Tater Tots Recipe

5 from 3 votes

Making tater tots from scratch is so much quicker and easier than you think. You'll never buy frozen again!

Prep Time30

Cook Time15

Total Time45

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Servings: people

Place the potatoes in a Dutch oven or large pot and cover with water. Place over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to simmer and cook until the potatoes are barely fork tender, 6-10 minutes.
2 pounds Russet potatoes
Drain the potatoes in a colander, then transfer them to a clean kitchen cloth in a single layer to dry.
Once the potatoes are cool, transfer half of the potatoes to a food processor. Pulse until the potatoes are chopped into ¼ inch to ⅛ inch pieces. Transfer to a bowl and repeat with the remaining potatoes.
Gently fold in the cornstarch, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper.
1 tablespoon cornstarch, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, ½ teaspoon ground black pepper, ½ teaspoon onion powder
Form the potatoes into 1-inch long logs and place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Heat the oil in a Dutch oven or large pot until it reaches 350°F. Fry the tater tots in batches, being careful not to crowd the pot, until golden brown, about 3-5 minutes. Transfer the tots to a paper towel lined sheet pan to cool.
1 quart vegetable oil
Sprinkle with extra salt, parsley, and serve!
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Yield: This recipe yields 50-60 tater tots. A serving is 12-15 tots.

In step 1, start timing the potatoes after the water boils.
Take care not to overcook the potatoes in step 1; otherwise, you'll end up with mushy tots. You want them just fork tender, not falling apart.
If you don't have a food processor, you can grate the potato pieces on a box grater.
You can use a cookie scoop or tablespoon to ensure your tots are uniform in size. Mine are about 1½ tablespoons each.
When frying the tots in batches, make sure the oil returns to 350°F before adding more tots.

Storage: Store tater tots in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.