Air Fryer Tater Tots

Air Fryer tater tots go from frozen to incredibly crunchy, hot and delicious in just 15 minutes! These crispy tots make a great easy side dish for burgers, chicken and more.

 

We are in Atlanta for this Easter weekend, visiting with my brother and his family.

I have loved getting to see the cousins playing together, and we've had lots of fun swimming, watching my niece kick butt at volleyball, doing Easter egg hunts and more. And today we're hitting up Legoland before we head home.

But OK, let's move right along to the food.

Who else thinks their Air Fryer might just be a magic machine that makes all the foods more delicious?

Air Fryer chicken tenders are a kid and adult favorite around here - oh that crunch! And Air Fryer chicken Parm is breaded and topped with marinara and mozzarella for a delicious family dinner. And these Air Fryer meatballs - use fresh or frozen - are great for spaghetti nights or meatballs subs.

For an appetizer, we love Air Fryer zucchini sticks that are breaded and delicious dipped in marinara.

And don’t get me started on veggies for a side dish - Air Fryer broccoli and cauliflower get so browned and crispy and make me just want to devour the whole batch!

Today though, we’re making Air Fryer tater tots.

Oh, tater tots. Those frozen little bites of potato that get crispy edges all around the outside with soft, pillowy potato goodness on the inside.

It’s one of those easy staples that I try to always keep on hand in the freezer so I can pull some out for a quick side dish with burgers or grilled chicken.

My kiddos and I both adore them! (And there’s so few things I can say that about these days…)

And they get so amazingly golden brown and crispy in the Air Fryer. Beats the oven hands down.

Plus, they go straight from the freezer to delicious crunchy nuggets in just 15 minutes.

It’s glorious. And it’s a weeknight sanity saver!

OK, because I know this is your main question, let’s just call it out here at the start.

How long do you cook frozen tater tots in an Air Fryer?

- Cook frozen tater tots, straight from the freezer, for 12-15 minutes in the Air Fryer at 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Shake the tray once halfway through for even crisping and browning. 

- Exact timing will depend on your desired degree of doneness and crispiness for your tater tots.

I set mine for 14 minutes, flip after 6-7 minutes and then start checking around 12 minutes until they look to be the perfect level of crispy. 

And of course, some people like their tater tots soft and warm and others prefer it super crispy all the way round. To each her own.

OK, let’s delve in more and make some tater tots!

Now, I’ve got those notes and tips coming up below on how to make tater tots in the Air Fryer. Just tryin’ to be helpful.

If you want to jump on down to the recipe, simply scroll right on through the rest of the text. The recipe card is near the bottom of the page, above the comments section.

Notes on making Air Fryer tater tots:

• Frozen: We are using frozen tater tots straight from the freezer. No need to defrost them or pre-cook them. They go in the Air Fryer frozen, making this even easier and more convenient.
• Tater tots: I’m also using the regular size tater tots. If you are using the mini tater tots, your cooking time will be different.
• Timing: The exact timing will depend on your preference for crunchiness. Check a couple of times when you first make them to determine your optimal time and then you’ll know going forward.
• Batches: The tots needs to be in a single, even layer so they cook and crisp evenly. No stacking. This means you may be only able to fit ½ of your tater tots at a time, depending on the size of your Air Fryer. (Mine is on the bigger size and can fit enough for 4 people all at once.)

Speaking of batches, if you are trying to make a lot of tater tots, like the entire 2 lb. frozen bag, the Air Fryer might not be the best way to go. 

You’d have to do at least 2 and maybe 3 separate batches, whereas you could cook them all on 1-2 sheet pans in the oven at once.

But if you are just doing enough for 4 people, a large size Air Fryer is just the thing.

And in case you are in the market for an Air Fryer, I highly recommend mine.

Originally, I had a small size one, but it just wasn’t big enough for all the things I wanted to put in the Air Fryer.

So I got this one (it’s usually on sale, which is nice) and I’ve loved it. It’s a better fit for families with children, or just if you’re cooking for bigger groups.

You can check out all of my Air Fryer recipes if you’re obsessed like I am with the magic of this appliance.

And stay tuned because I have many more Air Fryer recipes planned for you!

You can sign up for my free e-newsletter to get all of my new recipes delivered straight to your inbox so you never miss a thing. I’ll even send you my free e-cookbook, Healthy Weeknight Dinners, as a thank you!

Next, let’s talk dipping. Cause those crispy nuggets are delicious on their own, but a little dunk in your favorite sauce takes them to the next level.

Here are a few ideas to get you thinking.

Dipping sauces:

• Ketchup
• BBQ sauce
• Ranch dressing
• Honey mustard
• Mayonnaise

Or any other favorite dressing or sauce.

OK, last thing… if you have extra tater tots that you want to save, here’s what to do.

How to store and reheat:

- Any extra tater tots that have been cooked in the Air Fryer, once cooled, can be stored in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

- To reheat, place in the Air Fryer tray and set to 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 2-3 minutes.

- Unlike when you are first cooking them, it is OK to stack the tater tots when reheating. Meaning, they don’t have to be in a single layer. But if you do have a ton, add a minute or two as needed and maybe give them a good shake halfway through to ensure even reheating.

Reheating them in the Air Fryer helps them regain some of that crispiness they had originally. I tell you, that appliance is magic.

If you are a tater tot lover like we are - and man, you can't beat the convenience of having those on hand in the freezer - I really hope you try cooking them this way.

You’ll likely never go back.

Enjoy!

XO,

Kathryn