Trader Joe's tater tots in the air fryer are easy to prepare in 15 minutes. The air fryer is an easy and no-fuss way to cook these frozen tater tots to perfection!
Cooking frozen food in air fryer is easy, also try my Checkers frozen fries in air fryer recipe.
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Frozen fried foods are one of the best foods to make in the air fryer. It's quicker to prepare than in the oven and contains much less oil than cooking them over the stove or deep frying them. All you need to make this air fryer tater tots recipe is a bag of frozen tater tots and spray vegetable oil. A little bit of oil spray is the secret to making these tots extra crispy!
Trader Joe's tater tots crisp up nicely when air-fried have a much better taste than the oven and are way less messy than pan frying. You'll love how wonderfully crunchy they are with soft and fluffy insides.
These tater tots really taste like they came from a restaurant but they only take 15 minutes to cook, which is about the same time it takes to preheat your oven!
Dress these air fryer tots up with shredded cheese, and serve them as a game day appetizer with ketchup or as a quick snack for your kids. Either way, your family will love them!
How to cook Trader Joe's tater tots in air fryer
Carefully open the package of tater tots and measure out about half of the tots, placing them gently into the air fryer basket. Make sure to arrange them in a single layer, avoiding any stacking to prevent overcrowding.
Set your air fryer to a temperature of 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Let the tater tots cook for a total of 15 minutes. At the halfway mark, around 7 to 8 minutes in, open the air fryer and give the basket a good shake.
This step is crucial as it helps to rotate the tater tots, making sure that each one gets evenly crisped on all sides. After the shaking, continue cooking until the full 15 minutes is up, after which your tater tots should be golden brown and perfectly crispy.
Pro tips
It's perfectly fine to cook the entire bag at one time. Because these frozen tater tots are already partially cooked they will be just fine stacked on top of each other.
Don't defrost the tots before cooking. They will get crispier and have a better texture when cooked straight from the freezer.
Shake the air fryer basket halfway through the cooking time to ensure even cooking and browning.
Use a little bit of vegetable oil or cooking spray. This helps the frozen tater tots to get even crispier in the air fryer.
Depending on the size and model of your air fryer and how many tots are inside, your tater tots might cook faster or slower. Make sure to keep an eye on them while cooking until they reach your desired level of crispiness.
Serving suggestions
- Tomato soup
- Grilled cheese or deli sandwiches
- Salads
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- For breakfast with scrambled eggs and cheese instead of hash browns
- With guacamole or salsa
Dipping sauces
Serve simply as a snack or appetizer with your favorite dipping sauce.
- Ketchup
- Barbecue sauce
- Sriracha
- Garlic aioli
- Tartar sauce
- Mayonnaise
- Ranch
- Cheese sauce or dip
Storage instructions
For storage, cool the tater tots and keep them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat in the air fryer for a few minutes to restore their crispy texture.
Variations
Add seasonings. Trader Joe's tater tots are simply potatoes, vegetable oil, and salt. Make them even tastier by coating the tots with a little more vegetable oil or oil spray then add the seasonings of your choice. Garlic powder, onion powder, Old Bay seasoning, ground paprika, or smoked paprika. I would avoid any seasoning mixes that contain additional salt, otherwise, your tater tots might taste overly salty.
Loaded tater tots. A few minutes before the tater tots are done, sprinkle with shredded cheddar cheese then continue cooking until the cheese is melted. Serve with crispy bacon bits, sour cream, chives, or green onion.
Frequently asked questions
Using the air fryer is the best way to get super crispy and delicious tater tots. It gives the tots a crispy crunchy deep-fried flavor and texture that is similar to a restaurant.
Generally, both names are used interchangeably, however, potato puffs can contain milk or eggs, and tater tots are usually made with only potatoes and potato starch or flour.
Tater tots are already partially cooked, so we are just finishing off the cooking process and browning them. They are done when they are crispy with a golden brown color.
More Trader Joe's recipes
- Trader Joe’s spring rolls air fryer
- Trader Joe’s salmon pinwheels air fryer
- Trader Joe’s breaded tilapia air fryer
- Trader Joe’s Carne Asada air fryer
- Trader Joe’s bool kogi air fryer
Hope you will love this Trader Joe's tater tots air fryer recipe as much as we do. Rate the recipe if you made it and leave a comment below if you have any questions or suggestions.
Trader Joe's Tater Tots in Air Fryer
Trader Joe's tater tots in the air fryer are easy to prepare in 15 minutes. The air fryer is an easy and no-fuss way to cook these frozen tater tots to perfection!
Ingredients
- ½ package of Trader Joe's tater tots
- dipping sauce
Instructions
- Open the package and add about half of it in the air fryer. Do not overcrowd.
- Cook at 400 for 15 minutes, shake once during cooking.
Notes
Watch me making this recipe on TIKTOK!
For storage, cool the tater tots and keep them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat in the air fryer for a few minutes to restore their crispy texture.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 10 totsAmount Per Serving: Calories: 150
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