So why would anyone go to all of the trouble of making homemade tater -tots? Well, because they are so easy, you can create endless variations (bacon tots, anyone?), and they even freeze well! Best of all – you’ll love the flavor! PSA: I LOVE them with this Jezebel Sauce instead of catsup.
For this recipe you’ll need these ingredients: potatoes, onions, salt, pepper, flour, oil (i like peanut oil the best)
Table of Contents
A Homemade Tater Tots Recipe You’ll Love
And… I like that when I make this tater tots recipe they don’t have all of the junk chemicals in them.
I loved tater tots long before I knew who Napoleon Dynamite was.
My mother was the queen of frozen food so I had the opportunity to eat them a lot when I was growing up. There is something about the crispy outside and the tender inside that is addictive and I had decided that I was going to make tater tots if it killed me (it didn’t) but if I couldn’t get them right I wasn’t posting them. I wouldn’t even admit to trying.
These were so right. So very right.
Infinite Variations
Not only is this homemade tater tot recipe easy but you can tweak it to your heart’s content. For example, you can add:
- Cheese
- Onion
- Jalapeno
- Poblano
- Habenero
- Cilantro
- Chives
- Cheese
- Ranch dressing mix (the powdered kind)
- Taco seasoning
- Bacon
- Crab
- Shrimp
- Chopped BBQ
- Make them with sweet potatoes or yams
OK — You get what I am saying, right? Experiment, y’all. How can you go wrong with potatoes as the base?
Tips for Making Homemade Tots
This homemade tater-tots recipe is one of our favorites. It’s so easy to make and I love creating as many variations as I can think up! Here are some tips that will help ensure your success.
- You can save time by using the shredded hash browns in the refrigerated section of your grocery store.
- Don’t forget to parboil the potatoes.
- Grate them gently after you parboil them – you don’t want them mushy.
- If you are adding other ingredients do so sparingly – 1 tablespoon per cup of potatoes is about right.
- You can use flour, cornstarch, or potato starch as a binder but go easy on it.
- Use peanut oil unless someone has an allergy – it just fries better.
- Make sure your oil is new and not rancid, and definitely don’t reuse oil more than once.
- Use an electric deep fryer to keep the temperature even.
- Never overcrowd the fryer.
- If they seem to wet you might try making them with powdered dried onion or powdered garlic instead of fresh.
To Make in an Air Fryer
If you’d like to try making these in an air fryer here are some tips:
- Be sure to chill them first. You can also cook them from frozen.
- Spray lightly with olive oil.
- Place them in the air fryer so that the sides don’t touch.
- Turn a couple of times during cooking.
- This may take 15 minutes or so.
Shaping Tips
If there is any trick at all to make these tater-tots it is in the shaping.
You can coarsely chop the potatoes in your food processor or grate them on the big holes in your grater. I think the grater works better and gives the texture I like but try both to see what you want to do.
If you mash the mixture together too firmly you end up with the wrong texture. If it is not shaped firmly enough you end up with something that is flat or crumbles. I found that gently shaping the about 1 1/2 teaspoons of the mixture into a log was just about right. It took me about 5 tries to get the hang of it.
More Great Side Dishes
What’s a dinner without some great sides to go with it? Here are some of my very favorites – I think you’ll love them, too.
- Fried Potatoes are one one my most favorite foods! I grew up on them – crispy on the bottom and tender in the middle.
- Baked Sweet Potato Fries are crispy, sweet, and a little spicy.
- Quick Au Gratin Potatoes are made on top of the stove to free up oven space. They are so creamy!
- Roast Sweet Potatoes caramelize on the outside and are sweet and creamy on the inside. SO good!
- Old Fashioned Macaroni Salad is one of those things that brings back memories with every bite!
- Pineapple Casserole is a Southern dish that is one of those things people love or hate. I am definitely team pineapple casserole!
You May Need
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Tater Tots Recipe
I make this recipe so often you’d think I’d have updated the images but we eat them as fast as they come out of the fryer! Unbelievably good, y’all!
If you love this recipe please give it 5 stars!
Homemade Tater Tots Recipe
Print Add to CollectionIngredients
- 2 pounds potatoes
- 1/2 tablespoon flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- Pinch of pepper
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped onions
- Oil for frying, (I prefer peanut oil)
Instructions
- Cut the potatoes in fourths and parboil them in a generous amount of water to cover.
