There's a good reason why tater tots are so popular to make in an air fryer — they come out perfectly cooked and crispy! This recipe is an easy, beginner-friendly way to make air fryer tater tots with pro tips to make them extra crispy.
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Ingredients
The only ingredient in this recipe is frozen tater tots! Use a standard, 1 pound (16 ounce) bag. You can cook the whole bag or less, cooking however much you'd like to eat at a time.
How to Cook Frozen Tater Tots in an Air Fryer
Start by preheating your air fryer to 400°F (turn it on and let it cook at this temperature for 3 - 5 minutes). Then add your tots to the air fryer basket and cook for 12 - 15 minutes, tossing them every 5 minutes or so.
To toss the tots, simply remove the air fryer basket (you can leave the air fryer on) and shake the tots so that they rotate. This helps them to cook evenly.
After 12 minutes, check your tots to see if they are crispy. You can continue cooking for 2 - 3 minutes, until they reach your desired level of crispiness.
Frequently Asked Questions
You should cook tater tots at 400°F for 12 - 15 minutes in the air fryer, tossing them every 5 minutes or so.
Yes, you can put frozen tater tots in your air fryer. There's no need to thaw the tater tots before cooking them.
Cook your tater tots at 400°F in the air fryer. Preheat your air fryer before cooking by letting it heat up and cook at this temperature for 3 - 5 minutes.
Top Tips
- Single layer: add the tots in a single layer in your air fryer basket for maximum crispiness. If you have a smaller (4 quarts or less) air fryer, you may need to overlap or cook them in batches.
- Cook time: every air fryer will cook a little differently — check your tots at the 12 minute mark to see if they are done. Some air fryers will cook the tots in this time and others may need an additional 2 - 3 minutes to get them perfectly crispy.
- Add salt: for extra saltiness, sprinkle your tater tots with coarse sea salt before cooking (not required but very tasty)!
More Recipes
For a full meal, try serving these air fryer tater tots with these favorites:
- Air Fryer Chicken Thighs
- Crispy Brussels Sprouts
- And for dipping your tater tots: Copycat Chick-Fil-A Sauce
Recipe
Air Fryer Tater Tots
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
These air fryer tater tots come out perfectly cooked and crispy every time! This recipe is an easy, beginner-friendly way to make air fryer tater tots with pro tips to make them extra crispy.
Ingredients
- 1 (16 ounce) bag frozen tater tots
- Sea salt (optional, for topping)
Instructions
- Preheat your air fryer to 400°F by turning it on and letting it cook (with an empty basket) at this temperature for 3 - 5 minutes.
- Add the frozen tater tots to your air fryer basket. If possible, arrange the tater tots so that they are in a single layer and not overlapping for maximum crispiness. Depending on the size of your air fryer you may need to overlap some or cook in batches.
- Air fry the tater tots for 12 - 15 minutes. Every 5 minutes, take out the air fryer basket and toss the tots so that they cook evenly. Check the tots after 12 minutes and continue cooking until your desired crispiness.
Notes
- There's no need to thaw the tater tots before cooking them
- This recipe doesn't need any cooking spray or oil
- If you have a smaller air fryer (4 quarts or less) you'll have better results by cooking your tater tots in batches or by cooking half of a bag
- Prep Time: 3 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Air Fryer
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Calories: 506
- Sugar: 0
- Sodium: 1240mg
- Fat: 28g
- Saturated Fat: 6g
- Carbohydrates: 68g
- Fiber: 8g
- Protein: 8g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
Keywords: tater tots, frozen, air fryer
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