Air Fryer Tater Tots is a quick and easy recipe for homemade tots. This post includes cook time and how to cook frozen tots, too! Pair these with your favorite dipping sauce.
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I grew up eating the frozen tots that came in a bag. We would often pop a batch into the oven. Later in my childhood, we got a deep fryer and would sometimes deep fry them too.....in vegetable oil.....of course.
Thank goodness for the ability to air fry tater tots! It cuts down on the amount of fat and gives you the ability to use a healthier monounsaturated fat option like avocado or olive oil.
I also make my own tots from scratch! It is incredibly easy to do! Trust me, you won't miss the processed, frozen tots a bit!
Table of Contents
How to Make Tater Tots
- Grab your russet potatoes and peel them. Russet potatoes work best for recipes like this and French fries.
- Add cold water to a saucepan (¾th of the way full) on medium-high heat.
- Add the potatoes and par boil for 6-10 minutes.
- Remove the potatoes and cool.
- Use a cheese grater and grate the potatoes.
- Add the potatoes to the bowl with seasonings. Use your hands to form tots.
- Place the tots in the air fryer and spray with oil.
- Air fry.
What is Par Boiling? How to Par Boil
Potatoes take a very long time to cook. They are also really hard. Since you will need to use grated potatoes in this recipe, you will need to soften those potatoes up first by parboiling.
Potatoes are heavy in starch, which makes them take longer to cook. Parboiling helps with that. Add cold water to a pot or saucepan and bring it to a boil. Add the potatoes and cook from 6-12 minutes.
There's a wide window here because I have noticed the cooking time I need varies based on the type of pot I use. You can test if the potatoes are done by inserting a fork into the potatoes. You should be able to easily pierce the outside of the potato, but the inside should remain firm.
You can read more about How to Par Boil here.
Air Fryer Temperature
I recommend 400 degrees.
How Long to Cook/Cook Time
The tater tots will take 15 minutes to cook. Add additional time if you like really crispy tots. Total cook time will vary as each air fryer brand cooks at different speeds.
How to Keep Them Crispy
Spritz the potatoes with oil (I prefer olive). For really crunchy tots, give them a little extra cook time.
Frozen Tater Tots
You can cook these homemade tots from frozen in 3-5 minutes on 400 degrees.
If using frozen tots in a bag, cook the tots for 15-20 minutes on 400 degrees.
Recipe Tips
- I highly recommend grating the potatoes as opposed to mashing them. The grated texture works a lot better when forming the tots.
- Without proper salt and seasoning, these will be very bland. If you don't add enough salt prior to cooking these, you can add a little additional salt to your dipping sauce or you can spritz the cooked tots with oil and add additional salt then.
Pair these with my Chipotle Mayo Recipe.
More Air Fryer Appetizer Recipes
Air Fryer French Fries
Air Fryer Chicken Tenders
Air Fryer Onion Rings
Air Fryer Fried Pickles
Air Fryer Potato Chips
Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries
Air Fryer Croutons
Air Fryer Ravioli
Air Fryer Tater Tots
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds russet potatoes
- 2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
- salt and pepper to taste At least 2 generous pinches.
- cooking oil I use olive oil.
Optional Spices/Seasoning
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon thyme
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
Instructions
- Bring a saucepan or pot ¾ of the way full of cold water to a boil with a pinch of salt. Add enough water to cover the potatoes.
- Add the potatoes and simmer for 6-12 minutes. You should be able to pierce the potatoes easily on the outside and tell that the inside of the potatoes are still firm.
- Remove the potatoes from the water. Dry and allow them to cool. I wait about 10 minutes.
- Once cooled, use the large area of a cheese grater to grate the potatoes. Squeeze out any excess water from the potatoes.
- Place the grated potatoes in a bowl with the flour and seasonings. Russet potatoes are really bland. Be sure to salt to taste. Stir to combine.
- Use your hands to form tots with the mixture. I like larger tots and made 16 tater tots. You can make smaller tots if you wish.
- Spray both sides of the tots with cooking oil. Place the tots in the air fryer. Air fry for 10 minutes on 400 degrees.
- Open the air fryer and flip the tots. Cook for an additional 5 minutes or until the tots have reached your desired crisp.
Video
Notes
- I highly recommend grating the potatoes as opposed to mashing them. The grated texture works a lot better when forming the tots.
- If you don't parboil the potatoes, they will be harder to grate and will require a longer cook time.
- There’s a wide window for parboiling because I have noticed the cooking time I need varies based on the type of pot I use. You can test if the potatoes are done by inserting a fork into the potatoes. You should be able to easily pierce the outside of the potato, but the inside should remain firm.
- Without proper salt and seasoning, these will be very bland. If you don't add enough salt prior to cooking these, you can add a little additional salt to your dipping sauce or you can spritz the cooked tots with oil and add additional salt then.
- These tots can be frozen in sealable bags. You can cook these from frozen in 3-5 minutes on 400 degrees.
Nutrition (displayed with net carbs)
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Erin Lewis says
I made this, along with the air fryer barbecue meatballs recipe, and it turned out great! These were delicious and absolutely hit the spot. The recipe and tips were clear and helpful, and it was easy to follow! The tip on seasonings was great in particular - we added plenty of salt, garlic, and smoked paprika as called for. We will definitely make this again. And it went great with the barbecue meatballs for anyone looking for a tasty meal idea!
staysnatched says
Yay! I'm so glad you enjoyed the recipe.
Sandi says
Can I grate potatoes using my food processor
staysnatched says
Maybe. I've never tried it.