- Allow to cool, at least to the point you can handle them.
- Grate them on the big holes of your grater.
- Gently place them in a bowl.
- Add the flour, salt, pepper, and onion and mix gently.
- Let stand for about 5 minutes.
- Heat the oil up to 355-360F
- Use 1 1/2 teaspoons potato mixture for each tot.
- Shape the potato mixture gently until it is in the shape of a tater tot.
- Fry, a few at a time, in the hot oil just until they are golden brown.
- Drain on absorbent paper.
Notes
Nutrition
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I live in PV Mexico, so we don’t have tator tots, but I sure miss them. Can’t wait to try & devour this recipe. I hope our potatoes work here. They are very starchy so might need a bit of modifications.
Let me know how they work. 🙂
It’s in the recipe.
I’ve heard using a ricer gets the nice fluffiness you want. I want to make these but still haven’t. I love tater tots.
Yep, that would probably work really well!
Mine fell apart too. I was sceptical only using a small amount of flour as a binder. Using an egg makes more sense. That’s what I did to save the rest of the batch.
I am not sure why some people have made them successfully and others have not. I suspect it may be a difference in potatoes and/or not drying the potatoes enough. I am sorry it didn’t work for you.
I put foil in a cake pan and put it in the freezer for about 40 minutes then lifted it out with the foil and cut the tots. They were much easier to work with that way! Also, using a thermometer and keeping the oil in the 355 – 360 range is key. Also, do not try to move the tots in the oil until they are starting to brown. They’ll fall apart if you disturb them too soon. Finally…this recipe ROCKS! Thanks!
That is brilliant, Leslie!
Has anyone tried leaving the peelings on?
Not that I know of … it should work fine.
I’m wondering if maybe the people that had trouble with the tots falling apart, maybe didn’t cook the potatoes long enough to get them to the starchy consistency to help them bind together better. I ‘ve made these a few times and the consistency of the potato is important.
could be. 🙂
Can the mixture be refrigerated? If so for how long? Made a little to much and don’t really want it all right now.
It might darken up, Brook. I am not sure, I’ve never done it.
Really good, Marye! Little sticky though.
🙂 thanks.
It is a good and simple recipe. I can’t say much about the taste because I still see improvements in my work after the first try, but the direction is good.
I personally won’t cut the potatoes in quarters next time though, because it’s nasty grating all these small pieces and I also have to watch my fingers all the time.
Thanks for sharing this!
Thank you.
This is a great “blank canvas” recipe. You can do so much with these to personalize them. I followed the recipe exactly and they were perfect, didn’t fall apart. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks Giovanna! I checked your menu.. Wish I was in Georgia!
Wait — I was impressed until I saw the suggestion, after makin’ them whole and pure at home, to add a bunch of chemicals in powdered salad dressing. ? Something wrong with that picture!
Not if it’s homemade… which mine is. And a lot of people do use convenience foods. Nothing wrong with this picture at all. 🙂
Have you ever tried grating raw potatoes then boil, then season and shape?
It makes them too mushy in my opinion
My totally fell apart! Any tips on how to avoid this?
Hmmm… add a little more flour and let them stand a litte longer until they are gluey…. you might also refrigerate them for awhile before frying.
What type of potato is best? Russet, yellow…?
Russet is best for making fries, but I’m just curious if you’ve had great results with a particular potato. Thanks!
I usually use russet. 🙂
I’m so sick of the simplest things in the store, even frozen potatoes, having all kinds of fillers / chemicals that if refused to buy store bought Tater Tots & decided to make my own & freeze them.
Thanks for posting this recipe.
I totally agree….
It really does!
When you freeze them, is that before or after you fry them? I assume it’s after they’re fried, but I want to be sure. 🙂 From frozen, do you just bake in the oven as you would standard tater tots? I love tots, but hate the price and ingredient list.
After. 🙂 Be sure to drain them well. Then, yes… bake just the same as commercial ones.
Wow these look so good and they would be GF 😉
🙂 yep.. I really love them..and there are so many variations. Thanks for reading!
Wow, can’t wait to try these!!! Will have to add fresh garlic too, My husband will love them!!!
they really are good. A little onion or chipotle is nice, too.
I love the (new to me) new look and layout of your blog. 🙂
Great recipe, too.
thanks