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 made these last Christmas. The recipe I had called for cutting a hole in the tater tot and inserting the cheese. I found out that trying to cut a hole in a thawed-out tater tot meant a lot of mooshed up mess! So I tried cutting holes in half-frozen tots, and while that wasn’t easy either, it did help a bit. Then I wrapped in bacon, rolled around in brown sugar, inserted a toothpick, and baked on a cookie sheet, seam-side down. Then I transported them to Christmas dinner in a pre-warmed glass baking dish. Once at our dinner, I transferred these to a chafing dish to keep them warm but not hot. I also had a side of BBQ sauce for dipping. Needless to say, they went over BIG TIME and were completely gone in less than an hour. I want to make them again this year, and I think I will try just wrapping the cheese this time instead of inserting it. However, if you are serving these as an appetizer at a dinner party, I highly recommend the use of a chafing dish (if you can find or borrow one). That worked REALLY well for keeping them warm but not making them sogged-out or over-baked. I’m afraid a crock pot would make them too soggy and/or over-baked, and they really aren’t as good served at room temp!!
Ok, my husband is away this week. I would love to give these a test run but I simply KNOW it will end badly – READ: I’ll eat them all in a sitting!! However, I will give them a try next week with family so the decadence can be spread out amongst us. Thanks for the idea!!
I made this for very picky eaters at a pot luck. they were gone in moments! Who doesnt love potatoes and bacon and cheese? They need toothpicks in them during baking.
Chungah, thank you for sharing this most awesome taste explosion! I like to mess around with tastes and have found a couple fav’s with the cheese. First switch was to the jalepeno jack cheese, yummy and to anyone who hasn’t tried the jalepeno jack cheese because they think it will be hot… it is zesty not hot and with the bacon and brown sugar it was delish. The next adventure was with a smoked cheese… smokalicious! The only other change was to have the deli slice the cheese at about a 10 and then I used a pizza cutter to make skinny lengths that were same length as tots. Rolled nicely and got cheese in both bites! Thank you again 🙂
LOL I just have to ask? Both bites?? You are far more restrained and obviously more refined, than I…I fear I will pop the whole thing in my mouth…every time! 🙂 Love the idea of pepper jack…my husband likes spicy and the smoked idea…..BAM!
Cant wait to try them!
Very good recipe!
A few observations:
tater tots at room temperature are more fragile than you think
it takes more bacon than you realize to wrap a tater tot
Check with your wife during cookie season before using all the brown sugar!
1. Yes, tater tots can be fragile, but only if they’ve been sitting out at room temperature for a very long time.
2. Bacon length – that’s really dependent on your taste preferences and how “stretchy” the bacon is. I found that 1/4 piece of bacon is more than enough – anything more is just overkill and too much bacon-to-tot ratio in my opinion.
3. Checking with wife during the holiday season – yes! Good thinking! 🙂
Tried to make them and they were a complete disaster this way. All the sugar burned after 10 mins and smoked up my entire house. I’ll cook the bacon, cheese and tater first and then add sugar see if it works next time.
Oh no! That should really not be happening. I’ve made this at least 5 times and I’ve never had any issues with the sugar burning so quickly. I worry that maybe your oven temperature is not calibrated and it may have been set way higher than it should have been. I highly recommend using an in-oven thermometer – it’s a life-saver!
Chung-Ah, first you should get an award for your saintly patience! I haven’t laughed this hard at ‘questions and comments’ in years. Lord, it’s just a quarter inch cube of cheese!
People, she had the flu, with all the accoutrements! She used what she had; tatter tots, bacon and cheddar cheese. She was healed! Praise God (or Or-Ida). This isn’t particle physics, but it is organic chemistry. Your elements are potato, bacon, cheese. Got it!
I haven’t had Tatter Tots in years, but you have given me good reason to rush to the store this morning and get a five pound bag. Bless you.
Your comment made my morning. Thank you!
Ha…I was thinking the same thing as John above. the comments were just making me shake my head. If people want to try it with a different ingredient WHY do they think YOU would know how it is going to turn out…lol….like he said you were very gracious with your answers!! good job and thanks for what I’m sure is going to become a football party staple!! Can’t wait to try them!
