Description
Air Fryer Cheesy Tater Tots are crispy homemade shredded potato tots mixed with sharp cheddar cheese and a touch of seasoning, cooked to golden perfection in the air fryer. This easy appetizer features tender potatoes with a crispy exterior and melty cheesy centers, perfect for a snack or party finger food.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients
- 4 medium russet potatoes, washed
- 1½ cups sharp cheddar cheese, grated
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Boil Potatoes: Place the whole potatoes in a pot of cold salted water. Bring the water to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes until a fork pierces the potatoes but they remain firm. Drain and allow potatoes to cool for about 15 minutes until cool enough to handle.
- Grate Potatoes: Once cooled, grate the potatoes using a coarse grater and place the grated potatoes into a large mixing bowl.
- Mix Ingredients: Add the grated cheddar cheese, all-purpose flour, kosher salt, and black pepper to the bowl with the grated potatoes. Mix thoroughly until all ingredients are combined evenly.
- Form Tots: Line a large sheet with parchment paper. Scoop out 1 tablespoon of the potato mixture and shape it into a cylindrical tater tot. Place it on the parchment paper. Repeat until all mixture is formed into tots.
- Preheat Air Fryer: Preheat the air fryer to 380°F. Spray the air fryer basket with nonstick cooking spray to prevent sticking.
- Cook Tots: Place the tater tots in a single layer in the air fryer basket. Depending on basket size, work in batches. Spray the tots lightly with oil spray and air fry for 10 minutes.
- Flip and Finish Cooking: After 10 minutes, carefully flip each tater tot and spray with a little more oil. Continue air frying for an additional 5 minutes until golden and crispy.
- Serve: Remove the cheesy tater tots from the air fryer and serve immediately while hot and crispy.
Notes
- Use russet potatoes for the best texture and crispiness.
- Make sure potatoes are cool before grating to avoid them turning mushy.
- You can substitute cheddar with any firm melting cheese like Monterey Jack or mozzarella.
- If mixture is too wet to form tots, add a little more flour.
- Cooking times may vary slightly depending on your air fryer model, so watch for golden color and crispness.
- Serve with ketchup, ranch, or your favorite dipping sauce.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4 pieces
- Calories: 180 kcal
- Sugar: 0.5 g
- Sodium: 280 mg
- Fat: 8 g
- Saturated Fat: 4.5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2.5 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 22 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 6 g
- Cholesterol: 20 mg
