Tater Tot Nachos are a fun twist on regular nachos that swaps the tortilla chips for crispy baked tater tots instead. They’re topped with seasoned ground beef and cheese along with all your favorite nacho toppings! 

A tray of loaded tater tot nachos topped with melted cheese, black olives, cherry tomatoes, avocado, cilantro, and a large dollop of guacamole on a wooden table.

This tater tot nachos recipe is like a tater tot casserole except served up nacho-style. Who doesn’t love nachos? And nachos with tater tots instead of chips – um, yes, please sign me up for that!

These are my Loaded Tots recipe but with taco meat (use leftover to make your life easier) and all the nacho toppings you like. This is the perfect easy dinner or game day recipe!

A flat lay of ingredients for Tater Tot Nachos on a white marble surface: tater tots, shredded cheddar, diced tomatoes, avocado, black olives, salsa, ground beef, and sour cream. A striped cloth napkin is placed at the bottom right.

Ingredient Notes

  • Frozen tater tots – you’re going to cook them according to package directions
  • Cooked taco meat – use rotisserie chicken, ground beef or ground turkey – we like using the meat for taco salad and then using the leftovers for these!
  • Shredded cheddar cheese and all your favorite toppings!

Be sure to see the recipe card below for full ingredients & instructions!

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Loaded Totchos Topping Variations

  • Cheddar or shredded pepper jack cheese or even queso, nacho cheese sauce, or cojita cheese
  • Sliced black olives
  • Chopped fresh tomatoes or shredded lettuce
  • Guacamole or diced avocados
  • Sour cream
  • Salsa or pico de gallo
  • Jalapeños, onions, green onion, or corn
  • Cilantro
  • Crispy bacon
A baking tray loaded with golden tater tots rests on a white surface, ready for assembly into delicious Tater Tot Nachos. Surrounding the tray are small bowls of salsa, cooked ground meat, shredded cheese, and a dish towel nearby.
A baking tray showcases a tater tot casserole, reminiscent of delicious Tater Tot Nachos, topped with ground beef and melted cheese. Surrounding the tray are small bowls of salsa, shredded cheese, and extra ground beef. A blue and white checkered cloth lies to the side.
A tray of Tater Tot Nachos is piled high with black olives, avocado slices, diced tomatoes, sour cream, and ground meat. Small bowls on the side offer salsa, shredded cheese, and extra ground meat. A cloth napkin is placed nearby for a perfect party spread.

How to Make Tater Tot Nachos

  1. If you already have cooked seasoned beef, this is a quick 10-minute prep recipe. This is the recipe for my basic taco meat – it’s so simple, so if you need to make a batch for this recipe it only adds 10 minutes to the prep time.
  2. Just brown one pound of ground beef or turkey in a skillet. Once it’s cooked through, drain any excess grease and then add one packet of taco seasoning and the amount of water listed on the packet. Cook it all together for five minutes. You will only need half of the ground beef for the nachos.
  3. Once you have the meat, all you do is assemble the nachos by first baking the tater tots until crispy (according to package instructions) then sprinkle with meat and cheese and cooking until the cheese is melted.
  4. Once the cheese is melted layer your other toppings, like salsa or sour cream.
  5. You can serve this dish right in the pan! Feel free to cover it with foil for easy clean up.
A close-up of a tray filled with loaded tater tots topped with melted cheese, sliced black olives, cherry tomatoes, diced avocado, cilantro, and a dollop of guacamole.

Storing Leftovers

Because this uses tater tots you technically can store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge and then reheat in the oven or air fryer to reheat. However, once it has guacamole or sour cream on top you shouldn’t reheat it (plus the avocado will turn brown). It’s best served fresh and hot.

Expert Tips

  • You can omit the meat and make loaded tater tot nachos vegetarian by using beans. Pinto beans, black beans, kidney beans or a combination of beans will work great.
  • Nachos are usually thought of as an appetizer, but these tater tot nachos make a great dinner! We also make them for a fun party snack when we have friends and family over. They’re always a hit when we make them – I hope you love them, too.
A tray of loaded tater tot nachos topped with melted cheese, black olives, cherry tomatoes, avocado, cilantro, and a large dollop of guacamole on a wooden table.

Tater Tot Nachos Recipe

5 from 3 votes
Tater Tot Nachos are a fun way to make tater tot casserole! Top tater tots with nacho toppings for an easy dinner or appetizer.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Yield 5 people
Serving Size 1 serving
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Ingredients
 

For the base nachos:

  • ½ (32 ounce) bag frozen tater tots
  • ½ pound taco meat prepared (see note)
  • 1 ½ cups shredded cheddar cheese

Topping suggestions:

  • 1 cup chopped tomato
  • 1 sliced avocado or prepared guacamole
  • 8 ounces sliced black olives drained
  • Sour Cream and/or salsa to taste

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 450°F. Place tater tots in a single later on a large cookie or baking sheet (at least 11×17-inches). Cook according to package directions. Meanwhile prepare toppings.
  • Top hot tater tots with taco meat and cheese. Bake for about 5 additional minutes, or until meat is hot and cheese is melted.
  • For serving: top with tomatoes, avocados, olives, sour cream and/or any other toppings.

Recipe Notes

  • This is a great way to use leftover taco meat, but if you need to make it yourself: cook 1 pound of ground beef or turkey until cooked through. Drain. Add one taco seasoning packet and water according to package directions, cook 5 minutes. Use half this mixture for the nachos.
  • You could also add jalapeños, cilantro, chopped avocado or anything you like.

Recipe Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 328kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 27g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Cholesterol: 68mg | Sodium: 1019mg | Potassium: 265mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 574IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 291mg | Iron: 2mg
Nutritional information not guaranteed to be accurate
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Keyword 30 minute meal, easy dinner, nachos, tater tot dinner
A tray of loaded tater tot nachos topped with melted cheese, black olives, cherry tomatoes, avocado, cilantro, and a large dollop of guacamole on a wooden table.
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5 from 3 votes (2 ratings without comment)

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2 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    This recipe is so easy to prepare and put together, put what ever you want on them and make them your version of nachos. The whole family loved them and there were no leftovers. The kids loved them.

    Reply