Good Lord, someone who agrees with me.
Love your reciipes, here in Ecuador we don’t get the name brand frozen or packaged items so made these from scratch with homemade cheese and fresh bacon from the butcher. A few twists and turns and voile! delicious! Thanks for your inspiration in the kitchen!
PS. got a good homemade panko?
I’m so glad you tried this with homemade tots! As for the panko, I actually do not have a homemade recipe just yet but it’s on my bucket list!
You call for frozen tater tots at room temperature……
Should the tater tots be frozen or should they be at room temperature? Or is your kitchen at 32 degrees?
That’s exactly what it means, Keith. Frozen tater tots at room temperature. If the recipe were to say “tater tots, at room temperature”, that can be misunderstood as cooked tater tots at room temperature. Does that make sense?
Sorry Chungah, I was just being silly. Frozen tater tots at room temperature are no longer frozen tater tots LOL.
Anyway, thank you for the idea. My girlfriend and I are making them right now 🙂
Keith, why are men so stupid????? Stay out of the kitchen!!!
Made these last weekend for a cocktail party and they were an absolute hit. I made 4 times the original recipe amount and they didn’t last past 5 minutes out of the oven.
I made a couple slight changes to the recipe. First; I used pepper jack cheese to add a little bit of heat. Second, I added chile powder to the brown sugar to add a bit of BBQ flavor to them. Lastly, I found that they cooked best at 375, and they didn’t need to beturned halfway through cooking (and the bacon was still very crispy).
Thanks for sharing the recipe; people loved them.
Would it be possible to make this with vegetarian bacon? My daughter loves cheese, and loves tater tots even more, but has been veg since 2001.
Unfortunately, without further recipe testing, I cannot say for certain if using veggie bacon will work. Please use your best judgment to make the appropriate substitutions to fit your dietary restrictions.
Made these for a Halloween party and called them wolf chow/werewolf chow. Huge hit! I made six dozen and they were wiped out before the party was half over AND I won for most creative/original snack and for creepiest snack. Awesome recipe! Thanks!
Tip: don’t try to soak up the excess oil by draining them on paper towels. The sugar sticks to the paper. Learned that the hard way. Use a wire cooling rack with paper towels under it.
can you make these ahead of time and freeze them?
Unfortunately, I cannot answer this with certainty as I have never tried freezing this myself. I recommend using your best judgment for freezing and reheating.
I made these for my husbands birthday BBQ and they were definitely a hit! However, I would recommend using a bigger piece of bacon. Rather than a cutting the bacon into 4 pieces I’d try 3 or 2. The bacon was too small. I stretched it over the tator tot but it popped open leaving the tot exposed. Still really, really good but next time I’ll use larger strips of bacon.
Hazel, it really depends on your bacon preferences and how thick your bacon cut is. I found that using quarter-pieces of bacon is more than enough but please feel free to use more as needed.
Not a fan of cheddar but the recipe sounds amazing. Any other ideas for a different kind of cheese or maybe make sans cheese?
Yes, these should be fine without the cheese.
If you are not a cheddar fan, I would try gouda or havarti or Swiss or mozzarella……OR whatever cheese you like. OR just make without any cheese at all!!!
Not to sound like a dummy, but how do you place the cheese and tot? side by side or on top of each other under the bacon? Is it one end cheese one end tot? Or bacon over cheese and tot stacked?
You can stack the cheese on top of the tater tot and simply wrap the bacon over both. Hope that helps!
Correction: cook ahead of time
could you cook these I had a time and then rewarm them in the microwave?
Suzanne, you can certainly give that a try but these are best when served immediately.
Looks incredible, I’m wondering if you could stick half a jalapeño in there with tot and cheese, then wrap in bacon and dredge in brown sugar?
I don’t see why not – that sounds amazing!
That is how we make them in TX. I roll slices of jalapenos in there and sprinkle with grated cheese. Serve as appetizers.
These were AMAZING!!!
I might do it with chicken instead of taters.