Navajo Tacos (Indian Fry Bread)
Navajo tacos with Indian fry bread are a yummy take on tacos you’ll love. The fry bread tastes almost exactly like a Taco Bell chalupa and needs only a few quick ingredients to make.
We eat a ton of tacos in this house.
They are quick and easy and everyone enjoys them.
But if I don’t switch it up then I hear complaints.
These Navajo tacos on Indian fry bread are the perfect break from the standard recipe.
What are Navajo tacos?
Navajo Tacos are made with Indian Fry Bread and topped with ground beef and fixings.
What is fry bread?
Frybread is called many things like Indian Fry Bread, Navajo Fry Bread, Navajo Tacos, or even scones. (No not the scones on Great British Bake Off!)
It is fried flat dough bread made with a combination flour, salt, and fat.
You can eat it alone or with toppings or even do what we are doing here and turn it into tacos.
Ingredients
Let’s break this down into two ingredient sets- one for the fry bread itself and one for the Navajo tacos.
For the fry bread you’ll need:
- Flour– All purpose
- Baking powder– For leavening
- Salt
- Milk– Go for whole milk if you can
- Oil– A light oil for frying
For the tacos you’ll need:
- Ground beef– Taco seasoned beef. This crockpot taco meat is perfect for this!
- Toppings– Shredded lettuce, cheddar or Mexican blend cheese, diced tomatoes, and any other additional toppings you like
How to Make
To start, make the fry bread.
To do it, stir together the fry bread’s dry ingredients in a medium to large bowl.
Then, stir in the milk until the dough comes together.
Turn the dough ball out onto a floured surface and finish by kneading the dough until smooth, about 5 minutes.
After you kneed the dough, let the dough rest for 5 minutes.
Pour the oil into a large, deep heavy skillet so that it is about 1.5 inches deep.
Heat the oil to 375°F.
Divide the dough into roughly 4 to 6 pieces and roll out the dough balls into roughly ¼-inch thick circles.
Fry the dough, one at a time, in the prepped oil until golden brown on both sides, turning only once.
Then remove from the skillet to drain on paper towels.
Top the fried bread with the seasoned taco meat, lettuce, cheese, tomatoes, and your choice of additional taco fixings.
Topping Ideas for Navajo Tacos
I include lettuce, tomatoes, and ground beef, but other ideas include:
- Refried beans
- salsa
- sour cream
- guacamole
- taco sauce
- pico de gallo
- avocado
- black olives
- cilantro
- jalapenos
Storing Leftovers
I recommend making these fresh the day you want to enjoy them so they are nice and warm and don’t get soggy in the fridge.
Tips and Tricks
- If the dough’s too sticky, add more flour- just until you’re able to handle it.
- Don’t have beef? Use ground turkey, or even seasoned rotisserie chicken in place of the ground beef taco meat.
- You could also keep these vegetarian and omit the meat all together. If you do this, you could replace it with seasoned beans.
Other Taco Variations
Navajo tacos on Indian fry bread are a delicious way to switch up a classic meal. Make them and enjoy!
Looking for other taco variations? Try these:
If you’ve tried these NAVAJO TACOS ON INDIAN FRY BREAD, or any other recipe on the site, let me know in the comment section how it turned out, we love hearing from our readers! You can also follow along with me on PINTEREST, FACEBOOK, and INSTAGRAM to see more amazing recipes and whatever else we’ve got going on!
Navajo Tacos (Indian Fry Bread)
Ingredients
For The Indian Fry Bread
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 cup milk
- 4 cups oil for frying or as needed
For The Navajo Tacos
- 1 lb taco seasoned ground beef
- 3 cups shredded lettuce
- 1 cup shredded cheddar or Mexican blend cheese
- 1 large tomato diced
- Additional Toppings Optional
Instructions
- In a medium to large bowl, stir together the fry bread’s dry ingredients. Stir in the milk and continue stirring until the dough comes together. If the dough’s too sticky, add more flour just until you’re able to handle the dough. Turn the dough ball out onto a floured surface and finish by kneading the dough until smooth, about 5 minutes. Then let the dough rest for 5 minutes.
- Heat the oil in a large, deep heavy skillet to 375°F, the oil should be about 1 1/2 inches deep. Divide the dough into roughly 4 to 6 pieces, depending on your crowd, and roll out the dough balls into roughly ¼-inch thick circles.
- Fry the dough, one at a time, in the prepped oil until golden brown on both sides, turning only once. Then remove from the skillet to drain on paper towels.
- Top the fried bread with the seasoned taco meat, lettuce, cheese, tomatoes, and your choice of additional taco fixings.
Notes
- If the dough’s too sticky, add more flour- just until you’re able to handle it.
- Don't have beef? Use ground turkey, or even seasoned rotisserie chicken in place of the ground beef taco meat.
- You could also keep these vegetarian and omit the meat all together. If you do this, you could replace it with seasoned beans.
Nutrition
