How to Cook Tater Tots in The Air Fryer

There’s nothing quite like the flavor of warm, scrumptious tater tots from your go-to eateries. Now, you can recreate that identical flavor at home using an air fryer. The air fryer method surpasses other cooking techniques by ensuring an even cook and the desired consistency throughout. Further down, we’ll explore the process of preparing tater tots in the air fryer.

Below, you will find a step-by-step guide for preparing the tater tots in the air fryer. We will also let you know how much time it requires to cook them and what temperature to utilize. Keep reading the guide to know the entire process to become a pro preparer of the tater tots in the air fryer.

What are the Tater Tots?

In case you don’t know, the tater tots are grated potatoes into smaller pieces. They are deep-fried and typically served as side dishes. It was first introduced in 1954 by an American frozen food producer company called Ore-Ida. The name Tater Tots is also trademarked by the brand. It is available commercially since 1956.

The tater tots are very crispy on the outside while being soft inside. This makes it a very popular dish in America. As per Wikipedia, around 70,000,000 pounds of tater tots are consumed per year by Americans. It becoming more popular as a 100% natural dish.

How to Cook Tater Tots in Your Air Fryer

The tater tots are available from a variety of brands currently. You can get them in any super shops near you. Below, we will provide you a step-by-step guide on how to cook the tater tots in the air fryer. You will require the packaged tater tots, oil spray, and seasoned salt. Note that the oil and salt are optional here. Now let’s see how we can prepare the food.

Step 1: Prepare Everything

Connect your air fryer to the nearest electric outlet and then turn it on. Now put the machine for preheating. The recommended temperature for preheating is 400-degree F. In the meantime, you can spray cooking spray or avocado oil on the tater tots. You can also sprinkle salt and toss to coat.

Step 2: Add to the Tater Tots

Now add the tater tots to the air fryer basket. Make sure that you shouldn’t add much of them at once. If you need to cook a lot of them for a big family or party, consider cooking them in smaller batches. Adding a lot of them at once will block the air circulation. This will also cause uneven cooking. Some of them will be overcooked while some other will be undercooked. Put the basket to the air fryer.

Step 3: Set the Cooking Time

The next thing you need to do is to set the cooking duration. Employ the correct button on the machine to set 15 minutes of cooking time. Utilize the same temperature you have used for preheating. Now begin the cooking and stir or toss them to flip.

Step 4: Complete the Cooking

Once you are close to the cooking duration, pause the cooking and check their condition. Some machines may require a bit more time while some others may take fewer time for cooking. So, it is important to check multiple times to prevent overcooking. Stop the cooking once you are done.

Then bring out the air fryer basket when you are done and wait a while to let them cool. After that, you can move them to the serving dishes. That’s it; you have successfully prepared the tater tots in the air fryer.

Tips for Tater Tots Cooking in the Air Fryer

Below, we will let you know about some tips that will help you to get the best result while preparing the tater tots in the air fryer.

1. If you want the tater tots to be crispy, consider preheating the machine. If you prepare light crispness, consider adding one or two minutes of extra cooking.
2. Make sure to toss the tater tots gently several times during the cooking to assure even and consistent cooking.
3. Based on the size of the tater tots and the capability of your machine, the cooking time may vary. Remember to adjust the time and temperature by checking them while cooking.
4. In the above, we have said that you can add the salt/seasoned salt or move forward without it. Note that adding the salts can significantly improve the flavor.
5. Serve the tater tots as soon as possible after preparing. You will get the best flavor and taste when they are hot.
6. If there are leftovers after preparing the tater tots, don’t throw them away. Put them in a sealed or airtight container in the freeze. You can preserve them around 3 days following the way.
7. Make sure to reheat the tots after taking out them from the freezer. The reheating temperature will 400 Degree F and the cooking period will be around 2 to 3 minutes.
8. You can enhance the flavor of the tots by adding various types of spices and seasonings. These include garlic powder, onion powder, cajun spice, chili powder, etc.

What is the Best Sauce for the Air Fryer Tater Tots?

The tater tots are best served with some types of sauce. You will get a mesmerizing kick by adding the sauce to the serve. You can utilize the fry sauce (the one used for French fries) with the tots. Some other choices of sauce include yum yum sauce, ranch dressing, cheese sauce, and others. You can even prepare your own sauce with your favorite ingredients for it.

Conclusion

The tater tots can be a great alternative to meat-based snacks. The vegetable recipe tastes so great that you will not want anything else after trying it. If you are considering to prepare it at home, we will recommend you to utilize the above air fryer method. This will assure you of the best and consistent cooking. We hope that you will find the recipe and the information useful.