Homemade Tater Tots
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Say goodbye to those frozen bags of tots! This homemade version is easy, freezer-friendly and better than store-bought!
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There’s no shame in the frozen tots game. But after trying these homemade tots from scratch, there’s absolutely no going back to the store-bought version.
why i love this easy tater tot recipe
- No special equipment needed. Homemade tater tots is easier to make than you think! And you Special equipment like a potato mill or potato masher is not required. All you need is a cheese grater to shred those parboiled potatoes and a clean dish towel to squeeze out as much moisture as possible (for maximum crispness, of course).
- Crowd-favorite. Tater tots are a huge hit with kids, teens, grown-ups, grandmas and great-grandpas alike. And they can be served with anything and everything any time of day – we’re talking afternoon snack, an appetizer or as a side!
- Freezer-friendly. Tots freeze beautifully before or after cooking (but generally preferred before) and can keep for at least 1 month in the freezer.
how to make the crispiest tater tots
- Peel and parboil the potatoes until just tender
- Shred the potatoes and squeeze out the excess moisture
- Stir in the seasonings and form into beautiful little tots
- Freeze for later, if desired, or fry the tots until crisp, golden brown goodness (in batches, of course)
- Serve with ketchup or your favorite dipping sauce (if you manage to have some leftovers, you can freeze them for next time)
tips and tricks for success
- Parboil the potatoes. Parboiling the potatoes before forming them into tots will partially cook the potatoes. This will help ensure the tater tots to cook evenly, holding their shape with a fluffy interior and crispy golden exterior. However, parboiling the potatoes for too long will make it difficult to shred.
- Use a heavy pot. A heavy bottom pot, such as a Dutch oven, is ideal here for even heat distribution for the hot oil.
- Use a candy thermometer for the most accurate results. The ideal temperature of the oil should be between 350° and 375°F.
- Fry in batches. If too many tater tots are added at once, the oil temperature will drop and the tater tots will absorb too much oil, resulting in soggy tots.
- Reheat in the oven. For best results with leftovers, reheat in the oven at 350°F until warmed through, stirring halfway – we want crispy on the outside, warm on the inside.
- Freeze before cooking. Although tater tots can be frozen before or after cooking, freezing before cooking is preferred to preserve texture and for optimal freshness.
- Mix it up. Swap out the potatoes for sweet potatoes, add jalapenos + cheese to the mixture before forming into tots, or toss with buffalo sauce + sprinkle with blue cheese crumbles.
FREEZING AND STORAGE
Storage
Leftover tater tots can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
Reheating
Reheat in the oven at 350°F until warmed through, about 5-10 minutes.
Freeze before cooking
Place the uncooked tater tots on a baking sheet lined with wax paper or parchment paper, freezing for 1 hour until solid. Transfer the tater tots to an airtight, resealable freezer bag. Label, date and freeze up to 1 month. Cook as directed, adding 1 minute additional cook time as needed. Do not thaw.
Freeze after cooking
Let the tater tots cool completely. Place the tater tots on a baking sheet lined with wax paper or parchment paper, freezing for 1 hour until solid. Transfer the tater tots to an airtight, resealable freezer bag. Label, date and freeze up to 1 month. Reheat in the oven at 400°F until warmed through, about 15-17 minutes. Do not thaw.
what to serve with homemade tater tots
Homemade Tater Tots: Frequently Asked Questions
Russet potatoes are best due to its high starch and low moisture content, yielding the crispiest tots possible. Yukon golds is not recommended as they may be too soft and moist.
Squeezing out the excess moisture will prevent the tater tots from falling apart. Too much moisture in the potatoes can lead to gummy, soggy tots.
Yes! These can be cooked in the air fryer, in batches if needed, at 400°F for 10-15 minutes.
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
Absolutely! Tater tots can be frozen before or after cooking, and can keep for at least 1 month in the freezer.
Homemade Tater Tots
Ingredients
- 2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon dried dill
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 3 cups vegetable oil
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
Equipment
Instructions
- Place potatoes in a Dutch oven and cover with cold salted water by 1 inch. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, covered, until parboiled, about 6-7 minutes; drain well and let cool.
- Using a box grater, finely shred potatoes. Using a clean dish towel or cheese cloth, drain potatoes completely, removing as much water as possible.
- Transfer potatoes to a large bowl. Stir in flour, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano and dill; season with salt and pepper, to taste. The mixture should be workable but dry. Form potatoes into tots.
- Heat vegetable oil in a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium high heat until it registers 360 degrees F on a deep-fry thermometer.
- Working in batches, add tots to the Dutch oven and cook until evenly golden and crispy, about 3-4 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate.
- Serve immediately, garnished with parsley, if desired.*
Video
Notes
Did you make this recipe?
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Fantastic. But next time I am going to bake the potatoes in the microwave ,let them cool off and peel and grate them. Then there is no water to squeeze out.
Gail, good tip on using the microwave to avoid water issues! How long do you bake the potatoes in the microwave? I would like to try making these tots your way!
Mine are sizzling away in the oven and they smell absolutely delicious! Trying to cut down on deep-fried and shallow fried delicacies. I added a little less than two tablespoons of oil and 1/4 cup grated marble cheese to my mix (because of the cheese, I didn’t add any salt). I’m baking them at 425°F first for 10 minutes on the middle rack and then another 15 minutes on the top rack. Can’t wait to dig in!
I just had one and it satisfied my craving for tater tots. Thank you so much!
I made these and they were delicious! I didn’t use the herbs or onion powder and it wasn’t missed. After I grated the potatoes, I put the potatoes in the refrigerator uncovered for 24 hours and it took away all of the gummy qualities. Next time I will use cornstarch instead of flour so my older son can have some. He is allergic to wheat.
