I Never Thought to Add Tater Tots to This Potluck Staple, But Now I Won't Make It Any Other Way

Published on July 3, 2025

Ranking right up there with Mom’s fresh honey whole-wheat bread, tater tots were one of my favorite dinner side dishes growing up. My parents often kept a bag of tots tucked away in the freezer to pair with burgers or chicken dinners. Not only were these spud nuggets a budget-friendly staple, but the grown-ups could also outsource the “prep work” to the kids after we were old enough to use an oven. Plus, unlike canned peas or green beans, my parents knew that this is one side dish that wouldn't get any complaints.

To this day, I have a sweet spot for tater tots of all kinds. I always smile when I see them on restaurant menus or featured in our Test Kitchen’s creations. They're like a wink from Mom and Dad… and act as a reminder that I should incorporate more potato goodness into my adult menu.

My algorithm was clearly picking up on my internal chatter: Recently while scrolling on Instagram looking for menu inspiration, I landed on a creation tailor-made for tater tot lovers. As we approach prime summer potluck time, it’s also a top-notch choice for winning over the neighborhood: Tater Tot Salad.

What's Tater Tot Salad?

Tater Tot Salad may sound like a peculiar concept. But as someone who grew up in Iowa, where apples, whipped cream, and chopped Snickers qualify as “salad” too, I know that the lines in this territory are meant to be blurred.

The easiest way to describe Tater Tot Salad is that it's a crunchy twist on Classic Potato Salad. Instead of boiling and draining potatoes to act as the foundation, these starchy salads feature cooked and smashed tots. The pre-cooked and frozen nuggets are baked and smashed flat to amplify their surface area and maximize the crunch factor.

I discovered the concept from Alexa Santos (@alexawhatsfordinner), who posted a demo of her pickle potato salad on social media:

After this introduction, I set off on a quest to see how others have remixed this recipe. It appears to be fairly rare (so far), but the biggest takeaway I got from my research? Any potato salad can get the tot treatment. Just swap in baked and smashed tater tots for the boiled potatoes.

How to Make Tater Tot Salad

With that in mind, I added tater tots to my next grocery list so I could create a version to share with my inner child, friends at a summer gathering, and you. (That is, if the combo turned out to be a winner. And it did!) 

Tater Tot Potato Salad

Servings: 4
Serving Size: 1/2 cup

Prep: 10 min
Bake: 30 min
Stand: 10 min
Total Time: 50 min

Ingredients

• Nonstick cooking spray
• 3 cups frozen fried potato nuggets
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup thinly slice green onions
• 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
• 1 Tbsp. chopped fresh dill
• 1 Tbsp. lemon juice
• 1 small clove garlic, minced
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. ground black pepper

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450°F. Coat a 15x10x1-inch rimmed baking pan with cooking spray. Spread potato nuggets on prepared baking pan in an even layer. Bake for 15 minutes. Turn nuggets and smash slightly to about 1/4-inch thickness. Bake until nuggets are crisp, 15 to 20 minutes more.
2. Meanwhile, prepare dressing. In a medium bowl, stir together sour cream, mayonnaise, green onion, parsley, dill, lemon juice, garlic, salt and pepper until combined.
3. Let potato nuggets stand on baking pan for 10 minutes. Transfer smashed nuggets to a shallow serving bowl. Spoon dressing over top or toss together. Serve immediately.