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Home ยป Sides ยป Broccoli Tots

Broccoli Tots

Published: Jun 13, 2020 ยท Modified: Apr 16, 2021 by Justin Coit

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Loaded with healthy goodness, these Broccoli Tater Tots come together so easily. These healthy tater tots are the perfect side dish or snack for both adults and kids! Baked instead of deep-fried, youโ€™ll love this healthier alternative.

Broccoli tots in a plate with ketchup beside it.
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Pinterest graphic of broccoli tater tots with a dipping bowl of ketchup.
Pinterest graphic of a broccoli tot being dipped into ketchup.
Pinterest graphic of a single broccoli tater tot being dipped into sauce.
Pinterest graphic of multiple broccoli tots strewn on a metal surface.
Pinterest graphic of the close up of a broccoli tater tot.
Pinterest graphic of a plate of broccoli tater tots with ketchup beside it.

One of my favorite snacks from childhood is the classic potato tater tots. They are everything that a kid loves: salty and fried. The problem with them is that they aren't healthy but that can easily change. 

My broccoli tots are made without deep frying and include chopped broccoli florets for the addition of a healthy vegetable that your little one might not even notice. You can also freeze them afterward so you can pull them out as needed, just like store-bought but better.

Key Ingredients You Need

Ingredients needed to make healthy tater tots.
  • Broccoli โ€” You can use fresh or frozen florets to make these tots with. 
  • Parmesan โ€” To add some extra saltiness and savory flavor to your tots, parmesan is mixed into it.
  • Breadcrumbs โ€” Feel free to use panko if you have that instead. The breadcrumbs help hold onto the moisture when your taters are baking. Leave them out and you might end up with a dry broccoli tot.

How to Make Broccoli Tots

Set of two photos showing oven being preheated and florets added to boiling water.

Step 1: Preheat oven to 400ยฐF. Line baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

Step 2: Heat a pot of water and bring to a boil. Blanch the broccoli in the boiling water for 1 minute then drain.

Ingredients for broccoli tater tots mixed together and then shaped into small logs.

Step 3: Very finely chop the florets and add to a mixing bowl with onions, egg, parmesan cheese, breadcrumbs, parsley, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Mix well. 

Step 4: Scoop out about 1 tbsp of the mixture and form the tots into cylindrical shapes with flat ends with your hands (think classic tater tot shape). Place onto baking sheet.

Set of two photos showing broccoli tots being baked in the oven and then plated with ketchup.

Step 5: Drizzle tots with olive oil and bake in oven for 20-25 minutes, turning halfway.

Step 6: Serve and enjoy these broccoli tots with your favorite dipping sauce.

Broccoli tot dipped into ketchup.

Tips For This Recipe

  • If youโ€™d like this to be gluten-free, you can use a gluten-free breadcrumbs.
  • If youโ€™re not a fan of chopping up the florets finely, you can simply add everything to a food processor and blitz it up. Make sure you leave a little bit of texture. You can also run the broccoli through a box grater as well.
  • If youโ€™re short on time, you can use frozen broccoli โ€œriceโ€ as itโ€™s essentially finely chopped broccoli. 
  • While I havenโ€™t tried to make a vegan version of this, you could in theory swap the egg for a flax egg and nutritional yeast in place of the parmesan cheese.
Multiple tater tots flat lay.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why should I make homemade tots when I can buy them frozen at the grocery store?

The biggest reason why you should consider making your own broccoli tots at home is that by making them yourself, you know exactly what every ingredient is. Even if you do a good job reading the ingredient label for a prepackaged item, odds are that the company puts in preservatives to keep that item lasting as long as possible in the packaging. By making the tots yourself, you can ensure that every ingredient you use is high quality and fresh. You will taste the difference too!

Are there any other vegetables that work well in these tots?

Yes, you can use a few different vegetables in these tots. Broccoli is a great choice because you can chop up the broccoli florets really small, and they make for a good binding vegetable. Cauliflower makes for a great tot as well. If you're not a fan of cauliflower, I would also suggest that you could use zucchini or spinach if broccoli isn't your favorite vegetable. If you plan on using zucchini, use a peeler to shave off thin slices of the zucchini and then chop those up really small and then squeeze any excess water out. You can also use a food processor to do the work.

