Air Fryer Frozen Tater Tots
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These Air Fryer Frozen Tater Tots are an easy snack or side dish and are cooked perfectly every single time.
Honestly, this recipe is SO easy that it should be against the law! But believe it or not, people are a little intimidated by cooking frozen foods in their air fryer because the instructions aren’t included on the bag.
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We’re sharing tips to help you get the best results with this recipe. If you don’t need the tips, scroll to the bottom for the full recipe and a printable recipe card.
And it surprises me that more food companies aren’t including these directions now that air fryers and Instant Pots are so popular.
Anyway, onto the best frozen tater tots you’ve ever made at home! Since I started making these in my air fryer, I have totally ditched the oven method.
I really didn’t like cooking these in the oven anyway because it takes so long. And let’s be honest – baked tater tots really aren’t that great (am I right?!).
Now that I have made the switch, the tater tots are usually ready before the rest of our food. And they are tender on the inside and crispy, crunchy on the outside. Perfect!
If you love tater tots, you’ll probably enjoy my Air Fryer Onion Rings. It’s another easy recipe that will surprise you and it makes a good side dish for so many main courses.
What You Need to Make Frozen Tater Tots in the Air Fryer
Frozen tater tots – use your favorite brand
Cooking oil – if you want to ditch the spray you can use parchment paper liners. Be sure to place liner in the basket after preheating and just before adding the tater tots.
Optional Seasonings and Toppings:
Salt
Pepper
Garlic powder
Everything But the Bagel Seasoning blend
Lawry’s Seasoning Salt
Cheese
Bacon
Ketchup
Get the complete ingredients & directions in the recipe card below.
How to Make Air Fryer Frozen Tater Tots
Start by spraying your basket with avocado or olive oil. Skip this step if you’re using parchment paper liners.
Add the frozen tater tots to the basket in a single layer. Be sure not to overload the air fryer basket. If you do overload the basket, the tots may not get crispy and you may need to increase the cooking time. No one likes soggy tater tots!
Spritz the tots with oil if desired and add your favorite seasoning. You can also add more at the end, after they’ve cooked.
Cook at 400 degrees for 15 minutes, shaking the basket halfway through.
Serve with your favorite condiments or dipping sauces. These are best served hot but also reheat really well in the air fryer.
Dipping Sauce Ideas
Tater tots are made for dipping and this copycat Guthrie’s sauce recipe is my current fave. Here are a few more tasty dipping sauces for potatoes:
- Ranch dressing
- Sriracha
- Chick-Fil-A Sauce
- Ketchup and Mustard (mixed together, of course!)
- Queso dip
Have a favorite sauce that’s not listed? Tell us in the comments section.
Tips for Making and Reheating
- For crispier tots, cook an additional 2-3 minutes.
- You may need to adjust the cooking time based on your air fryer model
- Cook from frozen (do not thaw).
- To reheat leftovers: cook at 350 degrees F for 6-8 minutes. No oil needed.
Adding a protein can turn this air fryer side dish into a main course meal, like this delicious pizza tater tot casserole. Feel free to load these babies down with cheese, bacon, shredded bbq or roasted chicken!
More Easy Air Fryer Recipes:
- Air Fryer Drumsticks
- Air Fryer Diced Potatoes
- Homemade Potato Chips in the Air Fryer
- Air Fryer French Bread Pizza
- Air Fryer Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Air Fryer Biscuit Donuts {3 Ways}
**Save Air Fryer Tater Tots for Later**
Air Fryer Frozen Tater Tots
Equipment
Ingredients
- 16 ounces frozen tater tots
- Avocado or vegetable oil
Optional Seasonings – quantities are estimated, adjust to your preferences:
- Salt – ½ teaspoon
- Pepper – ½ teaspoon
- Garlic powder – 1 teaspoon
- Everything but the Bagel – 1 tablespoon
- Lawry’s Seasoning Salt – ½ teaspoon
Optional Dipping Sauces
- Ketchup
- Ranch dressing
- Chick-fil-A sauce
- Mustard
- BBQ sauce
Optional Toppings
- Bacon
- Cheese
Instructions
- Spray the air fryer basket with cooking oil (or use a parchment liner).
- Add tater tots to the basket and spread in a single layer.
- If using Optional Seasonings, spritz tots with a little oil, add seasoning and toss to coat.
- Cook at 400 degrees F for approximately 15 minutes or until golden brown. Shake at the halfway point.
- Remove tater tots and place on a serving plate.
- Repeat as needed with remaining tater tots.
- Serve immediately with desired condiments and toppings.
Notes
- Cook tots from frozen (do not thaw).
- For crispier tots, cook an additional 2-3 minutes.
- Optional seasonings & toppings are not included in nutritional information.
- To reheat leftovers: cook at 350 degrees F for 6-8 minutes. No additional oil needed.
- Cooking time may need to be adjusted based on size of tots and air fryer model.
Nutritional Estimate
Nutritional information is provided as a reference, using an online calculator. We recommend verifying the information independently for accuracy.
