Air Fryer Tater Tots

by: Air Fryer Eats Team
Updated: November 18, 2024

Air Fry for

18-20 min

At

400 ยฐF

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.

cooked air fryer tator tots in a red air fryer basket

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.

a paper basket filled with browned tater tots

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

collage of images showing instructions for making tater tots in an air fryer
  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!

a square air fryer basket filled with tater tots

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.
air fried tater tots in a paper basket

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.

cooked air fryer tator tots in a white and red basket

FAQs

Are tater tots healthy?

Making tater tots in the air fryer is healthier than deep frying them, because there is no need to add any extra oil or fat to get them crispy.

Are tater tots gluten free?

Yes! Potatoes are gluten-free, as are most minimally processed potato products like tater tots, french fries, or hashbrowns.

Can I make sweet potato tots in the air fryer?

While this recipe gives you instructions for making super crispy tater tots, sweet potato tots typically do not crisp as much as standard potato tots so you may not get the same results.

You may need to play around with your air fryer settings until you get sweet potato tots to crisp well. Try adding a few extra minutes or increasing the heat.

Can I make mini tater tots in the air fryer?

Yes, you can, but you will want to reduce the amount of time in the air fryer. Mini tater tots should only need to air fry for about 8-15 minutes total, so shake them after 4 or 5 minutes, and watch to be sure they don’t overcook.

cooked tater tots in an air fryer basket
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5 from 12 votes

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.
Cook Time20 minutes
Servings: 4
Calories: 113kcal

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 2 cups frozen tater tots

Instructions

  • Measure out 2 cups of tater tots.
  • Place the tater tots into the basket of your air fryer in a single layer.
  • Air fry the tater tots at 400 degrees F/ 200ยฐC for 18-20 minutes.
  • Shake the tater tots in the air fryer basket 2-3 times while cooking to ensure that they cook evenly.
  • Serve your air fryer tater tots and enjoy!

Notes

  • This recipe is for white potato tater tots. Sweet potato tater tots will not get crispy enough using these directions.
  • This recipe creates crispy, well-done tater tots. Keep in mind that cook times will vary based on the model of your air fryer. Increase or decrease time for more well done or less well done tater tots.
  • Pro Tip:This recipe can be made in the air fryer unit with a basket or the air fryer oven. If you are using the air fryer oven, use the middle rack and select the “Air Fry” function.
  • Pro Tip: Check your food as it cooks. Each air fryer runs a bit differently. Sometimes air frying is a trial and error process. Check your food as it cooks to learn your air fryer better! When cooking a new recipe or food items be sure to check your food often to help avoid over/under cooking.
Have oven recipes that youโ€™d like to convert to an air fryer recipe? Use our Air Fryer Calculator to help you estimate cooking times and temps! Calculator here: https://airfryereats.com/air-fryer-conversion-air-fryer-calculator/

Nutrition

Serving: 1cup | Calories: 113kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 274mg | Potassium: 170mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 8mg | Iron: 1mg
TRY AD FREE!

air fryer tater tots pinterest pin

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23 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    I’m still getting used to my air fryer and love all these tips! I’m going to try Tater Tots in my AF next!

  2. 5 stars
    I’ve got a little compact air fryer — and I’m always so hesitant to use it! These tater tots turned out so crispy and delicious!

  3. 5 stars
    Dude, hands off my tots! hahaha Loved that movie! Anyway, tots are SOOOOOO good heated in the air fryer. They get SOOOOOO crispy on the outside! love them!

  4. 5 stars
    The entire family loved how these tots came out of the air fryer! We had them with chili dogs last night! Thanks for the correct temp and time!

  5. 5 stars
    As a single Dad of twin “pre-teens”, deep fried Tater Tots were always on the menu…up ’til now! I saw this recipe and decided to try them in my basket air fryer, and the kids DIDN’T KNOW THE DIFFERENCE! I was expecting one of them to say something, but within moments we had empty plates and requests for seconds. Air Fried Tater Tots = Kid (and Dad!) approved!!! So tasty and no hassle. That’s a win win situation in my opinion.

5 from 12 votes

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