Tater Tots
The next time you get a hankering for tater tots, skip the freezer. Just keep on walking and don’t look back. I’m gonna show you how to make your own tater tots, and boy, are they oh so good!
Worth The Time
This process takes a little time, but it is well worth it. The best potato to use for these tater tots is the russet. Peeling the potatoes is a personal preference, but I prefer to take the time to peel them. After peeling (or just cleaning), par boil the potatoes, basically just partially boil them. Place them in a pot of water and turn on the heat. When the water begins to boil, cook the potatoes for about 7 minutes. Dump off the hot water and cover the potatoes with cool water.
Tip: Par boiling the potatoes will ensure that they fry evenly, inside and out.
A Grate Time
Take the cooled potatoes and grate into a bowl that contains just a bit of water. Rinse the grated potatoes in cool water; drain through a colander. Then repeat the process until the drained water runs clear.
Tip: Take your time in rinsing the grated potatoes, because this removes the starch.
Dump the rinsed taters onto a towel (don’t use a paper towel); cover with a second towel and press to get the water out.
Time To Play Ball
Mix together a little flour, onion powder, garlic powder and chopped rosemary. Incorporate the dry mixture into the grated potatoes, just a little at a time. Try to form a ball with the potatoes.
If it’s too loose, add just a touch of flour to get the ball to stick together.
I like to form the tater tots into small disc shapes because they ensures a more even fry and they won’t be raw in the middle.
Slip the potato balls into hot grease and fry for 4-5 minutes until golden brown. Remove from the grease, place on a wire rack to drain and sprinkle with seasoning.
Get ready for a tasty crunchy outside and a delicious creamy potato inside. You’ll never reach for frozen tater tots again!
Homemade Tater Tots - Cowboy Kent Rollins
Ingredients
- 4 medium Russet potatoes peeled
- 5-6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ tablespoon dried rosemary chopped
- Oil for frying
- Red River Ranch Original seasoning or salt and pepper
Instructions
- Add the potatoes to a saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil for 7 minutes. Drain and cover with cold water.
- When the potatoes are cool enough to handle, grate into a large bowl and fill with water. Let sit for 5 minutes. Drain and repeat.
- Place the grated potatoes in a colander, rinse and drain very well. Repeat until the water runs clear.
- Pour the potatoes onto a towel. Place another towel on top and firmly press down to extract the moisture.
- In a small bowl, combine 5 tablespoons of the flour. Mix in the onion powder, garlic powder and rosemary.
- Place the potatoes back in the large bowl and sprinkle in the seasoning mixture a little at a time, stirring until combined.
- With a tablespoon, spoon the potato mixture out into your hands to form small discs about ½- inch thick. If the mixture doesn’t hold together well into tots, add more flour to help bind.
- Add enough oil into a saucepan or Dutch oven to deep fry and heat to 350 degrees F.
- Add the tots to the oil, a few at a time, and fry about 4 minutes or until golden brown. Drain and place on a wire rack or paper towel. Sprinkle with Red River Ranch Original seasoning or salt and black pepper. Serve warm.
[…] Recipe from Kent Rollins. I didn’t peel my potatoes while he did, which I’m guessing is why his look so much more compact. I rinsed my grated potatoes three times. Regardless, they were good, though maybe not so much better than regular fries to justify the much greater prep time. Tell you what, though … just now I would love to have a couple on my plate. […]
[…] you went full on fancy and made your own mushroom soup, you might as well make homemade tater tots while you’re at […]