This easy recipe for The Best Crispy Air Fryer Tater Tots uses only 3 ingredients, making it a perfect side dish or snack. Crispy, crunchy, and with a fluffy interior, these are the best air fryer tots.
This method is by far the best way to get crispy Air Fryer Tater Tots. With minimal ingredients and time, I make this recipe on a weekly basis.
Everyone is so shocked to hear I used the air fryer for this snack. Well, in all honestly, almost anything I make in the air fryer, they are super shocked.
I’m not sure why that is; you can make so many dishes in the air fryer now. It’s basically the only appliance you need in your kitchen!
I love that it is so easy to make these perfect tater tots any time I want, and they are never boring because you can easily customize them. From your favorite seasonings and favorite dipping sauce, the possibilities are endless.
I’ve got a little trick to make them the crispiest tater tots, and my husband even said these were the “best tater tots he ever had.” That’s a score in my book.
Much better for you than deep frying, these Air Fryer Tater Tots will soon become your go-to side dish for all the things.
Some of our other favorite potato recipes we have on our site include: Loaded Potato Skins, Crispy Baked Potatoes, and Slow Cooker Baked Potatoes.
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:
- It makes a lot to feed a crowd with only 3 simple ingredients.
- Using this air fryer recipe is a foolproof method for crispy tater tots.
- Everyone devours these in no time, making them a great quick snack with an incredible crunch.
INGREDIENTS NEEDED (SCROLL TO THE BOTTOM OF THIS POST FOR THE FULL RECIPE CARD):
- Frozen Tater Tots (my favorite are Ore Ida tater tots )
- Olive Oil Spray
- Seasoned Salt
HOW TO MAKE AIR FRYER TATER TOTS:
- Preheat the air fryer to 400°F for 5 minutes.
- Add the tater tots to the preheated air fryer basket, lightly spray with olive oil spray, and gently toss to coat.
- Sprinkle the seasoned salt all over and gently toss again to coat.
- Make sure the tater tots are in a single layer.
- Air fry for 15-18 minutes until golden brown or until your desired crispiness, gently tossing every 4 minutes so they cook evenly. Cooking time will vary on your personal preference for crispness.
- Taste and add more seasoned salt if desired. Serve with your favorite sauce, and enjoy.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS RECIPE:
WHAT OTHER SEASONINGS CAN I USE?
The possibilities are literally endless. You can use any seasoning blend you like!
While I prefer seasoned salt, we do switch it up every now and then. Here are other seasonings I suggest:
- Taco seasoning
- Garlic powder
- Onion powder
- Cajun Seasoning
- Blackening seasoning
- BBQ seasoning
WHAT IS THE SECRET TO CRISPY AIR FRYER TATER TOTS?
If you are looking for crunchy tots, you have come to the right place.
The secret to making them extra crispy is spraying them with olive oil spray and tossing them gently to coat so they don’t break up.
Also, keeping them in a single layer during the cooking process is key as well.
WHAT ARE THE BEST DIPPING SAUCES TO USE?
While ketchup is an obvious one, these air fry tater tots go well with many sauces. Here are our favorites:
- Sour cream
- Barbecue sauce
- Cheese sauce – our beer cheese sauce is amazing with these!
- Ranch
- Honey mustard
- Spicy mayo
- Comeback sauce
CAN I USE THEM IN OTHER RECIPES?
Absolutely! We love to prepare our tots in the air fryer and then add them to other dishes such as:
- 7-layer dip tater tot nachos
- Topping for shepherd’s pie
- Loaded cheesy tots – these make the perfect potato side dish, dress up a pile of tots like you would your favorite baked potato
WHAT ARE THE BEST FROZEN TATER TOTS FOR AIR FRYING?
While we like to use Ore Ida Tater Tots, any different brands of frozen tots will work for this recipe.
Even frozen homemade tater tots! You just have to make sure they hold their shape easily, or they may break up during the cooking process.
WHY DO I HAVE TO USE OLIVE OIL COOKING SPRAY?
You don’t HAVE to use it; technically, any cooking spray will work – other than the kind with flour in it like Baker’s Joy.
There is a general consensus that olive oil spray does less damage than other sprays. When I say damage, I mean there is a residue left over in the air fryer that won’t come out with washing.
I learned this from my own experience, and olive oil spray has never left any residue.
This is the air fryer I use and love, which is pictured in this post:
HOW TO STORE:
Store leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Reheat in the air fryer for a few minutes until warmed through.
Freeze for up to 3 months.
Place leftovers in the freezer in a freezer-safe container. To thaw, place the dish in the fridge overnight.
DANA’S TIPS AND TRICKS:
- Use olive oil cooking spray so you don’t damage your air fryer.
- Tons of custom seasoning options, see my tips above on that.
- Great for use in other recipes.
- Toss the basket often for even cooking.
- Use your favorite store-bought tater tots.
The best crispy air fryer tater tots are just 15 minutes away; I know you and your family will love this recipe!
If you like this recipe, you might also like:
If you’ve tried these AIR FRYER TATER TOTS, let me know how they turned out in the comments! You can follow me over on PINTEREST, INSTAGRAM OR FACEBOOK to find some more of our mouthwatering recipes!
The Best Crispy Air Fryer Tater Tots
Ingredients
- 1 pound frozen tater tots
- olive oil spray
- 3/4 teaspoons seasoned salt
Instructions
- Preheat the air fryer to 400°F for 5 minutes.
- Add the tater tots to the preheated air fryer basket, lightly spray with olive oil spray, and gently toss to coat.
- Sprinkle the seasoned salt all over and gently toss again to coat.
- Make sure the tater tots are in a single layer.
- Air fry for 15-18 minutes until golden brown or until your desired crispiness, gently tossing every 4 minutes so they cook evenly. Cooking time will vary on your personal preference for crispness.
- Taste and add more seasoned salt if desired. Serve with your favorite sauce, and enjoy.
Notes
- Use olive oil cooking spray so you don’t damage your air fryer.
- Tons of custom seasoning options, see my tips above on that.
- Great for use in other recipes.
- Toss the basket often for even cooking.
- Use your favorite store-bought tater tots.
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