Tater Tots in the air fryer give you the small, crispy potato bites from American diners and burger joints – completely without deep-frying. Traditionally, Tater Tots are deep-fried, but here you simply brush them with a little oil, and the hot air does the rest. The result is golden cylinders of coarsely grated potatoes with a crispy surface and a soft centre.
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In this article, I show you how to make them from scratch with floury potatoes, a little wheat flour, salt and onion powder. You get my experience from the kitchen test, the common mistakes and my best serving suggestions, so your Tater Tots turn out right the first time – as a side with a burger or as a snack with a good dip.
Estimated reading time: 4 minutes
Table of Contents
Why I Love Tater Tots in the Air Fryer
I love Tater Tots in the air fryer because I get that crispy fast-food feel without a pot of hot oil on the stove. The 2 tbsp of rapeseed oil that you brush on is enough to give colour and crunch, and the kitchen is spared the smell of deep-frying. The ingredient list is also short: potatoes, wheat flour, salt, onion powder and oil. The recipe makes about 32 pieces, which is 8 each when there are four of you.
The Difference Between Tater Tots and Potato Croquettes
Tater Tots are an American classic from the 1950s, and they are often confused with potato croquettes. The difference lies in the potato mixture: Tater Tots are made from coarsely grated potatoes and have no breadcrumb coating, while croquettes are shaped from mashed potato and breaded. Tater Tots are also smaller – in my recipe about 3 cm long and 2.5 cm thick. The grated texture gives an uneven surface with lots of small edges, and those are exactly the parts that the air fryer’s hot air turns crispy.
Testing Tater Tots in My Kitchen
I tested Tater Tots in my Cosori Dual Blaze at 200 °C. A total of 15 minutes in the air fryer, with one turn about halfway through, gave a golden and crispy surface all the way around. The air fryer has one basket with heating elements both above and below the food, so the browning is even on both sides. I still turn them gently with tongs, as the recipe instructs, so every side gets the same amount of colour.
The decisive factor turned out to be the preparation. Parboiling for 10 minutes and cooling for 30 minutes makes the potatoes firm enough to be grated coarsely without ending up as mush. Allow about 80 minutes from start to finish, of which 30 are pure waiting time. If you want them darker, you can give them a little extra time in the air fryer.
Dampen your hands with a little cold water when you shape the mixture. Then it won’t stick, and you can press each cylinder firmly together so it holds its shape in the air fryer.
Tips and tricks from the author: Morten Jensen
Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
The most common mistake is boiling the potatoes until they are completely tender. Then they end up as mush on the grater, and the coarse texture that makes Tater Tots crispy disappears. So boil them for only 10 minutes, until they are tender on the outside but still firm in the middle, and let them cool for 30 minutes before you grate them. The next mistake is skipping the tea towel. Grated potatoes contain a lot of moisture, and a wet mixture steams instead of turning crispy, so gently squeeze the moisture out without mashing the potatoes. The third mistake is an overcrowded basket. If Tater Tots are packed tightly or in several layers, the hot air cannot get around them, and they turn soft. Place them in a single layer with a little space between them, and cook them in two batches instead if the basket is too small.
How to Serve Tater Tots
Tater Tots should be served straight away, while they are hot and crispy. Here are my best suggestions:
- As a side with burgers or hot dogs instead of fries
- Together with grilled meat and a fresh salad
- As a snack with ketchup, aioli or a creamy dip
- With 50 g finely grated cheddar or 1 tsp smoked paprika folded into the mixture, if you want to vary the flavour
Storage and Reheating
Tater Tots taste best straight from the air fryer, but leftovers can be stored covered in the fridge for up to 1-2 days. Reheat them in the air fryer at 180 °C for 3-5 minutes, until they are crispy again. They can also be frozen for up to 3 months. Then you reheat them straight from frozen in the air fryer at 180 °C for 8-10 minutes.
Homemade Tater Tots take a little patience, but the work itself is simple, and the reward is crispy potato bites with a soft centre. You will find the full recipe at the bottom of the page – remember to serve them while they are hot.
