Quinoa Tater Tots

These Quinoa Tater Tots taste like the classic finger food we love, but a healthier, higher-protein option for less guilt and worry! They are crunchy on the outside, with tender bits of quinoa, mushrooms, and chives on the inside. This dairy-free and egg-less recipe can also be made gluten-free and oil-free too.

Table of Contents

• Why You’ll Love This Quinoa Tater Tots Recipe!
• Ingredients for Quinoa Croquettes
• How to Make Quinoa Tater Tots
• Toni’s Top Tips
• Variations and Add-ons
• Serving Suggestions
• FAQs
• Storage Instructions
• More Savory Bites
• Quinoa Tater Tots Recipe

Why You’ll Love This Quinoa Tater Tots Recipe!

I love tater tots as much as the next person, but these quinoa croquettes are something else to behold! Unlike the classic tater tot, this recipe uses quinoa and mushroom bits as a source of protein. Together with onion, chives, and red pepper flakes, they create a burst of flavors and textures that are simply irresistible!

These wonderful little bites of hearty nutrition are a fun way to get your kids to eat healthier. They won’t miss the starchy potatoes (or eggs) at all. Packed with fiber, proteins, antioxidants, and complete with essential amino acids, these golden nuggets can be eaten any time of the day and easily packed in to-go lunches!

Ingredients for Quinoa Croquettes

There are only a few ingredients required to make these quinoa tater tots (or croquettes):

• Cooked quinoa: If this is your first time using this superfood, don’t fret!  I wrote a Complete Guide to Quinoa that will make you a pro in no time.
• Vegetables: This recipe features yellow onion, fresh button mushrooms, and chives.  Feel free to use other veggies like broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, parsley, and cilantro.
• Plant-based milk: This will help bind all the ingredients together.
• All-purpose flour: This is used to help create the structure of our tater tots.
• Red pepper flakes: Give the tots a mildly spicy kick that makes it even more delicious. Add, reduce or omit to your liking.
• Oil: Choose the neutral-flavored one with a high-smoke point for frying.
• Lemon juice & salt to taste

How to Make Quinoa Tater Tots

Step 1: First, finely chop all the vegetables. Then, combine quinoa, onion, mushrooms, chives, flour, red pepper flakes, and salt in a large bowl.  Make sure all ingredients are well combined.

Step 2: Next, add lemon juice and non-dairy milk and mix thoroughly.

Step 3: Once mixed, scoop some of the mixture and roll into 1 inch balls.  Slightly flatten the tots with your palm and arrange them on a plate.  Then, refrigerate for 15 minutes.

Step 4: Finally, in a medium pan, heat the oil and cook the tots until golden brown.  Around 5 minutes on each side should do the trick.

Toni’s Top Tips

• Finely Chop: Chop the veggies into tiny pieces to make sure that you can make them compact so they do not break apart easily when fried.
• Uniformly Scoop: Use a cookie or ice cream scooper to make uniformly sized tots. Just roll or flatten them into your desired shape. This will ensure that they all cook evenly.
• Keep from sticking: To keep tots from sticking to your palm while rolling, spray or rub them with a bit of water or oil.
• Chill first: Chilling them before frying is important so that they set and bind properly before frying. If you are in a hurry, place them in the freezer for 8 minutes instead.
• Don’t crowd: Do not overcrowd your pan when frying. If you place too many tots on the pan, it will create and trap steam. This will make your tots soggy instead of crunchy.

Variations and Add-ons

• Different Shapes: Skip the usual shape and make these quinoa tater tots into small patties to use for sliders or sandwiches.
• Gluten-Free: Make it gluten-free by using a gluten-free flour blend.
• Oil-Free: Make it oil-free by using a non-stick pan to fry them.  You can also bake, or air fry them at 400 degrees F until they turn golden brown. Place the tots evenly spaced in the pan or basket so that the air can circulate around them and crisp them up nicely.
• Add ‘cheese’: To add more savory goodness, add vegan cheese or nutritional yeast to the mix before chilling them.

