Bacon Wrapped Tater Tot Bombs (Air Fryer or Oven)
by Chungah
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Sticky, sweet, and savory bite-sized tots that are simply irresistible! A guaranteed crowd-favorite for everyone (and it’s so easy to make!).
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reasons to make bacon wrapped tater tots
- Short ingredient list. These irresistible bacon wrapped tater tots do not require much – we’re talking frozen tots, bacon, cheese, sugar and parsley (for a garnish), that’s it!
- Guaranteed crowd-favorite. Tater tot bombs are a hit every single time no matter where it’s served, whether it’s for a potluck, picnic, holiday get-together or tailgating party.
- Easy make-ahead recipe. The tater tots can be assembled and placed in the freezer up to 24 hours in advance, cutting down on prep time even further, ideal for easy, stress-free hosting!
- Recipe easily doubles (or halves). Hosting a big party? This recipe easily doubles and triples to feed a big crowd!
- Air fryer and oven method. These tater tot bombs can be made both in the oven or in the air fryer for complete flexibility and ease.
Key ingredients for bacon wrapped tater tots
Tater tots
Frozen tater tots are ideal for quick, easy prep, making sure that the tots are thawed at room temperature for adding the cheese. If you plan on omitting the cheese, the tater tots do not have to be thawed.
Bacon
Use thin cut bacon (cut into thirds or fourths) to wrap each tater tot, placing seam side down or securing with a toothpick.
Cheese
Sharp cheddar cheese works beautifully here but Pepper Jack or Monterey Jack cheese are both great alternatives. The cheese should be cut into very small squares, about 1/4 of an inch.
Brown sugar
Coating the bacon wrapped tater tot in brown sugar will create that favorited caramelized, sticky, sweet glaze, allowing the bacon to crisp up perfectly in the air fryer or oven.
Garnish
Add your finishing touches with a simple parsley or chive garnish.
tips and tricks for success
- Make it spicy. Add a little bit of cayenne pepper to the brown sugar for a kick of heat.
- Use toothpicks, if needed. Toothpicks will help secure the bacon around the tater tot, preventing it from unraveling and maintaining a consistent shape. They can also serve as built-in skewers for easy serving. If using toothpicks, soak for 15-20 minutes beforehand to prevent the toothpicks from burning in the oven.
- Avoid thick cut bacon. Thick cut bacon will take much longer to cook through and crisp up, causing the tater tots to overcook and possibly burn.
- Single layer rule. Whether it’s a baking sheet or air fryer basket, always arrange the tots in a single layer to achieve maximum crispness. For larger quantities, cook in multiple, smaller batches to avoid overcrowding. Particularly for the air fryer, overcrowding the air fryer basket can lead to soggy, unevenly cooked bacon wrapped tater tots.
- Serve with your favorite dipping sauce. A dipping sauce is not necessarily needed, but a serving of Ranch or BBQ sauce on the side is always a crowd-favorite.
- Make ahead of time. Assemble the tater tots and place on a baking sheet in the freezer up to 24 hours in advance, cooking as directed in the air fryer or oven, and adding a few additional minutes to the cook time. Thawing is not required.
- Reheat in the oven. Leftover tater tot bombs can be mushy when reheated in the microwave. For best results with leftovers, reheat in the air fryer at 350°F for 3-4 minutes or in the oven at 400°F until warmed through, about 5-10 minutes.
More crowd-favorite appetizers and finger foods
Bacon Wrapped Tater Tot Bombs (Air Fryer or Oven): Frequently Asked Questions
Absolutely, but the turkey bacon will not crisp up as well as regular bacon.
This will allow the tater tots to be cut easily in order to add a small cheese square into the opening.
Not at all! These can be served without a dipping sauce, although a side of Ranch or BBQ sauce will not go unnoticed.
Yes! The tater tot bombs can be assembled and placed on a baking sheet in the freezer up to 24 hours ahead of time, adding a few extra minutes to the cook time as needed.
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days, reheating in the air fryer or oven for the best results.
Bacon Wrapped Tater Tot Bombs (Air Fryer or Oven)
Video
Ingredients
- 2 cups frozen tater tots, at room temperature
- 4 slices bacon, quartered
- 1 ounce sharp cheddar cheese, cut into 1/4-inch squares
- ¼ cup brown sugar, packed
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley leaves
Instructions
- Working one at a time on a flat surface, place a tater tot on a piece of bacon. Gently cut a slit down the center of each tater tot, adding a cheese square into the opening.
- Wrap each tater tot in bacon, securing with a toothpick if needed. Repeat with remaining bacon pieces, tater tots and cheese squares.
- Dredge each bacon wrapped tater tot in brown sugar, pressing to coat.
for the oven
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat; set aside.
- Place bacon wrapped tater tots seam side down in a single layer onto the prepared baking sheet. Place into oven and bake until the tater tots are cooked through and bacon is crispy, about 20-25 minutes, using metal tongs to turn at halftime.
for the air fryer
- Preheat air fryer to 400 degrees F. Lightly oil the air fryer basket or coat with nonstick spray.
