Are Tater Tots Gluten Free? (& A Tater Tot Recipe)

What are tater tots and are they gluten free? Plus a recipe on how to make your own tater tots – because nothing beats homemade!

What Are Tater Tots?

If you’re from the UK, you may know tater tots better as potato croquettes. Tater tots are small cylinder shapes of potatoes that have been grated, and then deep-fried. They’re usually served as a side dish – little cylinders of crunchy goodness! They’re called tater tots because “tater” is short for potato.

What Are The Tater Tots Ingredients?

Ingredients for tater tots will differ depending on where you purchase them from. However, the typical ingredients in tater tots are:

• potatoes
• oil
• corn flour (some brands may use wheat flour)
• seasonings

Are Tater Tots Gluten Free?

As the main ingredient in tater tots is potatoes, you would think that they would always be gluten-free. However, that is not the case. While potatoes are gluten-free, brands will sometimes use wheat flour to help the tater tots go extra crispy.

It’s always worth noting that when you order tater tots in a restaurant, although they may not contain gluten – it’s likely they’ll share a fryer with foods that do contain gluten, which is a huge risk of cross-contact. It’s always best to check with your server before ordering and make them aware of any allergies you have.

Gluten Free Tater Tots Brands

If you’re looking for tater tot brands that carry a gluten-free label, there unfortunately aren’t too many. However, there are a few brands that do not contain any gluten ingredients but do not make any gluten-free claims. Let’s take a look.

Ore-Ida

Ore-Ida is the leading brand of tater tots in the US. And guess what? Their tater tots are labeled gluten-free! (This is Ore-Ida’s own label claim, not third-party certification.) The following potato products are safe when following a gluten-free lifestyle.

• Golden Tater Tots
• Extra Crispy Tater Tots
• Crispy Crowns
• Extra Crispy Crowns
• Mini Tater Tots

The ingredients in their golden tater tots are:

• potatoes
• vegetable oil blend
• salt
• yellow corn flour
• dextrose
• sodium acid pyrophosphate
• dehydrated onion
• sodium acid sulfate
• natural flavor

You can find out more about their range of products here.

Other Brands

There are a few popular brands that do have tater tots that do not contain any gluten ingredients. However, they do not make gluten-free claims, which makes me reluctant to recommend them. If you have celiac disease or particularly sensitive to gluten, I would recommend sticking to Ore-Ida. If you’re comfortable with potentially consuming small traces of gluten, Lamb Weston Grown in Idaho Super Crispy Tots have no gluten ingredients listed, but they aren’t labeled gluten-free.

If you’re looking for organic tater tots that are gluten-free, they seem impossible to find. If you’re looking for an organic option, it may be best to make your own.

Homemade Gluten-Free Tater Tots

Many frozen tater tots are made without wheat, but preparing them at home is another option if you’d like to control the ingredients.

For a homemade version, see Don’t Mess With Mama’s Gluten-Free Homemade Tater Tots.

Another option is Sharon Lachendro’s Homemade Tater Tots, published on Honest Cooking.

Check your seasonings and other ingredients for gluten, especially if you’re cooking for someone with celiac disease.

Do Tater Tots Have Gluten?

The main ingredient in these small-shaped crispy treats is potato, so you would imagine that they’re usually gluten-free. While they can be, it’s not always a certainty that they will not contain gluten, so always be sure to check the ingredients label. Wheat flour is sometimes used as a binder or coating to help foods crisp up in the oven.

If you’re ordering tater tots as a side dish in a restaurant or fast food joint, you should clarify with your server as to whether they’re gluten-free. And also check as to where the tater tots have been fried. While they may not contain gluten, they may be fried in the same fryer as other gluten-containing products they serve. If this is the case, these tater tots should also be avoided, as they would no longer be gluten-free.

Gluten Free Tater Tots Brands

If you’re looking to buy tater tots to enjoy at home, unfortunately, there aren’t too many choices that make gluten-free claims or are certified gluten-free. However, Ore-Ida, one of the most popular tater tot brands does offer a huge selection that is suitable for gluten intolerant individuals or celiacs – hurrah!

The following Ore-Ida products are suitable for a gluten-free lifestyle:

• golden tater tots
• tater tots (extra crispy)
• crispy crowns
• mini tater tots
• extra crispy crowns

Conclusion

I hope this article has helped to answer the question: are tater tots gluten-free? And given you an insight into the gluten-free brands of tater tots we can enjoy. While there aren’t many gluten-free brands, the leading brand of tater tots is – which is great news for us, as they’re definitely my favorite!

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