Air Fryer Loaded Tater Tots: Quick, Easy, Delicious!

Loaded tater tots are a delicious snack or side dish that can be made in an air fryer. They are crispy, golden potato bites, made by grating skin-on potatoes into tiny pieces and mixing them with flour, salt, and seasonings. The mixture is then shaped into mini cylinders and deep-fried, flash-frozen, and can be crisped up in an oven or air fryer.

To make loaded tater tots in an air fryer, start by preheating your air fryer to between 350-400 degrees Fahrenheit. Then, place the desired amount of frozen potato nuggets or tater tots into the air fryer basket in a single layer, working in batches if necessary. Cook for 6-9 minutes, shaking the basket occasionally, until the tater tots are crispy and golden.

Once cooked, you can load your tater tots with toppings such as cheese, bacon, and sour cream, or serve them as a side dish with ketchup, BBQ sauce, or another dipping sauce.

Choosing the right potatoes

The best potatoes for tater tots are those with a high starch content, such as Russet potatoes. This is because starch helps the potatoes hold their shape and stay crispy when fried. Other suitable varieties include Sebago and King Edward potatoes. The key thing is to avoid waxy potatoes.

Before cooking your potatoes, you should peel them, although this is a matter of personal preference. Then, parboil them for around 5 minutes. Parboiling ensures that the potatoes will fry evenly, both inside and out. Drain the potatoes and allow them to cool before grating them. It is important that the potatoes are not too hot, but they should also not be totally cold.

Once you have grated the potatoes, squeeze out the excess liquid using a clean tea towel. This is a crucial step to ensure that the tater tots hold their shape during frying. Combine the grated potatoes with flour and your choice of seasonings. Form the mixture into small, evenly sized tots so that they cook evenly. If the mixture sticks to your fingers, lightly coat them in oil.

Now you have the perfect tater tots, you can cook them in your air fryer!

How to make the tots

Ingredients:

• Frozen tater tots
• Oil (optional)
• Salt
• Seasonings of your choice (optional)

Method:

• Preheat your air fryer to 350-400°F. The time taken to preheat will vary depending on the model of your air fryer, so refer to the manufacturer's instructions.
• Place the desired amount of frozen tater tots into the air fryer basket in a single layer. Work in batches if you are cooking for more than a few people, as stacking the tots will affect how evenly they cook.
• If you are using an oven-style air fryer, gently spray the air fryer racks with non-stick cooking spray. This will help to ensure the tots don't stick to the racks.
• Cook the tots for 6-7 minutes. Then, shake the basket to prevent them from sticking and to ensure even cooking.
• Continue air-frying for another 5-7 minutes, depending on how crispy you like your tots.
• Remove the tots from the air fryer and allow them to cool for about 2 minutes before serving.

Tips:

• For extra crispy tots, cook for an additional 1-2 minutes until they are a dark golden brown.
• If you are using store-bought frozen tater tots, check the packaging to see if they already contain oil. If they do, you won't need to add any extra during cooking.
• If you are making your own tater tots, you can add your desired seasonings to the mixture before forming the tots. Alternatively, you can toss the hot tots in a bowl with your chosen seasonings after air-frying.
• If you are cooking mini tater tots, reduce the cooking time and check on them after 5 minutes to prevent overcooking.
• For even cooking, it is best to cook the tots in batches rather than crowding them all into the air fryer at once.

Air fryer settings

Air fryers are a great way to cook frozen foods like tater tots, as they produce a super crispy texture. The settings you use will depend on the type of air fryer you have, the size of your tater tots, and your desired level of crispiness.

For basket-model air fryers, preheat your air fryer to 400°F for 1 minute. Then, fill the basket with frozen tater tots in a single layer and cook for 7 minutes. Shake the basket well, then continue air-frying for another 5-7 minutes, depending on how crispy you like your tater tots. Allow them to cool for about 2 minutes before serving.

For oven-style air fryers, preheat your air fryer to 400°F for 1 minute. Spray the air fryer racks with non-stick cooking spray. Place the frozen tater tots in a single layer, shaking the rack to help spread them out. Ensure there is enough space between the tater tots for air to flow through, as this will ensure even cooking without the need to flip them. Air-fry for 13 minutes, then allow to cool for about 2 minutes before serving.

If you are using regular-sized tater tots, the cooking time will be around 12-15 minutes. If you are using mini tater tots, the cooking time will be shorter, so check on them around the 5-minute mark.

If you like your tater tots extra crispy, simply cook them for an additional 1-2 minutes, or until they are a dark golden brown.

When reheating tater tots, you can stack them in the air fryer, and they will only need 2-3 minutes at 350°F to warm through and regain their crispiness.

Dipping sauces

There are several dipping sauces you can pair with your loaded tater tots. Here are some ideas:

Tangy Dipping Sauce

This sauce is a mix of flavours and goes well with tater tots, fries, hot dogs, brats, and burgers. To make this sauce, you will need garlic powder, onion powder, ground ginger, ground red pepper, and black pepper. Mix all the ingredients in a bowl and chill until ready to serve.

Cowboy Dipping Sauce

This sauce is a combination of BBQ sauce and ranch dressing. You can adjust the proportions as per your taste. This sauce is perfect for those who like their sauce sweet and tangy.

Spicy Dipping Sauce

If you like your food with a little heat, you can make a spicy dipping sauce with chipotle Tabasco sauce. This sauce will add a kick to your tater tots and elevate them to a more mature palette.

Classic Condiments

You can also stick to the classic condiments like ketchup, mustard, and barbecue sauce. These sauces are simple yet effective and are perfect for kids.

Other Ideas

Some other sauces that go well with tater tots include Big Mac sauce, nacho cheese sauce, and honey buffalo sauce.

Storing and reheating

To reheat, place the loaded tots in the air fryer basket and set the temperature to 350-400°F (180°C) for 2-5 minutes. You can stack the tots when reheating, but if you have a lot, you may need to add an extra minute or two and shake the basket halfway through to ensure even heating. Reheating in the air fryer will help the tots regain their crispy texture.

It is best to serve the tater tots immediately after reheating, as leaving them to sit for too long can cause them to lose their crispiness.

Frequently asked questions