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.
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For this recipe you'll need these ingredients: potatoes, onions, salt, pepper, flour, oil (i like peanut oil the best)
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
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.
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
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 ½ teaspoons of the mixture into a log was just about right. It took me about 5 tries to get the hang of it.
Related Recipes
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!
Equipment
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Homemade Tater Tots Recipe
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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 ½ 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.
Air Fryer
- 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.
Notes
- 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.
TheresaJ
At what point should I be freezing these? Before or after frying?
Marye
I freeze them after.
Charlie
Could these be done in the air-fryer?
Temp. and time, please.
Marye
I've never done them that way but I am sure they could.
Lori Loree
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.
Marye Audet
Let me know how they work. 🙂
Shelley Anderson
It's in the recipe.
Shelley Anderson
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.
Marye Audet
Yep, that would probably work really well!
Scott
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.
Marye Audet
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.
Leslie
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!
Marye Audet
That is brilliant, Leslie!
Lynn Perkins
Has anyone tried leaving the peelings on?
Marye Audet
Not that I know of ... it should work fine.
Julie
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.
Marye
could be. 🙂
Brook
Can the mixture be refrigerated? If so for how long? Made a little to much and don't really want it all right now.
Marye Audet
It might darken up, Brook. I am not sure, I've never done it.
Lydia
Really good, Marye! Little sticky though.
Marye Audet
🙂 thanks.
Yannik
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!
Giovanna
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.
Jackie BB
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!
Marye Audet
Not if it's homemade... which mine is. And a lot of people do use convenience foods. Nothing wrong with this picture at all. 🙂
Brett
Have you ever tried grating raw potatoes then boil, then season and shape?
Marye Audet
It makes them too mushy in my opinion
gretchen s mclaurin
My totally fell apart! Any tips on how to avoid this?
Marye Audet
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.
Tamara
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!
Marye Audet
I usually use russet. 🙂
Lance Miller
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.
Michelle
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.
Marye Audet
After. 🙂 Be sure to drain them well. Then, yes... bake just the same as commercial ones.
Sally T.
Wow these look so good and they would be GF 😉