The Secret To The Best Frozen Tater Tots Is Technically A Mistake

There's no question that frozen tater tots have the potential to taste amazing; the trick is simply getting them there. How many times have you waited patiently beside the oven only to end up with soggy, pale tater tots that taste like disappointment on a plate? Some will say that the air fryer is the better appliance for frozen potatoes compared to the oven, but that's a cop-out. Making perfectly crisp, attractively golden tater tots in the oven comes down to one simple hack, which many people have discovered by mistake: You have to cook them longer than it says to on the bag.

A good rule of thumb is to add somewhere between 5 and 10 minutes to the recommended cooking time of your tater tots. Depending on what brand you get, this can add anywhere from 25 to 45 minutes. Don't let the timer be your guide; continue cooking the tots until they have a gorgeous color and a crunchy exterior.

There's no need to stop at over-baking your tots when it comes to upgrading them. You can also spread the bag of tater tots out between two sheet pans to ensure that you have only a single layer of product, which ensures the most satisfying crisp possible. Just don't make the quintessential recipe-doubling oven mistake of overlapping the pans — you want to leave room for the hot air to move around and get those tots good and crunchy. Don't be afraid to add extra time to your extra time if you're using double sheets, either.

Some home cooks even toss their tater tots in neutral oil and seasoning before baking. The oil ensures that the outside gets toasty, while the seasoning's flavor bakes right onto the exterior of every tot. Be careful with adding extra minutes if you've coated your tater tots in oil, though, as the oil encourages browning. You'll want to start with the recommended amount of cook time and use your eyes to determine how much longer to bake your tots.

Last but not least, you have to enjoy your improved, crispier tater tots with the right sauce. Sure, ketchup always hits the spot, but zesty, ranch-based cowboy sauce is the secret weapon you've been missing to make your tater tots sing.