Loaded Tater Tots {Tatchos}

When it comes to deliciousness, my Loaded Tater Tots are guaranteed to make you happy! These crispy, cheesy tater tots are topped with chili, real bacon bits, pickled jalapenos, green onions, cheddar cheese, and lime crema.

There is something magical about tater tots, those perfectly formed bite-sized pieces of heaven are just too hard to resist. And my loaded tater tots recipe takes the lowly tot to a whole new level of deliciousness!

My loaded tater tot nachos are one of my favorite easy appetizer recipes and will become your absolute favorite Tater Tot Recipe.

Ingredients to make Loaded Tater Tots

Let’s start by gathering the ingredients we need to make Loaded Tater Tots. In Chef Speak, this is called the “Mise en Place,” which translates to “Everything in its Place.”

Not only does setting up your ingredients ahead of time speed up the cooking process, it also helps ensure you have everything you need to make the dish.

If you’re not a fan of chili or don’t have any on hand, ground beef with taco seasoning or Italian sausage meat will make a delicious substitute in this easy recipe. You can even add pinto beans, or black beans if you’re not using chili.

Ranch dressing can also be substituted for the lime crema.

How to make Pickled Jalapñeos

For this dish, I made the pickled jalapeños but feel free to pick up store-bought. But once you see how easy it is to make your own, you may change your mind. I added a sweet red pepper for color.

Not a fan of heat; leave out the pepper.

Place all the ingredients (except the peppers) in a saucepan and bring to boil. Turn off the heat and add the sliced jalapeños and red pepper. Allow them to sit for 10 minutes, then place them in a jar with a lid along with the liquid and refrigerate until needed.

How do I reduce the heat of Jalapeños?

If you’re not a big fan of heat but enjoy the flavor, removing the seeds will help reduce the heat. You can also rinse the peppers under cold running water to help reduce the heat. The pickling process will also help reduce the heat of peppers.

Chef Dennis Tip

Prepping the peppers is easy, but I do recommend wearing gloves to handle the peppers as well as having good ventilation. Just cleaning the peppers and rinsing them can cause you to choke. So be careful.

If you don’t have gloves make sure to wash your hands three times. If you’ve ever touched your eyes or a delicate area after touching jalapeños or other hot peppers, you know exactly what I’m talking about. 

How to make Lime Crema

Making lime crema couldn’t be easier. Just mix all the ingredients together and let the finished crema sit unrefrigerated for 90 minutes. Then cover and refrigerate until needed.

How to make Loaded Tater Tots

Now that you’ve prepped everything we need, let’s get started with making the Loaded Tater Tots.

• The first step is pretty easy. Place the frozen tater tots in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper into a preheated 450 F degree oven for 30 minutes. Using the parchment will make the process of transferring the finished tots to a serving dish very easy.
• Cook the tater tots per the package directions until golden brown and crunchy.
• Add the chili with beans and grape tomato halves to the tots.
• Next, add the grated cheese and pickled jalapeños, then place them back into the 450-degree F oven for 5 minutes or until the cheese has melted.

**Feel free to use more or less of any of the toppings or add your favorite toppings.

*This simple recipe can also be made in a large skillet if you don’t have a baking sheet on hand and served right in the skillet.

Remove the tots from the oven when the cheddar cheese melts. Carefully lift the parchment and, using a spatula slide the tots onto your serving platter.

Top the tots with the crispy bacon bits, cilantro, and lime crema. Serve and enjoy!

Recipe FAQ’s

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