Best Navajo Fry Bread Recipes

AUTHENTIC NAVAJO INDIAN FRY BREAD (TACO BREAD)

Steps:

• In a heavy large frying pan heat the oil to 365 degrees; Oil is hot enough if a small test piece of dough dropped in the oil begins cooking almost immediately and rises to the top.
• Mix together dry ingredients in a large bowl; *see note about salt.
• Gradually add warm milk and mix to make a soft dough.
• When the dough has pulled together, cover and let sit in a warm place for 10 to 15 minutes.
• Break off a golf ball sized piece of dough and pat it out flat in your hand, no thicker than 1/4 inch.
• Place 2 or 3 flats at a time into the hot oil and when they begin to bubble flip them over and fry until they're a nice light golden brown.
• Remove and drain on paper towels then serve hot (keep them covered in a bowl until you're done frying).
• You can make larger flats; just make sure they're no thicker than 1/4" and fry one at a time.

NAVAJO FRY BREAD II

Steps:

• In a large heavy bottomed frying pan, heat 1 inch of vegetable oil or lard to 365 degrees F (185 degrees C).
• In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt and milk; mix well. When the dough has pulled together, form it into small balls and pat them flat.
• Place 3 or 4 at a time into the hot oil. When the rounds begin to bubble, flip them over and cook until golden. Drain on paper towels and serve hot.

NAVAJO FRY BREAD - TRADITIONAL

Steps:

• Mix the flour, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Gradually stir in the water and work it in, adding more water a little at a time, if needed.
• Knead by hand until soft but not sticky. Form the dough into a round ball, cover and let stand for about 30 minutes. Shape into 2" balls.
• Heat shortening or cooking oil in a 1 1/2 " deep frying pan until hot.
• Flatten each ball of dough by patting and stretching into a pizza shape. Carefully place the dough into the hot oil.
• Fry until edges of the bread are golden and turn to cook the other side. Makes 4-5 pieces.
• Layer the beans, chilis, onion, tomato,lettuce, cheese and if desired sour cream dollops on top of each piece of fry bread to make Navajo (or Indian) Tacos
• Fry bread may be served with stews or drizzled with honey or powdered sugar for dessert. Many Navajo cooks prefer to use "Bluebird" a high-gluten flour, in this recipe. Variations: The Navajo Nation in Window Rock serves a taco topped with chicken, chili beans without the beef and the remaining ingredients.

INDIAN FRY BREAD (NAVAJO TACOS)

Steps:

• Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Pour in milk; mix thoroughly. Pour in warm water gradually, kneading dough until soft but not sticky. Cover with plastic wrap and let dough rest, about 15 minutes.
• Pinch off egg-shaped balls of dough and place on a flat work surface. Roll out into 1/4-inch thick rounds. Make a small hole in the center of each round.
• Melt shortening in a deep fryer or large saucepan. Working in batches, fry dough rounds in hot shortening until bubbly and golden, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Drain on paper towels.

INDIAN ( NAVAJO ) FRY BREAD

Steps:

• Heat oil in skillet til hot over med-high heat.
• In a large mixing bowl pour the warm milk then add all dry ingredients and oil.
• mix into ball of dough.
• give about 10 minutes for the dough to rise.
• shape into discs.
• fry until golden brown (if too crispy the oil is likely not hot enough; The fry bread should turn golden brown fairly quickly).

