Navajo Fry Bread Recipe (Indian Tacos)
Navajo Fry Bread Recipe โ Crispy, golden, and perfectly pillowy, Navajo Fry Bread is a beloved classic! Whether enjoyed on its own with a drizzle of honey or piled high with savory toppings as a Navajo taco, this fry bread is true comfort food.
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Why We Love This Navajo Fry Bread Recipe
I absolutely love making Navajo Fry Bread! Itโs so easy to make, and the crispy, golden exterior with a soft, pillowy inside is so irresistible! Whether you drizzle it with honey for a sweet treat or pile it high with toppings for a Navajo taco, I can guarantee it wonโt disappoint.
For me, the best part of making fry bread at home is the process. Mixing the dough, stretching it out by hand, and watching it puff up in the hot oilโthereโs something so satisfying about it! Plus, I can control the texture, making it extra crispy or keeping it soft and chewy, depending on what Iโm craving.
And letโs talk about the toppings for Navajo tacosโthis is where it gets really fun! You can serve it with ground beef, beans, shredded lettuce, fresh pico de gallo, olives, jalapenos, sour cream. The options are endless! Itโs one of those meals thatโs easy to customize and always a hit with my family.
No matter how you serve it, this Navajo Fry Bread is pure comfort food. Itโs simple, delicious, and a recipe youโll want to come back to again and again. If youโve never made it before, trust meโyouโre in for a treat!
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Ingredients You Need
For the Navajo Fry Bread:
- All-purpose flour โ for the fry bread dough
- Baking powder โ to make the bread light and fluffy
- Salt โ to add flavor
- Hot milk โ to make the bread soft and tender
- Oil โ for frying
For the Navajo Tacos:
- Ground beef โ or ground turkey
- Onions โ chopped
- Garlic โ minced
- Spices โ chili powder, ground cumin, salt, smoked paprika
- Red kidney beans โ canned, drained
- Diced tomatoes โ canned
- Chopped green chiles โ canned
How to Make Indian Fry Bread
- Mix together the dry ingredients in a large bowl.
- Heat the milk and water together. Then slowly add the hot liquid mixture to the dry ingredients a little at a time while mixing with your fingers until it forms a ball that pulls away from the side of the bowl. If needed, add more flour to the dough if it is still too sticky.
- Cover the dough with plastic wrap and let it rest for 10 minutes.
- Then heat your oil to 375 degrees F.
- Meanwhile, cut the dough into 10 equal balls. Then flatten them and slowly pull the edges (or roll out the dough with a rolling pin on a lightly floured surface) until it becomes a 6 to 7-inch disk (the thinner the better). Make sure to make all 10 disks so they can rest before frying.
- Make a tiny hole in the middle of each disk, so the dough doesnโt balloon up as it fries. Lay them out in a single layer so they donโt stick together.
- Gently lay one dough disk in the hot oil pressing down with tongs so the oil goes over the top of the dough. Fry until golden brown around the edges, then turn over and cook until the color matches, usually 20-30 seconds per side. Drain on a paper towel-lined plate.
How to Make Navajo Tacos
- Make a quick chunky ground beef taco meat, with beans and green chiles.
- Then spoon it over the Indian fry bread and top with your choice of toppings like shredded lettuce, pico de gallo, sliced black olives, and sour cream.
Pro Tip: If you are really short on time you can make easy Navajo Fry Bread with pre-made dough, such as frozen rolls or pizza dough. Follow the thawing directions on the package.
Get the Complete (Printable) Navajo Fry Bread Recipe + Navajo Tacos Recipe Below. Enjoy!
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Serving Suggestions
Navajo Fry Bread is extremely versatile. In New Mexico and Arizona, it is often made for any meal from breakfast to dinner, snacks, and desserts.
You can top it with cinnamon sugar, honey, butter, fruit, eggs, cheese, and more. Our Navajo Fry Bread is so simple and inexpensive to make you will want to try it with many different toppings! These are a few ideas for toppings:
For Navajo Tacos:
- Shredded lettuce
- Pico de gallo or salsa
- Diced red onion
- Shredded cheddar cheese
- Sliced black olives
- Chopped cilantro
- Avocado slices
- Sour cream
- Queso fresco
- Hot queso dip
- Lime wedges
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For Dessert Fry Bread:
- Honey and powdered sugar
- Cinnamon sugar
- Nutella and banana slices
- Berries and whipped cream
- Peanut butter and honey
- Caramel and sea salt
- Apple pie filling and ice cream
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Frequently Asked Questions
Naturally, they are the best right after they are made, but Navajo bread can be stored for a day or two at room temperature in an airtight container. After they are fried, they start losing their structural quality pretty quickly, so you may need to reheat them in the oven.
You can freeze the dough for this recipe, but it takes a little extra work to do so. Lay the separated dough balls on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper or wax paper, about 2 inches apart. Place the sheet pan in the freezer for as long as it takes for the exterior of the dough to freeze solid. Then take them out and wrap them separately with plastic wrap and store them in a heavy-duty freezer bag.
When you are ready to use the dough, switch the dough balls to the fridge the night before and unwrap them while they are still cold. Before frying, allow them to become room temperature then roll them out or pull them into the disk shape. Then continue with the recipe as written.
