Broccoli Tater Tots

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 tater tots are made without deep frying and include chopped broccoli florets for the addition of a healthy vegetable. In this recipe, I give you two ways to cook them- using a conventional oven and an air fryer. I love using an air fryer for recipes like this because it’s perfect for creating a crispy exterior, just like frying, but with a tiny fraction of the oil.

Commonly asked questions:

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

The biggest reason for why you should consider making your own broccoli tater 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 this 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. 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. You can also use a food processor to do the work.

Do I need to use cheese in these broccoli tater 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. Since our family tries to go light on the dairy, the cheese I used was Mont Chevre Goat Cheddar.

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.

If you like this recipe, check out these other great recipes on my blog:

• Chicken Zucchini Poppers
• Zucchini Fritters
• Easy Chicken Tenders