NAVAJO FRY BREAD

Steps:

• 1. To make fry bread - in a bowl combine flour, baking powder and salt. Stir in milk and mix until the dough comes together and forms a ball. On floured surface kneed the dough until its smooth. Let rest for 5 minutes.
• 2. Heat oil in a deep skillet (oil should be at least 1 ½" deep) to 365 degrees. Break off ¾ cup sized pieces of the dough and shape into round discs that are about ¼" in thickness. Make a thinner depressed area in the center. Fry the bread (1 piece at a time) in the hot oil until golden brown on both sides. Turn only once. Drain on paper towels.
• 3. Add your favorite toppings

NAVAJO FRY BREAD I

Steps:

• In a large bowl mix together flour, non-fat dry milk powder, baking powder, and salt. Cut in 5 tablespoons of the lard into the dry mixture until it resembles fine crumbs. Add the ice water and mix until the dough pulls cleanly away from the sides of the bowl.
• Cover with a towel and set aside for 2 hours.
• Divide the dough into two large pieces. Shape each piece into a circle. Roll each piece out on a lightly floured board to 1/4 inch thick. Make 2 parallel cuts through the dough without cutting all the way through. Let the dough rest briefly.
• Heat the remaining lard in a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Once it is hot, add the first shaped dough. Fry for 4-5 minutes on the first side, until golden, turn over and finish cooking on the second side for 3-4 minutes. Remove the bread from the skillet and drain onto paper towels. Sprinkle with sea salt, if desired. Keep warm while second section cooks.
• Cut bread into wedges. Serve warm.

NAVAJO TACOS ON FRY BREAD

Steps:

• CHILI: Sort and discard debris from beans and rinse well.
• Place beans in 3-4 quart pot with water; bring to a boil on high heat. Cook uncovered for 10 minutes.
• Remove from heat; cover and let stand for 1 hour. Drain beans and set aside.
• Rinse pot and return to medium-high heat. Add the chopped onion and ground beef and cook till meat is browned.
• Drain the grease and add all remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil on high heat; reduce heat and simmer for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, until beans are tender.
• FRY BREAD: Mix together flour, dry milk, baking powder, and salt. Add shortening and rub mixture with fingers till coarse crumbs form.
• Add water and stir with a fork till dough clings together.
• Knead on a lightly floured surface till smooth (2-3 minutes).
• Divide into 6 portions and keep covered with plastic wrap.
• Shape each into a 6-7 inch circle.
• In a 9x2 inch pan or electric skillet, heat 3/4 inch canola oil to 375 degrees. Fry each piece of dough till it is puffy and golden brown, turning once with tongs.
• Keep warm in 200 degree oven on baking sheets lined with paper towels till ready to serve.
• TO SERVE: Top each piece of fry bread with chili, and as many toppings as you like.

MOM'S NAVAJO TACOS AND INDIAN FRY BREAD

Steps:

• Heat olive oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium high heat. Once oil is hot, crumble beef into oil, add onions and cook, stirring occasionally and breaking up beef when stirring, until beef has browned and cooked through. Drain fat from beef and return to skillet (my mom doesn't drain the fat, she says it gives it more flavor so you can leave it if you'd like). Stir in garlic, chili powder, paprika, cumin, kidney beans, canned diced tomatoes and green chilis then season mixture with salt and pepper to taste. Simmer, uncovered for 10-15 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, spoon mixture over Navajo Fry bread, then top with lettuce, cheese, tomatoes and sour cream (and any of the other optional toppings listed). Serve immediately.
• In a mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, yeast and salt. Whisk melted butter into warm milk and pour milk mixture into dry ingredients. Stir until mixture comes together and forms a ball, dough should be slightly sticky and elastic so add an up to an additional 1/4 cup milk as needed. Cover dough with plastic wrap and allow to rest 10 minutes. Heat 1 inch of oil in a large cast iron skillet to 350 - 360 degrees over stove top. Divide rested dough into 12 equal pieces. Working with floured hands and one piece of dough at a time, roll dough out on a lightly floured surface into a 6 inch circle and gently drop into hot oil, and cook until golden brown 1-2 minutes per side (second side will cook faster). Remove from oil and drain onto a plate or baking sheet lined with paper towels. Serve warm with Navajo Taco topping or for dessert, spread with honey butter.
• Recipe Source: Cooking Classy

NAVAJO FRY BREAD

Steps:

