Homemade Tater Tots
Make your own Homemade Tater Tots by following this easy recipe using a leftover baked potato—healthy comfort food straight from your childhood.
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Do you love spuds? This homemade tater tots recipe is a healthier, homemade twist on the old standard frozen favorite. Forget that stale bag from the Antarctic regions of your freezer, and DIY with me!
What are tater tots?
Also known as Tater Gems, they are little cylinders of crispy potatoes, kind of like small barrel-shaped fries. Generally sold frozen in a plastic bag in your grocer’s freezer.
When I first moved out on my own and started ‘cooking,’ Tater Tots, along with Mr. Noodles, were pretty much the staples of my diet. Getting those little gems perfectly browned and crispy was my claim to fame.
Try these Air Fryer Potato Puffs for another tater gem recipe option! It is much healthier than deep-frying.
Ingredients for this recipe:
- 1 large cooked and cooled baked potato
- caramelized onions or granulated
- olive oil
- salt and pepper
You do need to have an already baked and cooled baked potato for this tater tots recipe. I usually make baked potatoes for dinner the night before and just throw an extra one in. After it cools, I put it into a container and store it in the fridge overnight. Easy peasy!
To take things to the next level, I added caramelized onions. This is totally optional, and you can easily substitute granulated garlic or garlic powder.
They are pretty easy to whip up, click here for how I caramelize onions. I advise making an entire batch even though you won’t need them all for this recipe. They are pretty versatile and taste great in frittatas, as a burger topper, or in a sandwich.
Yum!
Homemade Tater Tots – Step by step
First, peel the cooled potato and grate it up.
Next, add the onions, sea salt, and fresh pepper.
Mix it all together.
Form your ‘tots’ by pressing about 2-3 tablespoons worth of the potato mixture into your palm, then shape it into those familiar cylinders.
Brush them with olive oil and pop them into the oven.
This is where I excelled back in the day.
I like my taters to be crispy on all sides, so I rotate them around a few times to get them perfectly browned.
Typically, I’m not much of a ketchup fan, but it’s pretty much mandatory to dip these babies in a little something. This Spicy Dipping Sauce or even this Homemade Mayonnaise would be fantastic dips also!
A great serving suggestion is to portion them up alongside your breakfast, like this delicious western omelet. Potatoes and eggs go hand in hand.
What are the calories in tater tots? This homemade version is about 75 calories per serving, which is 1/4 of the recipe. If you eat them all, it’s about 300 calories. Not too shabby!
I just love baked potato and comfort food recipes. There’s nothing like an old favorite made new, made yourself, and made with real ingredients.
They are not frozen, they are not processed, but they are all delicious.
More healthy potato recipes:
- Oven Baked Potato Wedges
- Sweet Potato Breakfast Bowl
- Instant Pot Salted Potatoes
- Sweet Potato Hash with Eggs
- Roasted Rosemary Potatoes
- Homemade Cheddar & Chive Tater Tots
**This recipe was originally posted on April 14, 2014. Updated September 21, 2018, and updated again on May 11, 2021, with recipe notes, writing, and new photos.**
If you’ve tried my Homemade Tater Tots, please rate the recipe and let me know how it turned out by leaving a comment below. I’m always interested in feedback!
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As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
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Homemade Tater Tots
Ingredients
- 1 large russet potato *baked and chilled overnight
- ¼ cup caramelized onions *(or use 1/4 tsp onion powder) *optional
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- ¼ tsp sea salt
- freshly ground pepper *two or three grinds
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Peel and grate the cooked & cooled potato.
- Add in the caramelized onion or onion powder (optional), sea salt and pepper and mix well.
- Form into cylinder shapes and place on lined baking sheet.
- Brush each side with olive oil.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes, rotating every 8-10 minutes to brown each side.
- Enjoy warm with dips (optional).
Notes
- Serve with Spicy Dipping Sauce or Homemade Mayo as dips.
