Air Fryer Broccoli Tater Tots

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Air Fryers are a great way to get a crisp almost deep-fried exterior without a lot of oil. Lately we've been air frying everything—and we've especially fallen in love with these air fryer broccoli tater tots. These veggie tots are crispy, cheesy, and addictive. And not to mention...they're literally made of broccoli! The Creamy Buffalo Dip is the perfect partner for dipping: slightly tangy, slightly spicy, and very creamy. It's made with Greek yogurt—not mayo—so it's surprisingly "light".

Since these broccoli tots are so easy to make, we often make a double batch to freeze. These freezer-friendly tots reheat in minutes, making them a great adult and kid-friendly snack on busy weekdays. Or pair them with a fresh veggies sticks, a side salad, or side soup to make a quick meal when you're short on time.

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• Key ingredients
• How to make this recipe
• Frequently asked questions
• 📖 Recipe

Key ingredients

Here are the main ingredients that go into these the Air Fryer Broccoli Tater Tots:

• Broccoli: For this tots recipe you just need the tops (crowns) of the broccoli—not the stalks. Have 2 to 3 heads of broccoli on hand. Keep reading this post for more details on broccoli prep, after lots of testing!
• Shallots: Shallots have a slightly more delicate and milder flavor than onions. But, if you can't find shallots, you could substitute red onion instead (just make sure to mince it very finely!).
• Garlic: Lots of garlic, because, flavor. The broccoli, shallots, and garlic get cooked quickly in a skillet before being added to the tot mixture, so you don't have to worry about any raw garlic flavor.
• Cheddar cheese: Using a smoked cheddar cheese will make these tots extra delicious. But, aged cheddar tastes delicious too (that's our second favorite option)... or mild cheddar if you prefer.
• Eggs: The eggs help bind the mixture so it holds together.
• Breadcrumbs: Use regular dried breadcrumbs here. We tested with panko as well, but much preferred regular breadcrumbs. We found the panko was too big to consistently hold the tots together, so do not recommend substituting it here.

Find the recipe card below for the complete recipe, including all ingredients and instructions.

How to make this recipe

Start by grating broccoli

We tested many methods of prepping the broccoli for these air fryer tots:

• First, we tried chopping the raw broccoli finely with a knife. This was fairly time consuming. And if you're not the most precise with cutting, some tots will up with bigger pieces of broccoli—and that sometimes caused the tot to fall apart.
• Second, we tried steaming the broccoli and then cutting it when soft. This made it more likely that the pieces would be chopped small, but it also meant dirtying another pot and adding more prep time.
• And third, we grated the broccoli on a regular box grater. This method was much faster than chopping. Grating the broccoli makes for teeny tiny broccoli pieces, which consistently holds together! This method also yields the most consistent results because the broccoli is measured after grating. For these reasons, this recipe uses grated broccoli crowns (i.e. just the top of the broccoli, not the stems!).

Mix

The shallots, garlic, and broccoli get a quick saute in a skillet. It only takes 5 minutes—but it helps bring out the flavor of the shallots and garlic, and starts to soften the broccoli.

Then, you'll transfer everything to a large bowl and add the salt, pepper, lemon zest (optional), eggs, cheese, and breadcrumbs.

Shape and bake

This is the fun part! You get to use your hands to shape the broccoli cheese tots. We like to start by dividing the mixture into equal portions (using a cookie scoop), then roll them one by one into a cylinder that resembles a tater tot. We recommend dampening your hands with water before rolling the tots—it'll prevent the mixture from sticking.

Then, arrange the broccoli tots in a single layer in the air fryer basket. If you're doubling the recipe, bake the tots in two batches so you don't overfill the basket. It is really important to give the veggie tots a light spray of oil because this is what will make them golden brown and crisp!

Sauce and serve

While the Broccoli Tater Tots bake, you have time to make the Creamy Buffalo Dip. It comes together in minutes and the base is Greek yogurt! You can add as little or as much Frank's as you'd like—so feel free to add only a dash or two if you're serving someone sensitive to spice. (Ketchup also works!)

Frequently asked questions

📖 Recipe