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    Bites with Bri » Side Dish » Seasoned Tater Tots (Frozen)

    Seasoned Tater Tots (Frozen)

    Published: Sep 20, 2022 · Modified: May 2, 2023 by Brianna May · This post may contain affiliate links.

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    This Seasoned Tater Tots recipe is a great way to doctor up a frozen bag of tots. No more soggy bland boring tater tots. These are the perfect side dish for burgers, hot dogs, and more. 

    Seasoned tater tots on baking sheet.

    I love to cook from scratch, but sometimes I just don’t have the time. So recipes like this, my Air Fryer Frozen Eggs Rolls, or Frozen Burgers made in the air fryer are on standby in a pinch.  

    Jump to:
    • Why You’ll Love This Recipe
    • Ingredients & Substitutions
    • How to Make Seasoned Tater Tots
    • Expert Tips & Variations
    • Recipe FAQs
    • More Side Dish Recipes
    • Seasoned Tater Tots

    Why You’ll Love This Recipe

    • Simple pantry ingredients - You likely have all of these ingredients on hand already. These are all items that can be stored for long periods of time which makes this recipe a great standby side dish. 
    • Flavorful - The spices and oil take these to the next level. 
    • Crispy - The key is to bake them longer than instructed on the back of the package. 
    • Easy - While these do take a while in the oven, the recipe is completely hands off.

    Ingredients & Substitutions

    Ingredients needed to make seasoned tater tots in the oven.
    • Olive Oil: Substitute for a neutral oil, like avocado or vegetable oil. 
    • Salt: Omit if the tots have salt added already. You can always salt them when they come out of the oven if needed. 
    • Cayenne: These have a mild amount of spice. Increase to ½-3/4 teaspoon to make them spicier.

    Complete list of ingredients and amounts is located on the recipe card below.

    How to Make Seasoned Tater Tots

    Quick Overview

    • Toss in oil & spices.
    • Bake & serve hot!

    Step by Step Instructions

    A 4 photo collage showing how to toss the tots and bake them.

    Keep baking them until crispy and browned.

    Step 1: Preheat the oven and 1-2 large baking sheets to 425 degrees. In a large bowl, combine the oil and all of the spices.

    Step 2: Add the tots and toss until evenly coated in the oil mixture.

    Step 3: Place the tots on the preheated pan. (For crispier tots, use two baking sheets.)

    Step 4: Bake according to the package instructions. I usually add about 5-10 minutes because I like them extra crispy. Check the tots as they cook and toss a couple of times. Rotate the pan 1-2 times if using two baking sheets.

    Expert Tips & Variations

    • Preheat the pan. Placing the frozen tots on a hot pan helps the exterior to begin crisping faster. 
    • Add oil. The additional oil adds flavor, prevents them from drying out, and aids in crisping. It also prevents the spices from burning. 
    • Do not overcrowd the sheet pan. Depending on the size of your baking sheet you may want to use two. The more air that can circulate between them, the crisper they will get. 
    • Bake until crispy. Continue baking the tots until they are crispy. I find the instructions on the package are not long enough. Using two baking sheets can speed up the crisping process. 
    • Serve with your favorite dipping sauces. My favorite is ranch. Ketchup, BBQ, fry sauce, or even mayo are also great options.
    Seasoned tater tots on a wooden spoon.

    Recipe FAQs

    What goes good on tater tots?

    Potatoes are a great vessel for a variety of flavors. Dry spices like chili powder, cumin, oregano, parsley, thyme, onion powder, granulated garlic, paprika etc. are great options. You can also load them up with cheese, bacon, and chives. 

    How do I make my tater tots crispy?

    Overbake them. I find the time suggested on the bag is not long enough to get them crispy. 

    How do I cook frozen tater tots?

    The typical package instructions recommend baking them at 425 degrees from anywhere from 20-40 minutes depending on the brand and amount being baked. 

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    If you try this recipe, please leave a star rating in the recipe card below and/or comment! I always appreciate your feedback. Follow me on Pinterest, Facebook & Instagram.

