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Tater Tot Nachos, or totchos, are exactly what they sound like: crispy tater tots loaded with taco-seasoned beef, a homemade cheddar cheese sauce, and melty cheese on top. I threw these together for a Sunday football game and the whole pan was gone before halftime, with the kids fighting over the cheesiest corner. If you love our Mexican street corn dip, this is the loaded, hearty snack you need next.
Everything assembles on one sheet pan and finishes in the oven, so you get the ultimate crowd-pleasing appetizer with hardly any effort.
Tater Tot Nachos Quick Look
- 🕒 Prep Time: 15 minutes
- 🌡️ Cook Time: 40 minutes
- ⏳ Total Time: 55 minutes
- 🍽️ Serving: 8 servings
- ⚡ Calories: 549kcal
- 🌶️ Flavor Profile: Cheesy, savory, and loaded with taco-seasoned beef
- ✋ Difficulty: Easy, on par with our hot spinach artichoke dip
Quick Answer
Bake tater tots until crispy and spread them on a foil-lined sheet pan. Brown ground beef with taco seasoning and a splash of water until saucy, and whisk up a quick cheddar cheese sauce from butter, flour, milk, and cheese. Layer the beef and cheese sauce over the tots, top with more shredded cheddar, and bake about 5 minutes until melted. Finish with your favorite toppings.
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Why This Recipe Works
Click to see the technique science
- Crispy tater tot base. Baking the tots first gives you a sturdy, crunchy base that holds up to all the toppings.
- Homemade cheese sauce. A quick cheddar sauce is silkier and more flavorful than canned, and it pours perfectly over the tots.
- Taco-seasoned beef. Seasoned and simmered until saucy, the beef adds hearty, savory flavor in every bite.
- Double the cheese. Cheese sauce plus a melty cheddar topping means there is cheese in every single layer.
- Sheet-pan easy. Everything assembles on one sheet pan and finishes in the oven, perfect for feeding a crowd.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- They combine two favorites, crispy tater tots and loaded nachos, into one irresistible appetizer.
- Everything comes together on one sheet pan, so cleanup is a breeze.
- They are a guaranteed party hit, right alongside our jalapeno popper crescent rolls.
Key Ingredients
Just a handful of easy ingredients turn into the ultimate game-day snack. Full amounts are in the recipe card below.
- Tater tots: the crispy, golden base that makes these nachos so fun. Bake them first so they stay sturdy.
- Ground beef and taco seasoning: simmered into a saucy, savory topping that brings all the taco flavor.
- Cheddar cheese: used twice, in the homemade cheese sauce and as a melty shredded topping.
- Butter, flour, and milk: the simple base for a smooth, pourable cheese sauce.
- Your favorite toppings: sour cream, jalapenos, green onions, salsa, or guacamole to finish.
See recipe card for exact quantities.
Variations and Substitutions
Make these totchos your own with easy swaps.
- Swap the ground beef for ground turkey, shredded chicken, or seasoned black beans.
- Use a store-bought queso or nacho cheese if you are short on time.
- Add diced tomatoes, black olives, corn, or pickled jalapenos before the final bake.
- Make them spicy with hot sauce, diced green chiles, or pepper jack cheese.
- Pile leftovers into a loaded bowl, or go heartier with our smothered beef burritos.
How to Make Tater Tot Nachos
- Brown the ground beef, drain, then stir in the taco seasoning, onion powder, garlic powder, and cumin. Add the water and simmer until saucy.
- Make the cheese sauce: melt the butter, whisk in the flour and spices, slowly add the milk, then stir in the shredded cheddar off the heat.
- Bake the tater tots until crispy, then spread them in an even layer on a foil-lined sheet pan.
- Spread the seasoned beef evenly over the tots.
- Drizzle the warm cheese sauce all over the top.
- Top with the remaining shredded cheddar and bake about 5 minutes until melted and bubbly. Add your favorite toppings and serve right away.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Bake the tots first so they crisp up and do not turn soggy under the toppings.
- Whisk the cheese sauce constantly while adding the milk so it stays smooth with no lumps.
- Take the cheese sauce off the heat before stirring in the cheddar so it does not get grainy.
- Use a foil-lined sheet pan for easy serving and almost no cleanup.
- Serve immediately while the cheese is melty and the tots are still crisp.
- Set out a toppings bar so everyone can customize their own plate.
Serving Ideas and Suggestions
These Tater Tot Nachos, or totchos, are the ultimate game-day, movie-night, or party appetizer. Set them out with bowls of sour cream, salsa, guacamole, and pickled jalapenos so everyone can load up their own plate.
They are a hit on any appetizer spread next to our Mexican shredded chicken tacos and a big bowl of Doritos taco salad. Add some wings or sliders and you have a full party table.
