These air fried tater tots are perfectly crispy on the outside and tender in the middle in just 12 minutes of cooking time!
If you're looking for the best and easiest way to cook or reheat tater tots, this recipe is for you! We can take frozen tots and make them perfectly crispy and golden in just 12 minutes.
These tots are delicious served with my Vegan Breakfast Burrito and Easy Vegan Pancakes.
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Reasons You'll Love This Recipe
- Vegan: We don't use any animal products such as meat, eggs, or dairy in this recipe. That makes this recipe 100% vegan & plant-based.
- Quick & Easy: These air fried tater tots come together in just 15 minutes with only 12 minutes of active cooking time. You'll also only need 1-3 ingredients!
- Perfectly Crispy: At the end of cooking you'll have perfectly cooked tots with a crispy golden exterior and a soft, tender middle.
Ingredient Notes
Tater Tots: You can use any brand of frozen tater tots. I used Ore Ida frozen tater tots but most should cook the same.
Olive Oil: This is an optional ingredient and can help to make the tots extra crispy or can be used to help other spices or flavors stick to the tots.
I always recommend using extra virgin olive oil.
Salt: This is another optional ingredient. If your tots came pre-seasoned or pre-salted you might not need or want any additional salt.
See the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and quantities.
Top Tip: ALWAYS make sure that the tots are arranged in a single layer in the air fryer. This will make sure they are all cooked evenly.
Substitutions & Additions
Mini tater tots in air fryer: If you're making a mini version of tots I recommend cooking for less time. The smaller tots will cook faster and you don't want them to burn.
Start checking them at the 8 minute mark and check every 2 minutes after that to ensure they are cooked to perfection.
Swap the oil for an oil spray: If you want to cut down on the amount of olive oil you're using you can give the tater tots a quick spray with spray-on olive oil instead.
Add spices & flavor: After tossing the tots in a little bit of oil you can add any spices, herbs, or flavors that you like best.
Alexia Potato Puffs air fryer instructions: You can follow the same instructions as the original recipe in order to make the Alexia Potato Puffs.
Air Fryer Ore Ida Tater Tots: You can follow the original recipe below in order to make Ore Ida tots.
Ninja Air Fryer tater tots: You can make these using any type of air fryer. Some air fryers might vary slightly when it comes to cooking time and temperature. If you follow the original instructions and check them frequently at the end of cooking you should be just fine.
Of note, I did use a Ninja Air Fryer to make this recipe.
Step by Step Instructions
Image 1: Start by gathering all of your ingredients and preheating the air fryer to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Allow the air fryer to preheat for at least 2-3 minutes.
Image 2: If you're using olive oil and/or salt or other spices toss everything together in a large bowl until the tots are well coated.
Image 3: Transfer the tots to the air fryer and arrange them in a single layer at the bottom. Air fry them at 400 degrees for about 12 minutes.
Pause the air fryer at the 6 minute mark to remove the tots, give them a little toss, then return the air fryer to the machine and continue to cook for the remaining amount of time.
Check the tots toward the end of cooking to make sure they aren't burning.
Image 4: Allow the tater tots to cool slightly before enjoying them. They are best when served warm.
Flavor Recommendations
There are so many ways to spice up your air fryer tater tots. Some easy ways to add additional flavor to your tots are to toss them in the suggestions below along with the olive oil before cooking:
- Garlic or garlic powder
- Fresh herbs such as rosemary or thyme
- Italian seasoning
- Crushed red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper to add some spice
- Buffalo sauce or BBQ sauce (toss in these sauces after cooking)
Serving Recommendations
You can enjoy these crispy tater tots in a variety of delicious ways. These are some of my top recommendations:
- As a side dish
- Wrapped in your favorite breakfast burrito or breakfast taco
- In a tater tot casserole
- Breakfast for dinner
- Buffalo tater tots
- Loaded tater tots
- Enjoy them on their own and dip them in ketchup, mustard, BBQ sauce, Spicy Cashew Dressing or Lemon Herb Tahini Sauce
Expert Tips
Preheat the Air Fryer: Preheating the air fryer is similar to preheating the oven. This ensures that it reaches an ideal temperature before starting to cooking process and will avoid undercooking your food.
Cook in a single layer: Whenever you're cooking in an air fryer make sure the food is in a single layer and not overcrowded. This allows the hot air to properly circulate and cooks the food evenly and thoroughly.
Don't be afraid of flavor: Though some frozen tater tots come pre-seasoned, many don't. You can add a little olive oil and toss the tots in your favorite spices, herbs, garlic, or seasoning blend to really make them pop.
Frequently Asked Questions
If you're using the air fryer you can reheat the frozen tater tots at 400 degrees for 12 minutes. You can also cook them in the oven at 400 degrees for 12-15 minutes.
You can cook frozen tater tots in the air fryer for 12 minutes at 400 degrees. If you're cooking them at 375 degrees you should cook them for 15 minutes. No matter the temperature or amount of time you're cooking them you should always pause the air fryer halfway through cooking to toss them.
This will depend on the brand of frozen tater tots but they should not fall apart when cooking them in the air fryer. I like to gently toss them and transfer them carefully to prevent this.
More Vegan Air Fryer Recipes
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Air Fryer Frozen Tater Tots
Equipment
- Air Fryer
Ingredients
- 2 cups Frozen tater tots
- 1 teaspoon olive oil optional
- ½ teaspoon salt optional
Instructions
- Start by preheating the air fryer to 400 degrees.
- If you're using the olive oil, salt, or any other flavors, toss the tater tots in a bowl until well coated.
- Transfer the tater tots to the preheated air fryer and cook for 12 minutes. Pause the air fryer at the 6 minutes mark to toss the tots, then return to the air fryer to continue cooking.
- Allow the tater tots to cool just slightly and enjoy warm.
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