Crispy Tater Tot Potato Salad
Tater Tot Potato Salad gets an extra crispy upgrade with this version of the viral recipe. Smashed golden tater tots are folded into a creamy herb dressing with fresh dill, pickles, celery, red onion, and lemon. It’s a flexible, last-minute side dish that's perfect for summer cookouts and backyard gatherings.
This post may contain affiliate links. Please see our disclosure policy.
If you’ve been anywhere near food social media in the past year or two, you’ve probably seen some version of this tater tot potato salad. It went viral on TikTok a couple of years ago for good reason, and I immediately jumped in to make my own spin on it. This takes the nostalgic comfort of my favorite summer side dish and gives it a crispy, smashed upgrade.
The concept is simple: instead of boiling potatoes, you bake and smash tater tots, then fold them into a creamy herb dressing. I go heavy on the dill with chopped pickles and fresh dill in this version. After making this more times than I can count and filming it for one of my most-watched recipe videos, I’ve finally landed on the version worth publishing.
What Makes This Recipe Work
The smash-and-crisp technique is the foundation of this recipe. After the first 10-minute bake, the tots are soft enough to press flat with the bottom of a drinking glass. Give it a quick spray of cooking spray so it releases cleanly. Once smashed, you get jagged, irregular edges that crisp up beautifully during the second bake. You’re essentially making a smashed potato out of a tater tot or tater crown, and the result holds up to the dressing in a way that a standard baked tot wouldn’t.
Instead of regular tater tots, I open for tater crowns. They’re the coin-shaped tots widely available at grocery stores. Their flatter shape means they smash a little more evenly and get extra crispy around the edges. Regular tater tots work perfectly fine, so use what you prefer.
Dill pickles are the other key to this recipe. Most versions of tater tot potato salad use cucumber, but I opt for whole pickles or spears chopped down into small pieces. Pat them dry with a paper towel before adding to the dressing to remove excess moisture. The briny punch from pickles adds an especially refreshing bite that balances out the creamy dressing.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Tater crowns or tots — I use a 30-ounce bag, which is enough for a generous crowd-size portion. Tater crowns are my preference for their shape and crispiness, but any brand of tots works.
- Mayonnaise — Regular mayo is the creamy base here.
- Greek yogurt — Plain Greek yogurt lightens the dressing and adds a subtle tang. Any brand works, just make sure it’s unsweetened.
- Dijon mustard — Adds sharpness and depth without overpowering the herbs.
- Fresh dill and parsley — Don’t substitute dried herbs. Fresh herbs are what make the dressing bright and vibrant.
- Dill pickles — Use whole pickles or spears and chop them yourself.
- Celery — Adds extra crunch that holds up well even as the tots soften.
- Red onion — Finely diced for a sharp, savory contrast.
- Lemon juice — Fresh squeezed, right before you mix the dressing.
- Kosher salt and pepper — Essential for properly seasoning the dish.
How to Make Tater Tot Potato Salad
The make-ahead strategy for this recipe is what makes it ideal for a cookout: prepare the dressing and mix-ins up to a day in advance, then bake the tater tots fresh right before you’re ready to serve.
Start by making the dressing. Add mayo, Greek yogurt, Dijon mustard, lemon juice, salt, and black pepper to a large bowl and whisk to combine. Fold in the fresh dill, parsley, chopped dill pickles, celery, and red onion. Cover and refrigerate until the tots are ready. You can prepare this up to a day in advance.
Bake the tots. When you’re ready to serve, preheat your oven to 425 degrees F and spread the tater crowns or tots in a single layer across two parchment-lined baking sheets. Don’t crowd them or they’ll steam instead of crisp. Plus, you need the extra space to smash them for extra crispiness. Bake for 10 minutes to soften.
Smash for ultimate crispiness. Remove from the oven and, using the flat bottom of a drinking glass sprayed lightly with cooking spray, press firmly on each tot to smash it into a flat disc. You also can use parchment paper, though the little extra oil helps with crispiness. Season generously with kosher salt. Return to the oven and bake for another 30 to 35 minutes, about 10 minutes longer than the package directions. You’re looking for deep golden edges and serious crispiness.
Toss together and serve. Fold the warm, crispy tots directly into the cold dressing. The contrast of warm tots hitting the cold herb dressing is part of what makes this so good. The tots will absorb just enough of the dressing to be flavorful in every bite. Serve immediately.
Tips for the Best Results
- Pat the pickles dry: Before chopping and adding to the dressing, press the pickles between paper towels to remove excess moisture. This keeps the dressing from getting watery as it sits.
- Don’t rush the second bake: The extra time after smashing is where the magic happens. Pull them when the edges are visibly crispy and golden, not just lightly browned.
- Season after smashing: Salt goes on after you smash, not before. It sticks better to the flat surface and seasons more evenly.
- The tots will soften as the salad sits: That’s expected, and it’s still delicious. But for the crispiest results, plan to serve within an hour of assembling and, the sooner the better for maximum crispy bits.
- Finish with more fresh herbs: I always garnish with a few extra sprigs of fresh dill and chopped parsley on top before serving. I also hold back a few crispy tots from the initial toss and nestle them into the top of the bowl for visual appeal.
If you’re like me, no cookout or gathering is complete without some version of potato salad on the table. This one sits alongside my Classic Potato Salad and Spring Pesto & Potato Salad as warm-weather staples I rotate between throughout the year. Each one brings something different to the table, and this tater tot potato salad proves to be the crispiest of the bunch.
Not if, but when you make this recipe, come back and leave a rating and a comment. I’d love to hear how you made it your own.
Crispy Tater Tot Potato Salad
Ingredients
For the Crispy Tots:
- 30 ounces frozen tater crowns or tater tots
- Cooking spray
- 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
- ¼ cup fresh dill, chopped
- ¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped
- ½ cup dill pickles, chopped (from whole pickles or spears)
- 2 stalks celery, diced
- ½ small red onion, finely diced
Instructions
- Add mayonnaise, Greek yogurt, Dijon mustard, lemon juice, salt, and black pepper to a large bowl. Whisk to combine. Fold in fresh dill, parsley, chopped pickles, celery, and red onion. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Spread tater crowns or tots in a single layer across two parchment-lined baking sheets to avoid crowding. Bake for 10 minutes to soften.
- Remove from oven. Spray the flat bottom of a drinking glass lightly with cooking spray. Press firmly on each tot to smash into a flat disc. Season generously with kosher salt.
- Return to oven and bake for an additional 30 to 35 minutes, about 10 minutes longer than package directions, until edges are deep golden and extra crispy.
- Fold warm, crispy tots directly into the cold dressing. Stir gently to coat and serve immediately.
Notes
- Make-ahead tip: Prepare the dressing and mix-ins up to one day in advance and refrigerate. Bake the tater tots fresh just before serving and fold them warm into the cold dressing so they don’t get soggy. The contrast of warm tots and cold herb dressing is part of what makes this recipe so good.
- Dry pickles: Pat pickles dry with a paper towel before chopping to remove excess moisture and keep the dressing from getting watery.
- Serving immediately: The tots will soften as the salad sits. Plan to serve within one to two hours of assembling for the best texture. Leftovers can be stored for up to 3 days in the refrigerator, though the tater tots will lose crispness in that time.
- Food safety note: Because this recipe contains mayonnaise, do not leave it out at room temperature for more than two hours, or one hour if outdoor temperatures are above 90 degrees F.
- Crowns vs. tots: Tater crowns (coin-shaped tots) are my preference over regular tots. Their shape smashes more evenly and the edges get extra crispy. Look for them near the tater tots in the freezer section.
Like this? Leave a comment below!
