Photo:
Sara Haas
A good potato tot has to check a lot of boxes, especially for me. It starts with the texture. I’m after a tot that’s crispy on the outside with a complementary soft, fluffy interior. Next, it’s about flavor—the seasoning has to be there, but it needs to be subtle enough so that I can taste actual potato. Finally, I want a tot that can stand alone but is also delicious dipped in a variety of sauces.
Would it be possible to find one that met all of my expectations? I tried 10 different frozen potato tot brands, and I’m happy to confirm that with a little help, I found a winner.
How I Selected the Frozen Potato Tot Contestants
I tried to get my hands on as many tots as I could, and chose mostly brands that are readily available in large chain grocery stores. There are also a few store brands from retailers such as Whole Foods, Aldi, and Trader Joe’s. I chose only the basic preparation within the brand, so no “spicy” or other flavored tots were included.
Sara Haas
How I Tested the Frozen Potato Tots
I enlisted the help of a very select group of people (my family) and asked them to rank the potato tots from least favorite to most favorite. I encouraged them to pay attention to texture and flavor, but also appearance. I cooked the tots following package directions and served the tots on unlabeled plates and without any condiments. The results are 100 percent subjective, and you’ll find them below.
The Best Frozen Potato Tots, Ranked
10th Place: Target (Market Pantry)
Sara Haas
View on Target
If you’re absolutely in a bind, and this is the only tot you can find, then okay, drop it in your cart. Otherwise, stay away from this moderately crispy (it’s only redeeming quality), super bland, flavorless potato tot.
9th Place: Cascadian Farms
Sara Haas
View on FreshDirect
These tots were somehow a different shade, a darker brown, than all the other tots, but testers were open-minded about it. The exterior was crisp, and the interior was soft, but no one detected any potato flavor. They were identified as “bland” and “earthy.”
8th Place: Kroger
Sara Haas
View on Kroger.com
This grocery store chain makes a decent tot. We all thought they had a nice crispy outside with a fun baked potato texture inside, but it was their flavor that prevented them from ranking any higher than eighth place. We agree that these tots were seasoned better than the bottom two on the list, but they were still, ultimately, a bit bland.
7th Place: McCain
Sara Haas
View on Kroger.com
If you’re looking for a good-looking tot with a crispy exterior, this is a good option. While we all enjoyed that crispy first bite, we weren’t as enthusiastic about the interior. It was fine in regards to texture, but it was overly seasoned and tasted strongly of onions. We wanted more potato flavor, so, unfortunately, this tot didn’t make it past seventh place.
6th Place: Ore-Ida
Sara Haas
View on Walmart
“Why are these so pale?” asked one tester. Even after following package directions for cooking, these tots couldn’t achieve the color or crispness of others on the list. What testers did like, though, was the interior, which had a fun “mashed potato” texture and taste. We decided this is a good basic tot, perfect as a side dish, but better with a dipping sauce.
5th Place: Trader Joe’s
Sara Haas
Trader Joe’s does a lot of things right and their tots are pretty close to “right,” according to my testers. They bake up golden and crispy, they’re not overly salty or seasoned, and they have a nice soft interior, that’s not mushy. Like Ore-Ida, we liked it but agreed it would be better served with some condiments.
4th Place: Aldi (Season’s Choice)
Sara Haas
Helllllloooo potato! Finally a tot that tasted like it was actually made with potatoes! The exterior was crispy and the interior both looked and tasted like potato, which was probably more exciting than it should’ve been. We all enjoyed it and agreed we’d happily eat them again.
3rd Place: Alexia
Sara Haas
View on Amazon
Have you ever had a potato croquette? It’s kind of similar to a tot in that it has a crisp exterior, thanks to breadcrumbs, but since it’s made with essentially mashed potatoes, the interior is ultra smooth and creamy. These lean more like croquettes than classic American potato tots, but they’re delicious! We loved their crunchy exterior and flavorful, creamy interior but agreed it may not be a good choice if you’re after a standard tot experience.
2nd Place: Sonic
Sara Haas
View on Walmart
It was exciting to see Sonic selling their tots in the frozen food section at the grocery store, but were they as good as when you get them at the drive-thru? My testers thought so! They enjoyed this crunchy tot that had a creamy, well-seasoned interior. They said it was “good” and “kind of buttery,” but wished it had a bit more potato flavor. That didn’t seem to matter to them too much though, because they all chose it as their second favorite.
1st Place: Lamb Weston
Sara Haas
View on Walmart
It’s rare when everyone chooses the same thing as their favorite in these taste tests, but that’s what happened here! This tot delivered in all areas—it was crispy on the outside (the most crispy of all contenders) with a light and creamy, perfectly seasoned mashed potato-style interior. It’s perfect as it is, but we would imagine it’s exceptional with any of your favorite dipping sauces or condiments. Bottom line, buy this one if you like good potato tots!
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