This Totchos recipe combines a pile of crispy, perfectly seasoned tater tots with classic nacho toppings, including flavorful, juicy ground beef and plenty of cheese. It’s an easy appetizer (or meal!) that anyone can make!
You’re gonna LOVE this Totchos recipe! You’ve heard of this fun appetizer, right? It’s basically nachos, or Macho Nachos as we like to call it around here, but with tots filling in for tortilla chips. I’ve done all the testing to make sure the tater tots are seasoned and actually flavorful, plus golden and actually crispy. Because nobody likes bland, soggy tots, am I right?!
Reasons to Make These Totchos ASAP
Whether it’s an anticipated game day or a regular ol’ weekday that could use a pump of fun, here’s why you’ll want to get this totchos recipe on your menu soon:
- CRISPY, FLAVORFUL tots. I don’t/won’t/can’t eat soggy, limp tots that are poorly seasoned. And with a recipe like this, where tater tots get loaded up with toppings, keeping those tots crispy is extra challenging. So in my recipe I tell you exactly how to achieve crispy, flavor-packed results.
- Universally loved. Nachos and tater tots are two foods that most everyone can agree on. Combine them into one cheesy-melty-crispy app and you get a guaranteed crowd-pleaser. (For more ways to put tater tots on your table, see my classic Tater Tot Hotdish and Tater Tot Breakfast Casserole.)
- Totally customizable. So many people love nachos because they can choose their own toppings, and that’s true of these totchos too. Set out salsa, guacamole, sour cream, green onions, and other toppings and let everyone in the family come up with their own formula for tater tot nachos perfection!
What You’ll Need
Consider this list of ingredients a suggestion. Aside from the tater tots and ground beef mixture, you can switch everything else up according to your family’s tastes and preferences. Scroll to the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post for exact ingredient amounts.
- Tater tots – Nothing fancy here, just plain frozen tater tots.
- Taco seasoning – A blend of equal parts cumin, chili powder, onion powder, garlic powder, kosher salt, and black pepper.
- Ground beef – Or swap in ground turkey if you like.
- Salsa – Use a blended Restaurant-Style Salsa; this is for adding flavor to the ground beef. A chunky salsa won’t be as evenly distributed throughout the meat mixture, but use that if you like that style more.
- Black beans – Rinse and drain them, then pat them dry so they don’t make your totchos soggy.
- Cheese – Mexican blend cheese is my favorite, but shredded pepper jack, Monterey jack, or cheddar are also good options.
- Toppings – Fresh tomatoes, red onion, green onion, and cilantro are my must-haves. Guacamole, sour cream, additional salsa, and Pico de Gallo add some extra deliciousness.
How to Make Totchos
This recipe is incredibly easy — you’re going to want to put it into regular rotation! Scroll to the recipe card for printable instructions.
- Make taco seasoning. Stir together all of the taco seasoning ingredients in a small bowl.
- Bake tater tots. Toss the tots with taco seasoning on a sheet pan and bake them in a 400ºF oven, adding 5 to 10 minutes to the suggested time on the package. Turn the tots halfway through the cooking time.
- Make the taco meat. Cook the ground beef in a skillet over medium heat, breaking it up as it cooks. Drain off the fat and stir in the salsa and a bit more of the taco seasoning; cook until the beef is no longer wet.
- Assemble. Distribute the beef evenly over the tater tots, followed by the beans and cheese.
- Bake & serve. Bake for just 3 to 5 minutes, to heat through and melt the cheese. Add your favorite toppings and serve immediately, for the crispiest totchos. Offer additional dips, sauces, and such on the side, if desired.
Tips, Variations & Serving Suggestions
Everything you need for perfect totchos is right in the recipe, but here are some additional tips and suggestions.
- Line your pan. It’s not a must, but if you line your sheet pan with foil or parchment paper, it’ll make your post-dinner cleanup a lot easier!
- Change up the beans. Pinto beans are great too, or add dollops of refried beans around the pan to scoop up with the tots.
- Swap in sweet potato tots. As these Taco Stuffed Sweet Potatoes attest, sweet potatoes get along very well with Tex-Mex flavors!
- Use green taco seasoning. Swap out the taco seasoning included in this recipe for 2 tablespoons of my Green Taco Seasoning.
- Up the gooey-cheesy factor. Swap out the shredded cheese for Queso Blanco. To keep the tots crispy, drizzle this over your totchos just before serving. Or just offer it on the side.
- Try other flavor combinations. My family also loves totchos made with Philly cheesesteak fillings — thinly-sliced beef, sautéed onions and green pepper strips, and melty provolone. (Or use chicken, like my Chicken Cheesesteak recipe.) A Buffalo chicken version would be fun too!
- Add some pickled fun. Nacho-perfect pickle options for this recipe include my famous Pickled Red Onions, of course! Other top pickled choices include Pickled Jalapenos and homemade Zesty Corn Relish. If you’re a sweet corn fan, also check out my Roasted Chili Corn Salsa!
