Navajo Tacos, fry bread tacos, Indian tacos; whatever you want to call them they are 100% delicious and the fry bread is much easier to make than you might think! You've gotta try these!
Navajo Tacos
I never knew what Navajo Tacos were until I moved to Utah after I graduated High School. But BAM! As soon I stepped foot into that state it was like Navajo Tacos were up in my grill 24-7.
Alright, so maybe I only ateย like 4 or 5 of them in my 5-year stint of living in that state but who's counting?ย My point is Navajo Tacos are delicious and if you've never had one, you should. That totally makes sense, right? Let's make some!
How to Make Navajo Tacos
Navajo Tacos = Fry Bread topped with taco fixings, and ifย you're imaginingย a Taco Bell Chalupa made with real ingredients, you've pretty much gotย it figured out. Making good fry bread is super easy as long as you have a little know-how.
My fry bread recipe only uses two ingredients-- self-rising flour and water. You'll mix the two until it forms a shaggy, still slightly sticky dough. You want the dough to be soft enough to form into pretty thin disks with your fingertips but firm enough to be still manageable with floured hands.
Once you find that happy place, cover the bowl with some plastic wrap and let it sit for about 30 minutes. Doing this will let the baking powder in the flour activate and will make a lighter bread when fried.
Let's talk about deep frying. Please don't ask me if there's a way to bake these because that would be crazy. ย I know deep fat frying isn't paleo or whole30 or part of the magic soup diet, but these tacos are worth an extra night at the gym.
Also, I'm going to ask you to use shortening instead of regular vegetable oil (gasp!).ย I don't usually use shortening for frying, but it makes all the difference with fry bread and helps it stay light and crisp instead of slightly soggy.
AND, If you have a candy thermometer, it's time to break it out! You want your fat toย stay between 350 and 400 degrees for the whole time you're cooking. The temp will drop as you add bread so keep it on the high end as you're adding in the dough and don't let it go under 350. If the fat isn't hot, enough the dough likes to absorb the oil, and you're thenย left with a soggy mess.
You'll tear off the dough into about golf ball sized pieces and flatten them out into rounds with floured hands. They puff up quite a bit so try to make it as thin as you can.
Gently lower one disk at a time into the fat. If you get a lot of bubbly action as it hits the fat, you've done your job at keeping it hot enough. Good job!
Flip the bread over once the first side is golden brown and repeat for the remaining side. Once it's fully cooked remove it from the fat and place it on some paper towels to drain and absorb some of the fat.
Now that we've got the fry bread going,ย I usually just make up this amazing Mexican Style Ground Beef and top it with whatever I have in the fridge that night.
I typically layer each piece of fry bread with meat, beans, lettuce, tomato, cheese, avocado, and then drizzle on some of this cilantro lime dressing (Cafe Rio copycat) ย and it's perfect! Alternately you could ditch the whole taco idea and just slather the fry bread in butter and honey.
Your call. I like to eat a little bit of both.
Watch Me Make Navajo Tacos
Navajo Tacos
Ingredients
- 2 cups Self Rising Flour
- 1 cup Water
- Shortening for frying
Instructions
- Combine the self rising flour and water in a bowl and mix until a shaggy dough forms. You may need to add a bit more water if the dough seems dry. The dough needs to be soft enough to form into disks easily but not too sticky to where it's unmanageable with floured hands. Cover dough and let rest for 30 minutes.
- Heat shortening in a heavy bottomed pan, using enough to have 2-3 inches of fat in pan. Bring fat to about 380-400 degrees.
- Break the dough into about golf-ball sized portions and flatten into disks.
- Carefully lower one disk at a time into the hot fat and cook until golden brown on both sides, flipping halfway through. Remove bread and place on paper towels.
- Top with taco fixings and enjoy!
Anna says
Another way to make it is to use frozen bread dough. Just let it thaw and rise per the instructions on the bag. It is by far the best description of how to make Navajo Tacos . Just literally made these. So simple and everyone loved them. I love the simplicity of yours. Thanks.
Truett says
Love it so much. Thanks so much for the recipe.
Lisa says
I would like to make just the fry bread before church, if I do will they taste the same and be as crispy, so I can just topp them ? First time for me, you made it look very easy!
vita smith says
you nailed it girl
Maggie Unzueta says
Incredibly delicious. I have to make this tonight!