• 1. In the bowl of a food processor, mix the dry ingredients. Stir in 1 tablespoon of the oil and the water, and process until smooth. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and gently knead until the dough is just elastic and comes together, being careful not to over work. Shape the dough into a ball, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces. Flatten each piece and roll into a 7-inch circle, making as thin as possible. Poke a hole in the center with the handle of a wooden spoon or your finger. In a large saute pan or deep fryer, heat the 6 cups of oil to 360 degrees F. Slip the rounds 1 at a time into the hot oil and cook for 2 minutes, turning once with a long-handled spoon. Drain on paper towels and repeat with the remaining dough. Sprinkle the fried bread with powdered sugar and drizzle with honey, as desired and serve.
• 2. In all of these recipes dry ingredients are mixed together then liquid ingredients are added.Oil for frying is required for each recipe (I just stopped adding it as it was a given) Only the Navaho refrigerate before stretching the dough, Mom used to give each of us our own piece of dough to stretch before she fried it for us.

NAVAJO FRY BREAD

Steps:

• Sift together the flour, salt, powdered milk, and baking powder into a large bowl. Pour the water over the flour mixture all at once and stir the dough with a fork until it starts to form one big clump. Flour your hands well. Using your hands, begin to mix the dough, trying to get all the flour into the mixture to form a ball. You want to mix this well, but you do NOT want to knead it. Kneading it will make for a heavy Fry Bread when cooked. The inside of the dough ball should still be sticky after it is formed, while the outside will be well floured. Cut the dough into four (4) pieces. Using your floured hands, shape, stretch, pat, and form a disk of about 5 to 7 inches in diameter. Don't worry about it being round. As Grandma Felipa would say "it doesn't roll into your mouth." In a deep heavy pot, heat the vegetable oil to about 350 degrees F. You can check if you oil is hot enough by either dropping a small piece of dough in the hot oil and seeing if it begins to fry, or by dipping the end of a wooden spoon in and seeing if that bubbles. Your oil should be about 1-inch deep in a large cast-iron skillet or other large heavy pot. Take the formed dough and gently place it into the oil, being careful not to splatter the hot oil. Press down on the dough as it fries so the top is submersed into the hot oil. Fry until brown, and then flip to fry the other side. Each side will take approximately 3 to 4 minutes to cook. Place the cooked Fry Bread on a paper towel to absorb excess oil. Indian Fry Bread can be kept warm in a 200 degree F. oven for up to 1 hour. They refrigerate well and can be reheated in a 350 degree F. oven for 10 to 15 minutes before serving.

ZUNI VEGETABLE STEW WITH NAVAJO FRY BREAD

Steps:

• FOR THE SOUP: Cook and stir onion and garlic in oil in 4 quart Dutch oven over medium heat until onion is tender. Stir in bell pepper, poblano and jalapeno chiles. Cook 15 minutes.
• Stir in Hubbard squash, broth, salt, pepper and coriander. Heat to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer until squash is tender, about 15 minutes. Stir in remaining ingredients. Cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, until zucchini is tender, about 10 minutes. 6 servings about 1 1/3 cups each.
• FOR THE NAVAJO FRY BREADS: Mix flour, baking powder and salt; cut in shortening until mixture resembles fine crumbs. Sprinkle in water, 1 tablespoon at a time, tossing with fork until all flour is moistened and dough almost cleans side of bowl. Gather into ball; cover and refrigerate 30 minutes.
• Heat oil (1 inch) to 400°F in 4 quart Dutch oven.
• Divide dough into 12 equal pieces. Roll each piece into 6 inch circle on lightly floured surface. Let rest a few minutes.
• Make a hole about 1/2 inch in diameter in center of each circle. Fry circles, turning once, until puffed and golden, about 1 minute on each side; drain. Serve warm. 12 breads.
• Southwest Cooking.

