Boy oh boy.
This is breakfast and brunch epic-ness right here.
Breakfast tacos meet tater tots meet nachos. Tell me that doesn’t sound amazing.
This totchos (tater tot nachos, for those who are still confused) skillet is taco-spiced, cheesy, and absolutely divine in all the best gluttonous ways.
It’s unapologetic, too.
And I kind of love that.
This is the sort of thing I envision making for a Father’s Day brunch or even an early-starting sports tailgate (remember those?). This is one of those meals that will please EVERYONE. There’s just no way anyone could think this is bad.
Unless you don’t like tater tots, I guess. That would be the one way.
It all starts with homemade taco spice. Now, I am the first to admit that I keep my pantry well-stocked with the store-bought packets. Sometimes, I just don’t have it in me to whip up a homemade spice mix after a long day or hectic week of cooking and photographing recipes. I do not judge one bit if that is your go-to. Spice packet it up!
If you want to make your own, below is my standard recipe for a great taco spice mix, and it works on SO MANY THINGS. We use it most commonly on our all-time favorite snack: these nachos. They will forever be the snack to beat in our house.
This totchos skillet maaaay be coming in at a strong second, though.
The tater tots get doused in the taco spices and baked until super crispy and golden brown.
While that happens, we cook some bacon and then sauté some veggies in more taco spices. All of this gets mixed together with the crispy tots in a big skillet, topped off with cheese, and baked until ridiculously and mouthwateringly gooey.
To finish things off, we add the crispy bacon bits on top, along with some fresh tomatoes and scallions (ya know, for some health), buttery avocado slices, a few fried eggs, and a drizzle of ranch and hot sauce. A spritz of fresh lime juice takes it to the NEXT LEVEL. Promise.
My mouth is seriously watering right now.
The best (and most fun) way to serve this is family style, straight out of the skillet. Let people take what they want and top their portion off with one of the fried eggs. Straight out of the skillet! So fun (plus it’s fewer dishes later).
This is such a great twist on a mash up of dishes. Who needs regular tots ever again when you could have taco TOTCHOS!?
Stick a fork in me. I am done.
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Breakfast Taco Totchos Skillet
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Description
Breakfast tacos meet tater tots meet nachos in this Breakfast Taco Totchos Skillet! It’s unapologetic in all the best ways: crispy, gooey, cheesy, spicy, and decadent. Fried eggs on top of taco-spiced tater tot nachos are the way to my heart!
Ingredients
Seasoning Mix:
- 2 teaspoons ancho chili powder (any chili powder will work)
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
For the Skillet Totchos:
- 1 teaspoon avocado oil
- 1 (32-oz) bag frozen tater tots
- 2½ teaspoons seasoning mix, divided
- 4 slices bacon, diced
- 1 medium red onion, diced
- 1 medium red bell pepper, diced
- 2 cups shredded cheese (we love a mix of sharp cheddar and Monterey Jack)
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 3 scallions, chopped
- Fried or poached eggs, for topping
- Avocado slices, for serving
- Ranch dressing, for drizzling
- Hot sauce, for drizzling
- Lime wedges
Instructions
For the Seasoning Mix:
Whisk all the spices together and store in an airtight container. This makes a little more than is needed for this recipe, but it will keep in the pantry for months.
For the Skillet Totchos:
- Preheat the oven to 450°F. Spread the tater tots out in an even layer on a baking sheet and drizzle them with the avocado oil. Add 1½ teaspoons of the seasoning mix and toss well to evenly coat all the tots.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes, tossing the tots a couple times on the tray during the cook time, until they are golden and super crispy.
- While the tots are baking, crisp the bacon in a large cast-iron skillet (or other oven-safe skillet). Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside (save for serving).
- To the hot drippings, add the onion and bell pepper. Saute over medium heat for about 5 minutes or until they are beginning to soften.
- Stir in 1 teaspoon of the seasoning mix and toss to combine. Remove the skillet from the heat.
- Once the tots are done in the oven (we want them very crispy!), add roughly half of them to the veggies in the skillet. Spread them out in an even layer. Top the tots with half the cheese.
- Layer the remaining tots on top and then top with the remaining cheese. Scatter roughly half of the tomatoes and scallions over top of the cheese.
- Bake for 10 minutes or until the cheese is melted, gooey, and bubbly in spots.
- While the totchos are baking, prep your eggs. We like fried eggs for this, but you can do whatever kind you like!
To Serve:
- I love to serve this family style, right out of the skillet.
- Carefully top the totchos with the fried eggs, crisped bacon pieces, avocado slices, remaining tomatoes and scallions, a drizzle of ranch or hot sauce (or both!), and a spritz of lime juice. Serve immediately while hot and gooey.
Notes
The seasoning mix is my quick and easy go-to homemade taco spice mix. You can definitely use a taco spice packet from the store – whatever works!
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: breakfast
Hi There. I'm Molly. I'm a food-obsessed, self-taught cook and I can't wait to share my passion for all things culinary with you. My love for egg yolks is just the tip of the iceberg!
what a fun one skillet dish, love the spices from scratch too, and every ingredient (except tater tots) so thank you, my kind of breakfast!