These tater tots will be the highlight of any party or meal. These loaded totchos (tater tot nachos) are filled with chicken and beef taco meats, cheese, and crispy golden tater tots for a flavorful dish everyone will love!
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We always keep a bag of tater tots on hand and most of the time, it's for simple lunches to pair with the Air Fryer Dino Nuggets my kids are obsessed with, but sometimes I get to turn them into something fun.
This totchos recipe is a perfect blend of fun and creativity as well as frugality. You can DIY your meats and toppings fresh for the experience or do as I like to do and meal plan with leftovers to use up leftover taco meats and toppings prepped for dinner the night before.
Tater Tot Nachos are great for when we make Crockpot Chicken with Enchilada Sauce, Lazy Enchiladas With Taquitos, or Walking Taco Casserole the night before!
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💛 Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Leftover taco meat. Turn leftovers into a frugal new dish with this simple sheet pan meal idea! If you don't have a lot of taco meat on hand, you can still make nachos. So save those leftovers for something truly amazing!
- These Tater Tot Nachos are customizable. Add your favorite meats, toppings, cheeses, and more. Customize this dish to suit your tastes, and enjoy every last scoop.
- You don't have to thaw the tots beforehand. Don't want to thaw your tots? You don't have to. Just add your frozen tots to the baking sheet to begin. Dinner will be ready in no time.
🛒 Ingredients
Frozen tater tots- This is the base of the nacho recipe, similar to chips, except we get golden crispy potato nuggets. Have tater tots leftover? Check out our Overnight Tater Tot Breakfast Casserole and Tater Tot Corn Casserole.
Taco seasoning- For a great flavor you can use Homemade Taco Seasoning, or you can keep it simple with storebought.
Shredded chicken- Adding extra meat to the totchos is what gives them that "loaded" feeling and keeps you feeling full.
Whole kernel corn- This adds a little bit of refreshing crunch to the dish, which really works out well. I use a can of corn that has been drained, but frozen corn works well, too (if you thaw or warm it first).
Cheddar cheese- You can use any cheese you want, but I recommend cheese that you shred yourself. We like cheddar cheese on our nachos, but Colby jack and pepper jack work great too.
See the recipe card below for full ingredients and instructions.
🔀 Substitutions & Variations
Use Any Taco Meat. Ground beef, ground turkey, shredded chicken, or leftover carnitas all work. Aim for 1 to 2 cups total so the tots don't get soggy.
Swap the Cheese. Cheddar, Colby Jack, Pepper Jack, or a fiesta blend all melt well. Shred your own for the best melt.
Add Beans for Bulk. Stretch smaller portions of meat by adding black beans, pinto beans, or refried beans under the cheese layer.
Meatless Option. Skip the meat and sprinkle taco seasoning over the tots before baking. Load up with beans, corn, cheese, and toppings.
Suggested Toppings. Add sour cream, salsa, pico, queso, black olives, green onions, tomatoes, guacamole, refried beans, chili, or sliced avocado. Add cold toppings after baking for the best texture and flavor.
💰 Budget-Friendly Tips
Stretch Leftover Meats. If you don't have a full pound of taco meat, mix in beans, corn, or rice to make it go further.
Use What's On Hand. Swap sour cream for plain yogurt, cheddar for whatever cheese is in the fridge, and canned corn for frozen or fresh.
Buy Store Brand Tots. Store-brand tater tots crisp just as well and save a few dollars per bag.
Repurpose Taco Night Leftovers. Leftover toppings from the night before = built-in savings. No extra prep or ingredients needed.
🥄 Instructions for Loaded Tater Tot Nachos
Step 1: Preheat your oven to 450 degrees F and line a baking sheet with foil or spray with nonstick cooking spray.
Step 2: While the oven is preheating, cook your ground beef in a skillet until browned, drain the grease and stir in the taco seasoning until well mixed. Set aside.
Step 3: In a small bowl, combine the sour cream, salsa, and shredded chicken until well-mixed. Add in more sour cream or salsa if you want the mixture wetter. Set aside.
Step 4: Arrange frozen tater tots on the sheet so that they can fit.
