Fry bread tacos take fluffy, golden Navajo fry bread to the next level! The pillowy bread is topped with seasoned ground beef and all your favorite taco toppings for a taste sensation you won’t want to stop eating.
Taco Tuesday will forever be one of my favorite nights of the week. Classics like chicken tacos and chipotle carnitas will always be tried-and-true family favorites, but my family also enjoys tasting something new. These fry bread tacos are one of our latest discoveries.
This fry bread taco recipe features individual fluffy, airy fry bread circles, each with a generous scoop of seasoned ground beef along with fresh tomatoes, lettuce, salsa and a dollop of tangy sour cream. The fry bread tacos are beefy, crispy and oh, so satisfying. If your family loves taco recipes, then taco fry bread will become an instant hit in your household.
What is fry bread?
If you’re unfamiliar with fry bread, this Native American recipe originated in the late 1800s. Fry bread was created with rations provided to the Navajo people by the U.S. government after the Long Walk, a 300-mile journey that forced Navajo men, women and children to relocate from Arizona to New Mexico. The new territories didn’t support traditional crops, so the government provided commodity foods like flour and sugar.
In time, fry bread spread to other tribes throughout the United States, and each recipe has subtle variations. For example, Navajo fry bread is historically made with baking powder, as that was the leavening agent provided to them in their rations. However, fry bread made by tribes in South Dakota will often opt for yeast, since that is what was in their supplied rations.
How to Make Fry Bread Tacos
Before you can make fry bread tacos, you’ll first need to master making a batch of crisp yet fluffy fry bread. The bread is easy and requires just four simple ingredients, plus oil for frying. The dough needs to rest for an hour before it is cooked, so make sure to plan ahead and build that into your prep time.
Once the fry bread is perfectly golden, you’ll dress it with seasoned taco meat and your favorite taco toppings.
Ingredients for Fry Bread Tacos
For the fry bread
Flour: For soft and pillowy fry bread, the best type of flour to use is all-purpose flour.
Baking powder: Baking powder is the leavener in many of our favorite quick-bread recipes. Here, it makes the fry bread puff up as it cooks in the hot oil.
Water: Water hydrates the flour and adds moisture to the dough so it’s the right consistency for shaping and frying.
Oil: Canola oil and vegetable oil are both great oils for frying. Use whichever one you keep stocked in your pantry.
For the tacos
Ground beef: A pound of lean ground beef lends the perfect start when making this fry bread taco recipe.
Taco seasoning: Choose from this list of the best taco seasoning brands or head to your spice rack to make homemade taco seasoning.
Water: A bit of water helps the taco seasoning evenly coat the beef in the skillet as the meat finishes cooking.
Toppings: Shredded lettuce, chopped tomatoes, sour cream and salsa are common toppings for a great fry bread taco recipe. Of course, you can add other toppings, like homemade guacamole, refried beans, shredded cheese or cilantro.
Directions
Step 1: Make the dough
In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt.
Stir in the hot water to form a soft dough. Cover and let stand for 1 hour.
Editor’s Tip: We like to use hot water to make fry bread dough because hot water helps the dough turn out extra smooth and lump-free.
Step 2: Brown the beef
In a large skillet, cook the beef over medium heat until no longer pink. Drain the grease, and stir in the taco seasoning and water. Simmer the mixture, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Keep warm.
Editor’s Tip: When cooking ground beef, make sure to break up the larger chunks so everything cooks evenly.
Step 3: Shape the fry bread
Divide the dough in half. On a lightly floured surface, roll each portion into a 4-inch circle. Set aside.
Step 4: Cook the fry bread
In an electric skillet, heat 1 inch oil to 350°F. Fry the bread circles in the hot oil for three to four minutes on each side or until puffed and golden. Drain the fry bread on paper towels.
Editor’s Tip: If you don’t have an electric skillet, you can make the fry bread in a cast-iron or heavy-bottomed skillet on the stovetop. Use an instant-read thermometer to make sure the oil reaches the proper temperature for frying.
Step 5: Assemble the tacos
To serve, top each fry bread with the meat mixture, lettuce and tomato. Serve with salsa and sour cream.
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