Air frying frozen tater tots is a quick and easy way to make a delicious side dish or snack. With just an air fryer, a bag of frozen tater tots, and a little oil, you can make perfectly crispy tater tots in under 30 minutes. But what temperature should you use? Here’s a guide to air frying frozen tater tots, including the best temperature, cook times, and tips for maximum crispiness.
The Best Air Fryer Temperature for Tater Tots
The ideal air fryer temperature for cooking frozen tater tots is 400°F. This high heat helps the outsides get crispy and browned while the inside cooks through. Lower temperatures around 350°F may not get the tots crispy enough on the outside. And temperatures higher than 400°F can overcook or burn the exterior before the middle is fully cooked.
Setting your air fryer to 400°F is hot enough to transform those frozen potato barrels into perfect, crispy tater tots.
Recommended Cook Times
Cook times can vary slightly depending on the capacity and model of your air fryer. But in general, these are the approximate air fry times for frozen tater tots:
- For a small 2 quart air fryer, cook for 10-14 minutes, shaking halfway.
- For a medium 3-4 quart air fryer, cook for 15-20 minutes, shaking halfway.
- For a large 5-6 quart air fryer, cook for 18-22 minutes, shaking halfway.
Shaking the basket halfway through is important to prevent sticking and ensure even browning. Check frequently toward the end of the cook time and remove any tater tots that are browned while leaving any that need more time.
For extra crispy tater tots every time, coat them with a tablespoon of oil before air frying. The small amount of oil helps facilitate browning and crispiness.
Tater Tot Cooking Tips
Follow these tips for perfect air fried tater tots:
- Use frozen tater tots – Do not thaw before cooking, the frozen state helps them get crispy.
- Toss tots in 1 tbsp oil before cooking.
- Preheat air fryer fully before adding tots.
- Cook at 400°F, shaking basket halfway through.
- Check frequently after 15 minutes to avoid burning.
- For maximum crispiness, cook in a single layer, not stacked.
How Long Do Tater Tots Last in the Air Fryer?
Cooked tater tots will stay warm and crispy in the air fryer basket for up to 20 minutes after cooking. But they are best served immediately. If you won’t be eating the tater tots as soon as they’re done, you can keep them crispy by:
- Placing them on a wire rack or parchment paper-lined pan out of the air fryer. This prevents moisture from softening them.
- Keeping them in a 200°F oven on a wire rack or baking sheet.
- Transferring them to a plate and tenting foil over the top to seal in heat.
While you can leave tater tots in the air fryer after cooking, they will slowly lose their crispiness as moisture is trapped inside the basket. For best texture and taste, serve the tater tots immediately or use one of the methods above to maintain crispiness.
Can You Reheat Tater Tots in an Air Fryer?
Yes, you can reheat leftover tater tots in an air fryer! This is a great way to recrisp refrigerated or room temperature tater tots.
To reheat, place the tater tots in the air fryer basket in a single layer. Spritz or brush with a little oil. Then reheat at 400°F for 4-7 minutes, shaking halfway, until warmed through and crispy. Watch closely as reheating time will be shorter than cooking frozen tots. Enjoy your crispy reheated tater tots!
Common Air Fryer Tater Tot Questions
Should You Flip Tater Tots When Air Frying?
There’s no need to flip each individual tater tot when air frying. Just shake the basket halfway through cooking. The hot air circulates all around the air fryer basket, cooking the tater tots evenly on all sides.
Can You Cook Frozen Tater Tots from the Freezer?
Absolutely! Cooking the tater tots directly from frozen is best to get them crispy on the outside while hot and fluffy on the inside. Do not thaw the tots before air frying.
How Many Tater Tots Fit in an Air Fryer?
This depends on the size of your air fryer basket, but here are some general guidelines:
- 2 quart basket holds 1 1/2 to 2 cups of tater tots
- 3 quart basket holds 2 to 3 cups of tater tots
- 5 quart basket holds around 4 cups of tater tots
Avoid overfilling the basket. Cook tater tots in a single layer for best texture and cooking results.
Tater Tot Air Fryer Recipe Ideas
Plain air fried tater tots are delicious, but don’t stop there! You can customize them in endless ways with different seasonings, toppings, and dips. Here are some tasty tater tot recipe ideas to try:
Loaded Chili Cheese Tater Tot Bake
Top tater tots with seasoned ground beef, beans, cheese, salsa, and more for a hearty meal.
Buffalo Ranch Tater Tots
Toss cooked tater tots in Buffalo sauce then ranch dressing and bake until melty.
Tater Tot Breakfast Casserole
Fill a casserole dish with tater tots, scrambled eggs, cheese, and meat for a savory breakfast bake.
Pizza Tater Tots
Air fry plain tots then top with pizza sauce, pepperoni, and mozzarella cheese.
Nacho Tater Tots
Smother air fried tater tots in nacho cheese sauce, pico de gallo, jalapeños, and cilantro.
Conclusion
Air frying frozen tater tots is a quick, easy way to enjoy this favorite snack or side dish any night of the week. Cooking frozen tots in the air fryer at 400°F renders them perfectly crispy and delicious in 15-20 minutes. Toss the tots with a little oil before air frying, and shake halfway for ideal texture. Use these simple tips to enjoy your next batch of air fried tater tots!