These crispy smashed tater tots are an easy appetizer, a fun side dish, or even a snack. Using just 5 extra ingredients we take humble tater tots and turn them into an addictingly flavorful dish.
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Give your standard tater tots a shake-up with this trending TikTok sensation. Crispy on the outside, but with a soft potato inside, these flavorful bites are the perfect twist on regular tots.
💌 Why I Love This Recipe
Whether you're prepping for a big gathering, making a family meal, or simply enjoying a solo dinner, these crispy tater tots tick all the boxes.
- Easy to Make: Requires simple ingredients and minimal prep.
- Perfect for Parties: Family-friendly and great even for picky eaters.
- Endless toppings: Simple to customize with any toppings of your choice.
- Minimal Clean-up: To save you time & effort.
🛒 Ingredients
- Frozen Tater Tots: These are pre-cooked and only need to be crisped up in the oven.
- Italian Seasoning: Gives aroma & flavor. Use a store-bought or homemade mix featuring dried oregano, parsley, rosemary, thyme & basil (or a similar variation).
- Garlic Powder: Gives it a warm, deep, savory flavor.
- Black Pepper: Adds a very gentle hint of spice.
- Fresh Coriander or Parsley: To be sprinkled on top just before serving.
- Salt Flakes: An optional way to finish the dish with a burst of salty flavor.
For an extra crispy texture, you can also add light olive oil. However, frozen tater tots already contain all so I personally don't find it necessary.
No tater tots? If you are in the UK, you can use mini hash browns (hash brown bites) instead. In Australia, these are called potato gems.
👩🏻🍳 Equipment
- Baking Sheet: For spreading out the tater tots to ensure even cooking.
- Baking Paper: For lining the sheet, resulting in an easy clean-up.
- Glass/Mug: For pressing down on the tots, creating that smashed texture.
👣 Steps
Tip: This is just a super quick overview. See the recipe card at the bottom of this blog post for the full recipe and exact ingredient details.
Preheat the Oven: Set your oven to 425°F (220°C).
Step 1 - Prepare the Tater Tots. Spread the frozen tater tots on a lined baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes and move to step 2 in the meantime.
Step 2 - Seasoning. In a small bowl, add all your seasoning & mix well. Add olive oil if desired.
Step 3 - Smash & Season. After 10 minutes, remove the tots from the oven. Using a potato smasher or a small glass/mug, gently press each tot until slightly flattened. Add seasoning mix and toss until combined.
Step 4 - Bake Again. Place them back in the oven and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes, until golden brown and extra crispy.
Garnish and Serve - Once done, remove from the oven and sprinkle with salt flakes and fresh coriander or parsley. Serve immediately.
Important Reminder: Keep in mind that every oven works slightly differently even if it's set at the same temperature. Depending on how fast your oven can cook things, you may need to adjust the baking times. I recommend you keep an eye on the tots during the second bake to prevent burning.
💡 Recipe Success Tips
- Don't Overcrowd: Once the tater tots are pressed down, they will take up a bigger surface area. Ensure you leave enough space between them when placing them on the baking sheet.
- Be Consistent: Flatten the tots evenly to ensure uniform cooking.
- Get Creative: Think of the seasoning as a suggestion only - you can adjust this to your taste or leave it out altogether. The same goes for any toppings and serving sauces.
- Be Patient: Don’t remove the smashed tater tots from the oven too soon - look out for a golden brown color and crispy exterior. See photos for reference.
- Gently Dab: If the tots end up too greasy for your taste, simply dab them with a paper towel to remove any excess oil.
- Serve Fresh: For the best flavor & maximum crispiness, serve these straight out of the oven.
Extra tip - Load them! Top off smashed tater tots with all your classic loaded baked potato toppings or simply add other toppings of your choice.
📌 Frequently Asked Questions
Absolutely! You will need to adjust the cooking time based on your air fryer’s instructions for tater tots (this varies per brand). Follow all the same steps you would normally.
You can technically make these on the stovetop, but the results won't be the same.
If you're making this on the stovetop, I recommend using a cast iron skillet or a non-stick pan.
Spray the pan with cooking spray and gently fry the tots on medium heat to avoid burning.
Reheat in the oven or air fryer to preserve the crispy texture. Do not reheat in the microwave.
