Loaded Tater Tots
Crispy baked tater tots topped with melted cheddar, bacon, sour cream, and green onions. A loaded side for burger night.
- Prep
- 10min
- Cook
- 33min
- Total
- 43min
- Serves
- 6
- Calories
- 480per serving, est.
By Time for Burgers, updated
Tater tots have more crunchy surface per bite than fries, and they keep that crunch longer under a heavy pile of toppings. Roast them hot, at 425°F (220°C), in a single layer, and flip them halfway so every side browns.
Here the cheese melts on the tots instead of going on as a sauce: shredded cheddar and crumbled bacon are scattered over them hot from the oven, then the tray goes back in for 3 to 4 minutes until the cheese bubbles into the gaps. Sour cream, green onions and the optional jalapeño slices go on cold once the tray is out, so they stay fresh against the hot cheese.
Loaded Tater Tots
Prep 10 min, cook 33 min, total 43 min. About 480 calories per serving.
timeforburgers.com/recipes/loaded-tater-tots
Serves 6.
Ingredients
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C). Spread 2 lb frozen tater tots in a single layer on a large baking sheet and season with salt and pepper.
While the oven heats, cook 5½ oz bacon in a skillet over medium heat until crispy, about 8 minutes. Drain on paper towels and crumble.
Bake for 25-30 minutes until golden and crispy, flipping halfway through for even browning.
Remove from oven and immediately sprinkle 7 oz shredded cheddar cheese and the crumbled bacon over the hot tots.
Return to oven for 3-4 minutes until cheese is melted and bubbly.
Transfer loaded tots to a serving platter and dollop with ½ cup sour cream.
Garnish with 2 oz sliced green onions and jalapeño slices if using.
Tips
- Leave space between the tots on the sheet. Packed tight, they steam on the sides and stay pale.
- Flip with a thin metal spatula rather than tongs, which can squeeze the tots open.
- Scatter the cheese while the tots are still sizzling. The heat starts the melt, and the short second bake finishes it without drying the tots out.
- Pat jarred jalapeño slices dry before adding them, or their brine pools in the sour cream.
Substitutions
- Pepper jack instead of cheddar: it brings its own heat, so you can drop the jalapeños.
- Vegetarian: replace the bacon with rinsed black beans or corn kernels, added with the cheese for the last bake so they warm through.
- Ranch dressing instead of sour cream: tangier and easier to drizzle across a big platter.
Make ahead & storage
Cook the bacon up to 3 days ahead and keep it crumbled in the fridge. Leftover loaded tots keep 3 to 4 days refrigerated; reheat on a sheet pan at 425°F (220°C) until hot through to 165°F (74°C), then add fresh green onions. Don't leave the platter out for more than 2 hours.
