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Air Fryer Frozen Tater Tots

Whether you serve them as an appetizer or side, these frozen tater tots come out so good in the air fryer. Perfectly crispy and kid-friendly.
Close up of air fried tater tots next to a bowl of ketchup.

Last Updated on April 11, 2022 by Betty Davies

Cook up the most perfectly crispy tater tots quickly and easily in your air fryer. Simply seasoned, your frozen tater tots come out crunchy and golden brown for a convenient side dish or game day appetizer. You won’t cook them any other way!

Overhead shot of air fried tater tots next to a bowl of ketchup.

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I try and cook from scratch throughout the week, but sometimes you just want a super easy and convenient meal, and frozen foods are a great no hassle option. This air fryer tater tot recipe is a great potato side dish for a quick dinner, or serve them up as a crowd pleasing appetizer.

Frozen tater tots come out so good in the air fryer, they are way crispier than oven baking them, while remaining perfectly soft in the middle.

Simple, quick and extra tasty, this is a great go to recipe that you’ll use time and time again!

Be sure to try my Air Fryer Frozen Waffle Fries and Air Fryer Frozen Green Beans too!

Why you will love this recipe!

  • Kid-friendly: If you have picky eaters in your home, these are a sure fire way of making sure everyone cleans their plates!
  • Quick and easy: These tater tots take minutes to prep and they are quick to cook.
  • Great for a crowd: This recipe is easily scalable, so they are a great option for an appetizer if you are hosting.
  • Dietary info: These air fryer tater tots are dairy-free, vegetarian and vegan friendly. Depending on what brand of tots you use they can also be gluten-free, but be sure to check the label if you have an intolerance.
Golden brown tater tots on a plate garnished with fresh parsley.

Ingredients

  • Tater Tots: I used McCain frozen tater tots for this recipe, but they will work well with any brand.
  • Garlic Salt: I like to add just a little additional seasoning to make them pop.
  • Oil: A little oil gets the tater tots super crispy and helps them to cook evenly. Any high heat neutral flavored oil like canola, vegetable or avocado will work well.

How to cook frozen tater tots in the air fryer

Be sure to scroll down for the full recipe!

  • Toss the frozen tater tots with the oil and seasoning (photo 1).
  • Place in the air fryer basket (photo 2).
  • Cook til crispy and golden brown and serve (photo 3).
Three step by step photos to show how to make the recipe.

Recipe Variations

Cooking frozen tater tots in the air fryer is pretty simple. I like to use a little garlic salt to season them before cooking, but you can skip this or use other seasonings like chili flakes, paprika or salt and pepper.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you air fry frozen tater tots without oil?

Oil helps to get the tater tots super crispy and golden brown, and it also conducts heat so they cook more evenly. If you like, you can skip the oil, they will still come out well, but I much prefer to cook them with some.

Do you need to defrost the tater tots before cooking?

Do not thaw the tater tots before seasoning and cooking. If they are defrosted they won’t cook evenly and can end up quite mushy.

Can you double the recipe?

Sure! 1lb of tots sat in a perfect single layer in my 6qt basket air fryer, but you can easily cool more at the same time. I would recommend that you shake the basket a couple of extra times during cooking, but it’s totally fine to dump a load in at once.

Overhead shot of air fryer tater tots on a white plate with a pot of tomato ketchup and garnished with fresh parsley.

Serving Suggestions

These air fryer frozen tater tots are great to serve up as a game day appetizer with your favorite dips, or serve them up as a kid-friendly convenient side dish as part of a weeknight dinner. Try them with these easy weeknight recipes:

These simple recipe is a great go to when you have hungry mouths to feed but don’t want to spend hours in the kitchen. It’s convenience at it’s best!

Storage and Reheating

Cooked tater tots will keep well covered in the fridge for 2 or 3 days. They are easily reheated in the air fryer at 400F for 3 to 5 minutes. Once they are reheated, they’ll get super nice and crispy again.

Recipe Notes and Tips

  • Don’t thaw the tater tots before cooking.
  • Toss the tots in the oil so that they are evenly coated.
  • Preheat the air fryer. If your air fryer doesn’t have a preheat function, let it run at 400F for 15 minutes before cooking them.
  • Shake the basket during cooking.
Crispy tater tots on a serving plate.

These air fryer frozen tater tots are a great go to whether you are entertaining or just want something wuick, tasty and convenient. Serve them up as a side for a kid-friendly meal.

More Potato Side Dishes

If you’ve tried this recipe, be sure to leave a star rating and a comment below!

Close up of air fried tater tots next to a bowl of ketchup.

Air Fryer Frozen Tater Tots

Whether you serve them as an appetizer or side, these frozen tater tots come out so good in the air fryer. Perfectly crispy and kid-friendly.
Print Pin Rate
Course: Appetizer, Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Diet: Vegan, Vegetarian
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 243kcal
Author: Betty Davies

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 1 pound tater tots (450g)
  • 1 tablespoon oil (any high heat neutral oil like canola, vegetable or avocado)
  • ½ teaspoon garlic salt

Instructions

  • Preheat the air fryer to 400F / 200c.
  • Place the frozen tater tots in a bowl and add the oil and garlic salt. Toss well so that the tater tots are coated.
  • Once the air fryer is preheated, add the tater tots to the basket and set to cook at 400F / 200c for 15 minutes.
  • Shake the basket every 5 minutes during cooking.

Notes

  • Don’t thaw the tater tots before cooking.
  • Toss the tots in the oil so that they are evenly coated.
  • Preheat the air fryer. If your air fryer doesn’t have a preheat function, let it run at 400F for 15 minutes before cooking them.
  • Shake the basket during cooking.

Nutrition

Calories: 243kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 1g | Sodium: 802mg | Potassium: 295mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 5IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 16mg | Iron: 1mg

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