Learn how quick & easy it is to make crunchy & crispy Air Fryer Frozen Tater Tots at home!
This simple 1-ingredient air fryer recipe is one of our favourite side dishes to serve at breakfast or brunch.
Our homemade recipe takes only a few minutes to make because it uses frozen store bought tater tots by McCain.
We suggest serving Air Fryer Frozen Tater Tots dipped in ketchup alongside popular breakfast classics like fried eggs, sizzling bacon strips and a fresh salad.
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What Are Tater Tots?
Tater tots are grated potatoes formed into small cylinders and deep-fried, often served as a side dish. “Tater” is short for potato.
The name tater tot is a registered trademark of the American frozen food company Ore-Ida, but is often used as a generic term. They were invented in 1953 by the company’s founders, who were trying to figure out what to do with leftover slivers of cut-up potatoes. They chopped up the slivers, added flour and seasoning, then pushed the mash through holes and sliced off pieces of the extruded mixture (like fresh pasta). This is how Tater Tots came to be!
We like using the Canadian brand McCain, which trademarks its frozen tater tots product as McCain Tasti Taters. The potato morsels are quickly deep fried in the factory then frozen so you simply have to reheat them in your oven or air fryer to crisp them up before serving.
Looking for a delicious tater tot recipe? Try our easy McCain Tater Tot Poutine!
How To Make McCain Frozen Tater Tots In Air Fryer
Can you cook McCain frozen tater tots in an air fryer? Absolutely, it’s so easy! Our recipe is so easy to make you’ll have it ready to serve in under 10 minutes.
There are two methods to making frozen tater tots in an air fryer, which depends on the style of device you are using.
- Traditional Basket: air fryers with a removable basket are still the most common. In order to make Air Fryer frozen tater tots in these machines, simply lower them into the basket. Ensure they aren’t crowded and don’t touch. This will ensure the tater tots are crispy and uniformly cooked.
- Toaster Oven Tray: modern air fryers featuring a glass door and tray configuration make it easy to prepare frozen McCain tater tots in an air fryer at home. Simply place them on the tray and watch them brown and get crispy through the glass door.
My Family Loves Making Air Fryer Frozen Tater Tots
My family loves brunch!
Tater Tots, hash browns or home fries are a must when serving a traditional homemade breakfast!
On a lazy Saturday or Sunday morning we love to have family or friends over for a finger-licking-good brunch feast. We often serve this air fryer tater tots recipe alongside crispy bacon or breakfast sausage, fried eggs, and a fresh salad. Pancakes and waffles slathered in maple syrup are a decadent morning treat too!
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If we’re hosting a large potluck other brunch recipes we love to serve with tater tots include:
- Homemade Buttermilk French Toast
- Oladiki Oladushki Buttermilk Pancakes
- Strapatsada Greek Scrambled Eggs
- Pork Sausage Stuffed Apples
- Southern Smoked Baked Beans with Bacon
- Blueberry Mango Crepes
- Banana Oat Flour Pancakes
Air Fryer Frozen Tater Tots Recipe Cooking Tips
- Scatter the frozen tater tots in one single layer on the air fryer basket without any overlap or touching, otherwise you’ll end up with an unevenly cooked and potentially soggy product.
- It’s optional to mist the tater tots with cooking spray to make them extra crispy. McCain frozen tater tots have already been flash deep fried so don’t really require additional oil.
- We love serving tater tots at DIY brunch buffets. Make it fun for your guests by offering a selection of dips and sauces like ketchup, aioli, hot sauce and barbecue sauce.
- You can cook frozen or fresh tater tots in an air fryer. If the tater tots have thawed reduce the total cooking time by a few minutes and be sure to keep an eye on them so they don’t burn.
- If you’re looking to serve an eye-popping decadent appetizer to guests make this yummy Tater Tot Poutine recipe!
What To Serve With Air Fryer Frozen Tater Tots
Crispy and crunchy Air Fryer Tater Tots are a quick & easy snack to prepare last minute. They can be simply enjoyed with your favourite dips or sauces like ketchup, garlic aioli and honey mustard. They make for a tasty vegan and vegetarian snack or side dish.
We most often serve tater tots at breakfast. They taste great with bacon, breakfast sausages, fried or scrambled eggs, waffles, pancakes and a fresh salad.
We also love to serve Air Fryer Frozen Tater Tots as a side dish with a fresh salad and selection of burgers, sausages, steaks and sandwiches.