Do I need to use cheese in these broccoli tots?

The reason I added cheese to this recipe was two-fold: first, I wanted to add an ingredient that helped bind the tots together so that they would stay whole and not fall apart during the cooking process. Second, the cheese adds a little bit of salt and flavor boost that I feel makes these tots taste incredible.ย 

How long will these tots stay good in the refrigerator and freezer?

These broccoli tots will stay good in your refrigerator for up to 3 days. You can freeze them and they will last 1 month in the freezer. Be sure to freeze them in a single layer on a sheet pan before transferring them to a freezer-safe bag. This prevents them from sticking together in a clump.

Can I make this in an air fryer?

It may take a few batches but you can definitely make these in the air fryer. You can get that deep-fried texture with only a bit of oil! Cook in an air fryer for around 11 minutes at 400ยฐ F, giving the basket a shake at the halfway mark.


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If youโ€™ve tried this Broccoli Tots Recipe then donโ€™t forget to leave me a rating and let me know how it went in the comments below!

Boccoli tater tots on a plate with a bowl of ketchup beside it.
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Broccoli Tots

Loaded with healthy goodness, these Broccoli Tots come together so easily. These healthy tater tots are the perfect side dish or snack for both adults and kids! Baked instead of deep fried, youโ€™ll love this healthier alternative.
Prep Time25 minutes mins
Cook Time30 minutes mins
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 165kcal
Author: Justin Coit

Ingredients

  • 2 cups broccoli florets
  • ยฝ cup parmesan cheese grated
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp pepper
  • ยผ cup onion grated or finely chopped
  • 1 egg
  • โ…” cup breadcrumbs or panko
  • 2 tbsp parsley chopped
  • 1 tbsp Italian Seasoning
  • olive oil to taste

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 400ยฐF. Line baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
  • Heat a pot of water and bring to a boil. Blanch the broccoli in the boiling water for 1 minute then drain.
  • Very finely chop the broccoli and add to a mixing bowl with onions, egg, parmesan cheese, breadcrumbs, parsley, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Mix well. (You also do this step in a food processor if you wish.)
  • Scoop out about 1 tbsp of the mixture and form the tots into cylindrical shapes with flat ends with your hands (think classic tater tot shape). Place onto baking sheet.
  • Drizzle tots with olive oil and bake in oven for 20-25 minutes, turning halfway.
  • Serve and enjoy with your favorite dipping sauce.

Video

Notes

  • If youโ€™d like this to be gluten-free, you can use a gluten-free breadcrumb.
  • If youโ€™re not a fan of chopping up the florets finely, you can simply add everything to a food processor and blitz it up. Make sure you leave a little bit of texture. You can also run the broccoli through a box grater as well.
  • If youโ€™re short on time, you can use frozen broccoli โ€œriceโ€ as itโ€™s essentially finely chopped broccoli.ย 
  • While I havenโ€™t tried to make a vegan version of this, you could in theory swap the egg for flax egg and nutritional yeast in place of the parmesan cheese.

Nutrition

Calories: 165kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 52mg | Sodium: 937mg | Potassium: 258mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 644IU | Vitamin C: 44mg | Calcium: 227mg | Iron: 2mg
*Nutrition Disclaimer
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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. justincoit says

    June 17, 2020 at 9:57 am

    Thank you for catching this! It is fixed now ๐Ÿ™‚

    Reply
  2. Lyndaay says

    April 20, 2021 at 7:30 pm

    How many cups of breadcrumbs...itโ€™s a mystery;)

    Reply
    • Justin Coit says

      April 28, 2021 at 10:47 am

      Haha so sorry about that! It should read 2/3 cup of breadcrumbs, the post has been updated now. Thank you so much for letting me know about this glitch.

      Reply

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Pinterest graphic of the close up of a broccoli tater tot.
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Hi, Iโ€™m Justin. By day I'm a commercial director and photographer but in my free time, I make deliciously clean comfort food for my family and friends.

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