These homemade tater tots are so quick and easy to make, you will forget to buy frozen ones. Well, you can make your own frozen ones here and store them for months. Whenever required pull out some tots and deep fry, air-fry, or bake these tots.
Crispy Homemade Tater Tots
Tater Tots are easy and quick potato appetizers. For me, these crispy bites are heavenly in fact. I just love these tiny potato appetizers. And the best part is you can serve them with any sauces, dips, it doesn't matter. These are delicious with a crunchy bite and soft inside.
The tater tots are deep-fried to get that crunchy texture by deep-frying. I like it that way only. Well, you can also bake them to crisp and get oil-free tots to satisfy your cravings. Even air-fryer is a great option for healthier versions of the tots.
These are again kid-friendly appetizers. If you want to add some nutrition to this add broccoli, cauliflower, zucchini, or whatever veggies you feel like. In this way, you can feed your fussy-eater kid easily.
Read my broccoli tater tots and cauliflower tater tots here.
What are tater tots?
Tater tots are grated potatoes that are shaped into tiny cylinders and are deep-fried. This is basically a small bite-sized potato appetizer and the term "tater tots" is a registered trademark of the company called Ore-lda, the American frozen food company but used as a generic term form for these potato bites. But trust me these homemade tater tots are no less than these store-bought ones.
Are Tater tots similar to hash browns?
I saw there is a lot of arguments on the internet. some say it's the same and some different. But if you will ask me I will say ingredient-wise it's almost the same (except few more ingredients in the hash).
Classic tots are simply made with a minimal 3 - 4 ingredients only. This is easy but you just need to follow few instructions for better crispier ones.
Tots are small cylindrical bite-sized appetizers while hashbrown is larger and round or oval shape (just like pancakes or latkes).
Tater tots are normally vegan (maximum times) but hashbrowns are made by mixing with egg unless you are planning for a vegan hash brown or egg-less hashbrown.
Which potatoes are best for tots?
Russet potatoes are the best as it hold the size properly.
How to make perfect tater tots at home?
Take par boiled potatoes. Peel off skin and grate using a cheese grater.
Take a mixing bowl and add in grated potatoes, salt, chili flakes, herbs, and finally flour. You can also add some onion powder and garlic powder.
Mix the ingredients gently. Don't mash the potatoes while mixing.
Take out small portions and press lightly shaping them into small cylinders. Now refrigerate these shaped tots for 2 hours. Then remove and make your batch of tots.
You can store these tots now in a freezer-friendly box for future use. Take out some tots as and when required. Deep fry, air-fry or bake them and serve with any dips.
Deep- fry the tots
Heat oil in a pan and drop all shaped tots into it. Don't overcrowd the pan. Make it in batches of 8 - 10 maximum in 1 batch for deep-frying.
Turn them once or twice and make sure it's equally fried. These will turn nicely crispy and golden.
Take out from oil and place on a paper napkin to get rid of excess oil. Serve hot with ketchup or any dip of your choice.
Air Fryer Tater Tots
Grease the air-fryer basket with a tsp of olive oil. Place the frozen tots inside the basket.
Set the temperature at 400 F for 15 minutes and air-fry. Toss them once half-way cooking at 7.5 minutes of cooking.
Oil-free tater tots are ready in just 15 minutes. Serve with any dip/ ketchup.
Oven-Baked Tater Tots
Preheat the oven at 425 degree F. Place the tots and drizzle some oil or brush the tots with little oil. Place the tray in oven and bake for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes remove the tray and turn the tots over and bake again for 10 - 15 minutes more.
Remove from oven and serve these hot.
Read similar party appetizers and finger foods e.g. paneer corn seekh kabab, potato lollipop, veg shammi kabab, cheesy cauliflower tots , vegan broccoli tots, chinese fritters, cheesy onion fritters, crispy onion fritters, potato latkes, crispy corn kabab, crispy corn chaat, etc.
