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Beer-coated tater tots

Beer-Coated Tater Tots

Crunchy and slightly spicy, these beer coated tater tots are a perfect snack or side dish. Munch on them dipped in ketchup or barbecue sauce or on their own.
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes

Ingredients

  • 4 Russet potatoes medium-large size (baking potatoes)

For batter

  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 1/2 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1/2 cup beer

For coating

  • 2 cups Panko bread crumbs crunchy Japanese-style breadcrumbs
  • 1/2 - 1 teaspoon salt kosher or coarse sea salt
  • freshly ground pepper
  • 1 teaspoon granulated garlic
  • 1/2 teaspoon hot paprika
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2-3 tablespoons extra beer for wetting your hands

Instructions

  1. Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees F (if baking immediately.)
  2. Peel the potatoes and cut them in quarters. Place the chunks in a large pot with cold water, bring the water to a boil, and cook the potatoes just until you can pierce a chunk with a fork. Generally it takes only a few minutes after the water comes to a full boil. Do not let the potatoes get soft. Drain the chunks under cold water until you can handle them.
  3. Grate the potato chunks, using a medium-size grater attachment on a food processor or a box grater and set them aside.
  4. While the potatoes are cooking, make the batter and the coating.
  5. For the batter, whisk together the flour, cornstarch and Old Bay in a small-medium bowl. Add the milk and beer, whisking until the batter is well combined. Leave it rest for a few minutes; the batter will thicken slightly during that time.
  6. For the coating, combine the panko, salt, pepper, garlic and paprika in a medium size bowl. Drizzle the olive oil over it and mix it throughout with a fork until the coating is moist.
  7. Set aside the extra beer in a small bowl. Wet your fingers and palm with the beer (to prevent the very starchy grated potato from sticking to your hands), pick up a small handful of grated potatoes (about 2-3 tablespoons), and form the potato shreds into a tater tot, and press it slightly together.
  8. Gently place the tater tot in the batter and roll it around or spoon batter over it. Drain off excess batter and move it to the coating bowl.
  9. Move the tater tot around in the coating until it is completely covered.
  10. Place it on a parchment or silpat-lined baking sheet. Repeat with the rest of the grated potato. Keep the tater tots from touching each other on the baking sheet(s), leaving at least 1-inch between them.
  11. Bake the tater tots for 20 minutes if cooked immediately after making, turning them over once at the half-way point. If you prepare the tater tots and refrigerate them (for no more than 1-2 days), bake for slightly longer than 20 minutes. Frozen tater tots can be baked without defrosting; they take about 24 minutes.