Serve them straight from the sheet pan while hot, since they are best fresh. Leftovers reheat in the oven to crisp the tots back up, and they pair perfectly with our birria tacos for a Tex-Mex feast.
Tater Tot Nachos FAQs
Yes. A jarred queso or nacho cheese sauce works great when you are short on time. Just warm it up and drizzle it over the tots. The homemade cheddar cheese sauce is silkier and more flavorful, but store-bought is a perfectly easy shortcut.
Reheat them in a 375F oven for 8 to 10 minutes to crisp the tots back up. The microwave works in a pinch, but the tots will be softer. Reheating on a sheet pan in the oven gives the best texture.
You can make the seasoned beef and cheese sauce up to two days ahead and store them separately. When ready to serve, bake the tots fresh, assemble, and finish in the oven so the tots stay crispy.
Pile on diced tomatoes, black olives, corn, pickled jalapenos, green onions, sour cream, salsa, or guacamole. For extra heartiness, add black beans or a second protein like shredded chicken.
Swap ground beef for ground turkey, shredded chicken, or seasoned black beans. Use pepper jack for a spicy kick, or a dairy-free cheese and plant-based crumbles to make them vegetarian or dairy-free.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days. Reheat in the oven to bring back the crispiness. They do not freeze well since the tots get mushy when thawed.
Hosting game day? Ladle up a big pot of our slow cooker chili alongside these nachos for the ultimate spread.
For more crunchy finger food, try our fried pickles recipe served with cool ranch.
Add our crack chicken dip to your game day spread for a guaranteed crowd favorite.
Game day calls for finger food, so add our pigs in a blanket to the lineup.
Nacho night winner: our beef nachos are piled with smoky BBQ beef and homemade cheese sauce.
Craving Mexican flavors? Our homemade chicken tamales are worth the effort.
For another sheet pan crowd pleaser, our chicken nachos feed the whole party.
Love crunchy snacks? Our baked potato chips are made with real potatoes and no deep frying.
Load these nachos with our fresh homemade guacamole for the ultimate game-day snack.
More easy sides: our from scratch Spanish Rice.
You will also love our classic cheeseburger, seasoned right in the beef for big flavor.
Love loaded potatoes? Our twice baked potatoes recipe is creamy, cheesy, and make-ahead friendly.
easy steak tacos
easy steak tacos
Building a party spread? Add our creamy, spicy jalapeno deviled eggs with bacon.
Craving an easy weeknight dinner? Our hands-off crockpot chicken tacos are a must-make.
Need an easy game day snack? Our flaky BBQ chicken pizza crescent rolls come together in under 20 minutes.
Tater Tot Nachos
Ingredients
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 ounce taco seasoning
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 cup water
- For the cheese sauce:
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 1/2 cups whole milk
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- For assembly:
- 32 ounces tater tots
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Bake the tater tots per the directions on the back of the packaging.32 ounces tater tots
- While the tots are cooking, make the meat mixture in a large skillet over medium-high heat, brown the ground beef, and break it up into crumbles with no pink left. About 8-10 minutes. Drain grease.1 pound lean ground beef
- Add the taco seasoning, onion powder, garlic powder, and cumin, stir to combine and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.1 ounce taco seasoning, 1 teaspoon onion powder, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- Add the water and stir it in. Simmer until most of the liquid is absorbed, stirring occasionally, but we still want it to appear moist and a little saucy.1 cup water
- Next, make the cheese sauce by adding the butter to a medium-sized saucepot over medium-low heat.For the cheese sauce:, 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- Let it melt, add the flour, and whisk until smooth. Make sure there are no lumps.3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- Add the onion powder, garlic powder, and cumin. Whisk to combine.1/2 teaspoon onion powder, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- Slowly add in the milk, whisking constantly until smooth with no lumps. Stirring occasionally, bring to a simmer until thickened.1 1/2 cups whole milk
- Take off the heat and whisk in the cheese, set aside.
- Line a 10×15 baking sheet with foil and place the tater tots in an even layer.
- Spread the meat mixture over the tots.
- Drizzle the cheese sauce all over.
- Top with the remaining 2 cups cheese.2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- Place back in the oven for about 5 minutes or until the cheese is melted. Serve immediately with toppings of your choice.
Notes
- Bake the tots in a single layer on a foil-lined baking sheet for the crispiest texture.
- Drain the beef well after browning to avoid greasy nachos.
- Whisk your cheese sauce constantly to avoid lumps—don’t skip the stirring!
- Let the meat mixture stay a little saucy so it blends well with the tots.
- Want an extra crunch? Broil the nachos for 1-2 minutes at the end.
- Use parchment paper under the tots for easy cleanup (instead of foil).
Nutrition
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Incredible recipe – we had so much fun making it!