Cathy says
Wow these look so good! For the longest time, I have wanted to make navajo tacos and you have motivated me to do so! Thank you for the recipe!
Leah says
If you dont have self rising flour, add three tsp baking powder and 1/2 tsp salt to 2 cups all purpose flour.
Kim says
Love fry read. Could have it. Everyday love simplicity. Of. Recipe.Thank you for. Sharing.
Sammie says
I grew up making the real version in my grandmother's restaurant in Escalante, Utah. Let me tell you this recipe lacks the whole meaning of a Navajo taco. Its more than taco toppings on wanna-be fry bread. And good fry bread is made from more ingredients than this calls for. I personally found it insulting having this south western delicacy being compared to "a chalupa from Taco Bell" I'm sorry if made accordingly the real version will knock your socks off.
First off the fry bread is reffered as scones. Its made from homemade bread dough. Secondly you do have taco meat but you also add homemade chili on top of the taco meat, then the veggies. Lettuce, onion, diced tomatoes, black olives, chives, and its topped with salsa and sour cream.
Next time before you post a recipe please don't insult it by down grading it.
G. ROLLINS says
THERE IS SUCH A THING AS MOVING ON IF YOU FIND SOMETHING THAT YOU DON'T LIKE OR AGREE WITH WITHOUT MAKING YOURSELF SOUND LIKE AN OVERLY EMOTIONAL BULLY.
I LOOK FORWARD TO TRYING THIS RATHER QUICK AND EASY RECIPE! THANK YOU
Susan says
Recipe sounded good to me
Martha says
Wow, that is such a rude comment. Go somewhere else if you don't like this recipe!!
Caryl says
I don't see anywhere that she claims these are authentic geez relax with the rude comments. Everyone has their own versions of recipes.
Lex says
Sheesh, you up there needs to chill. It's delicious!!!!!
Antonio Garcia says
I am from Santa Fe New Mexico, I grew up on fry bread that my grandmother made that my mother made that my aunts made that everybody in my family is made to include myself although this is a very simplistic recipe it does lack one thing a little bit of salt which I add but for the consistency and the overall end product itโs perfect. Unless youโre Native American and Your family is from a Native American tribe then maybe your comment is what it is but I come from a Native American tribe and as I said this recipe lax one thing a little bit of salt which I add other than that itโs perfect for quick fry bread and a perfect Navajo taco
Leah says
Thank you, I couldn't agree more.
Karen McClellan says
Have a Snickers its all good. Dont be insukted so easily.
Laura Pavelchik says
Absolutely amazing!!!!! I don't just use for tacos.. I make and brush with garlic butter to have with spaghetti.. I've added a bit of sugar and cinnamon to the dough and sprinkled with cinnamon sugar while hot.. Great recipe!! Thanks so much for sharingโคโค
rayne says
Hey, that's fine fry bread not all fry bread is the same Ojibwe fry bread is very similar to the fry bread that she made and the Ojibwe tribes also make fry bread tacos. You being offended over this is just stupid. There are a ton of native American cultras and many different ways to make this recipe
Evelyn McInnis says
This is called Navajo Bread. Itโs and old Indian way of making bread. This recipe lacks a lot of the ingredients used in it. The real bread is wonderful. And itโs not just taco meat on the bread. The meat is prepared more like a chili. If your going to take the time to make that bread I personally would take the time to make the original Navajo bread and meat. You want be sorry. Iโm sure this recipe may be good for a quick fix. But do try the real stuff. My husbands family has made this for years. I was handed down from great grandparents to each child to make. We love itโค๏ธโค๏ธโค๏ธ
Brenda says
We are all salivating over this recipe... gonna try it tonight..... thanks 4 the recipe!!
Ashley says
Thanks for the frybread recipe. My mom makes them this way but she didn't have the measurements for me. She always uses half a bag of flour and starts with one cup of warm water. I'll have to tell her the exact measurements now.
Grace says
My mom used to make these when we lived in AZ, when I was young, and Iโll never forget how they taste! Sooo good ?
She got the recipe out of a 1979 Seventeen magazine article. The article said โNavajo eating is a real grass-roots thingโ. (Go figure) Thanks so much for sharing. Canโt wait to try your recipe.