Serving Suggestions

• Dips: Stick with the classics like ketchup, or try Chunky Ranch-inspired dip, French Onion dip, or a Chipotle White Bean dip. If you are serving this as party food, surprise your guests with several dip options to choose from.
• Tachos: Go fancy and make nachos out of tater tots! Load your healthy tater tots with all sorts of yummy toppings for the perfect fun meal or appetizer/hearty snack.
• Breakfast: Serve alongside a scramble, easy sweet potato pancakes, and/or a banana kale smoothie for an easy yet filling start to your day!
• Kid-Friendly Finger Foods: Make kids (and adults alike!) happy with a whole meal of favorite finger foods like easy tofu sticks (or tofu fried chicken), vegan fish sticks, kabobs, mini pot pies, and finished off with easy blueberry banana muffins.

FAQs

Storage Instructions

Fridge:  To store leftovers, place the cooked quinoa tots in an airtight container and keep them chilled for three to five days.

Freezer:  To prolong the storage time, place in freezer-safe containers and store in freezer for up to a month.

For uncooked or make-ahead tots: Arrange the quinoa tater tots in a single layer on a baking sheet and freeze them for 30 to 45 minutes. After that, you may put them in a Ziploc freezer or Stasher bag and store them for later use. Store them for up to three months.

Reheat: Cook for 15 minutes in a 400°F oven or toaster oven until brown and warmed through. Alternatively, cook for 8-12 minutes at 375°F in an air fryer.

More Savory Bites

Vegan Appetizers

Sesame Potato Puffs

Vegan Appetizers

Baked Zucchini Fries

Vegan Dinners

Tofu Vegetable Crispy Wontons [Deep-Fried + Air Fried]

Vegan Dinners

Easy Black Bean Meatballs

If you tried this quinoa tater tots recipe or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks!

Photos by Alfonso Revilla

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Quinoa Tater Tots

4.91 from 33 votes

Prep: 25 minutes mins

Cook: 15 minutes mins

Total: 40 minutes mins

Servings: 6 servings

These Quinoa Tater Tots taste like the classic finger food we love, but a healthier, higher-protein option for less guilt and worry! They are crunchy on the outside, with tender bits of quinoa, mushrooms, and chives on the inside. This dairy-free and egg-less recipe can also be made gluten-free and oil-free too.

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Ingredients 

1x2x3x

• ▢ 2 cups quinoa cooked
• ▢ 1 small yellow onion finely diced
• ▢ 5 pieces button mushrooms finely diced
• ▢ ¼ cup chives minced
• ▢ ¾ cup all-purpose flour
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes optional
• ▢ 1 teaspoon salt
• ▢ 3 tablespoons plant-based milk unsweetened, plain milk
• ▢ 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• ▢ Oil for cooking

Instructions 

• In a large bowl, mix together the quinoa, onion, mushrooms, chives, flour, red pepper flakes, and salt. Mix until well-combined and thick.
  
• Add the lemon juice and non-dairy milk and mix thoroughly.
  
• Roll into small 1-inch balls, slightly flatten, and put on a plate put in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.
  
• Heat the oil in a pan on medium heat and cook the tots until golden brown on both sides, about 5 minutes a side
  

Notes

• Skip the usual shape and make these quinoa tater tots into small patties to use for sliders or sandwiches.
• Make it gluten-free by using a gluten-free flour brand.
• Make it oil-free by using a non-stick pan to fry them.  You can also bake, or air fry them at 400 degrees F until they turn golden brown. Place the tots evenly spaced in the pan or basket so that the air can circulate around them and crisp them up nicely.
• To add more savory goodness, add vegan cheese or nutritional yeast to the mix before chilling them.

Nutrition

Calories: 288kcalCarbohydrates: 52gProtein: 12gFat: 4gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 399mgPotassium: 558mgFiber: 5gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 135IUVitamin C: 5mgCalcium: 46mgIron: 4mg

Additional Info

Author: Jake

Course: Appetizer, Breakfast, Dinner, Lunch, Snack

Cuisine: American

Method: Stovetop

Diet: Vegan

Tried this recipe?Please tag us at @PlantBasedOnABudget! 🙂