Making Air Fryer Tater Tots is the only way I’ll ever make taters again! This method of making tater tots in the air fryer makes them taste deep fried but much healthier. Made straight from frozen, you’ll have the best tots in less than 10 minutes.
I’m the girl who always has a bag of frozen tater tots in the freezer at all times. I absolutely love frying a batch up whenever I’m feeling peckish, and I’ve found using the air fryer is, hands down, the best way to make frozen tater tots taste 10/10. I’ve shared on IG a few times of me making my frozen tater tots in my air fryer, and since I get several DMs asking how to cook tater tots in an air fryer, I thought I’d make a post!
Why You Should Make Tater Tots in the Air Fryer
- It’s so fast. Do you know how long it takes to cook frozen tater tots in the air fryer? Less than 10 minutes! The packaging on mine says it takes 16-20 minutes in a conventional oven, so it takes literally half the time to cook tater tots in the air fryer.
- It’s so crispy. It truly tastes like your frozen tater tots have been deep-fried thanks to the air fryer. I even skip using oil for my air fryer, and the tater tots still come out absolutely crispy. I feel so satisfied biting into the crunchy tots.
- It’s simple to make. You put the frozen tater tots in the air fryer, turn on the air fryer, and shake it once, then you’re done!
What You Need to Make Air Fryer Tater Tots
- Frozen tater tots — that’s it! (Don’t want to use frozen tater tots? Check out this recipe for homemade veggies tots in the air fryer instead!
- Optional: oil spray if you prefer, but I actually do not use any oil.
How to Cook Frozen Tater Tots in an Air Fryer
Here’s how to cook tater tots in the air fryer in a couple of simple steps.
- Place your tater tots in the air fryer in a single layer.
- Turn your air fryer on to 400F and air fry for 8 minutes, shaking the basket at the halfway mark.
- Check to see if the tater tots are crispy enough for you. If not, lightly spray the tater tots with oil and air fry for another 2 minutes.
FAQs
I use a Philips XXL air fryer which does not require preheating. If your air fryer model requires you to preheat, you should do so for 1-3 minutes.
Nov 2022 Update: I now use a Corosi air fryer. I do not pre-heat it as well.
It’s faster to cook tater tots in the air fryer, there’s no long preheating time for the oven, and the air fryer won’t heat up the whole kitchen as an oven does! To be honest, I store a bunch of sheet pans in my oven, so it’s always a production to get the oven going. So if I can make something in my air fryer, then I’m usually taking the air fryer route. It’s also much crispier, as I mentioned earlier. The tater tots aren’t as crispy when I cook them in the oven.
It’s up to you! You can put some salt on the tater tots before you air fry them. You can also season the tots with garlic powder, onion powder, cajun powder, taco seasoning, sriracha lime seasoning, paprika powder, lemon pepper, etc. You can do as you wish, but I usually have mine as is.
It’s up to you as well! I know that some people like the healthier organic tater tots, but I just purchase no-name ones. I find that the no-name ones taste better than the branded ones! Just my personal preference.
What To Serve with Tater Tots
- Everything But The Bagel Chicken Tenders (Air Fryer and Oven)
- Air Fryer Chicken Nuggets
- Air Fryer Boneless Pork Chops
- Frozen Popcorn Shrimp in the Air Fryer
- Crispy Breaded Air Fryer Pork Chops
- Air Fryer Chicken Taquitos
- Air Fryer Sausage Links
- Air Fryer Corn Dogs (From Frozen)
Air Fryer Tater Tots
Ingredients
- 2 cups frozen tater tots
- oil spray, optional
Equipment
Instructions
- Place your tater tots in the air fryer in a single layer.
- Turn your air fryer on to 400F and air fry for 8 minutes, shaking the basket at the halfway mark.
- Check to see if the tater tots are crispy enough for you. If not, lightly spray the tater tots with oil and air fry for another 2 minutes.
Nutrition Per Serving
Other places to connect with me
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