Loaded Tater Tots
by Sommer Collier — on Dec 15, 2025 Whether you call them tater tot nachos or simply totchos, my loaded tater tots recipe is yours to customize with any number of tasty toppings. Make them for your next game day or casual party with classic nacho ingredients like creamy queso, spicy pico de gallo, guacamole, and sour cream. Or mix things up and load the crispy potato tots with your favorite savory goodies.
Want an appetizer that’s fun, delicious, and absolutely 100% not in any way stuffy? You need totchos! Also known as Tater Tot Nachos or Loaded Tater Tots, this recipe gives the same familiar vibe as classic nachos piled up with cheese, ground beef taco meat, and lots of tasty toppings. But I’ve swapped the tortilla chips for crisp and fluffy tater tots to make the ultimate party snack that’s scrumptious and easy to eat with a fork. Similar to tater tots in a crock pot, today’s quick and easy baked loaded tater tots recipe is fabulous to customize and perfect for any sort of laid-back get-together, including holiday celebrations, game days, potlucks, and birthday parties.
Sommer’s Recipe Highlights
A Snack for All Ages and Occasions – Golden crispy, salty fried potato tots covered in a thick cheese sauce will make you feel like a kid again, and is sure to put a smile on everyone’s face. I’ve made this recipe dozens of times now, for crowds of all sizes and guests of all ages, and I’m telling you it’s always a hit!
Tots of Toppings – I’m sharing my favorite ingredients for classic totchos, like beefy taco meat, fresh pico de gallo, guacamole, sour cream, and pickled jalapenos. But you can top your tots however you like! I’ve got some great suggestions for customizing the recipe with other proteins and add-ons.
Choose Your Effort – Make this recipe as easy or involved as you want. You have the choice to buy ready-made items or whip up fresh toppings from scratch with my simple homemade recipes linked in this post.
Key Ingredients and Tips
- Tater tots – I use Ore-Ida frozen tater tots. You can use another brand of tots, or even potato puffs, bites, or hash brown rounds. Use whatever you like, just keep them frozen.
- Cooking oil – I like to cook with avocado oil because it a) has a high smoke point and b) doesn’t have a strong flavor. But other high-heat and neutral-tasting oils like canola or vegetable oil also work well.
- Ground beef – 93-95% lean beef is best for taco meat that is flavorful but not fatty. Too much grease, and you risk making the taters soggy.
- Taco seasoning – Use a simple packet from the store for convenience. Or try my homemade chicken taco seasoning recipe…It is slightly different from beef seasoning as it has less chili powder and adds smoky paprika, and has a unique and perky flavor, I think you’ll love!
- Queso – If you’ve never made your own cheddar cheese queso dip from scratch, prepare to have your world changed. It is dangerously easy and tastes better than store-bought stuff. But totally no judgment if you use a quick, convenient jarred cheese sauce for the totchos.
- Pico de gallo – This simple combination of chopped onion, tomatoes, jalapeno, and cilantro is fresh and peppy. I keep homemade pico de gallo in the fridge pretty much all the time to use as an everything topping or as salsa for scooping.
- Guacamole – Ok, now guacamole is one of those add-ons that I must insist you make fresh. Store-bought guac just isn’t quite right, you know? No worries, though, my homemade guacamole recipe is practically foolproof and tastes amazing.
- Pickled jalapeños – These are optional, of course. But if you are, like me, a fan of all things spicy, I very much recommend making and keeping pickled jalapeños on hand.
- Sour cream – You can also use light Greek yogurt for a similar tangy taste, but with less fat and more protein.
How to Make
Find the full ingredient proportions, detailed instructions, storage tips, and a video tutorial in the printable form at the bottom of the post.
Bake the Tots – Tater tots need to cook at a high heat to get extra crisp, 450 degrees F to be exact. It can take a while for ovens to preheat to this temperature, so I get things going as soon as possible. When the temp is just about there, I dump the frozen tots onto a baking sheet, toss them with a bit of oil, and spread them back into a single even layer.
They go into the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes. Meanwhile, I prep the remaining ingredients.
Cook the Beef – I use a deep, heavy-bottomed cast iron skillet to brown the ground beef on the stovetop. Once there’s no more pink, I add the taco seasoning and continue stirring and cooking the meat for a few more minutes.
