Loaded Tater Tots with Buffalo Aioli Recipe

Name: Loaded Tater Tots with Buffalo Aioli
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 25 min
Ingredients: 16 ounce Frozen Tater Tots; 1/2 cup mayonnaise; 1/4 cup prepared Buffalo wing sauce (such as Frank's Red Hot Sauce); 1/8 tsp garlic powder; 1/8 tsp paprika; 1/3 cup crumbled blue cheese; 2 TBSP chopped parsley

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If you've never made Loaded Tater Tots with Buffalo Aioli before, you are totally missing out. They're basically the potato version of nachos. And they are good. Real good.

Crispy tots are smothered with Buffalo Aioli and topped with blue cheese crumbles and parsley to make an easy appetizer that is quick to make and perfect for any party.

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #RaceDayRelief #CollectiveBias

A white baking dish holding loaded Tater Tots with Buffalo Aioli and blue cheese crumbles next to appetizer plates.

This dish was inspired by my family's (not mine) love of spicy chicken wings. There was a very brief time (seriously, only months long) when I enjoyed the Buffalo flavor. But I knew that it would create a flavorful sauce and that they would love me forever.

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Why This Recipe Works
Ingredients
Instructions
Variations
Top Tips
Frequently Asked Questions
Related Recipes
Loaded Tater Tots with Buffalo Aioli
Variations
Top Tips

Why This Recipe Works

This recipe is also nacho-adjacent. And nachos are my happy food. So I decided to give loaded tots a try.

Like my Blue Cheese Nachos with Potato Chips and my Sheet Pan Nachos, this easy recipe can be a yummy snack or turned into a full dinner.

The crispy tater tots bake up fast in the oven (or if you have an air fryer - you can make them even faster!). The Buffalo aioli is spicy, bold and just the right amount of creamy.

Aiolis are simple, mayo-based sauces that are totally versatile. This one couldn't be easier to make with just a few spices and some prepared Buffalo sauce. The sauce took literally 2 minutes to make.

The blue cheese gives a tangy counterpoint to the spice and is the perfect way to finish off these loaded tater tots.

The only other prep work that needs to be done is to chop some parsley. It's so easy!

It's a delicious recipe to make for your family or to serve at any party! These would be amazing at a football party or paired with a family snack board.

Appetizers on a food table at a party with text next to it.

Ingredients

Ingredient to make Tater Tots with Buffalo Aioli on a marble cutting board.

Scroll down to the printable recipe card to find the exact quantities.

If you can't buy ready-made blue cheese crumbles, just crumble the blue cheese yourself with a fork.

You can use gorgonzola if you can't find blue cheese. It is usually a little bit less tangy and a little bit more creamy.

Instructions

A tray of tater tots next to a bowl of Buffalo aioli and a smaller bowl of blue cheese crumbles.

Bake the tater tots according to the instructions on the package.

As they are baking, mix up the Buffalo Aioli sauce.

Mix the mayo, Buffalo wing sauce, garlic powder and paprika together in a bowl.

Loaded tater tots with blue cheese and spicy aioli in a white baking dish on a red napkin.

When the tots are finished, move them to your serving bowl.

Drizzle on a hearty amount of the Buffalo aioli.

Top with blue cheese crumbles then finish with a sprinkle of parsley.

Variations

Load them up - You can make these even Tots with Buffalo Aioli more loaded by adding bacon, sliced celery, chopped red onion or even a drizzle of ranch.
BBQ Chicken - Ditch the Buffalo Aioli and use barbecue sauce instead. Pulled chicken, jack cheese, red onion and cilantro would be delicious on these "totchos".
Taco - Top the potato tots with all your favorite taco toppings! A drizzle of enchilada sauce would be super tasty too.
Top it like a potato - Anything you add to a baked potato would work perfectly on top of some tater tots. Add sour cream, bacon bits, broccoli, cheddar - the works!
Swap the tots - Use a sweet potato frozen tot instead!

Top Tips

I usually over bake the tater tots to get them super crispy.
Also, make sure you aren't crowding the pan with the tots. Use two sheets if you have to so they can all be in a single layer and not touching each other.
Want to skip the aioli, you totally can. Just drizzle the tater tots with straight Buffalo sauce.
Even though I'm not a huge Buffalo sauce fan, this is still a delicious recipe. You can always reduce the amount of buffalo sauce in the aioli to make it more pleasing to your mouth.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you pan fry tater tots?

Yes, you can pan fry tater tots. You would usually use a little bit of oil or fat (like bacon grease). While delicious, I think for "totchos" baked is better. Too much oil could make the tots soggy which is not great when you are adding a sauce or trying to eat them as a finger food.

How do you store Tator Tots with Buffalo Aioli?

You can save any leftover tots with Buffalo aioli in an air-tight container in the fridge. However, they will be soggy. With the aioli, you can reheat in the microwave but they won't be crispy. Any leftover plain tater tots can be reheated in an oven or air fryer to crisp up.

Loaded tater tots topped with blue cheese crumbles, parsley and Buffalo Aioli in a white serving dish.

These Loaded Tater Tots with Buffalo Aioli are the perfect party or snack food. They are flavorful, so easy and perfect to eat with your fingers.