FAQ
Use floury potatoes, e.g. baking potatoes. They contain a lot of starch, which binds the mixture and gives a crispy surface. Waxy potatoes bind less well and do not get quite as crispy.
Yes. Replace the wheat flour with the same amount of cornstarch, that is 2 tbsp. The rest of the recipe is the same.
Yes. You can parboil the potatoes the day before and leave them in the fridge overnight. Then they are thoroughly cold and firm when it is time to grate them, and you save the waiting time on the day itself.
Recipe
Tater Tots in the Air Fryer
Cooking Guide
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Cost of the dish
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Estimated price for the whole dish:
Airfryer size
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Recommended equipment
- 1 Air fryer
- 1 Vegetable peeler
- 1 Pot
- 1 Cutting board
- 1 Grater
- 1 Kitchen towel
- 1 Bowl
- 1 Brush
- 1 Tongs
Shopping list
Ingredients
- 600 g potatoes (Floury, e.g. baking potatoes)
- 2 tbsp wheat flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 0.5 tsp onion powder
- 2 tbsp rapeseed oil (For brushing)
How to make it
Preparation
- Bring a saucepan of water to the boil. Meanwhile, peel 600 g potatoes and halve the largest ones so the pieces are roughly the same size.
- Add the potatoes to the boiling water and cook them for 10 minutes, until they are tender on the outside but still firm in the middle.
- Drain the water and place the potatoes on a chopping board. Leave them to cool for 30 minutes so they become firm and easy to grate.
- Grate the cooled potatoes on the coarse side of a grater.
- Place the grated potatoes in a clean tea towel and gently squeeze out the moisture without mashing them.
- Put the potatoes in a bowl and gently fold them together with 2 tbsp wheat flour, 1 tsp salt and 0.5 tsp onion powder.
- Shape the mixture into small cylinders, about 3 cm long and 2.5 cm thick, and press them together firmly so they hold their shape. This makes about 32 Tater Tots.
Cooking in the air fryer
- Preheat the air fryer to 200 °C fan.
- Brush the Tater Tots on all sides with 2 tbsp rapeseed oil.
- Place them in the air fryer basket in a single layer with a little space between them. Cook them in two batches if the basket is too small to fit them all.
- Cook the Tater Tots at 200 °C for 8 minutes.
- Carefully turn them with tongs and cook them for a further 7 minutes at 200 °C, until golden and crispy.
- Serve the Tater Tots straight away, while they are hot and crispy.
Our notes for the recipe
The potatoes should only be parboiled. If they are cooked until completely tender, they end up as mush on the grater, and then the Tater Tots lose the coarse texture that makes them crispy. Squeeze out the moisture and press each cylinder firmly together so it holds its shape in the air fryer. Dampen your hands with a little cold water if the mixture gets sticky. You can also parboil the potatoes the day before and leave them in the fridge overnight. Crispy without deep-frying:
Tater Tots are traditionally deep-fried. Here they are brushed with oil instead, which is enough to give a golden, crispy surface in the air fryer. Give them an extra 2-3 minutes if you want them darker. Variation:
Fold 50 g finely grated cheddar or 1 tsp smoked paprika into the mixture. If they need to be gluten-free, the wheat flour can be replaced with the same amount of cornstarch. Serving:
Serve as a side with burgers, hot dogs or grilled meat, or as a snack with ketchup, aioli or a creamy dip. Serving size:
The recipe makes about 32 pieces, which is 8 per serving. If your air fryer is smaller, you can make the dish in two batches. Tater Tots or croquettes:
Tater Tots are made from coarsely grated potatoes and have no breadcrumb coating. They are smaller than potato croquettes, which are shaped from mashed potato and breaded.
Your notes for the recipe
Nutrition per serving (Guideline)
Important about shelf life and nutrition
Nutrition per serving (guideline): Calculations are based on data from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Shelf life (guideline): Shelf life data is provided, as far as possible, by public institutions, including national food authorities. Our information is therefore only indicative, and it is your responsibility to obtain and calculate accurate information about shelf life and nutrition for all recipes on airfryerkogebogen.dk
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