Air Fryer Tater Tots

Classic, crispy tater tots come out perfect in the Air Fryer every time! With just one simple ingredient and 20 minutes, you’ll be ready to dig right into this nostalgic side dish.

Recipe Overview

All you need is a bag of frozen tater tots. These tots are crispy and golden brown on the outside and tender and hot inside. What could be better?

Thanks to the ingenuity of your trusted Air Fryer, there’s no need for oil or any other ingredients. Making frozen tater tots in the air fryer is super simple, fast, and healthier too.

For me, frozen tater tots are a staple when it comes to feeding my hungry kids. They go with everything and are always well-received by my family. You really can’t go wrong if you make air fryer tater tots with dinner.

If you are looking for more easy frozen air fryer potato recipes, check out my air fryer French fries and air fryer baked potato posts.

what you’ll need

You only need a bag of frozen tater tots! You do not need any added oil to get super crispy air fryer tater tots, as most frozen potato products have oil already added to them.

Maybe you call tater tots potato puffs? It doesn’t matter what you call them, you can make crispy potato puffs in the air fryer too!

You likely should not cook the whole bag of tots at one time though. Only use as many tater tots as you can fit in your air fryer basket in a single layer. Stacking them on top of each other won’t allow them to get crispy. I suggest using about 2 cups, but you may need less if your air fryer is smaller.

How to Make Them

1. Measure out a couple of cups of frozen tater tots. No need to be too precise, but two cups is about the amount that fits in my air fryer basket.
2. Place the tater tots into the basket of your air fryer in a single layer.
3. Cook the tots at 400 degrees F for 18-20 minutes.
4. Remove the basket 2-3 times while cooking and shake the tater tots around a bit to make sure that they cook evenly on all sides.

When your tater tots are done cooking, remove them from the basket and allow them to cool for a minute or two. You don’t want to burn your mouth!

Tips and Tricks

• Depending on the thickness and variety of potato, you may have to adjust your cooking time up or down to ensure that the potatoes are cooked through.
• Be sure to shake or stir your frozen tater tots or fries a few times while they are cooking in the air fryer. This allows them to get crispy all around.
• Be sure to leave a bit of room between each tater tot to keep them from sticking together. Shaking the air fryer basket a few times during cooking is important, and will also help to keep the tater tots from sticking together.

What to serve with tater tots

Serve with your favorite main dish like air fryer hamburgers or air fryer hot dogs and enjoy!

I haven’t met too many meals that aren’t made better with a side of crispy tots!

Serve air fryer tater tots with Unbreaded Air Fryer Chicken Tenders, Air Fryer Cube Steak, or Air Fryer Tilapia. Add a simple vegetable and you have a well-balanced dinner ready in no time.

Storing tater tots

Leftover cooked tater tots can be refrozen or stored in the fridge. To store any leftover air fryer tater tots in the freezer, place them into a zip lock freezer bag, then lay the bag flat on your countertop.

Gently shake the tots out so that they are in a flat, single layer, then press out all of the air before sealing.

Pop the air fryer tots into your freezer until you’re ready to use them again.

Add your leftover frozen tater tots to a Mexican Tater Tot Casserole or toss them back into your air fryer for a few minutes to crisp them up before serving again, maybe as Tater Tot Nachos.

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