The best tater tots are crispy on the outside, creamy on the inside, and actually taste like potato. In fact, they may not even be called “tots.” See, Ore-Ida trademarked the name “tater tot,” which is why you see a lot of “potato puffs” and “tater bites” in the frozen aisle. Over the course of two separate taste tests, we rounded up all the tots, puffs, bites, and rounds we could find to determine which are the best store bought tater tots of them all.
I love tater tots. Yes, I know. That makes me super unique and interesting, right? Next time you’re out for drinks with friends you can tell them how you read this article about a lady who likes tater tots. Record their reactions and tag me on social media! Okay, okay. Everyone loves tater tots. As frozen potato shapes go, they’re so perfect, they put french fries to shame. And, in my opinion, it’s much easier to find restaurant-quality tots at the grocery store than it is to find restaurant-quality fries (although, we found some great frozen fries, too).
Our ongoing quest to find the best frozen tater tots was slightly complicated for one reason: All tater tots are at least a little bit good. So how did we narrow down this list? We looked for tots with a crispy, crunchy exterior, a nice and creamy interior, and freshly fried flavor, even out of the oven. Also, if you read this list of the best tater tots when it was first published, you may notice we made some pretty significant changes. Sometimes product quality declines or changes, and we will always update our rankings to reflect that. So, for now, these are the best frozen tater tots (and bites and puffs) you can buy.
- 365 Sweet Potato Puffs
I understand that when most people are looking for the best frozen tater tots they aren’t necessarily looking for sweet potato tots. All the same, I absolutely love that these things make it seem like you’re doing something healthy by eating a fried potato product. Of the two brands of sweet potato tots we tried during our taste tests, we decided that 365 had the more robust sweet potato flavor (I tried them head to head with Alexia to confirm). If you don’t like sweet potato, you’re not going to like these! But if you want the best frozen tater tots with that combo of sweet, salty, and oily flavors, these are the way to go. These would be excellent with a bite-y garlic aioli. (And if you want even more frozen sweet potato in your life, check out our list of the best frozen sweet potato fries.)
Credit: Sarah Demonteverde / Amazon
- Kroger Tater Bites
To my recollection, the cafeteria tater tots of my childhood had a slight oniony flavor that I absolutely loved. If you also loved that, these frozen tater tots from Kroger are the best store bought tater tots for you. There’s a deep, savory flavor here that would pair extremely well with a charbroiled burger loaded with lots of raw onion. Supplement their built-in flavor with a sprinkle of Lawry’s or Jane’s, ready a ramekin of tangy ketchup, and you’re in business. These did get bumped to a lower spot on the list because they were better when we purchased them a year ago.
Credit: Sarah Demonteverde / Ralphs
- Alexia Organic Yukon Select Puffs
I’m no potato expert, but I’m confident you can taste the high-quality spuds used in these frozen tater tots. A lot of potato flavor comes through in these, and the interior of the crispy tot has a nice quality that reminded me of homemade mashed potatoes, the kind dotted with toothsome lumps. If you happen to be a potato snob (if you are, I think that’s extremely cool), these are the best store bought tater tots for you.
Credit: Sarah Demonteverde / Amazon
- Alexia Crispy Seasoned Potato Puffs
Sure, you can season tots on your own, but it’s also nice to not have to—especially if the seasoning tastes like the delicious powdery coating on salt & pepper potato chips. This bag of Alexia tots promises a lot from its seasoning: roasted garlic, cracked black pepper, and a hint of sour cream and chives. I don’t know if I picked up on any sour cream or chive flavor, but the garlic and cracked pepper flavors are bold and delicious. These are the best tater tots if you don’t want to bother with a dip.
Credit: Sarah Demonteverde / Instacart
- Kroger Potato Rounds
Compared to tater tots, tater rounds are more like hashbrowns you get at fast food places like Burger King. They’re shaped like flat little potato discs rather than little potato pellets. You definitely get less creamy, mushy potato filling, but if you come to tots primarily for their crispy outsides, you’re going to love these. We tried these head to head with Ore-Ida’s potato rounds and Kroger blew Ore-Ida out of the water. They’re salty and super crunchy—right out of the bag they look toasty and well fried. The Ore-Ida ones were too potatoey and tasted like oil. Put ‘em in a little paper sleeve and people will absolutely think they came from a fast food spot. What a fun weekend treat. Even though these are a different take on tots, we still think they’re among the best frozen tater tots at the grocery store.
Credit: Merc / Food 4 Less
- Ore-Ida Extra Crispy Tater Tots
These were previously in the number one spot on our list of the best frozen tater tots, but they didn’t wow us as much during our second taste test. Still, these are incredibly good, especially if you like your tots very well cooked. They are extremely crispy (as advertised), and that crackly coating gives way to a hot, creamy potato center that contributes a convincing freshly fried feel. I also love the size of these tots—while it’s come to my attention that most people eat most tater tots in a single bite, some are two-bite foods. These? These are the best tater tots to eat in one bite (and they’re even more perfect dipped in a good ranch dressing).
Credit: Sarah Demonteverde / Instacart
- Ore-Ida Mini Tater Tots
I wouldn’t have guessed size would have anything to do with the flavor of the best tater tots, but here we are! Ore-Ida Mini Tater Tots are like little tater tablets you can pop like pills if potatoes are your drug of choice (they are mine). They’re small, but still super creamy inside and super fresh tasting. Our intern Angela liked that the compact size made them crispier than regular sized tater tots. These also seem really good for kids (as long as they aren’t a choking hazard—I don’t know what kids are and are not supposed to eat, tbh). If you want to change things up just a little, these are the best tater tots to toss in your cart the next time you’re at the grocery store.
Credit: Merc / Target
- Grown In Idaho Super Crispy Tots
Here at Sporked, we love Grown In Idaho potato products. Their french fries rule. And their frozen mashed potatoes are a revelation. Flavor-wise, these Super Crispy Tots reminded me a lot of McDonald’s hash brown patties. They’re greasy and crisp and wonderfully potatoey. I think these would make a great base for a cheesy, eggy breakfast casserole or diner-style skillet. Seriously, we should all be eating tots for breakfast more often—especially if they’re the best frozen tater tots at the grocery store.
Credit: Sarah Demonteverde / Instacart
Best Sweet Potato
Best Basic
Best Potato Flavor
Best Seasoned
Best Rounds
Best Crispy
Best Mini
Best of the Best
Other products we tried: O Organics Potato Puffs, Trader Joe’s Potato Tots, Alexia Sweet Potato Tots, 365 Tater Puffs, Sonic Tots, Ore-Ida Crispy Crowns, Ore-Ida Golden Tater Tots
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