Crispy Tater Tots from Scratch
Skip the freezer aisle and the added preservatives. Instead, with just a few easy ingredients and simple steps, you can make your own homemade Crispy Tater Tots From Scratch!
I have a confession to make: I. Love. Tater Tots. They’re my ultimate bar food guilty pleasure. While we’re not heading out to many bars these days, we learned to make our own, Crispy Tater Tots From Scratch!
While opening a freezer bag is super easy, these homemade tater tots require just a minimal amount of additional work, but without all of the added junk found in those ultra-processed foods. Whole foods, made at home – even your favorite bar food!
Ingredients Needed
- Russet Potatoes – Also known as Idaho Potatoes, these are the best for this recipe because they have a lower moisture content and are a high starch potato.
- Flour – To help bind your tots.
- Seasonings – Salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and paprika are our favorites!
- Oil – To fry. Vegetable oil is our go to, but you could use another high smoke point oil, too, like canola oil. Peanut oil is also great, but it will impart a bit of a peanut flavor.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Par-boil potatoes.
This helps soften them a bit so that they’re a bit softer and cook / crisp up faster.
Step 2: Once cool, peel and grate the potatoes. We love to use the larger size on a box grater like this one.
Once your potatoes are grated, it’s important to try to squeeze as much of the moisture out of the potatoes as possible. To do this, you can gently press the grated potatoes with some paper towels.
Step 3: Add the flour and the rest of the seasoning and give a good mix.
Step 4: Shape your tots!
The best size we’ve found is about 3 – 4 inches, and to use your hands. While this will mean that your hands will get messy. The tots’ll shape best with clean hands, but you will need to clean your hands a few times while you shape.
Step 5: Fry until Crispy Tater Tots perfection!
They’ll take just a couple of minutes, so you’re just waiting for them to get a nice golden brown.
Homemade Tater Tots for the win!
Even better, serve them with some 5 Minute Homemade Ketchup! Orrr…
My Tater Tot love has finally been justified with a From Scratch version! These homemade Crispy Tater Tots are a family favorite. Perfect for game night, as an appetizer, or even just a fun after-school snack.
Freeze For Later
One of my favorite parts of this recipe? You can totally make a big batch and then freeze them for later! That means that you can have homemade Tater Tots that are just as easy as opening a freezer aisle bag!
To Freeze: Once cooked, be sure to let tater tots cool completely. Then transfer to an airtight container. Store in the freezer for up to 1 month.
To Reheat: Preheat oven to 400 degrees F, add tots to a baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes or until tots are fully heated through.
Enjoy! As always, if you make this recipe or any of my others, I love to hear what you think! Leave a comment below, email me, or you can find me on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest!
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Crispy Tater Tots from Scratch
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 lbs russet potatoes peeled
- 1/2 cup flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
- Vegetable or Canola Oil for frying
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add peeled potatoes. Parboil for 6 minutes. Remove and let cool, completely.
- Fill a small sauce pan with oil halfway. Heat oil on medium to 375°.
- Once potatoes are cooled, use a box grater (with the large size) to grate potatoes into a large bowl.
- With paper towels, gently press down on potatoes to squeeze out excess moisture. You can also use a cheese cloth for this.
- Add flour and other spices to bowl and mix until everything is evenly incorporated.
- Use your hands to form potatoes into 3-4 inch small tot shapes and line on a plate or baking sheet.
- Once the oil has reached about 375° Fry in oil until crispy and then drain on papertowel lined plate.
- Cool on a paper towel lined plate and serve with your favorite condiment!
great post! Tater tots are crispy, tasty, and always a comforting snack
These tater tots are so yummy and crispy! SO much better than store bought and my family just loves these tasty little things! Such a hit here and we’ll definitely be making these again!
These look wonderful, can’t wait to try them.