- Place bacon wrapped tater tots seam side down in a single layer onto the prepared air fryer basket. Place into air fryer and air fry until the tater tots are cooked through and bacon is crispy, about 12-15 minutes, shaking the basket at halftime.
- Serve immediately, garnished with parsley, if desired.
Equipment
Did you make this recipe?
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I found 1/3 strip of bacon worked best. I pushed both sides of bacon down into the brown sugar. I laid bacon flat, put tater tot in center, with cheese on top. Wrapped bacon and secured with toothpick. I pushed it down gently to flatten bottom. This worked VERY well. Baked convection 385°F for about 20 min. I did not turn them. They were tasty, but not magnificent.
I’ve made these twice and both times the brown sugar melts off and burns and all the cheese oozes out.
I think 4 slices of bacon is a misprint.
These are absolutely delicious! I struggled a little because I didn’t let my tater tots thaw long enough but it worked out.
Most of mine were certainly not pretty but oh so tasty. I will be making them again!
Everyone raved about these, although I was concerned they weren’t going to crisp up enough and increased the heat at the midpoint. It caused the lovely oozing cheese to burn a bit, so don’t do that. They would have been perfect. Regardless, everyone loved them and we will make them again and follow the baking instructions!
I should have responded to this recipe years ago. Since I made them once I am no longer allowed to arrive places without them
Made them today for prayer breakfast came out awesome
I had problems. I got the tots to room temp, but needed a toothpick to hold the cheese to the tots. The bacon had to be cut into thirds, to be able to wrap around the tots. Laying them flat on the seam as described, had the cheese melt all over the pan in the first batch. I stood the second batch up with the cheese on top and they turned out better, but nothing like the picture. They were a little ugly, but they did turn out tasty. You apparently want the leanest bacon you can get, so you need to spend on the really good stuff or cut your own.
i made these for a class with this recipe back in 2018 in high school and they turned out perfectly and i got an A+ and i’ve been thinking about them since. it’s been 4 years
These are finger licking deliciousness. We love them.
My sister made this once years ago and they’ve had a special place in my heart(tummy?) ever since. I decided to try to find the recipe and make it myself, and here’s what I’ve found:
The sugar didn’t really want to stick to the bacon, even with pressing, and I loved how sweet my sister’s were. I’d recommend coating the bacon first, and coating both sides- if you like sweet like me.
I also placed my square of cheese in the middle of the bacon, and it ended up keeping the cheese on top to help lessen the chance of the cheese oozing out. I think if I let the tots completely thaw, I would have been able to actually stuff the tot with the cheese but that might’ve made it break. Who knows.
Overall, turned out great. Just can’t seem to get on my sister’s level.. yet!
Best I have ever had
I made this as a side dish for dinner but after reading reviews and instructions I decided to go less “fancy” and more with the “busy everyday woman” mentality when making this dish. I precooked the bacon, coated a casserole dish with cooking spray and lined frozen tater tots inside and cooked them according to their directions. Once they were done I crumbled bacon over them and sprinkled with cheese and put back in oven to melt. Easy and delicious for an every day kind of dish.
I did the same thing. Bacon at 400F for 19min.
Full bag Tater Tots 450 for 20min.
Sprinkle on cheese, sprinkle on bacon, more cheese, sprinkle on some dark brown sugar, warm for 10min at 200F.
I was concerned that these would be greasy so I baked them on a rack and the grease dripped down which worked nicely, but the cheese also dripped out. If the cheddar drips weren’t soaked in grease, they would have been a tasty snack too. Maybe next time I will use my broiler pan so the grease will have a place to go but hopefully the cheese will puddle around the tot. Overall they were a hit, but I wasted some nice cheddar.
I love these little gems. I’ve made them a few times now and they’re so addictive.
First time I made them the tots were a little too mushy for my liking, so I now par-bake them at 400 for 10 minutes or so before assembling and wrapping. As the tots cool, I cut up the cheese squares. I use an aluminum pan lined with a silpat mat. I find that thinner bacon (Oscar Mayer Hardwood Smoked) works best, and a thin coat of brown sugar. Par-baking the tots allows the bacon to get a little crispier. An extra step, but they’re already so easy!
I made these today for a Christmas breakfast at work. I used pepper jack cheese as some other reviewers suggested. Fabulous recipe! Turned out perfect! They were such a hit everyone in the office asked for the recipe!
In the video it did not look like a quarter portion of bacon that you wrapped the tot in, looked like the whole strip.
Jane, the ingredient list indicates 4 slices bacon, quartered, just as the video. 🙂
Hello
This recipe sounds AMAZING.
I cannot wait to try it
Do you think I could use pre-cooked bacon to make these?
Can you make these ahead of time and keep warm in a crock pot on low???
A fun and easy recipe! I think it’s a good snack for the super bowl!