🫒 Variations
One of the best ways to add an extra flavor twist to this dish is by adding drizzles.
Think pizza sauce, tahini, Sriracha mayo, hot sauce, chili oil, ranch-style dressing, curry sauce, or similar.
I recommend adding a drizzle of sauce just before serving.
If you are saving some smashed tater tots for later, do NOT drizzle them with sauce. The sauce can make them go soggy if left out for too long.
You can also add crunchy toppings like chopped green onions, sesame seeds, jalapeño slices, olives, or zesty toppings lime wedges. Get creative & add whatever you fancy!
🍽️ Serving Suggestions
- Appetizer: Serve with various dipping sauces like ketchup, Sriracha mayo, avocado lime crema.
- Breakfast: Serve it with my tofu scramble, toast, and your favorite veggies for a healthy breakfast.
- Cripsy Side: Pair it as a crispy side dish for any main of your choice.
- Party Snack: A crowd-pleasing salty snack for your next dinner party or film night.
📦 Storing
Store any leftover tots in an airtight container in the fridge. Eat within 2-3 days. Reheat thoroughly (in the oven or air fryer) before serving.
👋 Conclusion
If you're looking for more simple potato recipes, why not try out my creamy, feel-good stewed potatoes or my chewy potato mochi?
Tried my smashed tater tots recipe? Your comments, ratings & reviews all help bring this recipe to more new readers.
Got questions about making this recipe? Simply use the comments section below to get in touch - I am happy to help you!
🍴Recipe
Crispy Smashed Tater Tots - Potato Appetizer
EQUIPMENT
- Baking sheet
- Baking paper
- Glass/Mug
INGREDIENTS
- 9 oz (250 g) tater tots frozen
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoon fresh coriander or parsley chopped
- salt flakes for garnish
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat the Oven. Set your oven to 425°F (220°C).
- Prepare the Tater Tots. Spread the frozen tater tots on a lined baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes and move to step 3 in the meantime.9 oz tater tots
- Mix the Seasoning. In a small bowl, add all your seasoning & mix well. Add olive oil if desired.1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon black pepper, 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Smash & Season. After baking them for 10 minutes, remove the tots from the oven. Use a potato smasher or small glass/mug to gently press each tot until slightly flattened. Add seasoning mix and toss until combined.
- Bake Again. Place them back in the oven and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes, until golden brown and extra crispy.
- Garnish and Serve. Once done, remove from the oven and sprinkle with salt flakes and fresh coriander or parsley. Serve immediately.2 tablespoon fresh coriander or parsley, salt flakes
Notes
- Tip 1 - Don't Overcrowd: Ensure you leave enough space between the tots when placing them on the baking sheet.
- Tip 2 - Be Consistent: Flatten the tots evenly to ensure uniform cooking.
- Tip 3 - Get Creative: Think of the seasoning as a suggestion only - adjust to your taste or leave it out altogether.
- Tip 4 - Be Patient: Don’t take them out of the oven too soon- look out for a golden brown color and crispy exterior.
- Tip 5- Gently Dab: If the tots end up too greasy for your taste, simply dab them with a paper towel.
Nutrition
Disclaimer: The nutritional information above is calculated automatically. The author of this post cannot guarantee 100% accuracy of this data.
Nanette says
Can these be warmed just before serving, if doing them for a catering event.
Tajda Ferko says
Hi Nanette, yes, you can fully cook them and then reheat just before serving. What will you be using to warm them up? I'd recommend testing out a small batch first to see if you're happy with the crispiness level as it might vary depending on the equipment used. Hope this helps! 🙂
Laura says
what kind of dipping sauce could be served with these?
Tajda Ferko says
Hi lovely! So there are tons of options - you could serve it with a simple condiment like some ketchup, mayo, BBQ sauce, chili sauce, or similar. Then you could go Italian-style and serve it with a marinara sauce (tomatoes, parsley, garlic, and oregano sauce) or some green pesto. You could also dip these in coleslaw, romesco sauce, mustard etc. I like to serve it with a 'special' mayo, which for me is the Dairy-Free Hellmann's mayo mixed with some freshly pressed garlic, lemon juice and dill. It's gorgeous! But really, anything that you'd normally serve as a dip could be used - depending on what you prefer. Feel free to keep it simple or go condiment crazy depending on your preference. Hope you enjoy it -let me know 🙂 xx