These Loaded Tater Tots are crispy baked tater tots tossed with a simple paprika, garlic, and onion seasoning, then covered in melted cheddar and topped with sour cream, crumbled bacon, green onions, and chives. The tots bake on one sheet pan while the bacon cooks on the stove, so the whole thing is ready in 35 minutes. They work for game day, a casual get-together, or an easy family dinner with a salad on the side.
You’ll love this one if you enjoy recipes like Twice Baked Potato Casserole and Parmesan Crusted Potatoes.
This one is simple to make. I bake the tater tots until golden and crispy, toss them with a paprika and garlic spice mix partway through, cover them in melted cheddar, and finish with sour cream, crispy bacon, green onions, and chives.
Leftovers keep in the fridge for up to 2 days. Reheat them in a 350 degree F oven until crispy again.
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💛 Why you’ll love this recipe
- Quick and really easy to prepare.
- Easy to share straight from the sheet pan.
- Ready in only 35 minutes.
- Customizable with your favorite toppings.
➡️ Ingredients
⏲ How to make this loaded tater tots recipe
This is an overview of the recipe’s instructions. The full instructions can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Preheat Oven: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F, or to the temperature on your tater tot package if it is different.
- Cook Tater Tots: Coat a large rimmed baking sheet (a half sheet pan) in nonstick cooking spray or a thin layer of cooking oil. Spread the frozen tater tots in a single layer on the baking sheet. Transfer the baking sheet to the oven and start baking for 12 minutes.
- Mix Seasoning: Meanwhile, in a small bowl, stir together the paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and cayenne pepper.
- Season Tater Tots: After the initial bake time, flip the tater tots over. Optionally, you can spray them with some cooking spray. Sprinkle the tater tots with the seasoning mix, then gently toss them on the baking sheet to coat them evenly.
- Finish Baking: Return the tater tots to the oven to finish baking until golden and crispy, about an additional 10-12 minutes.
- Prepare Bacon: While the tater tots are baking, cook the bacon strips in a skillet over medium heat until crispy. Once cooked, place them on a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Once cooled, crumble the bacon into small pieces.
- Assemble Tater Tots: Once the tater tots are done, remove them from the oven. Sprinkle the shredded cheese over the hot tater tots. (The heat from the tots should be enough to melt the cheese. If not, you can return the baking sheet to the oven for a few minutes to melt cheese.)
Recipe Tip: Use freshly grated cheese instead of pre-shredded cheese, as it melts better and doesn’t contain anti-caking agents.
- Add Toppings: Once the cheese has melted, add a drizzle of sour cream, sprinkle on the crumbled bacon, sliced green onions, and chopped chives, then serve.
Recipe Tip: Warm the sour cream slightly or stir in a bit of milk to make it easier to drizzle. Alternatively, use store-bought drizzly sour cream.
👉 Ingredient substitution suggestions
- Tater Tots: Sweet potato tots or waffle fries will work here. You will need to modify the baking time according to package instructions.
- Cheddar Cheese: Use shredded sharp cheddar cheese, Monterey Jack, mozzarella, or pepper jack.
- Bacon: Sub in turkey bacon or omit.
- Sour Cream: Greek yogurt or ranch dressing can be subbed in.
✨ Variations
- Spicy: Add diced jalapeños or a sprinkle of red pepper flakes.
- BBQ Style: Drizzle with BBQ sauce and add pulled pork.
- Buffalo: Toss tots in buffalo sauce and top with blue cheese crumbles.
〰️ How to serve
- Side Dishes: Cucumber salad, baked sliced zucchini, or roasted vegetables.
- Dips: Ranch dressing, ketchup, blue cheese dip, or guacamole.
- Main Dish: Serve alongside grilled chicken, burgers, or hot dogs.
💬 FAQs
How can I prep this in advance to serve later?
Bake the tater tots and prepare the bacon, seasoning, and toppings as directed. Store the tots and bacon separately in the refrigerator. When ready to serve, reheat the tots in the oven at 350 degrees F until warmed through, then continue with the recipe by adding cheese and toppings.
How should I store leftovers?
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Reheat in the oven at 350 degrees F until crispy. Add a fresh drizzle of sour cream and additional toppings as desired after reheating.
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Loaded Tater Tots
Ingredients
- 32 ounces frozen tater tots
- Cooking spray or cooking oil
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
- 6 bacon slices
- 1 ½ cups shredded mild cheddar cheese
- ¼ cup thinly sliced green onions
- 2 Tablespoons finely chopped chives
- ½ cup sour cream
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat oven to 425 degrees F, or to the temperature on your tater tot package if it is different.
- Cook Tater Tots: Coat a large rimmed baking sheet (a half sheet pan) in nonstick cooking spray or a thin layer of cooking oil. Spread the frozen tater tots in a single layer on the baking sheet. Transfer baking sheet to oven and start baking for 12 minutes.
- Mix Seasoning: Meanwhile, in a small bowl, stir together paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and cayenne pepper.
- Season Tater Tots: After initial bake time, flip tater tots over. Optionally, spray them with some cooking spray. Sprinkle with seasoning mix, then gently toss on baking sheet to evenly coat tater tots.
- Finish Baking: Return tater tots to oven to finish baking until golden and crispy, about an additional 10-12 minutes.
- Prepare Bacon: While tater tots are baking, cook bacon strips in a skillet over medium heat until crispy. Once cooked, place on a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Once cooled, crumble bacon into small pieces.
- Assemble Tater Tots: Once tater tots are done, remove from oven. Sprinkle shredded cheese over hot tater tots. (The heat from the tots should be enough to melt cheese. If not, you can return sheet to the oven for a few minutes to melt cheese.)
- Add Toppings: Once cheese has melted, add a drizzle of sour cream, then sprinkle on crumbled bacon, sliced green onions, and chopped chives, then serve.
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