Growing up, there were a handful of treats in the house that we had as an occasional appetizer or a late night snack. Often the answer was Lay’s potato chips with sour cream and onion dip. Less often, but much more awesome, we had tater tots. This was before sweet potatoes were all the rage, but even still we had sweet potato tater tots sometimes, too.
This challenge has been on my cooking bucket list for months now, and we’ve had a few false starts. Now I’m happy to share this recipe—with a crunchy exterior and chewy, savory center, this tater tot is going to rock your world. If you haven’t pan fried in oil before, please use care and wear an apron or heavy-duty armor, depending on your familiarity. Even if you have to go out and rent a HAZMAT suit, you are not going to regret it for these delicious tots!
Ingredients
4 C shredded sweet potato, approx. 2 medium-large sweet potatoes
1/4 C white chia seed meal/flour
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 C avocado oil
Method
Peel the sweet potatoes and then shred them using the small hole side of a box shredder. We just found, and love, this six-sided box grater. You want about 4 cups of shredded sweet potato.
Mix in the chia seed flour and seasonings by tossing with your hands. Be sure to mix everything until well incorporated so as to get even flavor.
Form the tater tots and set aside on a large plate.
Heat avocado oil on high in a large, enamel-coated cast-iron skillet or other pan with high sides. Add tater tots to the pan, leaving a little space between them.
Cook for about 4 minutes, flip with a long-handled tongs, and cook for another 3-4 minutes. When they are done, remove them with your tongs and place on a large, paper towel-covered plate. We did ours in two batches, but depending on the size of your pan, you may need to cook in more batches.
Allow the tots to cool for a few minutes. Serve with our awesome homemade ketchup, barbecue sauce, or your other favorite condiment.
Don’t miss the latest recipes from Heather and me! Click subscribe on our left-hand navigation and share this recipe using the buttons below. You can also follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for fun tips, news, and more.
Sweet Potato Tater Tots
Ingredients
4 C shredded sweet potato, approx. 2 medium-large sweet potatoes
1/4 C white chia seed meal/flour
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 C avocado oil
Method
1. Peel the sweet potatoes and then shred them using the small hole side of a box shredder. We just found, and love, this six-sided box grater. You want about 4 cups of shredded sweet potato.
2. Mix in the chia seed flour and seasonings by tossing with your hands. Be sure to mix everything until well incorporated so as to get even flavor.
3. Form the tater tots and set aside on a large plate.
4. Heat avocado oil on high in a large, enamel-coated cast-iron skillet or other pan with high sides.
5. Add tater tots to the pan, leaving a little space between them. Cook for about 4 minutes, flip with a long-handled tongs, and cook for another 3-4 minutes. When they are done, remove them with your tongs and place on a large, paper towel-covered plate. We did ours in two batches, but depending on the size of your pan, you may need to cook in more batches.
6. Allow the tots to cool for a few minutes. Serve with our awesome homemade ketchup, barbecue sauce, or your other favorite condiment.
These soung great! And seem pretty easy to make! I have all the ingredients at home–I think I’ll make these tonight. Thanks for the inspiration!
LikeLike
Thanks! I hope you enjoy them, they went quickly in our house. 😉
LikeLike
*sound. 🙂
LikeLike
These sound incredible! Is the use of white chia seeds more for aesthetic purposes – like could you use the black chia seeds instead?
LikeLike
Michele, we did choose the white chia seeds for the aesthetics. I don’t see any reason why black chia seeds wouldn’t work equally well. The tots just might be a little more speckeled!
LikeLike
Do you think you’d be able to bake them, instead of frying? I’m not a fan and would prefer a “healthier” option!
LikeLike
oops! That was supposed to say, I’m not a fan of frying!
LikeLike
Louisa, We haven’t tried baking them. But if you give it a shot, let us know how they come out. 🙂
LikeLike
Hi! Just curious, but why chia seeds? Are they in the recipe for a reason? or just the health benefits? Thanks!
LikeLike
Hi ESE,
Chia seeds are both packed with nutrients and help bind the rest of the ingredients together because of the sticky “gel” the produce when they get wet. So they act like egg would in a typical tater tot recipe. We hope you enjoy the recipe!
LikeLike
These are going down during our 4th of July weekend!! Sounds delicious!
LikeLike