Crispy Air Fryer Tater Tots (Gluten-Free, Vegan)

Get ready for the crispiest air fryer tater tots ever! No need to heat up your oven or bring out the deep fryer for crispy tater tots. These air fried tater tots are done in less than 15 minutes and cleaning up is a breeze. They make a delicious appetizer or finger food during Super Bowl or game day, or the perfect side dish too. Totally gluten-free, dairy-free and vegan too.

Jump to:

• We Love Our Air Fryer
• Our Favorite Air Fryer Potato Recipes:
• What Are Tater Tots?
• Why This Recipe Works:
• Ingredients You’ll Need:
• Recipe Notes/Substitutions:
• How to Cook Frozen Tater Tots in the Air Fryer (Step by Step):
• Dish by Dish Tips/Tricks:
• What to Eat with Tater Tots:
• Gluten-Free Air Fryer Recipes:
• Crispy Air Fryer Tater Tots (Gluten-Free, Vegan)

We Love Our Air Fryer

If you were gifted an air fryer over the holidays, or bought one for yourself recently, you’ll know what I mean when I say the air fryer is magical!

I’m constantly amazed by how the air fryer uses hot air current to make food so golden and crispy (with very little or sometimes even zero oil)!

We actually bought our first air fryer to make French fries, and since then, we’ve progressed to experiment with air frying quite a few other potato recipes.

Our Favorite Air Fryer Potato Recipes:

• Crispy Air Fryer Hasselback Potatoes (Gluten-Free, Vegan)
• Air Fryer Potato Wedges (Gluten-Free, Vegan)
• Air Fryer Diced Potatoes (Gluten-Free, Vegan)
• Air Fryer French Fries (Fresh or Frozen)

And of course… we couldn’t leave out tater tots as well!

What Are Tater Tots?

Never heard of tater tots before? Don’t fret!

Tater tots are basically small, bite-sized croquettes made with shredded potatoes that are then deep-fried until they turn a glorious golden brown. Characteristically crispy on the outside, tater tots are the perfect finger food for Super Bowl parties or a quick snack during Game Day gatherings.

While tater tots are usually fried in copious amounts of oil, we’re going a healthier and less-oily route today by enlisting out favorite kitchen appliance – the magical air fryer. No deep frying required!

Why This Recipe Works:

• Just One Ingredient: You literally just need ONE ingredient for this easy recipe, and you got it! It’s store-bought frozen tater tots, which can be found at the frozen food section in most local grocery stores. (Unless you plan to make your own homemade tater tots, then, well, that would a longer ingredient list.)
• Super Easy to Make: There’s no hands-on time required – all you need to do is to preheat the air fryer and let it work its magic!
• No Oil + Minimal Clean Up: Since we’re not using any oil here, only nonstick cooking spray to ensure the tater tots don’t stick to the air fryer basket, there won’t be any oil splatters on the wall to deal with or clean! The only thing that will need cleaning is the air fryer basket. Plus, you won’t need to use up half a bottle of oil just to cook the crispiest tater tots!
• Perfect Texture: These air-fried tater tots have an incredible crunch that makes them a great side dish. Or serve them as finger food during Super Bowl or your game day tailgating parties!
• Totally Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free and Vegan: The best part is that these air fried tater tots are 100% gluten-free, dairy-free and vegan, which means that even those with Celiac disease, or gluten or lactose intolerances, or those simply on a gluten-free or vegan diet, will be able to enjoy crunchy tots without issues!

Ingredients You’ll Need:

Here’s a visual overview of the ingredients needed.

(For exact measurements and quantities, please scroll down to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.)

Recipe Notes/Substitutions:

• Tater Tots: I used frozen tater tots here, but feel free to make your own homemade tater tots instead. Just make sure to spray the tater tots with cooking spray or brushing them with oil before cooking them in the air fryer.

How to Cook Frozen Tater Tots in the Air Fryer (Step by Step):

1. Preheat and Grease

Preheat the air fryer to 390F and spray the air fryer basket with nonstick cooking spray.

2. Place Tater Tots in Air Fryer

Place frozen tater tots in a single layer in the preheated air fryer basket.

3. Cook Until Golden

Air fry tater tots at 390F for 14 minutes, shaking the basket every 3 to 4 minutes, until the tater tots are golden and crispy.

4. Repeat Until Finished

Repeat with the remaining frozen tater tots until all are cooked.

5. Serve and Enjoy

Serve these air fryer tots with your favorite dipping sauce and enjoy!

Dish by Dish Tips/Tricks:

• Do NOT Overcrowd: For best results, make sure that the tater tots are arranged in a single layer in the air fryer basket, and that they are not overcrowded so that there is enough room for the hot air to circulate. This will ensure that the tater tots are crispy on all sides. Depending on the size of your air fryer, you may need to cook the tater tots in more or less batches (a larger air fryer may be able to cook the whole bag all at once, smaller air fryers may require a few batches).
• Optional Seasonings: While these tots are great with just a shake of salt, feel free to add your favorite seasonings too (such as onion powder, garlic powder, taco seasoning, chili powder, etc). Simply place the frozen tater tots together with 1 teaspoon of seasoning of choice in a container or ziplock bag and give it a good shake so the tater tots are evenly coated before cooking.
• Storing: On the rare chance you have any leftover tater tots (which I highly doubt will happen), store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat in the air fryer at 350F for 5 minutes before eating.

What to Eat with Tater Tots:

Here are some of our favorite sauces go with these crispy air fried tater tots!

• 5-Minute Homemade Sriracha Chili Sauce (Gluten-Free, Vegan)
• Easy Garlic Aioli (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free)
• Basil Walnut Pesto (Gluten-Free, Vegan)
• Ketchup
• Barbecue Sauce

Gluten-Free Air Fryer Recipes:

P.S. If you try this recipe, I’d love for you to leave a star rating below, and/or a review in the comment section further down the page. I always appreciate your feedback. Be sure to check out my entire Recipe Index for all the recipes on the blog. You can also follow me on Pinterest, Facebook or Instagram! Sign up for my Email List to get fresh recipes in your inbox each week!

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