So I microwaved the potatoes till soft, scooped out the filling and added the flour, s&p, onion and garlic powder, and some dried oregano, chives, and parsley. Rolled a couple of long logs out, cut them into tots, and placed them on a tray. Refrigerated for half an hour and then deep fried in hot oil – they were immense and a hit with the family. I think refrigerating helps them keep their shape and prevents them from exploding!
Family loved them… Definitely a keeper!
My God!! You should’ve seen my face when I tried them… This is soooooo good! Thank you so much for the recipe, it’s really amazing!
Help! I made these and the mix was delicious but i absolutely could not get them to hold together. I finally give up and cooked them like potato pancakes. Do you know what could have gone wrong? Followed the recipe exactly, even weighing the potatoes. Maybe i boiled too long? Any advice is welcome
Has anyone baked these?? I know she has the reheating from frozen info below but just curious if anyone baked them instead of frying.
I baked them, because I hate fried food. It turned out great! I’d recommend turning them or putting it on broil for a little bit, though. They don’t come out as pretty as if they’d been fried, but they taste great!
It’s very delicious! We used our homemade ketchup and chilly sauce.
We made these yesterday! They were absolutely amazing! Great job on the recipe.
Not made these yet – they look delicious. I don’t like frying – can you make in the oven instead?
question – how would you go about doing the potatoes in the instant pot first? I have a huge harvest of potatoes and wanted to cut down on time by doing the potatoes in the IP.
I made potato patties rather than tot shape! They were delicious. I did put the extra uncooked patties in the freezer, will they hold? I saw the freezing instructions were for cooked, but I read that after the fact ♀️
Um, you seem to have forgotten something… Forming the shredded potatoes into a tater tot shape.
Your recipe is simply a “hash brown” recipe.
Jim, please refer to step #3.
3. Transfer potatoes to a large bowl. Stir in flour, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano and dill; season with salt and pepper, to taste. The mixture should be workable but dry. Form potatoes into tots.
I was wondering if there’s any difference between tater tots and hash browns besides the shape. I guess not.
This was a hit! I used homegrown russets and a slicer/grater that my MIL gave me 40 years ago. It produced a nice, fine shred. My potatoes were dry after cooling – I put them in a glass bowl just to see if moisture would collect and none did – so shredded away. I did use an ice cube tray to form them (in that had rectangular slots). Pressed them down a bit and refrigerated before releasing onto a cutting board. In the last batch I added som shredded parm, but it made them a bit less firm. It was fun and delicious! Thanks for the recipe
Omg. I made them this morning.. 5 star recipe. I added 1 tablespoon panko.
I was so excited to try these! They are delicious, everyone raved. But, my tots do not look like regular tots! Here is what I did – I bought a 5 lb bag of Russet potatoes, they were mostly about 1/2 smaller than the ones pictured. So I peeled them brought them to a boil and timed them after the boiling point for 4 minutes. All 5 lbs. Then I cooled them slightly, then shredded them while pretty hot in my food processor. I realized at that point that they were supposed to be cool, so I put the shredded potatoes into a bowl of cold water and stirred them around. After they were cool, I drained and dried them with tea towels and paper towels. Then tripled the flour and spices because of the 5 lbs. and mixed them all up. I used Canola oil in a deep pot, 2/3 of the bottle or about 2 inches at the bottom of the pot. I feel that the video is not the best because deep fat frying in hot oil is a safety issue if there is spattering. I made sure the oil was at 360 degrees before I dropped the tots in. I had a hard time shaping them because they did not like to stick together. I ended up making lots and lots of potato strings, but at one point, they seemed to stick together and I think it was because I floured the outsides, and because I didn’t put more than 4 (!) at a time into the pot. This is a labor of love. They are delicious, but I’m probably going to buy my tots, especially for grandchildren. I think maybe my method of shredding was to blame. But if I had to use a box shredder, I might shred myself soon afterwards!
Reply to Jennifer Anderson, 5 pounds of potatoes is 2 1/2 times recipe amount but you tripled the flour. This is why they fell apart.
Mine came out perfect, great recipe.
My local Aldi is now selling kid varieties of tater tots shaped like dinos and teddy bears. They add broccoli bits and other veg. I would do a carrot or other vegetable that can shred easily, would be interesting for kids.
I’d always read that homemade tater tots were an impossibility, because they were too wet to cook properly. My husband just harvested a ton of fresh red potatoes from the garden, so I thought I would try tots, anyway. Red potatoes are perfect for making tots, it turns out — not wet and I didn’t have to dry them at all. Just boiled them in water for 7 minutes and then turned the heat off and let them sit in the hot water until knife inserted easily.
The seasoning combination in this recipe is INCREDIBLE!! I am going to season more potato dishes with it. The only odd thing was that the fried tots tasted under-seasoned. I don’t understand how it went from perfect to under-seasoned just by frying — but hubby wants me to double the seasoning next time. Thank you for a fabulous recipe!!
I made these today and they were a hit. 5 empty plates. I have to admit the prep was a little bit of hassle but worth it, very tasty and added a little ‘something different for dinner time
WOW! My family couldn’t get enough of these! I just used garlic powder and onion powder and I used my own gluten free flour blend instead of regular flour. They held together easily. I dampened my hands with a little water and shaped a log, then squeezed the log thinner by wrapping it in waxed paper. After that I just sliced them and smooshed down the tops a little bit to give them more of a tater tot shape. I’ll never buy tots again! Can’t wait to make some more and try some fresh, finely chopped garlic tops and onion tops in them.
Thanks for a really great recipe!
I have left over mashed potatoes. Would they work?
Do you freeze after frying or raw??