how long to cook tater tots

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Originally published on September 6, 2019. Last updated on October 19, 2021. / By

Air Fryer tater tots are just the best, hands down! This method produces tater tots that truly taste deep fried but are way healthier. Easy to make from frozen tater tots in just about 15 minutes. You'll never, ever cook tater tots any other way.

Air fruer tater tots served in a bowl with sauce

Why These Air Fryer Tater Tots Are So Good!

This is a healthier way of cooking a favorite game day snack and side dish.
It only takes 15 minutes to cook the tater tots from frozen.
They are seriously delicious! They taste deep fried but are so much healthier!
You only need three ingredients for unbelievably crispy tots!

What are Tater Tots?

Tater Tots are made from grated potato that is then deep fried. They are crispy on the outside and soft in the middle. They are naturally vegan and you can get varieties that cater to specific diets such as gluten-free.

A Healthier Way to Cook Tater Tots

There's nothing quite like a crispy tater tot, but to get that restaurant quality crunch means you need to be reaching for the deep fat fryer. But no more! You can achieve the same crunchiness with far less fat by using an air fryer.

It's so quick, easy and hassle free, and you can cook the tots right from frozen. This is for sure a must have dish for game day Sundays!

What Do You Serve with Tater Tots?

Tater Tots are a classic side dish or party food. You can serve these with a meat main course as a potato side dish, or serve to a crowd of people as a party appetizer along with your sauces of choice.

You can also add various toppings to your cooked tots; cheese, sriracha, salsa and guacamole all work amazingly well!

Top Tips To Make Air Fryer Potato Tots

Pre-heat your air fryer for the crispiest tater tots.
The cooking spray and salt really help to crisp the tater tots, so don't skip these ingredients!
Flip the tots in the basket during cooking, so they cook evenly.
Use organic frozen tater tots for the healthiest version
Serve immediately!

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Air fruer tater tots served in a bowl with sauce

Air Fryer Tater Tots

Air Fryer tater tots are just the best, hands down! This method produces tater tots that truly taste deep fried but are way healthier. Easy to make from frozen tater tots in just about 15 minutes.

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Prep Time 2 mins

Cook Time 15 mins

Total Time 17 mins

Course Appetizer, Entertaining, Side Dish

Cuisine American

Servings 4

Calories 206 kcal

16 ounces frozen tater tots
air-fryer-safe avocado oil (or other cooking spray)
salt

Preheat your air fryer to 400ºF. Coat the frozen tots with a little cooking spray, like avocado oil. Sprinkle with salt and toss to coat.
Cook for 15 minutes on 400ºF – flip them in the basket every 5 minutes or so until crisp and golden and medium brown in a few spots. Add extra time if you want them crispier.

I recommend using organic frozen tater tots for the healthiest version.
This is the air fryer I use.

This method works for any number of tater tots, though if your air fryer is small or you're cooking a large amount of tots, you'll want to work in batches. Actual number of servings will depend on your preferred portion sizes. Nutritional values shown are general guidelines and reflect information for 1 serving out of 4 using organic tater tots. Actual macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands and types of ingredients used.

To determine the weight of one serving, prepare the recipe as instructed. Weigh the finished recipe, then divide the weight of the finished recipe (not including the weight of the container the food is in) by 10. Result will be the weight of one serving.

Serving: 1 serving Calories: 206 kcal Carbohydrates: 29 g Protein: 2 g Fat: 10 g Saturated Fat: 2 g Sodium: 602 mg Potassium: 301 mg Fiber: 2 g Sugar: 1 g Vitamin C: 9 mg Calcium: 15 mg Iron: 1 mg Net Carbs: 27 g

Keyword easy tater tot recipe, Fried tater tots, healthier tater tots recipe

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Cheryl Malik is the recipe developer, writer, and photographer behind the healthy, flavorful, family friendly recipes at 40 Aprons. She's been a blogger for 10+ years and is known for her delicious recipes and detailed recipe instructions. Cheryl is a mom of three who lives in Memphis, TN.

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