Yes, you can. Spray the air fryer with nonstick cooking spray and cook one at a time in an air fryer at 375 to 400 degrees F for just a couple of minutes each.
As for the oil, peanut, or vegetable oil works great but shortening, lard, or other types of oil may be used as well. Make sure you use an oil that is good for high-heat cooking.
Looking for More Indian Recipes? Be Sure to Try:
- Kulfi Indian Ice Cream Recipe
- Indian Chicken Drumsticks
- Indian Summer Cocktail Recipe
- Aromatic Indian Rice Recipe
- Roasted Indian Fish and Creamy Curried Cauliflower
- Best Simple Roti Recipe (Chapati)
- Easy Chicken Pakora Recipe
- Vegetable Pakora Recipe with Kale
Get the Complete (Printable) Navajo Fry Bread Recipe + Navajo Tacos Recipe Below. Enjoy!
Navajo Fry Bread Recipe (Indian Tacos) + VIDEO
Video
Ingredients
For the Navajo Fry Bread Recipe:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup hot milk
- 1/2 cup hot water
- Oil for frying
For the Navajo Tacos:
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1/2 cup chopped onions
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 15 ounces red kidney beans, drained
- 14 ounces diced tomatoes
- 4 ounces chopped green chiles
Optional Taco Toppings:
- shredded lettuce
- pico de gallo
- shredded cheese
- sliced black olives
- chopped cilantro
- avocado slices
- sour cream
- lime wedges
Instructions
- For the Navajo Fry Bread: Mix the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Heat the milk and water together. once hot, slowly add in the hot liquid a little at a time, mixing with fingers until it forms a ball that pulls away from sides of the bowl.
- Add more flour or water as needed to form a dough that is not too sticky. Cover and let the dough rest for 10 minutes. Pour 1 inch of oil in a large skillet. Set a thermometer on the edge of the skillet and heat to 375 degrees F.
- Meanwhile, cut the dough into 10 equal pieces. Flatten the balls and gentle stretch out the edges while turning to form a 6-7 inch disks. The thinner the better. (You could also roll them out on a lightly floured board, but pulling the dough is more fun.) Roll them out all at once, so they have a little time to rest before they go in the fry. Restretch them right before placing in the oil if needed.
- Make a tiny hole in the middle of each disk, so the dough doesn't balloon up as it fries. Lay them out in a single layer so they don't stick together.
- Gently lay one dough disk in the hot oil pressing down with tongs so the oil goes over the top of the dough. Fry until golden brown around edges, then turn over and cook until the color matches, usually 20-30 seconds per side. Place on paper towels to drain. Repeat until all the dough disks are cooked. *For lighter more flexible fry bread fry quickly, but if you want them crunchy, fry a little longer per side to golden-brown.
- For the Navajo Tacos: Set a large skillet or saute pan over medium heat. Add the ground beef to the skillet. Break the meat into small pieces with a wooden spoon. Once it starts releasing its fat, add in the chopped onions, garlic, and all pieces. Continue cooking the meat until it is well browned. Then mix in the kidney beans, toamtoes, and green chiles. Simmer another 2-3 minutes. Then turn off the heat.
- Once the Indian Fry Bread and Taco Meat are ready, start building tacos. Scoop the taco meat onto the fry bread. Then top with shredded lettuce, pico de gallo, and any other topping you like. Serve warm.
I really thought this was an easy recipe to make! I watched a woman who won a fry bread competition at a pow wow say to add 2 tsp sugar to them to help them, which I did and they fried up beautifully. I would next time make sure they are a little flatter, rolled out with my palms a bit more so I can fit more taco ingredients over the top but the whole family loved it!
Made this for lunch. Was a very easy recipe and tastes delicious! I did make bigger portions so I only ended up with five breads instead of ten. I like my fry bread nice and thick and chewy. Thank you for the recipe!
You need to use blue bird flour from Cortez Milling Company for authentic Navajo fry bread
Fry bread turned out fantastic! Exactly how I remember it tasting when Iโve eaten it in the past. I did make three adjustments. Only used 3/4 cup of milk/ water mixture. Also made larger balls of dough, when I tried for 10, they came out way too small and thin. I only ended up getting five feet breads, but they were perfect. Soft on the inside, crispy on the outside. Used one fresh jalapeรฑo, instead of a can. Will definitely make these again!
I love this fry bread! It is so pillowy and soft and it works great as a base for sweet or savory!
These were absolutely delicious! Canโt wait to make these again.
This is so good and so easy to make! My kids really loved it!
This is one of the best fry bread recipes I have found in a while! I love mixing it with cinnamon and sugar when I get the urge for something sweet! a must try!
Can I use my tortilla press to flatten these?
Hi Becky,
Sure! Great idea. If you try it, please report back. :)
I didnโt make this, however, this seems to be the best recipe that Iโve seen. (I have recently lost my recipe file box). The ORIGINAL recipe came about because the People were forced on to reservations , on land that that the didnโt know (sometimes), and had no food. The US Govโt then provided flour, dry milk, and other โbasicโ supplies. The People figured out how to make bread with what was given them. I lived in Arizona, spent a lot of time in New Mexico, had friends that were Navajo, spent time on the Rez, etc., so I know what Iโm tslking about.