Loaded Tater Tot Skewers
These loaded tater tot skewers layer crisp golden potatoes with melted cheese and smoky bacon, served warm alongside a thick ranch sour cream dip. Make a batch in the oven or air fryer in 40 minutes.
Equipment
- appetizer skewers
- large sheet pan, or air fryer
- Parchment Paper
Ingredients
- 64 tater tots frozen
- 8 slices bacon
- 1 cup shredded cheese cheddar, Colby jack, pepper jack, mozzarella, or combination
- 1 green onion thinly sliced, or about 3 tbsp chopped chives
- 3/4 cup sour cream
- 3 tbsp mayonnaise
- 1 tbsp ranch seasoning
- 1/4 tsp All-Purpose MSG Seasoning
Instructions
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 425°F, stir the sour cream, mayonnaise, and ranch seasoning together in a small bowl, adjust to taste with the All-Purpose MSG Seasoning, and refrigerate until serving. The dip should look smooth and thick enough to cling to a potato bite.
- Arrange the frozen tots across a large sheet pan with space between them and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or follow the package directions, turning halfway through. Look for golden-brown surfaces and a firm, crisp crust rather than pale, soft sides.
- Cook the bacon in a skillet until crisp, drain it on a paper towel-lined plate, and chop it after cooling. The pieces should be small enough to settle into the cheese instead of balancing on top.
- Rest the baked tots for a couple of minutes, thread four through their centers onto each short skewer, rotate them into a flat row, and arrange the sticks nearly touching on the sheet pan. The aligned tots should rest steadily without rolling, creating a close-set surface for the cheese.
- Distribute the shredded cheese over the rows, add the bacon now for extra crispness or reserve it for finishing, and broil on HIGH for 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the pan when the cheese has melted, watching closely so it doesn’t scorch.
- Move the skewers onto a platter and finish with any reserved bacon, green onion or chives, and the chilled dip alongside. Serve while the cheese is soft and the potato edges still have their crunch.
Air Fryer Instructions (Basket-Style)
- Preheat the basket air fryer to 400°F for 2 to 3 minutes and combine the sour cream, mayonnaise, and ranch seasoning, adjusting with All-Purpose MSG Seasoning before chilling the dip. The finished dip should have a creamy, spoonable consistency.
- Air fry the frozen tots at 400°F for 5 minutes, shake the basket, cook for another 5 minutes, and let them cool briefly while organizing the toppings. Check for evenly browned, crisp exteriors before threading them.
- Thread four cooked tots onto each skewer, return the assembled sticks to the basket, cover with cheese and cooked bacon, and air fry for 1 minute before plating and adding the green onion or chives. The cheese should look melted and tacky enough to catch the finishing toppings.
Notes
Texture tip: Cook the frozen tots first with plenty of space around them so they get crisp, then let them rest for 2 to 3 minutes before threading so the centers settle and do not crumble.
Assembly tip: Rotate the threaded tots so they lie flat in the same plane and place the skewers close together before adding cheese so the melted layer catches the chopped bacon.
Ingredient tip: Choose cylinder-shaped tots for easier threading and use smoothly melting cheeses like cheddar, mozzarella, Colby jack, or pepper jack rather than crumbly cheese alone.
Storage and reheating: Refrigerate leftover skewers in a covered container separately from the dip, and reheat the potato portion in the oven or air fryer rather than the microwave to help preserve the crust.
Nutrition information is an estimate based on common ingredients and serving sizes. Values may vary depending on brands, portions, and substitutions.