I had high hopes for Trader Joe’s Veggie Bites. I love veggie fritters, I love tater tots, and what, we can have both in one little tot package? I even finally got an air fryer, so I figured that was gonna give them their best shot at deliciousness.
The ingredient list is pretty clean (all easily pronounceable) and they’re vegan and gluten free.
I followed the air fryer instructions, but 3-4 minutes just didn’t seem like enough, even after preheating. The outside was crisp, but not super crispy and the center was hot, but kind of soft. So I turned it up to 400F and gave it another 5 minutes. The outside was even crispier (yes!) but the inside was still kind of gummy and soft. I just don’t like the texture at all. I think it must be the combo of binders that they’re using, but these definitely aren’t for me. I’ll stick to regular potato tots.
Texture issues aside, Trader Joe’s Veggie Bites have plenty of flavor and salt, so I didn’t even bother with a dipping sauce. But the gal at Trader Joe’s mentioned when they tasted them in-store, they used the chile-lime mayo. So there’s one option for you.
Check out some other We Tried’s from Trader Joe’s:
Cheese Empanadas with Cassava Crust
Spicy Pumpkin Curry Simmer Sauce