Air Fryer Tater Tots Crispy and Quick

Crispy air fryer tater tots are simply the best! Enjoy them for breakfast, a snack, or as a side dish. Made with quality frozen tots, and a touch of oil, the air fryer creates tot perfection in minutes!

When we entered the lenten season my husband decided he was going to give up potatoes. This was a big deal for him as potatoes were a part of his daily diet.

As I’ve mentioned in the past, white potatoes, and French fries are not a regular occurrence in my diet. I can take them or leave them, but the rest of my family is crazy for potatoes!

My husband has been doing the grocery shopping as of late, and since we’re one week past Easter Sunday potatoes have made a reappearance in our home. I opened the freezer to find a bag of organic frozen tater tots.

Without hesitation I pulled out my air fryer to make some crispy tots in minutes!

As soon as I put the bowl of crispy tots on the kitchen island my three guys lunged for them. I ran upstairs to grab a sweater, came down, and the bowl of tots were gone!

These tots make for an easy vegan appetizer, side dish or snack!

Why You’ll Love these Air Fryer Tater Tots…

• Perfectly crispy
• Less oil reduces calories
• Tastes like deep fried without the extra oil
• Done in 15 minutes
• No need to preheat an oven or use a deep fryer
• Easy prep
• Two ingredients

Ingredients You’ll Need

• Bag of Organic Tater Tots
• 1 tsp olive oil

You’ll need a standard size bag of organic tater tots. I prefer the Alexia brand. Their Organic Yukon Select Puffs have a few simple ingredients including potatoes, vegetable oil, sea salt, and apple juice (for browning).

Tools and Equipment You’ll Need

• Air Fryer

You’ll need your air fryer to make this recipe. If you don’t have one already there are a lot to choose from on the market today. I have a compact Dash Air Fryer which is great for small jobs, but not idea for larger recipes.

I used my Dash for these tater tots and they turned out perfect. Unlike many air fryer recipes, you don’t have to worry about overcrowding the air fryer with tots. They don’t need to be in a single later as long as you toss the basket a few times during the cooking process.

How to Make Air Fryer Tater Tots – Step by Step

Step 1: Using a paper towel and 1 tsp of olive oil, wipe the air fryer basket with oil.

Step 2: Fill the air fryer basket with the frozen tater tots.

Step 3: Set the temperature to 400 F for 15 minutes.

Step 4: Toss the tater tots at the half way point, about 7 1/2 minutes through cooking time.

Step 5: Transfer to a serving bowl and serve with ketchup of your favorite dipping sauce.

What are tater tots?

Tater tots were first created in 1953 in the Ore-Ida facility when the founders wanted to figure out what to do with the chopped up bits of potato that were leftover. They mixed up the bits of potato with flour and seasoning and formed them into cylinders. They deep fried the cylinders, then froze and packaged them for sale. At first they were not a very popular item. However, when they increased the price it suddenly became more desirable. Now tater tots are a familiar favorite potato recipe for many different occasions!

Are air fryer tater tots healthy?

• Less Oil-Air fryer tater tots are healthier than deep fried tater tots. The air circulation in the air fryer allows for a crispy finish without the need for access oil.
• Organic Tots-Using organic tots that are Non-GMO improves the overall quality of the ingredients.

How to Serve and Keep

These tater tots are perfect for a game day appetizer, served as a side dish, or made into a vegan hash for breakfast topped with avocado, salsa, and sautéd vegetables.

The classic way to serve tater tots is with a side of ketchup, or mix it up and top with hot sauce!

When making tater tots in the air fryer only use as much as you want to serve. In order to retain that crispy finish you want to make each batch fresh.

Top Tips for Making Air Fryer Tater Tots

• Use quality tater tots.
• Look for tots with a few simple whole food ingredients. I recommend the Alexia brand.
• Use a small amount of oil, I recommend olive or avocado oil. Moderately coat the air fryer basket with oil.
• Some air fryers need to be preheated. Preheat your air fryer if needed.
• Be sure to toss the tots at the halfway point, 7.5 minutes to guarantee an even fry.

Check out these other air fryer recipes!

• Air Fryer Potato Wedges
• Air Fryer Frozen French Fries
• Air Fryer Butternut Squash
• Air Fryer Carrots
• Air Fryer Asparagus
• Air Fryer Zucchini Chips

If you’ve tried these Air Fryer Tater Tots, please rate the recipe and let me know how they turned out. You can also follow me on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest for more plant-based family recipes your whole family will enjoy!