Smashed Sweet Potato Tater Tot Salad
Smashed sweet potato tater tots are folded into a creamy herb dressing with smoked paprika, fresh dill, pickles, celery, and finished with crumbled feta. This is a sweet potato spin on the viral tater tot potato salad.
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If you’ve tried my Crispy Tater Tot Potato Salad, this version starts in the same place. Par-bake frozen tots, smash and bake until golden. Then fold them into a simple, creamy herb dressing. But sweet potato tater tots take the recipe somewhere new. The texture is softer and more cohesive, every bite is coated in dressing, and the smoked paprika pulls out the natural sweetness of the sweet potato in a way that keeps it feeling balanced rather than one-note.
Smashed Sweet Potato Tater Tot Salad is less crispy than the original, and that’s a good thing. After testing this with a few different brands, Roots Farm Fresh Sweet Potato Tots gave the best results. Their minimal ingredient list means the sweet potato flavor comes through cleanly in every bite.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Sweet potato tater tots — You’ll need about 30 ounces of frozen sweet potato tots. I developed this using Roots Farm Fresh Sweet Potato Tots, which are made with minimal ingredients and no seed oils. Any brand of frozen sweet potato tots will work.
- Mayonnaise — The creamy base of the dressing.
- Plain Greek yogurt — Lightens the dressing and adds a subtle tang that balances the sweetness of the tots.
- Dijon mustard — Adds sharpness and depth without overpowering the herbs.
- Smoked paprika — The key addition that sets this dressing apart from the regular tater tot version. One teaspoon is enough to draw out the natural sweetness of the sweet potato and add a warm, savory note that keeps the salad feeling balanced.
- Fresh lemon juice — Start with 2 tablespoons and add a third to taste if you want a brighter dressing.
- Fresh dill — Don’t substitute dried. Fresh dill is what makes the dressing vibrant.
- Green onions — Milder than red onion, which lets the sweet potato flavor stay in the foreground.
- Dill pickles — Use whole pickles or spears and chop them yourself. Pat them dry before adding to the dressing to keep it from getting watery.
- Celery — Adds crunch that holds up even as the tots soften into the dressing.
- Crumbled feta — Stirred in at the end and used as a garnish so every spoonful gets a bite with the salty cheese that sets this recipe apart.
How to Make Sweet POtato Tater Tot Salad
The make-ahead strategy here is the same as the original: prepare the dressing up to a day in advance and bake the tots fresh right before you’re ready to serve.
Make the dressing first. Whisk together mayo, Greek yogurt, Dijon, lemon juice, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper, then fold in the dill, green onions, pickles, and celery. Cover and refrigerate until the tots are ready.
Par-bake, smash, bake again. Spread the tots across two parchment-lined baking sheets and bake at 400 degrees F for 10 minutes to soften. Then press each one flat with the bottom of a drinking glass, season generously with kosher salt, and return to the oven for another 25 minutes, or about 10 minutes longer than the package directions suggest. You’re looking for deep golden edges, not burnt tots.
Fold and serve. Let the tots cool for about 5 minutes, then fold them into the cold dressing with half of the crumbled feta. The warm tots will absorb just enough dressing to coat every bite evenly. Finish with the remaining crumbled feta and extra fresh dill. Serve right away.
If you’re already a fan of tater tot salads, this one is worth making for your next summer gathering of anytime you need a fun and funky side dish. And if this is your first time trying the smashed tot technique, start here then go try my Crispy Tater Tot Potato Salad next.
Once you’ve given this sweet potato tater tot salad a try, come back and leave a rating and comment. I’d love to hear what you think.
Smashed Sweet Potato Tater Tot Salad
Ingredients
For the Tots:
- 30 ounces frozen sweet potato tots
- Kosher salt
For the Dressing & Mix-Ins:
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- ½ cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- ¼ cup fresh dill, chopped, plus more for serving
- 3 green onions, chopped
- ½ cup dill pickles, chopped (from whole pickles or spears)
- 2 stalks celery, diced
- ½ cup crumbled feta, divided
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Spread sweet potato tots in a single layer across two parchment-lined baking sheets, leaving space between each piece. Bake for 10 minutes to soften.
- Meanwhile, add mayonnaise, Greek yogurt, Dijon mustard, lemon juice, salt, black pepper, and smoked paprika to a large bowl. Whisk to combine. Fold in fresh dill, green onions, chopped pickles, and celery. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
- Remove sweet potato tots from oven. Using the flat bottom of a drinking glass, press firmly on each tot to smash into a flat disc. Season generously with kosher salt.
- Return to the oven and bake for an additional 25 minutes, about 10 minutes longer than package directions, until the edges are deep golden. Sweet potato tots won't crisp the same way regular tater tots do, so you're looking for set, golden edges rather than crunch.
- Let the tots cool for about 5 minutes, then fold them into the dressing with half of the feta cheese, and stir gently to coat. The tots will absorb the dressing as they sit, making for a cohesive, flavorful bite throughout.
- Transfer to a serving dish, top with remaining crumbled feta and extra fresh dill, as desired. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Make-ahead tip: Prepare the dressing and mix-ins up to one day in advance and refrigerate. Bake the tots fresh just before assembling and serving.
- On the texture: This recipe was developed using Roots Farm Fresh Sweet Potato Tots, which use fewer ingredients and no seed oils. They won’t get as crispy as the Crispy Tater Tot Potato Salad, and that’s the intent. This version soaks up the dressing for a mix of tater tot meets traditional potato salad.
- Smashing without spray: No cooking spray is needed here. If you use a different brand of sweet potato tots, you might want to spritz the tots with olive oil spray before smashing to avoid sticking to the glass. This can also help with a crispier finish, if you prefer.
- Let the tots rest: Pull them from the oven and let them cool for about 5 minutes before folding into the cold dressing. Piping-hot tots can break down the dressing too quickly.
- Serve promptly: This salad is best eaten right after assembling. Leftovers keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, though the tots will continue to soften over time.
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