Step 5: Bake the tater tots in the oven for 15 minutes.
Step 6: Remove tater tots from the oven and sprinkle the top with cheese.
Step 7: Scatter the ground beef over the top of the cheese, followed by the corn and the chicken mixture.
Step 8: Bake for another 5-10 minutes or until the cheese is melted completely.
Step 9: Remove from the oven and add your favorite toppings.
Serve and enjoy.
👩🏻🍳 Expert Tips
- Don't Thaw the Tots. Use them straight from the freezer so they crisp properly. Thawed tots turn mushy fast.
- Layer for Best Texture. Cheese should go down before meats to help hold everything together and melt between the layers.
- Work Quickly. Once the tots come out of the oven the first time, add toppings fast so they stay hot and crispy.
❄️ Storage, Reheating & Make Ahead
Storage. Store leftover Tater Tot Nachos in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days.
Reheating. Reheat in the oven or air fryer at 375°F for 5 to 8 minutes to re-crisp. Microwave will heat it, but it will be soft.
Make Ahead. Cook the meats and chop toppings in advance. Assemble and bake fresh so the tots stay crisp.
🥗 Side Dishes or Pairing Ideas
Serve Tater Tot Nachos with a simple side salad with ranch, cilantro lime rice or Spanish rice, chips with salsa or queso, or refried beans or black beans for a complete meal.
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❓ Tater Tot Nachos FAQs
This recipe for totchos is meant to be made and consumed in the same sitting. The tots are crispy and best tasting when hot from the oven, but if you find yourself with leftovers you can make them last about a day or two in the fridge in an airtight container. Note that they won't be as good when reheated because they'll be soft.
Absolutely! Just omit the meat and instead, sprinkle some of the taco seasoning blend over the tater tots before baking so that as they thaw and crisp, they can absorb some of the yummy taco flavorings. Then layer your favorite meatless toppings and cheese on top.
No. This recipe is based on using frozen tots straight from the oven. Do not thaw your tots before baking. If you do, the bake time will be reduced and the time will vary, so keep a watchful eye on them.
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🐝 If you tried these Loaded Totchos (Tater Tot Nachos), please leave a ⭐️ star rating and share your buzz in the 💬 comments below. I'd truly appreciate it!
📖 Recipe
Loaded Totchos (Tater Tot Nachos)
Ingredients
- 1 bag (32 ounces) frozen tater tots - ($3.28)
- 1 pound ground beef - ($4.97)
- 1 tablespoon taco seasoning mix - ($0.24)
- 8 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded - ($2.00)
- 1 can (15 ounces) whole kernel corn, drained - ($0.64)
Chicken Mixture
- 1 cup cooked chicken, shredded - ($1.04)
- 1 tablespoon sour cream - ($0.06)
- 2 tablespoon salsa - ($0.05)
Instructions
- Prep oven. Preheat the oven to 450°F and line a baking sheet with foil or lightly grease with nonstick cooking spray.
- Cook beef. In a skillet over medium heat, cook the ground beef until browned. Drain excess grease, stir in the taco seasoning, and set aside.
- Mix chicken. In a small bowl, combine the shredded chicken, sour cream, and salsa until evenly mixed. Set aside.
- Bake tots. Arrange the frozen tater tots in an even layer on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes.
- Assemble. Remove the pan from the oven and sprinkle the shredded cheddar cheese evenly over the tater tots. Scatter the seasoned ground beef over the cheese, followed by the corn and the chicken mixture.
- Finish baking. Return to the oven and bake for 5 to 10 minutes, until the cheese is fully melted.
- Serve. Remove from the oven, add desired toppings, and serve immediately.
Notes
- Meat swaps. Use up to 2 cups of any cooked taco-seasoned meat in place of the beef or chicken.
- Cheese options. Fiesta blend, Colby Jack, or Monterey Jack all work well.
- Toppings. Add sour cream, salsa, green onions, black olives, or guacamole after baking.
- Storage. Best served fresh. Refrigerate leftovers for up to 2 days; reheat may soften tots.
- Meatless option. Skip meat, sprinkle taco seasoning over tots before baking, then top with cheese and vegetables.
Nutritional Information
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