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
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Amazingly delicious!
Sorry to hear you haven’t been feeling well.. These look like the perfect munch for recovery! x
I told everyone in my office about these little babies…we were all salivating just talking about it…Thanks!!
Holy Crap. That’s all.
I don’t think I can make these. I will burn my mouth off eating them straight out of the oven. No restraint.
Stop it. I need these in my life immediately.
What substitute can I use for the brown sugar im a diabetic and would really like to try these ★☆★
Jeanette, if needed, you can omit the brown sugar. This would still be amazing without them! The brown sugar really just adds that sweet crispness to it.
Splenda has their own version of brown sugar. It may be a possible replacement.
I don’t understand how you “wrap” a square of cheese. Where does the cheese go?
You are wrapping bacon around the tot so you can fit the cheese in there. Does that make sense?
If you are using cubes of cheese just squeeze them into the side of the room temperature tater tot.
It’s a flat square, not a cube of cheese.
Thank you. That just clicked it into place for me.
I used pre-sliced cheese (Colby jack and pepper jack). I cut each slice in half and then each half into quarters. Worked very well.
Coconut sugar has a lower GI and may crisp up if you wanted to try that….
These look so monumentally amazing! I am glad you are feeling better
Such a bummer that you have a flu – I hope that you feel better!
But SO sweet of Jason to cook you breakfast…especially these bites of ah-may-zing! Love that brown sugar addition! Pinned!
And, by the way, I just found your blog and have enjoyed it immensely! It is aptly named 🙂
How long should you cook them for if you like extra crunchy tatter tots?
My husband and I are planning a bacon happy hour and these just made the menu – they look amazing!! It would almost be worth it to get the flu to see if 20 of them would have magical powers for me too 🙂
I can totally see you getting into these! I have seen these around too and hopefully they made you feel a little bit better! Hope you’re feeling better SOON!!
Wow! These are pretty epic! : )
Did anyone else find that 20 minutes was too long. Mine were way too caramelized.
Shannon, please feel free to reduce cooking time as needed until the desired consistency/texture is reached. Cooking time will also depend on the thinness or thickness of your bacon.
I made these twice and rolled them in brown sugar the first time, and I made a mess!! 🙁 but the second time I put the brown sugar on the inside of the bacon with the tot and they turned out perfect!! They were a hit!! thank you for this recipe!
Can you please tell me what the best bacon to use. I love the thick cut applewood smoked bacon and did not know if that would work
The thick cut bacon may be too thick to wrap but as always, please use your best judgment.
What on earth is a tater tot?
Little cylinder shaped hash brown potatoes lol