at one time
How much you can make depends on the type of air fryer. If you have an air fryer that has multiple stacked racks, place the frozen tater tots in a single layer on each rack.
For basket-style air fryers, you don’t need to add the tater tots in a single layer. However, don’t overcrowd the basket because that will prevent hot air from freely circulating.
In my basket-style Cosori air fryer, I limit each batch to half bag of tater tots at a time (or tater rounds.)
If you need to make a larger quantity, do it in multiple batches. You can reheat the prior batches for 1-2 minutes cook time at 350° Fahrenheit if they cool down too much.
How long to cook tater tots
Cooking at 400° F for 12 minutes works perfectly for me. However, every air fryer will vary due to wattage, style, and capacity.
The first time you make potato tots in the air fryer, monitor and check on them 2 minutes before the cooking time is up to make sure they’re not overcooking.
Or you might find that you need to add a few extra minutes to the air frying time in order to get golden brown and extra crispy air fryer tater tots. Adjust the recipe as needed.
Storage and Reheating Tips
Store leftovers in an airtight container and reheat tater tots for 2 minutes in the air fryer at 350° Fahrenheit.
Serving Suggestions
Serve the tots as a snack or appetizer with your favorite dipping sauce:
These golden tater tots would make a great side dish instead of french fries for burgers or hot dogs.
❓FAQS
I used Ore Ida tater tots. They are the most popular store-bought potato tots and are widely available. Trader Joe tater tots are another brand I use.
Ore Ida crispy crowns are very similar to OreIda tater tots, but they’re smaller and flatter. They can be cooked in the same way. You might need to add another minute or two to get them super crispy.
If you need to air fry double the quantity, you can do it in two batches. The second batch of tater tots take less time to cook because the air fryer is hot.
Mini tater tots don’t require as much time and can be cooked at a lower temperature. Air fry mini tater tots at 380° F for about 9 minutes. Check on them a few minutes early to ensure they don’t overcook.
📝 How to make tater tots in an air fryer
Tater tots are super easy to make in the air fryer. Follow my super easy instructions below.
- Preheat the air fryer at 400°.
- Keep frozen until ready to use
- Place the frozen tater tots into the air fryer tray
- Air fry at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 12 minutes
- Flip the tater tots or shake the tray every 5 minutes while they’re air frying
- Transfer to serving platter
- Serve with ketchup, barbecue sauce, or your favorite dipping sauce.
See details in the recipe card below
More Air Fryer Favorites
The air fryer is particularly good at crisping up frozen food. I’ve been trying out other favorite easy recipes such as air fryer frozen pot pie, frozen taquitos and sweet potato fries, and frozen chicken wings and wanted to see if tater tots would turn out as well. And they do!
For more recipes, be sure to head over to my list of amazing air fryer frozen foods you need to try!
Crispy Air Fryer Frozen Tater Tots
Equipment
Ingredients
- 16 oz. frozen tater tots ½ of 32 oz. bag (453 grams)
Instructions
Air Fryer Instructions (See Note!)
- Place the empty air fryer basket in the air fryer and preheat at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 5 minutes. **
- Add the tater tots to the air fryer basket.
- Air fry for 12 minutes at 400 degrees Fahrenheit, shaking the basket at the 5-minute and 10-minute marks.
- Transfer the tater tots to a serving platter.
Notes
- Note: Every air fryer’s cooking time will vary due to wattage, capacity, and other factors. Always check on the food 2 to 3 minutes before the time is up to make sure it’s not burning or overcooking!
- * Nutrition information is for Ore Ida tater tots.
- Don’t thaw the frozen tater tots before air frying them.
- ** Preheat the air fryer if the air fryer doesn’t have a built-in preheat functionality.
- Every air fryer will vary. The first time you make this recipe, monitor the tater tots and adjust the air frying time as needed.
Nutrition
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I am not a certified nutritionist. I provide my best estimate of nutritional information merely as a courtesy to my readers. If you depend on nutritional information for dietary or health reasons, I suggest using your favorite online nutrition calculator to confirm the nutritional value of this recipe based on the actual ingredients that you use.
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