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    4.95 from 78 votes

    Seasoned Tater Tots

    This Seasoned Tater Tots recipe is a great way to doctor up a frozen bag of tots. No more soggy bland boring tater tots. These are the perfect side dish for burgers, hot dogs, and more.
    Servings10 people
    Prep5 minutes minutes
    Cook55 minutes minutes
    Total1 hour hour
    Course: Side Dish
    Cuisine: American
    Author: Brianna May

    Equipment:

    • Baking Sheets

    Ingredients:

    • 1 32 ounce bag frozen tater tots
    • 3 Tablespoon olive oil*
    • 1 teaspoon granulated garlic
    • 1 teaspoon onion powder
    • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
    • 1 teaspoon chili powder
    • 1 teaspoon thyme
    • 1 teaspoon oregano
    • ½ teaspoon salt*
    • ½ teaspoon black pepper
    • ¼ teaspoon cayenne*

    Instructions:

    • Preheat the oven and 1-2 large baking sheets to 425 degrees. In a large bowl, combine the oil and all of the spices.
    • Add the tots and toss until evenly coated in the oil mixture.
    • Place the tots on the preheated pan. (For crispier tots, use two baking sheets.)
    • Bake according to the package instructions. I usually add about 5-10 minutes because I like them extra crispy. Check the tots as they cook and toss a couple of times. Rotate the pan 1-2 times if using two baking sheets.

    Notes:

    • Olive Oil: Substitute for a neutral oil, like avocado or vegetable oil. 
    • Salt: Omit if the tots have salt added already. You can always salt them when they come out of the oven if needed. 
    • Preheat the pan. Placing the frozen tots on a hot pan helps the exterior to begin crisping faster. 
    • Add oil. The additional oil adds flavor, prevents them from drying out, and aids in crisping. It also prevents the spices from burning. 
    • Do not overcrowd the sheet pan. Depending on the size of your baking sheet you may want to use two. The more air that can circulate between them, the crisper they will get. 
    • Bake until crispy. Continue baking the tots until they are crispy. I find the instructions on the package are not long enough. Using two baking sheets can speed up the crisping process.

    NUTRITION:

    Calories: 211kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Sodium: 529mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 0.3g
    Did you make this recipe? Tag me on Instagram!Mention or tag @bites.with.bri_ or use the hashtag #biteswithbri
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Linda Lark

      April 26, 2023 at 3:48 pm

      Tater Tots say cook for 15 min, turn, and cook for 7 minutes. This works perfectly with your recipe. I cut the ingredients and tots in half. One tater tot does not take less time to cook than 50 tater tots!

      Reply
      • Brianna May

        May 02, 2023 at 11:09 am

        Awesome!

        Reply
    2. Jessica Formicola

      February 27, 2023 at 8:23 am

      5 stars
      These tater tots are the best I've ever had! The seasoning is perfect!

      Reply
    3. Homesteader

      February 16, 2023 at 12:33 pm

      5 stars
      I like to get horseradish out of a jar and mix it with organic ketchup and hot sauce so I'm basically dipping tater tots in shrimp sauce.

      Reply
    4. Peggi C

      February 11, 2023 at 6:55 pm

      1 star
      I was skeptical about the nearly hour cooking time and I was right. I followed the recipe to a tee. I preheated my pan, I use stoneware so it gets extremely hot to begin with. Set the oven to the temperature in the recipe instead of the temp recommended on the package. My pan was not overcrowded by any means there is only 2 of us so I didn't cook the whole bag. I set my timer for only half the time you say so I could check on them and they were already burnt! Even set off my smoke alarm upon opening the oven and i didnt even see any smoke. Don't know if it was the seasoning on them or the fact that I use stoneware but they were unedibble. They were so over cooked there was no potato even left on the inside. These looked so good but such a disappointment.

      Reply
      • Brianna May

        February 12, 2023 at 9:18 am

        I am so sorry about this! I have never baked with stoneware so that could be the issue. The recipe was made for a 2 pound bag so if you reduce the amount of tots, the cook time will be shorter. How did you scale the recipe down since you did not use the whole bag? It could be that too little oil was used as well. Every oven cooked differently so it could be your oven as well.

        Reply

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    I am a recipe developer, food photographer, blogger. My goal is to teach you how to cook, not just follow my recipes. I love to cook with bold flavors that are still family friendly. My hubs is a picky eater and all of these recipes are approved by him, so I am sure you and your family will love them too. Learn more about Bri >>

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