Frozen veggie tots cook perfectly and amazing in the air fryer! Most of the frozen veggie tots are made of riced cauliflower, or broccoli which is lower carb and healthier than regular potato tater tots. The flavors of the cauliflower really come through and they’re a fantastic vegetarian snack that so many people enjoy. Air fryer frozen veggie tots have become a staple on our snacking list! And try the air fryer broccoli tots because those of one of our favorites.

Air Fryer Frozen Cauliflower Veggie Tots in a basket

How to Cook or Re-Heat Frozen Cauliflower Veggie Tots in Air Fryer

It’s easy to air fry veggie tots from frozen and they come out super crispy and wonderful. Best of all, it’s so much faster to heat up a batch in the air fryer than the regular conventional oven. In fact after several tests, we found that the cauliflower veggie tots come out more crispy in the air fryer than the regular oven. This is the brand of veggie tots that we tested. All details, time and temp are in the recipe box below.

Air Fryer Frozen Cauliflower Veggie Tots on a plate

Tips for Cooking Frozen Veggie Tots in the Air Fryer

  • Veggie tots all vary in size, vegetable type, thickness, and sometimes the coating so you’ll have to adjust timing.
  • For smaller air fryers (less than 5qt.) 14 oz. is about the max without overcrowding the air fryer (you’ll often find them in 14oz bags). If you have a larger air fryer, you can cook more so long as the basket isn’t filled more than 1/2 full.
  • The more you fill the basket the more frequently you’ll want to shake the basket to help them cook evenly. 
  • No oil spray is needed. They cook nicely without needing any extra oil
  • There’s lots of different brands out there and most are about the same size. But some air fryer cook hotter than others, so you’ll have to adjust timing a bit.
  • After you cook your first batch in your air fryer, you’ll know the best final time to cook them to your personal liking.
  • See recipe box below for the details.
  • Pro-Tip: here’s our favorite tools to help make air frying easier:
Evo Oil Sprayer
Evo Oil Sprayer

We LOVE Evo Oil Sprayers. Not the prettiest, but they’re functional and spritz oil great! They don’t clog up like many others we’ve bought. There’s different styles, but all seem to have the same great spray head. Works great for grilling!

8.5" Square Blue Silicone Mat
Perforated Silicone Mat

There are Square Mats & Round Mats. These perforated non-stick silicone mats are used to cook food in your air fryer or steamer to minimize sticking. Holes allow hot circulating air to cook the food & keeps the food from sticking.

Perforated Parchment Paper
Perforated Parchment Paper

Parchment sheets are great for your air fryer or bamboo steamer (food tends to stick most on wire basket or tray). Choose from different sizes, shapes, white and brown (unbleached). Holes allow air to cook food evenly.

Video: Air Fried Frozen Veggie Tots

Air Fryer Frozen Cauliflower Veggie Tots step by step photos

Different Types of Frozen Veggie Tots for Air Frying

There’s different types of frozen veggie tots and brands out on the market. That’s why these little bites are so fun to eat and easy to air fry. Check out different frozen food aisles at different markets to see all the different types you can eat. There’s so many different options to choose from.

How to Serve Veggie Tots?

They’re basically so easy to eat as a snack. Pop them in your mouth and enjoy!

  • But you can make these into more of a complete meal by adding them as a side dish along other veggies.
  • You can add these crispy vegetable tots on top of a salad instead of croutons. They’re fantastic on a salad and so much for lower carb than regular bread croutons.
  • Add them to a side of rice or pasta.
  • Make an appetizer platter with fresh veggies, some healthy dips and a side of these crispy tots. They’re fun to eat alongside other healthy veggies.
Air Fryer Frozen Veggie Tots Cauliflower Healthy Snacks | AirFryerWorld.com

Air Fryer Frozen Veggie Tots

Yield: 4 servings
Cook Time: 8 minutes
Total Time: 8 minutes
Lots of factors influence outcome of how the veggie tots cook. They all vary in size, vegetable type, thickness, and sometimes the coating so you’ll have to adjust timing. For smaller air fryers (less than 5qt.) 14 oz. is about the max without overcrowding the air fryer (you'll often find them in 14oz bags). The more you fill the basket the more frequently you’ll want to shake the basket to help them cook evenly. If you have a larger air fryer, you can cook more so long as the basket isn’t filled more than 1/2 full. 
All air fryers are different and some cook much hotter than others. Once you cook your first batch, you’ll know more of what works for your model of air fryer and size of food. These were tested on basket style air fryers. Read more recipe notes below the recipe.
5 from 6 votes

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Ingredients

  • 14 oz. (396 g) Frozen Veggie Tots
  • salt , to taste
  • black pepper , to taste

Equipment

Instructions 

  • Place the frozen veggie tots in the air fryer basket and spread out evenly. No oil spray is needed.
  • Air Fry at 400°F/205°C for 5-8 minutes. Shake and gently stir about halfway through cooking. If cooking larger batches, or if your veggie tots don't cook evenly, try turning them multiple times on following batches.
  • If needed air fry at 400°F/205°C for an additional 1-3 minutes or until crisped to your liking. Season with salt & pepper, if desired.

Notes

Nutrition based on using Frozen Cauliflower Veggie Tots.
Air Frying Tips and Notes:
  1. No Oil Necessary. Cook Frozen – Do not thaw first.
  2. Shake or turn if needed. Don’t overcrowd the air fryer basket.
  3. Recipe timing is based on a non-preheated air fryer. If cooking in multiple batches back to back, the following batches may cook a little quicker. 
  4. Recipes were tested in 3.7 to 6 qt. air fryers. If using a larger air fryer, they might cook quicker so adjust cooking time.
  5. Remember to set a timer to shake/flip/toss as directed in recipe.

If your air fryer is preheated or if you are cooking multiple batches, you may need to reduce timing by a few minutes (unless preheating is called for in the recipe).

Video

YouTube video

Nutrition Information per Serving

Calories: 146kcal, Carbohydrates: 17g, Protein: 2g, Fat: 8g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Sodium: 349mg, Potassium: 146mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 2g, Calcium: 23mg, Iron: 1mg
Course: Side Dish, Snack
Cuisine: American, Frozen Foods
Calories: 146

Different brands of veggie tots or cauliflower tots

With the popularity of these veggie cauliflower tots comes a big selection of brands. After testing several brands, they are all consistently about the same size. So cooking time will be all about the same. What affects how these veggie tots cook in the air fryer is how much you cook at one time and your model of air fryer. It’s best to just add a single layer of tots in your air fryer basket or rack. Air fry them to our recommended time and then see if you need extra time. Once you cook your first batch, you’ll know the best timing for your specific bag of tots and for your specific model of air fryer.

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This was originally published in 2019 and re-published in 2021 with updated photos.