Description
Crispy golden tater tots topped with hearty chili and melted sharp cheddar cheese create the ultimate comfort food. This quick air fryer recipe delivers restaurant-quality loaded tots with minimal effort – perfect for game day snacks or a fun family dinner!
Ingredients
Scale
- 32 ounce bag frozen tater tots
- (2) 15 ounce cans chili with beans (Hormel® recommended)
- 2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
- Optional Toppings
- Sour cream
- Diced onions
Instructions
- Preheat Air Fryer: Preheat the air fryer to 390°F for one minute to ensure it reaches the optimal cooking temperature for crispy tots.
- Prepare Basket: Lightly spray the air fryer basket with cooking spray such as grapeseed oil to prevent sticking and help achieve even browning on the tater tots.
- Arrange Tater Tots: Pour the frozen tater tots into the prepared basket, spreading them out in a single layer. Avoid overcrowding to ensure proper air circulation and even cooking.
- Cook Tater Tots: Cook at 390°F for 12-15 minutes, pausing to shake the basket after 6 minutes. This helps ensure all sides of the tater tots get evenly crispy and golden brown.
- Heat Chili: While the tater tots are cooking, heat the chili in a small saucepan until hot and bubbling. Stir occasionally to prevent burning on the bottom.
- Assemble Dish: Carefully remove the cooked tater tots from the air fryer basket and place them on individual plates or a large serving platter, depending on your serving preference.
- Add Toppings: Top the hot tater tots with the warmed chili, generously sprinkle with shredded sharp cheddar cheese, and add optional toppings like sour cream and diced onions according to taste.
- Serve: Enjoy immediately with a fresh side salad for a complete meal.
Notes
- For extra crispy tots, you can cook them for an additional 1-2 minutes, but watch closely to prevent burning.
- The residual heat from the tater tots and hot chili will help melt the cheese, but you can also place the assembled dish under a broiler for 1-2 minutes if you prefer extra melty cheese.
- Try using different chili varieties like vegetarian chili or beef-only chili to customize the dish to your preference.
- For a spicier version, add sliced jalapeños or hot sauce as an additional topping.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Main-course
- Method: Air Frying
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/6 of recipe
- Calories: 450
- Sugar: 5g
- Sodium: 980mg
- Fat: 22g
- Saturated Fat: 9g
- Unsaturated Fat: 11g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 45g
- Fiber: 7g
- Protein: 19g
- Cholesterol: 45mg