Navajo fry bread is a four-ingredient (non-yeast) bread that fries up crunchy and crispy on the outside while light, tasty, and tender on the inside. Customize it to make a savory dinner or a sweet dessert.
For dessert, sprinkle the fry bread with brown sugar and cinnamon straight out of the fryer, or better yet, dust with powdered sugar and drizzle with honey. For Navajo tacos, top with taco meat and fixings. Use all your favorite taco toppings like shredded cheese, tomatoes, black olives, scallions, pickled jalapenos, pickled red onions, and sour cream, and you have a match made in heaven.
Ingredients Notes and Substitutions
See the complete list of ingredients below on the recipe card.
- Oil for frying: Use a neutral oil with a high smoke point like vegetable, canola, or peanut oil.
- Ground beef: Please use ground beef with a little fat in it. Fat is what makes the beef juicy and flavorful.
- Taco seasoning: You can use store-bought or homemade taco seasoning for more flavor and gusto.
- Cheddar cheese: Use sharp cheddar cheese or a Mexican cheese blend.
How To Make Fry Bread
This is a summary version; for the complete list of ingredients and instructions, please refer to the recipe card below.
In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, and salt. Slowly stir in warm water with a fork and mix until the fry bread dough comes together. Cover with plastic wrap and let it rest for at least 1 – 2 hours. Pull off a piece a little smaller than a golf ball. Then pat it out like a mini pizza on a lightly floured surface. Fry the dough in hot oil until puffy.
How To Make Navajo Tacos
While you are making the bread, brown some ground beef. Add the taco seasoning and water. Simmer for five to ten minutes. Spoon the taco meat onto the warm bread. Top with shredded cheese, tomatoes, green onions, black olives, and sour cream. Serve it as soon as possible while everything is tasty and warm.
Preparation Tips
- Add just enough water for the dough to pull together, which is usually 1 cup; however, flour contains moisture, so it may be a tiny bit less.
- Stir just until the dough ingredients are combined. Over-mixing can make the fry bread tough.
- Fry one or two to begin with, so you have time to adjust the thickness if desired.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. For best results, reheat in an air fryer.
Recipe Variations For Fry Bread
- As soon as the fry bread comes out of the fryer, dust it with powdered sugar and serve it with fresh maple syrup or honey.
- When warm, top with a mixture of brown sugar and cinnamon. They are just as delicious as bakery doughnuts.
- Take your peanut butter and jelly sandwich to a new high. Just be sure to add the peanut butter first because it makes it easier to spread peanut butter on warm fry bread.
- Pile on steak or chicken fajitas for an original taste and filling meal.
More Taco Recipes
Navajo Indian Fry Bread Recipe
Ingredients
Fry Bread
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 2½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup warm water
- vegetable oil for frying
Tacos
- 1 lb ground beef
- 3 tablespoons taco seasoning
- ¾ cup water
- ⅔ cup shredded cheddar cheese
- ½ cup sliced tomatoes
- ¼ cup sliced black olives
- 1-2 sliced green onions
- sour cream
- lettuce optional
- avocado optional
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, and salt. Slowly stir in warm water with a fork. Mix just until the dough comes together. Use only as much water as you need for the dough to come together. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest for 1 to 2 hours.
- Flour your hands and the working surface. Pull off a piece a little smaller than a golf ball. Roll into a ball, then pat it out to 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick.
- In a heavy pan, heat 1-2 inches of oil to 375 degrees. Fry until the bread is golden brown and puffs up, about 2-3 minutes. Flip halfway through to brown the other side. Remove to paper towels to drain.
- In a large skillet over medium heat, brown ground beef. Drain any excess grease. Add taco seasoning and water; simmer for 5-10 minutes.
- Spoon on top of fry bread and sprinkle with cheddar cheese, tomatoes, black olives, and green onions. Top with sour cream and serve immediately.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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Ryan
Best Indian Fry Bread EVER!!!
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Ryan! So glad that you liked it!
Donna
Beth,
I make this and it came out so good! Thank you for a great recipe! I’ll be making these from now on.
Beth Pierce
Thanks so much, Donna! I am happy that you like the fry bread.
Kathy Belleci
So good. Tried as a taco and then with some butter, cinnamon and sugar
Beth Pierce
Awesome! I am so glad that you liked the fry bread!
David Smith
My wife is trying to make this bread, but it keeps puffing like sopapillas. When she asked me to look at the recipe, I was a little concerned with the amount of water. I bake a lot of bread and use grams for measurements. You recipe calls for 2 cups of flour which is 240g. You also said “Add just enough water for the dough to pull together which is usually 1 cup however flour contains moisture so it may be a tiny bit less”. A cup of water is also 240g. That would make the dough 100% hydrated if you use the entire cup. Should this be ½ cup of water instead of 1 cup?
Beth Pierce
So sorry to hear this. 2 cups of flour and 1 cup water are not the same volume. They may weigh the same but they are not the same volume. Only add enough water for the dough to pull together. Did you let the dough rest? Did she pat the dough out into little pizza shapes?
Susan
Can you explain how much kneading, and how to do that exactly?
Beth Pierce
Basically Susan it is patting out the dough from the center out to get it to gently spread out till it is about 1/8-1/4 inch thick. Rotate it as you pat it out. Ideally it would be a circle but sometimes it just does not work that way and it might be a little odd shaped.
Danielle Wolter
I have always wanted to try and make this and it came out perfect! Def something I’ll be making it again. Love it with the taco filling.
Jeannette
I just love that I can have these sweet or savoury! They’re perfect for weeknight dinners or weekend parties – fried bread goes with everything. But having it with a taco topping is seriously fab!
Helen
That golden crispy fry bread looks amazing! I love how versatile it is, too.
Dannii
Fries bread is popular with breakfast here in the UK. I am going to have to try making it.
Anaiah
I have never had Indian fry bread before but this combination was brilliant! I loved all of the flavors in these and will be making fry bread tacos more often. Especially since they only take about 30 minutes! WIN!
Alicia K
Made these for dinner last night on the fly. They turned out BEAUTIFULLY! My husband had never tried it before and he is absolutely obsessed! Two tacos for dinner, then another 2 dusted with cinnamon sugar and drizzled with honey for dessert. These. Are. LEGIT!
Beth Pierce
Thanks so much! So glad that you enjoyed them! You had both your dinner and dessert! Smart thinking!!
Nikki
Best fry bread I ever. Who knew it was this easy to make.