BASIC NAVAJO FRY BREAD

Steps:

• Combine dry ingredients in a bowl.
• Cut in the shortening until it resembles crumbs.
• Slowly add water and mix thoroughly until you have a good dough.
• Knead the dough for a few minutes.
• Use flour when needed and break off pieces about the size of a golf ball.
• You flatten these balls to about pancake size and fry in hot oil.
• I don't remember the reason why but the Indians poke a hole in the center of the dough before frying.
• When they are golden, drain on paper towels.

NAVAJO FRY BREAD RECIPE - (4.1/5)

Steps:

• 1. Mix together dry ingredients. Add shortening and rub mixture with fingers until coarse crumbs form. Add water and stir with a fork until dough clings together. Cover dough with towel and allow to set and rise, about 30-45 minutes. 2. Put on lightly floured board, and knead dough until smooth, 2-3 minutes. Divide dough into 6 equal portions and keep covered with plastic wrap. Shape each portion of dough into a ball, then pat out on a floured board into about a 6-7 inch round. Note: getting the round as thin as possible will make the final product lighter and fluffier. Thick rounds = heavy, dense frybreads. 3. Make a little hole in the center of each round to ensure even cooking. 4. Heat shortening to 365F. Deep fry each round in shortening, turning 3 times: once when the bread is browning, again when the second side is as brown as you desire, and finally when the bread is done. Makes 4 servings. Each serving = 5 Weight Watchers points (NOTE: this value is for the dough ONLY! It does not include any oil used in deep frying.)

NAVAJO TACO FRY BREAD

Steps:

• 1. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add the water and stir to make a stiff, sticky dough. Let set for about 30 minutes.
• 2. Use a large knife to cut off pieces that will make about a 6-inch circle. This isn't a "rule," as you can make any size manageable or for your specific use. Heat your oil to frying temp. If needed, you can heat your oven so that the fried pieces can be kept warm while you work on the rest of the dough.
• 3. To fry the bread, carefully slide the dough into the oil. Watch to ensure they don't get too dark. Use tongs to flip each piece and cook the other side. Drain on paper towels. Seal uneaten bread and store in the fridge. They can be reheated in a microwave.

NAVAJO FRY BREAD

Steps:

• 1. Mix ingredients together to make a nice soft dough, should not be sticky.
• 2. Knead for 10 minutes and let set about half an hour covered with a dish towel.
• 3. Then roll out or form into 4-6 inch circles and drop into hot oil until a nice golden brown on both sides.

NAVAJO FRY BREAD

Steps:

• Combine the flour, powdered milk, baking powder and salt and sift them into a deep bowl.
• Add the 2 tablespoons of lard bits and, with your fingertips, rub the flour and fat together until the mixture resembles flakes of coarse meal.
• Pour in the water and toss the ingredients together until the dough can be gathered into a ball.
• Drape the bowl with a kitchen towel and let the dough rest at room temperature for about 2 hours.
• After the resting period, cut the dough into three equal pieces.
• Then, on a lightly floured surface, roll each piece into a rough circle about 8 inches in diameter and 1/4 inch thick.
• With a small sharp knife, cut two 4- to 5-inch long parallel slits completely through the dough down the center of each round, spacing the slits about 1 inch apart. In a heavy 10-inch skillet, melt the remaining pound of lard over moderate heat until it is very hot but not smoking.
• The melted fat should be about 1 inch deep, add more lard if necessary.
• Fry the breads one at a time for about 2 minutes on each side, turning them once with tongs or a slotted spatula.
• The bread will puff slightly and become crisp and brown.
• Drain on paper towels and serve warm.

NAVAJO FRY BREAD

Steps:

• Mix dry ingredients, use a fork to add shortening.
• Add enough water to make dough. Knead until dough is soft not sticky
• Form into 2 inch balls and flatten into a 6 inch circle.
• Fry each side in oil about 1 min. until brown. Flip over and fry other side. Drain on paper towels.
• Serve with cinnamon sugar or use as a base for taco meat and fixings.