Recipe Card for Tater Tots - Deep fry, Air-fry, Baked
Homemade Crispy Tater Tots
Equipment
- Dutch oven/ pot
Ingredients
- 2 pounds russet potatoes peeled
- 1 tsp chilli flakes
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp mixed herbs (oregano, dill, or any seasoning of choice)
- salt & pepper as required
- 1 cup vegetable oil for deep frying
- 1 tsp corn starch
- 1 tsp all-purpose flour
Instructions
- Peel off potatoes and put in dutch oven or large pot.
- Boil for 8 - 10 minutes or till its par-boiled.
- Remove from heat.
- Allow it to cool completely before mixing other ingredients.
- Keep in refrigerator for some 10 minutes to cool completely.
- Next grate potatoes using a cheese grater. (Don't mash them)
- Add flour, salt, chilli flakes and herbs to the potatoes.
- Mix it gently.
- Take out small portion and press it lightly giving a cylinder shape.
- Grease your palms to avoid sticking.
- Make small cylindrical tots from mixture.
- Heat oil in a deep frying pan.
- When oil is hot enough drop tots into it.
- If oil is too hot then reduce it to medium flame. (else it will burn from out only)
- Make sure tots are equally getting cooked from all sides by turning tots once or twice.
- Remove from oil once these are golden and crisp.
- Place on paper napkin to soak excess oil.
- Serve hot with desired sauce or dip.
Air-Fryer Tater Tots
- Grease the air-fryer basket with a tsp of olive oil.
- Place the frozen tots inside the basket.
- Set the temperature at 400 F for 15 minutes and air-fry.
- Toss them once half-way cooking at 7.5 minutes of cooking.
- Oil-free tater tots are ready in just 15 minutes.
- Serve them hot with any dip/ ketchup.
Baked Tater Tots
- Preheat the oven at 425 degree F.
- Place the tots and drizzle some oil or brush the tots with little oil.
- Place the tray in oven and bake for 15 minutes. Afte
- After 15 minutes remove the tray and turn the tots over and bake again for 10 - 15 minutes more.
- Remove when tots are crispy and golden brown.
- Serve hot with ketchup or any dips.
Video
Notes
- Don't over boil potatoes as it will turn mushy and gummy. You need parboiled potatoes.
- If not convenient with a pressure cooker, use an open pot/ Dutch oven for boiling potato cubes and check with help of a fork.
- Never add flour to hot potatoes. It will turn sticky and gummy
- Also, use refrigerated boiled potatoes.
- To increase crispiness, instead of boiling deep-fry or roast pieces of potatoes in the oven. Then shred into smaller chunks and combine with flour/ starch.
- You can eliminate refined flour and add only cornstarch (2 tbsp) while mixing for gluten free tots.
Nutrition
If you like my recipes and want to stay updated then subscribe via email to my blog. Also stay connected on social media. Here I would request you to like and share my facebook page @mydaintykitchen, Follow me on twitter @mydaintykitchen & instagram @mydaintykitchen.
PIN IT FOR LATER
Traci
You had me at tater tots 😋 What a fun and easy recipe! Perfect for our game day eats. Thanks for sharing!
Beth
This looks so delicious and tasty! My kids are going to love this recipe!
Kristina Allori
Worth the time and effort! I'll never buy frozen tater tots again!
Rosemary
These look delicious. A favorite when having kids and groups over. I'm looking forward to trying this recipe soon.
Ipsa Faujdar
Thank you, dear.
Elaine
Such a good idea to make them at home instead of buying in packages! Love the flavors in these little bites!
Beth
Yummy! This is definitely my kids favorite! So delicious and easy! Can’t wait to make these again soon!
veenaazmanov
Best platter for a kids party. Crunchy, Crispy and yum. Easy and quick and yet so perfect.
Nicole Durham
It's funny because this afternoon I told myself I had to go shopping to buy tater tots.. and then I came across this recipe and realized how easy it is to make them at home. OMG Mind is blown!
Jeannette
Tater tots are one of my most favourite snacks and I just love all those amazing tips you have to make them perfect!
Beth
Why have I never thought of making these before now? We love tater tots in my home and now I'm super excited to be able to make them! This recipe looks simple and delicious - 2 of my favorite things about cooking!!