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Brief Overview
Fry Bread Tacos, often called Navajo Tacos, offer a powerful example of how food can carry both history and resilience in each bite. Known for their golden, pillowy base and generous toppings, they are a staple at powwows, community gatherings, and roadside stands throughout the American Southwest.
This dish blends Indigenous culinary creativity with adaptation, creating a meal that is as filling as it is meaningful. Served hot and loaded with savoury toppings, fry bread tacos bring people together with a flavour that is hearty, comforting, and undeniably rooted in the landscape and history of Native America.
What Is Fry Bread Taco?
A fry bread taco consists of a piece of deep fried dough, slightly crisp on the outside and soft within, topped with seasoned ground beef or beans, shredded lettuce, chopped tomatoes, and grated cheese. Sour cream and salsa often complete the picture.
Unlike a typical taco, this version uses no tortilla. The fry bread itself becomes the base, making the dish feel closer to an open faced sandwich or flatbread than a traditional taco. It is hearty, warm, and perfectly built for holding generous layers of flavourful toppings.
Ingredients and Taste
The base of the dish, fry bread, is made from a simple dough of flour, baking powder, salt, and water or milk, then fried until puffed and golden. When done right, it is slightly crisp on the edges and light inside, absorbing just enough oil to carry flavour without feeling greasy.
The toppings are often familiar to taco lovers, with seasoned meat or beans adding richness, and fresh vegetables bringing contrast. Shredded cheese melts slightly on the warm bread, while cool sour cream and salsa provide balance. The combination is both satisfying and deeply savoury.
While some versions lean into traditional taco fillings, others reflect local tastes and creativity, with chilli, roasted vegetables, or spicy sauces. The result is a flexible and indulgent dish that feels as satisfying at a family dinner as it does at a food truck festival.
A Taste of History
Fry bread has a complicated past. It emerged from a time of hardship, when Native American communities were displaced and provided with government issued rations. From these limited supplies, they created fry bread, turning a symbol of survival into one of strength and tradition.
The fry bread taco, as it exists today, came later. It combines the fry bread base with taco style toppings, often seen at community events and cultural celebrations. While the ingredients may vary, the spirit of the dish remains the same: nourishment born from adaptability.
Though fry bread is sometimes debated within Indigenous communities due to its origins, it also represents cultural endurance. The taco version has become a way to share Native American food with wider audiences while holding onto a sense of identity, story, and pride.
Fry bread tacos are more than a meal. They are a reminder of the creativity that rises from struggle, and the ways food continues to honour community and history. Each bite tells a story of survival, celebration, and the unbreakable thread between past and present.
How to Make Traditional Fry Bread Tacos
Navajo Tacos are a treasured dish born from Indigenous resilience, combining pillowy fry bread with hearty ground beef, beans, and fresh toppings. Expect a hands-on cooking process and vibrant textures layered with flavour. For best results, keep the fry bread warm and crisp before serving. See the recipe card at the bottom for printable directions
Ingredients
For the Fry Bread (makes 4 large rounds):
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup warm water
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil (plus more for frying)
For the Topping:
- 400g ground beef
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon chilli powder
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
- 1 cup canned pinto beans (rinsed and drained)
For Serving:
- Shredded lettuce
- Diced tomatoes
- Grated cheddar cheese
- Sour cream
- Sliced spring onions
- Optional: chopped coriander or hot sauce
Cooking Instructions
Step 1: Prepare the Fry Bread Dough
In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Gradually pour in warm water while mixing with your hand or a wooden spoon until a soft dough forms. Add the tablespoon of oil and knead lightly until smooth but not sticky. Cover with a damp cloth and let it rest for 30 minutes.
Step 2: Cook the Ground Beef Mixture
Heat a pan over medium heat and add the ground beef. Break it apart as it browns. Add the chopped onion and garlic. Once the beef is fully cooked and the onions are soft, stir in cumin, chilli powder, salt and pepper. Add the pinto beans and cook for another 5 minutes until heated through. Keep warm on low heat.
Step 3: Shape the Fry Bread
After resting, divide the dough into 4 equal balls. On a lightly floured surface, gently flatten each piece into a round about 6 to 7 inches wide. Avoid overworking the dough to maintain tenderness.
Step 4: Fry the Bread
Pour about 1 inch of oil into a heavy skillet and heat over medium to high. To test readiness, drop a small piece of dough in the oil; it should sizzle immediately. Fry each round for about 1 to 2 minutes per side until golden and puffed. Drain on paper towels.
Step 5: Assemble the Tacos
Place each fry bread on a plate. Spoon a generous amount of the beef and bean mixture over the top.
Step 6: Add Fresh Toppings
Top with shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, grated cheese, sour cream and spring onions. Add coriander or hot sauce if desired.
Step 7: Serve Immediately
Serve the assembled tacos warm. The contrast between crispy bread, savoury filling and fresh toppings is key to enjoying this dish authentically.
Cooking Tips for Perfect Navajo Tacos
- Rest the dough: A short resting time helps the dough hydrate properly, making the fry bread light and airy.
- Control oil temperature: Oil that is too hot will burn the bread before it cooks through; too cool and the bread will be greasy.
- Use fresh ingredients: Crisp lettuce and ripe tomatoes brighten the richness of the meat and bread.
- Drain fry bread well: Excess oil can make the bread soggy. Let it rest on paper towels briefly before topping.
- Serve hot: Fry bread is best enjoyed fresh and warm, so time your toppings accordingly.
Fry Bread Tacos (Navajo Taco)
Ingredients
For the Fry Bread (makes 4 large rounds):
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup warm water
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil plus more for frying
For the Topping:
- 400 g ground beef
- 1 small onion finely chopped
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon chilli powder
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- 1 cup canned pinto beans rinsed and drained
For Serving:
- Shredded lettuce
- Diced tomatoes
- Grated cheddar cheese
- Sour cream
- Sliced spring onions
- Optional: chopped coriander or hot sauce
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Gradually pour in warm water while mixing with your hand or a wooden spoon until a soft dough forms. Add the tablespoon of oil and knead lightly until smooth but not sticky. Cover with a damp cloth and let it rest for 30 minutes.
- Heat a pan over medium heat and add the ground beef. Break it apart as it browns. Add the chopped onion and garlic. Once the beef is fully cooked and the onions are soft, stir in cumin, chilli powder, salt and pepper. Add the pinto beans and cook for another 5 minutes until heated through. Keep warm on low heat.
- After resting, divide the dough into 4 equal balls. On a lightly floured surface, gently flatten each piece into a round about 6 to 7 inches wide. Avoid overworking the dough to maintain tenderness.
- Pour about 1 inch of oil into a heavy skillet and heat over medium to high. To test readiness, drop a small piece of dough in the oil; it should sizzle immediately. Fry each round for about 1 to 2 minutes per side until golden and puffed. Drain on paper towels.
- Place each fry bread on a plate. Spoon a generous amount of the beef and bean mixture over the top.
- Top with shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, grated cheese, sour cream and spring onions. Add coriander or hot sauce if desired.
- Serve the assembled tacos warm. The contrast between crispy bread, savoury filling and fresh toppings is key to enjoying this dish authentically.
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