Prep Toppings – Next I make the queso cheese sauce (or reheat a batch I made the day before), guac and pico de gallo, and gather all of the other goodies…Chop what needs to be chopped, dice what needs to be diced, etc.
Assemble – Now it’s time to put everything together and load up those tots! Here’s the best way to layer nachos made with tater tots:
- Place the baked tots in a dish or on a large plate, then cover them with warm, melty queso.
- Next, add the ground beef, spreading it out evenly across the tater tots.
- Then add other heartier toppings, like pico de gallo or whatever goodies you like.
- Lastly, I finish the totchos with lighter add-ons like sour cream and guacamole.
Variations
I’m a sucker for the classic nacho toppings I’m using here. But like traditional tortilla chip nachos, I also love to mix things up. Sometimes I swap out the ground beef for leaner chopped grilled chicken or ground chicken, or spicy chorizo if I’m feeling, well, spicy. Or I’ll even skip the meat altogether and make vegetarian totchos with black beans.
For toppings, consider switching out or adding extras like avocado slices, pickled onions, crumbled queso fresco, any salsa, or your favorite hot sauce. You can even add chopped fresh herbs like green onions and cilantro for a nice kick to break up the rich cheese and heavier toppings.
Serving Suggestions
Whether I’m making this recipe for game days, parties, or a late-night snack, I always serve totchos with forks and plenty of napkins.
You can also set this up as a snack bar with toppings in individual dishes. Then guests can build their own cheesy pile with any toppings they like!
Storage Notes
When it comes to leftovers, you gotta keep ’em separated. I store all the components in individual airtight containers and keep the tots in the refrigerator for a day or so. Any longer than that and the tater tots become soggy beyond repair. But toppings like guac, salsas, and cheese sauce will keep well for at least 3-4 days in the fridge.
To reheat leftover tots that have not yet become soggy beyond repair: I suggest spreading them across a cookie sheet and baking for about 10 minutes at 350 degrees F until they are hot and crispy again.
Frequently Asked Questions
I’ve tested this loaded tater tots recipe a few different ways to make crispy potato bites, and cooking tater tots in an air fryer or baking them in the oven are my two favorite methods. Either way, you just need to be sure each tot has a tad bit of space and the baking sheet isn’t overcrowded to get them super crisp.
Also, it’s important to flip them halfway through baking so they don’t just get crisp…They get evenly crispy on all sides.
This is a different side to the same coin as the above question. Don’t crowd the tots together on the baking sheet or in the air fryer, and cook them at the right temperature (should be obvious, but you’d be surprised), and you shouldn’t have any soggy tot issues.
You can totally make some ingredients ahead of time! The ground beef taco meat, queso, and pico de gallo can be made a day or two in advance and stored in the fridge. But guacamole is best when made fresh the same day.
More Easy Appetizer Recipes
Loaded Tater Tots
Video
Ingredients
- 32 ounces frozen tater tots
- 2 tablespoons cooking oil
- 16 ounces ground beef
- 1 packet taco seasoning
- 1 ½ cups queso cheese dip homemade queso or store-bought
- 1 cup pico de gallo homemade pico de gallo or store-bought
- ½ cup guacamole homemade guac or store-bought
- ½ cup sour cream
- ¼ cup pickled jalapenos homemade quick jalapeno pickles or store-bought
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450°F. Set out a large rim baking sheet. Pour the frozen tater tots on the baking sheet and drizzle the oil over the top. Gently shake the pan to coat the tater tots and oil on all sides. Spread them out in a single layer and place in the oven for 25-30 minutes. Make sure to flip the tater tots once in the middle. Keep them in the oven until they're extremely crispy. Remember, hot liquid cheese will be poured over the top!
- Meanwhile, prep your nacho toppings. Place a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and break it apart with a wooden spoon. Stir and brown the ground beef until fully cooked, then sprinkle the taco seasoning over the meat. Continue to stir and coat the ground beef until it's well seasoned. Then turn off the heat. For the other toppings, heat the queso, and prep the pico de gallo and guacamole.
- Once the tater tots are golden and extra crispy, carefully move them to a large rimmed platter. Pour the hot queso dip over the top of the tater tops. Sprinkle as much of the taco meat over the top as you like. Then top with pico de gallo, guacamole, sour cream, and jalapeños. Serve immediately.
