Description
These Healthy Baked Broccoli Tots are made with broccoli AND spinach for an extra green boost! Make them in the oven or the air fryer for a delicious alternative to tater tots.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 1 lb broccoli, chopped into smaller florets (you can use the stalk too, just peel the outer layer first!)
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
- 6 oz fresh spinach (~6 cups)
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1 tbsp onion powder
- 1 tbsp nutritional yeast (optional)
- several grinds pepper (about 1/4 tsp)
- 1/2 tsp dried dill
- 1 tsp mustard
- 1 tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven or air fryer to 400° and grease a baking sheet if using the oven.
- Cook the broccoli. Option 1: Steam. Put 1 lb broccoli and about 1/4 cup water in a glass dish with a microwave-safe lid and microwave for 5 minutes or until fork-tender, then rinse broccoli with cold water to cool it down. Option 2: Boil & blanch. Drop 1 lb broccoli into boiling water for 3–4 minutes, then transfer to an ice bath. For both options, make sure all water is drained before using the broccoli so that you don’t accidentally make broccoli soup! Set broccoli aside.
- Prep using a food processor. Add 2 cloves garlic to food processor and chop until garlic pieces stop flying around. Add 6 oz spinach and chop until spinach is looking rice-like and fluffy. Transfer garlic & spinach to large bowl. Add broccoli to the food processor and chop until broccoli is “crumbly” and rice-like—not a puree.
- Make the tot mixture. Transfer broccoli to bowl with spinach + garlic and add 2 eggs, 1/2 cup breadcrumbs, 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes, 1 tbsp onion powder, 1 tbsp nutritional yeast (if using), several grinds pepper, 1/2 tsp dried dill, 1 tsp mustard, and 1 tsp salt. Mix until combined.
- Shape tots. Roll about a tablespoon of the broccoli tot mixture in your hands until they are tot-like. Or just make balls. The mixture will be slightly crumbly but should hold their shape. Place about an inch apart on the greased baking sheet, or directly into the air fryer.
- Bake. Bake in the oven for 12–15 minutes or until the outside is looking crisp. Or, air fry for 10–12 minutes or until the outside is looking toasty. (The tots brown more all over in the air fryer, while they just brown on the bottom in the oven.)
Notes
See the post above for modification ideas!
Keywords: vegetarian, green, spinach, broccoli, tater tots
