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a plain plate of small homemade cylindrical tater tots with rough golden potato-shred surfaces and slightly uneven hand-shaped ends, with no smooth mashed potato balls, frozen-food packaging, dipping bowls, cheese or garnish
Rachel Kim

Air Fryer Homemade Tater Tots

Homemade tater tots start with firm par-cooked potatoes that can still make distinct shreds on a grater. Cook the peeled russets only until the outside softens and the center still resists, then cool them enough to handle before grating. A little flour and cornstarch hold the shreds together when you squeeze them into short cylinders, but there should still be visible potato texture instead of a smooth mashed center. Brush the tots gently with oil and leave them alone for the first part of the air-fryer cook so their outside can set before you turn them. The recipe makes twenty-four small tots from fresh potatoes, with no frozen shortcut, and the two-batch timing gives those handmade pieces room to brown on more than their top faces.
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Prep Time 35 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 25 minutes
Servings: 4
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 1 lb russet potatoes about 2 medium potatoes, peeled and left whole
  • 4 cups water for parboiling
  • 1 tsp fine salt for cooking water
  • 1 tbsp all-purpose flour
  • 1 tbsp cornstarch
  • 1/2 tsp onion powder
  • 1/2 tsp fine salt for seasoning
  • 1/8 tsp black pepper
  • 2 tbsp neutral oil

Method
 

  1. Bring cooking water and cooking salt to a simmer in a saucepan large enough to hold the whole potatoes. Add potatoes and simmer for 7 to 9 minutes until the outside softens but the center remains firm; drain and cool for 15 minutes.
  2. Grate potatoes on the coarse holes of a box grater into a bowl. Fold gently with flour, cornstarch, onion powder, seasoning salt and pepper.
  3. Divide into 24 equal portions, about a heaped tablespoon each, and squeeze firmly into short cylinders about 1 1/4 inches long. Brush all surfaces gently with the measured oil.
  4. Preheat a 6-quart air fryer to 390°F for 3 minutes. Arrange 12 tots in a single layer with small gaps and cook for 7 minutes without moving them.
  5. Turn each tot carefully with tongs and cook for 6 to 8 minutes more until golden and cooked through. Transfer to a rack and repeat with remaining tots.
  6. Serve 6 tots per portion while hot, refreshing the first batch for 1 minute in the empty basket if needed.