Smashed Tater Tots

No ratings yet

Smashed Tater Tots are always fun to eat when flattened into finger food! Delicious when dipped in sauce and perfectly portable for game day and tailgates. Serve them as a side with dinner or an easy appetizer before the main meal.

Prep Time5

Cook Time20

Total Time25

Course: Appetizer, Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Calories: 288kcal

Author: Jennifer Fishkind

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.

Notes

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.

Tips:

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.

Nutrition