Crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, these Smashed Tater Tots are the ultimate crowd-pleaser! With just a few simple ingredients, this fun twist on classic tots is perfect for snacking, game days, or as a quick side dish that everyone will love. Get ready to smash, bake, and enjoy!
Our crispy Smashed Tater Tots recipe is a fun way to prepare hash browns! Brushed with seasoned butter and baked until golden brown, these short, stout spuds cook extra crisp on the outside and stay soft and slightly fluffy in the center.
While I love french fries, air fryer potato chips, and twice baked potatoes, there’s something so satisfying about smashing small potatoes into flat crispy tater tots! Simply bake, smash, season, and bake again – so easy!
Who would have thought the humble tatertots from the school cafeteria would make such a comeback? See for yourself what the hype is all about and why this snack are trending on TikTok and Pinterest.
For a sneak peak to the social media scene, check out my loaded tater tots, breakfast cups, and totchos recipes.
Ingredients Notes
- Frozen tater tots: Most tater tots are naturally gluten-free. Make sure to check your label if you have dietary restrictions and require a gf flat tots recipe.
- Unsalted butter
- Salt: Feel free to substitute the salt for a seasoned salt.
- Black pepper
- Garlic powder: Use onion powder or any of your favorite seasonings instead.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to Make Smashed Tater Tots
- Pre-Bake The Puffs: Bake the tater tots at 425 degrees Fahrenheit for 10 minutes.
- Make The Butter Mixture: Melt the butter in the microwave. Mix butter, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Set aside.
- Smash, Butter, And Bake: Smash each tater tot to ¼ inch thickness and brush with a light coating of the melted garlic butter mixture. Bake for another 10-15 minutes or until golden and crispy around the edges.
- Serve: Cool slightly before serving. Enjoy!
Serving Suggestions
These smashed tater tots are best served slightly warm or at room temperature the same day as they are made. They’re great for game day, tailgates, party snack, or serving as a side dish with dinner.
Serve With Sauce: Smashed potato tots can be piled onto a serving plate with a side of your favorite dipping sauce. They taste delicious when dipped in ketchup, hot sauce, ranch dressing, or BBQ sauce.
Top Your Tots: If serving flat tots as single-serve appetizers, you can also garnish them with a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkle of finely chopped chives. You can also sprinkle some shredded cheese, bacon bits, or scallions on top.
Make them into Tachos: Tater Tot Nachos have been popular for years. Just top with some season ground beef, lettuce, tomatoes, green onions, shredded cheddar cheese and maybe even some sliced avocado!
Tips & Variations
- Swap The Seasoning: You can adjust the spices in your melted butter mixture as you prefer. There are so many different variations. Some great options would be sweet, or smoky paprika, a pinch of cayenne pepper for a little heat, or some seasoned salt. Just be mindful not to add more than 1 teaspoon of total seasoning to the melted butter.
- Make More: This recipe can easily be doubled, or tripled, depending on the amount of people you are serving. You may need to cook, and crisp, the tater tots in batches, or on multiple large baking sheets depending on how many you plan to make.
- Smash Your Spuds: If you do not have a small, flat bottomed, juice glass you can use a shot glass or even a flat bottom ¼ cup dry measure cup to smash the tater tots. You want to apply light pressure so as to not smash the tater tots completely flat or they will get too crispy.
- Create The Crisp: You can flip the smashed tater tots half way through the second bake time (at about 6-7 minutes) to ensure even crisping on both sides of the smashed tater tots of desired.
Proper Storage
- To Store: Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 1-2 days.
- To Freeze: I do not suggest re-freezing the tater tots once smashed and baked.
- To Reheat: Reheat in a 350° F oven for 5 minutes or until warmed through.
More Easy Appetizer Recipes
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Smashed Tater Tots
Ingredients
- 1 pound frozen tater tots half of a 32 ounce/2 pound bag (Ore-Ida brand used)
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
Optional Garnishes:
- Sour cream
- Finely chopped chives
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425° F.
- Spread out the frozen tater tots onto a large ungreased, or unlined, baking sheet. Be sure to leave space between the individual tater tots so that they can crisp evenly around all the edges.1 pound frozen tater tots
- Bake the tater tots for 10 minutes.
- While the tater tots are baking, make the butter mixture by stirring together in a small bowl the melted unsalted butter, salt, black pepper and garlic powder. Set aside.3 tablespoons unsalted butter, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper, ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- Remove the tater tots from the oven and using the flat bottom of a small juice glass, gently smash each of the tater tots on the baking sheet to ¼ inch thickness. You want to apply light pressure so as to not smash the tater tots completely flat or they will get too crispy.
- Using a pastry brush, brush each of the smashed tater tots with a light coating of the melted butter mixture.
- Return the smashed tater tots to the oven to finish baking for another 10-15 minutes or until the tater tots are golden and crispy all around the edges. Be careful to not allow them to get too crispy or burnt.
- Remove the smashed tater tots from the oven and allow them to cool slightly on the baking sheet before plating and serving.
Jenn’s Notes
- To Store: Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 1-2 days.
- To Freeze: I do not suggest re-freezing the tater tots once smashed and baked.
- To Reheat: Reheat in a 350° F oven for 5 minutes or until warmed through.
- You can adjust the spices in your melted butter mixture as you prefer. Some great options would be sweet, or smoky paprika, a pinch of cayenne pepper for a little heat, or some seasoned salt. Just be mindful not to add more than 1 teaspoon of total seasoning to the melted butter.
- This recipe can easily be doubled, or tripled, depending on the amount of people you are serving. You may need to cook, and crisp, the tater tots in batches, or on multiple large baking sheets depending on how many you plan to make.
- If you do not have a small, flat bottomed, juice glass you can use a shot glass or even a flat bottom ¼ cup dry measure cup to smash the tater tots. You want to apply light pressure so as to not smash the tater tots completely flat or they will get too crispy.
- You can flip the smashed tater tots half way through the second bake time (at about 6-7 minutes) to ensure even crisping on both sides of the smashed tater tots of desired.