Drink Ideas
Totchos are delicious with the flavors of Mexico – and practically beg for margaritas! Here are a few of my go-to margarita recipes:
How to Store Leftovers
It’s probably not a surprise to learn that this is not a recipe that stores well. But if you do have leftovers, here’s what to do with them.
- Refrigerator: Transfer cooled leftover totchos to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days. I don’t recommend freezing this recipe.
- To reheat: Place the totchos on a parchment-lined sheet pan and reheat them at 300ºF until everything is warmed through. The tots that aren’t covered in toppings will re-crisp a bit. If you have an air fryer or toaster oven, these appliances also work well to heat up the leftover tots and revive their crispiness.
More Super Fun Appetizers
Totchos
Yield: 6 servings
This Totchos recipe combines a pile of crispy, perfectly seasoned tater tots with classic nacho toppings, including flavorful, juicy ground beef and plenty of cheese. It’s an easy appetizer (or meal!) that anyone can make!
Print
Ingredients
Taco Seasoning
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon Morton kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
Totchos
- 32 ounces frozen tater tots
- 1 recipe taco seasoning (above), divided
- 1 pound lean ground beef or turkey
- ¼ cup restaurant-style salsa
- ½ cup rinsed and drained black beans, gently patted dried with a paper towel
- 8 ounces (about 2 cups) shredded Mexican blend cheese
- 1 cup diced fresh tomatoes
- ¼ cup diced red onion
- ¼ cup chopped green onion
- ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
Optional Toppings & Salsas
Instructions
Taco Seasoning
- Place all taco seasoning ingredients in a small bowl and stir to combine.
Totchos
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Then add frozen tater tots to a large 12" x 18" rimmed baking pan, in a single layer. Sprinkle tater tots evenly with 2 teaspoons of the taco seasoning and fold gently to incorporate.
- Bake according to package directions, folding the tater tots halfway through, and adding 5-10 minutes to the total bake time to ensure extra crispy tots. I always bake tater tots longer than the package directions specify because I want them crispy. Just keep an eye on them because different brands will suggest different baking times. Also know that they will go back in the oven for another 3-5 minutes to get the cheese melty, so take care to not bake them too much.
- While tater tots are baking, heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the ground beef and cook, breaking it up with a spatula, until almost cooked through. Drain away any excess fat.
- Stir salsa and remaining taco seasoning into the beef. Cook just until beef is cooked through and does not look "wet".
- Sprinkle cooked taco beef over the crispy tater tots on the large rimmed pan. Then layer on the black beans, followed by the shredded cheese. Place pan in oven and bake until the cheese is melted, about 3-5 minutes.
- Remove totchos from the oven and quickly top with tomatoes, red onion, and green onion. Add dollops of guacamole or chopped avocado and sour cream, or offer these on the side. Serve with additional restaurant style salsa and/or pico de gallo. Add fresh jalapeno wheels or pickled jalapenos if you like some heat. Pickled red onions are also PERFECTION with totchos. Serve right away, while the tots are hot and crispy!
Nutrition Information:
Calories: 582kcal Carbohydrates: 46g Protein: 29g Fat: 32g Saturated Fat: 12g Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g Monounsaturated Fat: 12g Trans Fat: 0.5g Cholesterol: 85mg Sodium: 1484mg Potassium: 850mg Fiber: 6g Sugar: 2g Vitamin A: 706IU Vitamin C: 16mg Calcium: 302mg Iron: 3mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated by Spoonacular. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee accuracy. If your health depends on nutrition information, please calculate again with your own favorite calculator.
Did you make this recipe?Please leave a comment below. And share a photo on Instagram with the hashtag #afarmgirlsdabbles or tag @farmgirlsdabble!
This post was first published in 2018, then updated in 2025.
What a fun idea and they look delicious!
xo Jess
Thank you so much, Jess!
I’ll bet the city was crazy over Super Bowl weekend! This looks like the perfect game day/tailgating food to celebrate the occasion.
It was so incredibly festive and fun! Thanks Dara!
I am with you on the crispy tater tots! This recipe looks amazing.
So very good. Thanks Mom. :) xo
These look so good!!
Thank you, Chris!
These were the perfect munchie for my Superbowl party. SOOOO good!
So awesome to hear, thank you!
OMG! This is seriously amazing! Perfect comfort food!
Thank you so much, Gina!
This is PURE comfort food! I want to eat them alllllllll day!
Irresistible. Thank you, Taylor!
This is perfect game day food! SO yum!!
Sure is. Thanks, Bird!
hey girl- this looks oh so yummy!
Hi Shawnna – thank you!
I loved watching all your adventures in IG Stories — so much fun! And these totchos?!? Oh my gosh, I wouldn’t pay attention to the game. All eyes would be on THIS!
I love to hear this, Liren – Schwan’s hosted such a great welcome event for the Super Bowl festivities. Thank you on the totchos, too! :)