Indian Fry Bread

Content… What Is It? Recipe Ingredients How to Make It Recipe Variations Tips and Tricks Make-Ahead Instructions Serving and Storage Instructions FAQs What to Serve More Easy Fried Dough Recipes to Try Conclusion Watch How to Make It

What Is Indian Fry Bread?

If you’ve never tried Indian fry bread, now is a great time. This fry bread tacos recipe is a tribute to the ingenuity of Native Americans. While the Hopi and Navajo don’t claim it as traditional fare, they invented it when food supplies were limited to government-provided flour and lard.

My version is more straightforward, made with all-purpose flour, baking powder, sugar, warm water, and salt. It sure makes a good base for salsa, tomatoes, lettuce, meat, and beans (just like I like it). However, my son loves Indian fry bread with honey or chocolate syrup.

Recipe Ingredients

While the following ingredients are for a simple fry bread recipe, I’m also sharing my favorite meaty topping as a bonus.

Fry Bread

1. All-Purpose Flour – The gluten in the base ingredient makes your fry bread nice and chewy. You can also throw in some cornmeal for added flavor.
2. Baking Powder – A leavening agent gives the dough a lighter, crispier texture.
3. Sugar – This one is optional. I like adding a pinch of sugar to add a bit of sweetness but feel free to skip it.

Meat Mixture

1. Aromatics – Savory sauteed onion and garlic ramp up the flavor factor with their exceptional aroma and flavor.
2. Ground Beef – Satisfying and filling beefy goodness turns this delicious snack into a hearty lunch or appetizer. Ground beef is usually pretty cheap, but you can use ground pork or shredded chicken instead.
3. Taco Seasoning – Homemade taco seasoning gives your meaty filling a South-Western flair, but store-bought will work. And the meat mixture would also be incredible with Creole seasoning. Yum!
4. Black Beans – Let’s load it up with more protein! The added flavor and texture perfectly complement the beefy filling.
5. Green Chiles – Crank up the heat with green chiles, or replace them with jalapenos. Of course, you can skip them for a kid-friendly version.
6. Tomatoes – The combination of sweet and tangy flavors of tomatoes will surely add more delight to our meaty topping. Canned tomatoes will do the trick as well.

How to Make Indian Fry Bread

Make the Fry Bread Dough

• Mix – Combine flour, baking powder, sugar (optional), and salt in a large bowl. Add in water gradually, using your hands to combine. The dough will be sticky. (Photos 1-4)
• Let it Rest – Cover the bread dough with plastic wrap (or it will dry out and harden) and put it aside for 30 minutes while making the meat topping.

Make the Meat Mixture

• Saute – In a large saucepan, saute garlic and onion for 4-5 minutes on medium until fragrant. Add the ground beef and taco seasoning. Mix with a spatula and continue to saute until the beef is browned. (Photos 5-6)
• Add Veggies – Add in black beans, green chiles, and tomatoes. Saute for 3-4 minutes. (Photo 7)
• Simmer – Add broth and bring to a simmer, then lower heat to low-medium until broth is absorbed, about 10 minutes. Take it off the heat and set it aside. (Photo 8)

Shape and Fry

• Flatten the Dough – Meanwhile, drizzle olive oil over the dough. Take 2-inch-sized pieces of dough and roll them out with your rolling pin as thin as you can get without tearing. (Photos 9-11)
• Heat Oil – Pour enough vegetable oil into a deep skillet, preferably cast iron, and fill it with 2 inches of oil. Heat to oil at 350℉/177℃.
• Fry – Fry dough one at a time in the hot oil until slightly brown, then flip to brown the other side. Place on a plate covered with a paper towel to soak up excess oil. (Photo 12)
• Assemble – To serve, place one fried bread piece on a plate, then top it with at least ½ cup of meat mixture. You can also add black olives, sliced lettuce, avocado, and a dollop of sour cream.

Recipe Variations

1. More Meaty Toppings – Picadillo, pulled pork, and chili are also delicious toppings!
2. Vegetarian Options – More veggies are great! Bell pepper, coleslaw, shredded carrots, guacamole, salsa, and black bean and corn salad piled high on your fry bread are pure yum!
3. Cheesy – Queso fresco, cotija, jack, and feta cheese are excellent toppings for cheese lovers! I say the cheesier, the better!
4. Savory Fry Bread – Add savory flavor to your fry bread by omitting the sugar and adding basil, thyme, oregano, or Italian seasoning to your dough. Minced onion and bacon bits also work wonders.

Tips and Tricks

1. You can substitute taco seasoning for ½ teaspoon chili powder, ½ teaspoon cumin, ½ teaspoon paprika, and ¼ teaspoon oregano.
2. Keep your Indian fry bread warm as you cook the rest by placing them in a 200℉/90℃ oven.
3. For tender, not tough, fry bread, mix just until the ingredients come together, then let it rest for 10 minutes. Overworking the dough tends to make tough bread.

Make-Ahead Instructions

Indian fry bread tacos are a simple food best enjoyed fresh off the stove. However, you can mix up the dough in advance and store it in the fridge for a week or freezer for a couple of months.

Serving and Storage Instructions

If I’m feeling a little extra, I treat myself with fry bread loaded with meaty filling, cheese, tomatoes, and shredded cabbage. So I always make extra dough for my late-night snack cravings. 😉

1. Refrigerate – Cover the dough ball in plastic wrap (or the dough will harden) and store it in the fridge for 1-2 days.
2. Freeze – This dough also freezes well. In step #6, after tearing 2-inch-sized dough balls, flash-freeze the dough balls on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Place the balls a ½ inch apart and freeze for 3-5 hours or until hard enough to put in a bag without sticking to each other. Then transfer them into a freezer bag, label them, and freeze them for up to a month. When ready to use, thaw the dough balls overnight in the fridge. Then roll them out after they come to room temperature, and fry according to the recipe.
3. Reheat – Wrap each fry bread with aluminum foil and place in a 350℉/177℃ oven for 10-15 minutes or until heated through. Now you can toss on your favorite topping or enjoy them as is. It works every time!

FAQs

What to Serve With Indian Fry Bread

Aside from this delicious ground meat topping, you can enjoy your fry bread with more toppings and salsas:

1. Instant Pot Black Beans
2. Pulled Pork
3. Pico de Gallo
4. Restaurant-Style Salsa
5. Southern Pinto Beans

More Easy Fried Dough Recipes to Try

1. Sopapilla
2. East African Chapati
3. Puff Puff (Fried Dough)
4. Bunuelos
5. Easy Mandazi

Conclusion

Whether you make it plain or with toppings, this Indian fry bread is amazing. What toppings do you plan on using? Let me know in the comments! ❤️

Watch How to Make It

This blog post was originally published in January 2020 and has been updated with additional tips, new photos, and a video.