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Impress everyone with this totchos recipe! Tater tot nachos are endless fun, crispy, and loaded with all the best toppings.

Totchos
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Looking for fun party food or a tasty appetizer dinner? I have one word for you: totchos! These tater tot nachos are crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, which makes them perfect for loading with nacho toppings.

This totchos recipe is my favorite way to make them, topped with black beans, corn, pico, guacamole, sour cream, and lots of cheese. Here are my tricks to making your own pan of tater tot nachos. I’ll warn you, though…you may not want to share!

What are totchos?

Tater tot nachos, also known as totchos, are nachos where tater tots stand in for the tortilla chips. Mix up the toppings while the tots bake, and you’ve got a hearty appetizer or even dinner. It’s unclear who invented tachos, but they’ve captured the popular imagination, and you can now find them on restaurant and bar menus.

I first tasted totchos years ago at a restaurant in Montana. Around a table with my family and mugs of microbrew, we all experienced the magic of totchos. Their version of the crispy fried potatoes was topped with black beans, avocado mash, and a white queso sauce.

Between the “Mmmm’s,” Alex and I caught each other’s eyes. I knew I’d be coming up with a recipe of my own at home.

Totchos

Ingredient ideas

This totchos recipe is a template. Like with standard nachos, you can load them up with just about anything you like. This list of toppings is the combination of ingredients that I love. You’ll just want a good contrast of dry and gooey ingredients.

In my opinion, the guacamole steals the show and is absolutely required here. Here’s what you’ll need for tater tot nachos:

  • Frozen tater tots: Look for a high-quality brand with natural ingredients if possible! My favorite is Alexia, or try homemade tater tots if you’re feeling adventurous.
  • Black beans
  • Spices: Garlic powder, chili powder, cumin
  • Cilantro
  • Red onion and green onion
  • Jalapeño pepper
  • Mexican-style blend shredded cheese
  • Pico de gallo
  • Corn
  • Guacamole
  • Sour cream (or Vegan Nacho Cheese or Cashew Cream)
Totchos recipe

Tips for serving

Totchos is a very simple concept, but there are a few things to note about this recipe:

  • Use either 1 pound or 1 ½ pounds. The topping amount should work for up to 1 ½ pounds of tots, so use more if you’re expecting hearty appetites.
  • Prep the toppings while the tots bake. You’ll want to serve the tots right away when they’re hot, so use this time to chop and assemble everything.
  • When getting creative with toppings, make sure to balance gooey with dry textures. The tots and melted cheese are dry on their own, so be generous with the dollops of guacamole and sour cream to carry the dish. Or, use a queso sauce!

More topping ideas

This totchos recipe is a template for you to get creative! There are lots of other ways to top your tater tot nachos. Here are some additional ideas to get your wheels turning:

Totchos recipe

Making them vegan

Tater tots are naturally vegan, so it’s easy to make this recipe dairy-free or a vegan recipe! Here’s what to do:

  • Omit the cheese
  • Use cashew cream or vegan nacho cheese in place of the sour cream. I highly recommend the nacho cheese, as it helps to add back the savory, cheesy flavor. If you don’t have to time to make homemade, Siete Foods also sells a great vegan queso.

More nacho recipes

Are you as big a nacho fan as I am? Try these spins on the classic:

This totchos recipe is…

Vegetarian and gluten-free. For vegan, plant-based, and dairy-free, see the notes above.

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Totchos

Totchos

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Impress everyone with this totchos recipe! Tater tot nachos are endless fun, crispy, and loaded with all the best toppings.

  • Author: Sonja Overhiser
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Cook Time: 25 minutes
  • Total Time: 30 minutes
  • Yield: 4 to 6 1x
  • Category: Appetizer
  • Method: Baked
  • Cuisine: American
  • Diet: Vegetarian

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 to 1 1/2 pounds frozen tater tots
  • ¾ cup canned black beans, drained and rinsed
  • ½ teaspoon olive oil
  • ⅛ teaspoon each garlic powder and chili powder
  • ¼ teaspoon each cumin and kosher salt
  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped cilantro
  • ¼ cup finely diced red onion
  • 2 green onions, thinly sliced
  • 1 jalapeño pepper, thinly sliced (optional)
  • 1 cup Mexican-style blend shredded cheese (omit for vegan)
  • ½ cup pico de gallo, drained (or finely diced tomato and red onion)
  • ¼ cup canned corn, drained
  • ½ cup guacamole
  • Sour cream (or Vegan Nacho Cheese or Cashew Cream)

Instructions

  1. Bake the tater tots according to the bag instructions. (Place on a parchment-paper-lined sheet pan and bake at 450 degrees Fahrenheit for about 25 minutes until crispy.) 
  2. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, mix the black beans with olive oil, garlic powder, chili powder, cumin, and kosher salt. Chop the cilantro, red onion, green onions, and jalapeño pepper (if using). 
  3. When the tater tots are baked, sprinkle them with the cheese and place them back in the oven until it is melted, about 2 minutes. 
  4. Remove the tray from the oven.
  5. Top with the beans, cilantro, red and green onion, drained pico de gallo, and corn, sliced jalapeno peppers (if using), and dollops of sour cream and guacamole. 

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About the authors

Alex & Sonja

Hi there! We’re Alex & Sonja Overhiser, authors of two cookbooks, busy parents, and a real life couple who cooks together. We founded the A Couple Cooks website in 2010 to share simple, seasonal recipes and the joy of cooking. We now offer thousands of original recipes, cooking tips, and meal planning ideas—all written and photographed by the two of us (and tested on our kids!).

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1 Comment

  1. Chris David says:

    Really delicious recipe. I love it yummy!!! It’s really awesome