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These air fryer tater tots are the perfect snack or side dish! The BEST way to cook frozen tater tots is in the Air Fryer! They come out crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside. Plus, they’re much healthier than deep-fried tater tots.

Tater tots are always kid-approved in our house. They are such a quick side for cheesy ranch chicken, hamburgers, hot dogs, Hawaiian roll sliders, and meatball sliders. You can even top these tater tots with Doritos taco casserole…trust me it’s so delicious!

A close-up photo of a basket of air fryer tater tots. The tots are golden brown and crispy, and they are piled high on in the basket. There is a small bowl of ketchup on the side of the basket.

Table of contents

Frozen Tater Tots In Air Fryer

  • These tater tots come out crispier than if you make them in the oven.
  • Easy to make, just dump a bag of frozen store-bought tater tots in the air fryer, and in minutes you have the perfect side dish.
  • No hot oil to clean up, the air fryer requires no oil.
  • Don’t forget these tater tots are also the perfect side for breakfast too.
ore ida tater tots air fryer./

Ingredients

  • Tater tots: I always buy a 32 oz. bag of frozen tater tots. My favorite brand is Ore-Ida Tater Tots.
  • Cooking spray: I use olive oil but you can also use avocado oil spray too. Also, don’t spray too much cooking spray or it will make your tater tots soggy.
  • Salt: You can use table salt, seasoned salt, or no salt.

Kitchen Tools

First, you need an air fryer, I love this one because it’s BIG and I can make all the tater tots at once. Also, you will need a large frying spoon for scooping the hot tater tots out of the air fryer. If you’re looking for a cute way to serve, try these fast-food fry baskets.

crispy tater tots cooked in the air fryer.

How To Cook Tater Tots In Air Fryer

  1. Place. Add the frozen tater tots to the air fryer basket.
  2. Spray. Super lightly spray the tater tots with cooking spray.
  3. Salt. Sprinkle with salt or your favorite seasoning.
  4. Air fry. Cook at 400ºF for 10 minutes, then open the basket and shake the tots. Cook in 5-minute increments, shaking the tots every 5 minutes until tots are crispy.
cooked tater tots in the bottom of an air fryer basket.

Expert Tips

  • Crispier tots. For the crispiest tater tots, preheat your air fryer for 5 minutes. If you like them even crispier, then add an additional 1-2 minutes to your cooking time.
  • Shake, shake, shake. It’s super important to shake the basket at least halfway through for even cooking.
  • Seasoning. Mix it up and try different seasonings for tater tots like chili powder, garlic powder, ranch dressing mix, or even taco seasoning.
  • Dipping sauces. Of course, ketchup. But we also love to dip them in queso dip, ranch dressing, BBQ sauce, fry sauce, and even blue cheese dressing.
A close-up photo of a basket of air fryer tater tots. The tots are golden brown and crispy, and they are piled high on in the basket. There is a small bowl of ketchup on the side of the basket.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long to cook tater tots in air fryer?

Depending on how crispy you like your tater tots, you will need to cook the tater tots for 15-18 minutes.

Is it better to put tater tots in the air fryer or deep fryer?

Air fryer tater tots are healthier than traditional deep-fried tater tots. Air fryer tater tots are crispier than in the deep fryer where they can get mushy if they soak up too much oil.

How long to cook frozen mini tater tots in air fryer?

Mini tots will take less time to cook, so rather than checking them at the 10-minute mark with regular tater tots. I would check them at the 5-minute mark.

What are the best tater tot brands?

Ore Ida, Alexia, and even Great Value all have great frozen tater tots.

crispy tater tots in the bottom basket of air fryer.

What To Serve With Air Fryer Frozen Tater Tots

Tater tots literally go with everything but some of our favorites are:

Crockpot Pulled Pork Sandwiches

Taco Casserole with Doritos

Hawaiian Roll Sliders (Ham & Cheese)
A close-up photo of a basket of air fryer tater tots. The tots are golden brown and crispy, and they are piled high on in the basket. There is a small bowl of ketchup on the side of the basket.

Storing & Reheating

  • Store. You can store any leftover tater tots in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.
  • Reheat. Reheat tater tots in the air fryer, and cook at 400°F for 2-3 minutes or until crispy.

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If you’ve tried this Air Fryer Tater Tots recipe, please rate the recipe and leave a comment below. I love hearing about your experience making it and it also helps anyone else making the recipe too.

A close-up photo of a basket of air fryer tater tots. The tots are golden brown and crispy, and they are piled high on in the basket. There is a small bowl of ketchup on the side of the basket.
5 from 12 ratings
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Servings: 4

Air Fryer Tater Tots

Prep Time: 1 minute
Cook Time: 13 minutes
The BEST way to cook frozen tater tots is in the Air Fryer! They come out crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside. Plus, they're much healthier than deep-fried tater tots.
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Ingredients
 

  • 1 32 oz. bag of frozen tater tots
  • cooking spray
  • Dash of salt

Instructions
 

  • Preheat your air fryer to 400ºF.
  • Add the tater tots to the air fryer basket. Coat the frozen tots with a little cooking spray, like avocado oil. Sprinkle with salt and toss to coat.
  • Cook at 400°F for 13 minutes, toss the tots every 5 minutes. For crispier tots, add an additional 1-2 minutes.

Notes

  • Crispier tots. For the crispiest tater tots, preheat your air fryer for 5 minutes. If you like them even crispier, then add an additional 1-2 minutes to your cooking time. 
  • Shake, shake, shake. It’s super important to shake the basket at least halfway through for even cooking.
  • Seasoning. Mix it up and try different seasonings for tater tots like chili powder, garlic powder, ranch dressing mix or even taco seasoning. 
  • Store. You can store any leftover tater tots in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. 
  • Reheat. Reheat tater tots in air fryer, cook at 400°F for 2-3 minutes or until crispy. 
Serving: 4g, Calories: 201kcal, Carbohydrates: 29g, Protein: 2g, Fat: 9g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Sodium: 1067mg, Potassium: 301mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 1g, Vitamin C: 9mg, Calcium: 15mg, Iron: 1mg
Cuisine: American
Course: Appetizer, Side Dish
Author: Jennifer
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