I love tater tots, and this Totchos Recipe is my favorite way to enjoy them! Think nachos, but with tater tots instead of tortilla chips. They are golden and crunchy and covered in gooey cheese and seasoned beef. Keep the toppings simple with fresh tomatoes and jalapenos, or add your favorite sauces; you can't go wrong! A fun dinner or game day snack ready in just 35 minutes!
Totchos Recipe Essentials
- 🍽️ Course: Appetizer or Fun Dinner
- ⏱️ Cooking Time: 35 minutes
- 🍴 Servings: 6
- 🧄 Flavor Profile: Crispy, savory, and indulgent with salty potatoes, melty cheese, and bold toppings.
- 🍚 Best Served With: Ice-cold beer, margaritas, or alongside burgers, wings, or as a party appetizer.
- 🧊 Make Ahead?: Partially. Roast the tots ahead of time, but add toppings and melt the cheese just before serving for the best texture.
Summarize and Save This Content On
Everyone loves cheesy and spicy nachos, and these tater tots are loaded with cheese and juicy beef. Top them with anything you like to make this recipe all your own!
I like to make it for game day parties, weeknight dinner, or a weekend appetizer to enjoy while relaxing. If you enjoy homemade nachos, you'll love these Italian-style nachos and slow-cooked chicken nachos too!
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- It's great for entertaining: If you want an appetizer or snack to serve to a crowd, these totchos work wonderfully because you can make a lot with minimal effort.
- It's easy to customize: You can get creative with your totchos and make them your own. Swap and add toppings to suit your taste!
- It's quick to make: It only takes a few minutes of your time to prepare this totchos recipe. It's one of my favorites to make when I'm short on time.
Ingredients
The tots and beef are important to this totchos recipe because they act as the base for the toppings. They are easy to find and affordable!
- Tater tots: These are the foundation of this totchos recipe. They are par-cooked to make them golden and crispy before adding the toppings.
- Ground beef: This is a classic combination for nachos, and I season it with a taco seasoning blend. Lean ground beef is best, so the totchos aren't greasy.
- Cheese: Any cheese that melts smoothly is perfect! My go-tos are any Mexican blend or cheddar. These flavors are classic for nachos.
- Toppings: I love fresh jalapeno slices, cilantro, and diced tomatoes for freshness. Chunks of avocado and a drizzle of sour cream are classic, too. Try this chipotle lime dip in place of sour cream for a fun twist.
See the recipe card below for exact ingredient amounts, nutritional information, and detailed instructions.
Variations
- Chicken: Try these loaded beef totchos with chicken instead! Use shredded or ground; both are great.
- Black bean: Make your totchos meatless by seaping the ground beef with drained and rinsed black beans. One can of beans should be plenty.
- Cauliflower tots: Use cauliflower tots in place of traditional potato tots for a lower-carb version. Keep in mind that the flavor and texture will be slightly different!
- Swap the sauce: Change things up with salsa pesto, salsa con queso, and creamy jalapeno sauce. Each one brings a unique flavor profile to your totchos.
How to Make This Totchos Recipe
For this totchos recipe, you'll need a large, greased baking sheet and your oven preheated to 425°F.
Step 1: Brown and season the beef. Cook your beef in a skillet over medium heat until it's no longer pink and season it with the taco seasoning.
Step 2: Bake the tater tots. Put your tater tots in the oven and bake them for 25-30 minutes or until hot and crispy.
Step 3: Melt the cheese. Crumble the beef on top of the tots and sprinkle the shredded cheese. Put the pan back in the oven for a couple of minutes to melt the cheese.
Step 4: Add toppings and serve. Top your totchos with your favorite toppings and enjoy with a side of Crockpot pinto beans and this Mexican guacamole.
Expert Tips
- Drain the beef well: Ensure that you drain excess grease from the ground beef after you brown it. This keeps your tots perfectly crispy.
- Cook the tots thoroughly: Allow the tater tots plenty of time to cook. When they're golden brown and cooked, they hold the toppings better.
- Storage leftovers: Place the leftover totchos in an airtight container and keep them in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Scrape off the fresh toppings and store them separately, if possible.
- Reheating the totchos: You can reheat the loaded tater tots in the oven or air fryer at 375F for 5-8 minutes or until hot and crispy. Avoid the microwave so they aren't soggy or chewy.
Another recipe that features loaded tots is this loaded tater tots, a copycat of the Domino's dish.
Serving Suggestions
- For a meal, serve rice and black beans or refried beans as a side dish for these loaded tater tot nachos.
- For game day parties, pair them with crispy fried jalapenos and this crab cream cheese dip.
- Take the party up a notch with delicious drinks like this Mexican candy shot or the best pineapple margarita.
Recipe FAQs
If you add toppings before they are crispy enough, that can make them soggy. I also don't like to add toppings too early (especially fresh tomatoes) because as they sit, they soak up extra moisture, which can make them soggy, too.
Yes! The only difference is you may have to cut the recipe in half, depending on the size of your air fryer basket. Most bags of frozen tater tots have air fryer directions, too.
I don't recommend it. It alters the texture, and the tots don't get as crispy. I have also found they aren't as sturdy and don't hold up well to adding toppings.
You can prepare the components like the beef ahead of time and keep it in the fridge (up to 24 hours), but they taste best when they're freshly made.
More Kid-Friendly Tater Tot Recipes
Do you like tater tot recipes? Here are some dishes you may also like to try.
If you try this recipe and love it please leave a star rating in the recipe card below or even better, drop a review in the comment section. I always appreciate your feedback. Be sure to follow along with me on Facebook, Pinterest, and YouTube for more easy recipes!
Totchos Recipe
Ingredients
- Cooking spray
- 56 ounces frozen tater tots (2 Bags)
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 ounce taco seasoning
- 1 cup cheese shredded, cheddar or Mexican blend
- 1 medium tomato diced
- 1 avocado diced
- ½ cup sour cream
- 1 jalapeño sliced
- ¼ cup cilantro chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F and prepare a large baking sheet by coating it with cooking spray.
- Spread the tater tots in an even layer on the baking sheet.
- Bake the tater tots for 25-30 minutes or until golden and crispy.
- While the tots bake, cook the ground beef in a skillet over medium heat until browned.
- Drain any excess grease from the skillet and stir in the taco seasoning according to package directions.
- Remove the crispy tater tots from the oven and top them with the cooked taco meat.
- Sprinkle the shredded cheese evenly over the top.
- Return the pan to the oven and bake for 5-7 minutes or until the cheese is fully melted.
- Remove from the oven and top with tomato, avocado, sour cream, jalapeño, and cilantro.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
- Thoroughly drain the grease from the cooked ground beef to keep your tots from becoming greasy or wet.
- Allow the tater tots enough time in the oven to fully cook and become golden brown before you continue to the next steps of the loaded totchos recipe.
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