McCain tater tots truly are a versatile snack, appetizer or side dish!
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Recipes We Love Serving With Tater Tots & Fries…
- Spicy Italian Pork Sausage Burgers
- Oklahoma Fried Onion Burger
- Crispy Chicken Schnitzel Sandwich
- Easy Prime Rib French Dip Sandwich
- Brandy Caramelized Onion French Burger
- Thai Red Curry Prawn Burger
- Pineapple Plantain Jamaican Jerk Chicken Burger
- Frozen Burgers In Air Fryer
- Crispy Gruyere Grilled Cheese
- White BBQ Turkey Sandwiches with Jalapeno and Pickles
Best Dips For Tater Tots
We love serving tater tots as a quick & easy snack or side dish at breakfast, lunch or dinner.
You can play things simple by enjoying them on their own, or offer guests a variety of dips. Our favourite dips to serve with tasty tater tots include:
- Sweet & Sour Sauce
- Plum Sauce
- Ketchup
- Mayonnaise
- Aioli
- Barbecue Sauce
- Mustard
- Ranch Dressing
- Hot Sauce
- Thai Sweet Chili Sauce
Best Air Fryers
An air fryer is a small countertop convection oven designed to simulate deep frying without submerging the food in oil. A fan circulates hot air at high speed, producing a crisp layer via browning reactions.
In 2010, Philips introduced the Airfryer brand of convection oven at a consumer electronics fair in Berlin. It used the patented Rapid Air technology, though the term air fryer is now used generically.
Early air fryers were barrel-shaped, though more recently, many have come to resemble toaster ovens and pressure cookers, offering additional functions like toasting, baking, dehydrating and rotisserie.
A decade after their launch, Air Fryers are now one of the trendiest kitchen appliance. They are particularly popular with gourmands living in condos or apartments in big cities like Toronto as they reduce the number of appliances taking up space in your kitchen.
- Cuisinart: I tested this recipe with a Cuisinart toaster oven-style air fryer. The powerful device cooks and crisps up frozen tater tots in under 10 minutes! I also love the air fryers easy to use broiling and toasting functionality.
- Hamilton Beach: An excellent option for those looking for an affordable air fryer as they are priced under $180. This device performs several cooking functions as a toaster, dehydrator and rotisserie.
- Instant Vortex: This popular air fryer is brought to you by the inventors of the popular Instant Pot. It’s 6 quart capacity features an easy to clean tray that air frys, roasts and bakes.
- COSORI: This 5.8 quart air fryer is an 11-in-1 cooker featuring a nonstick basket and helpful shake reminder setting.
- Ninja: This premium brand is the perfect option for those looking to invest in a heavy duty stainless steel air fryer. The product has been designed to look similar to an Instant Pot, with the top of the air fryer flipping backwards so you can easily lower a basket filled with food.
You May Also Enjoy These Air Fryer Recipes…
- McCain Frozen Chips In Air Fryer
- Frozen Burrito in Air Fryer
- Air Fryer Frozen Spring Rolls
- Easy Frozen Air Fryer Dumplings, Potstickers, Gyoza
- Air Fryer Frozen Mozzarella Cheese Sticks
- Cheesy Garlic Bread In Air Fryer
- Frozen Onion Rings In Air Fryer
- Frozen Chicken Fingers Tenders & Strips In Air Fryer
- Frozen Sweet Potato Fries In Air Fryer
- Homemade Air Fryer Pizza Rolls
- Seasoned Air Fryer Bone In Pork Chops
- Crispy Air Fryer Chicken Drumsticks
- Smoky BBQ Bone In Air Fryer Pork Ribs
- Viral TikTok Air Fryer Pasta Chips
- Crispy Air Fried Cornish Hen
- Cheesy Bacon Air Fryer Potato Skins
- Healthy Vegan Roasted Garlic in Air Fryer
How To Make Air Fryer Frozen Tater Tots
Air Fryer Frozen Tater Tots
Equipment
- Air Fryer
- Spatula Flipper
Ingredients
- 200 g Frozen McCain Tater Tots
Instructions
- Preheat air fryer to 400F.
- Place the frozen tater tots into the air fryer basket ensuring you spread them out so they don't touch.
- Cook the tater tots for 5 minutes, then shake the basket and continue cooking for another 5 minutes.
- Check to see if the tater tots are as browned and crispy as you like them. If needed, cook for another minute.
- Serve the tater tots on their own or with your favorite dipping sauce like ketchup or aioli.
Nutrition
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