How to fry tater tots
Deep-fry tater tots twice, in oil at 350°F (175°C), then 375°F (190°C) for about 6–8 min + 4–5 min, until crisp and golden brown. Treat the time as a starting point: piece size, batch size and your pot all change it, so watch the color and the oil thermometer rather than the clock.
- Oil temperature
- 350°F (175°C), then 375°F (190°C)
- Method
- Deep fry
- Starting time
- 6–8 min + 4–5 minRaw potatoes first fried at 350°F until lightly browned, 6–8 min, then pulsed, shaped and fried again at 375°F, turning frequently.
- Piece size
- 1-inch-long cylinders (about 1 tablespoon each)
- Done when
- crisp and golden brown
Numbers from Taste of Home: Homemade Tater Tots. Celsius values are rounded.
Getting it right
- Use a heavy, deep pot or a countertop fryer and fill it no higher than its safe fill line. The oil rises when food goes in.
- Clip a frying thermometer to the pot and bring the oil to 350°F (175°C), then 375°F (190°C). Keep the sensor in the oil, off the base of the pot.
- Pat the food dry before any coating. Water on the surface spits in hot oil and steams the crust soft.
- Lower a small batch in, away from you. The temperature will drop; adjust the burner so it climbs back toward the target.
- Lift out with a skimmer onto a rack over a tray, salt while hot, and let the oil recover before the next batch.
Why the temperature matters: oil that is too cool lets the coating soak up fat before it sets, so the outside goes heavy and pale. Oil that is too hot browns the outside before the middle is ready. The thermometer is how you hold the window between the two.