Fry Bread is a beloved tradition in the United States. Serve it up savory as Navajo Tacos or go the sweet side and serve it up with a little honey butter and powdered sugar.
This recipe comes from an Aunt who lived among a local Native American tribe for many, many years. There are so many fond memories of visiting as a child and enjoying the culture. She learned to make Fry Bread from friends in the tribe and passed the recipe down several years ago. Fry bread goes by many names around these parts, including Indian Fry Bread, Navajo Fry Bread, Navajo Tacos, and Scones. Yes, we realize that the word “scone” means something completely different everywhere else in the world, but around here, scones are fry bread. There’s even a whole chain restaurant devoted to it called Sconecutter.
The dough for this is quite simple, requiring very few ingredients. Don’t underestimate how delicious it is based on the simplicity. This fry bread is so delicious! It is most frequently served as either Navajo Tacos, with all your favorite taco ingredients, or as a dessert. Our favorite way to enjoy it as a dessert is to lather on some honey butter and dust it with powdered sugar. Yum! It’s crunch on the outside, and soft and fluffy on the inside.
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What Toppings go on Navajo Tacos?
You can add beans, meat, chopped lettuce, tomatoes, olives, shredded cheese, and sour cream. A lot of people use ground beef cooked up with a little taco seasoning. My favorite way to serve it up is with some shredded beef or shredded pork. It’s always awesome to add on some diced avocado.
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Can Fry Bread be made ahead of time?
Fry Bread is best served hot and out of the fryer. We do not recommend frying these up ahead of time. However, you can make your dough the night before, cover your bowl with plastic wrap, and let it rest in the fridge overnight rather than on the counter for 2 hours. In the morning, take out your bowl and leave it on the counter to get to room temperature. Then proceed with recipe.
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Storage Instructions:
Indian Fry Bread can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
If you like this recipe, you may be interested in these other delicious bread recipes:
- Rustic Garlic Parmesan Herb Bread
- Easy Homemade Pita Bread
- Irish Soda Bread
- The Ultimate Garlic Bread Recipe
Watch the video below where Rachel will walk you through every step of this recipe. Sometimes it helps to have a visual, and we’ve always got you covered with our cooking show. You can find the complete collection of recipes on YouTube, Facebook Watch, or our Facebook Page, or right here on our website with their corresponding recipes.
The taste is really good.
But they were tough as leather.
What did I do wrong?
I know it had to be something I did.
This sounds so simple, easy and good. i was wondering if you could use this for a pizza crust? I know someone who makes her own pizza crust with only flour salt and water. No baking powder or yeast but lets it rest a couple hours. Turns out crispy and good.
My parents grandparents made these often. We are some Cherokee ..
I rate it 5 stars.
My favorite is to dip in syrup and preserves…
Made this for the first time. It was absolutely delicious. I didn’t realize the dough needed to rest for 2 hours, so ended up sticking it in the fridge overnight and frying it the next night. It was perfectly fine. So good and reminded me of our trips out west. Thanks for sharing!
JB I didn’t realize that the dough was supposed to rest for two hours either. I made some Saturday afternoon, I made two with sour cream, salad , cheese, and craisins. The other two I spread grape jelly on them while it was still hot. They were delicious!!!
I was given a simalar recipe from a Kickapoo family. But the two tips that I was taught was to make a small hole in the middle and place a quarter of a raw potato in the oil. The potato will attract the loose flour to stop the burning smell.
This is a true Indian fry bread recipe. Other “fry bread” recipes contain yeast. Native Americans did not have yeast, and sometimes not even baking powder, it was made with flour, water and lard or fat. This is the way my mom and granny made it and it is how I make it.
I agree Felicia with your ingredients. Mom said her Grandma wouldn’t stretch the dough, but pat it between the flat side of your fists until flat. Then poke a hole in middle. She would use Lard and fry . It would be a good batch if air bubbles were coming up. Yumm is it good! And, of course if your really off the diet, fried potatoes and beans. Mom always laughs at us because we put butter on it after it was fried. My kids like it with powdered sugar.
I grew up in Ramah, NM very close to many Navajo Indians. I loved their fry bread and missed it so much since moving away from there 40 years ago. A couple of years ago I found this recipe and have used it repeatedly. As far as I’m concerned, it is a perfect Navajo Fry Bread recipe. My family gets very excited when I say I’m going to make fry bread. We often have it with Chile and make Navajo Tacos, but sometimes we just have as bread with whatever else we are having. It is especially good with butter and honey. I usually have a couple of pieces with dinner, then have another piece with butter and honey for desert. By then I am over-stuffed, but very satisfied with the delicious meal I just had with my favorite bread.
We have a cabin up there! Im excited to make this recipe now knowing it will taste like the fry bread I love.
Would you be able to send me the recipe?
Especially when you replace the vegetable oil with butter and fry in ghee or lard
I don’t know what I did wrong but my Navajo taco bread turned out hard and not edible at all. Next time I’ll use scone dough.
You over kneaded your dough, and or didn’t let it rest long enough.
I have been waiting for a good fry bread recipe. Thank you for sharing.
Me, too! Thanks!
We use to eat them with ham and pinto beans.