Navajo Tacos
By Emily Carter ·
Published
Quick answer
Mix fry bread dough from flour, baking powder, salt, warm milk and oil, rest 10 minutes, then fry palm sized rounds 1 to 2 minutes per side until puffy and golden. Top with seasoned ground beef, shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, shredded cheddar and sour cream. Each taco carries about 22 g of protein from label values.
Navajo Tacos are the fair food classic that turns taco night into an event. They start with fry bread, soft rounds of dough fried until they puff into golden pillows, then get loaded with seasoned taco beef, crisp lettuce, juicy tomatoes, melty cheddar and cool sour cream. Every bite is crisp, soft, savory and fresh all at once.
Why you’ll love it
- Puffy homemade fry bread beats any store bought tortilla for pure fun.
- The beef and the bread cook in about the same time, so dinner lands together.
- Build your own toppings make it a natural crowd pleaser for families.
- About 22 g of protein per taco from label values, so it eats like a real meal.
- One dough recipe doubles as a side bread, sweet or savory, for another night.
Ingredient notes
Flour, baking powder and salt: the simple fry bread base. All purpose flour gives the right chew, baking powder does the lifting that makes the bread puff, and a full teaspoon of salt keeps the bread from tasting flat. Measure the flour by spooning it into the cup, since packed flour makes dense bread.
Warm milk: what brings the dough together and keeps it tender. Warm liquid relaxes the flour faster than cold, which is part of why this dough needs only a 10 minute rest. Water works in a pinch, but milk gives a richer, softer crumb.
Ground beef: 80/20 is the sweet spot, enough fat to stay juicy and carry the seasoning. Leaner beef dries out under the taco seasoning, so if you go lean, add a spoonful of oil to the pan.
Taco seasoning: one packet or two tablespoons of homemade blend. It is chili powder, cumin, garlic and onion in balance, and it turns plain beef into taco beef in one step. Homemade lets you control the salt and the heat.
The toppings: shredded iceberg for crunch, roma tomatoes for juice, cheddar for melt and sour cream for cool contrast. Keep them cold and crisp, since the hot beef and warm bread need that fresh counterpoint.
The rest and hot oil rule that makes or breaks it
Two rules decide the fry bread, and both are about patience and temperature. First, the dough rests a full 10 minutes after kneading. That rest relaxes the gluten so the bread can puff freely in the oil instead of fighting it and turning out dense. Second, the oil must be at a real 350 F before the first round goes in. Hot oil shocks the outside into puffing immediately, while lukewarm oil soaks in and leaves you with greasy, flat discs. Rest the dough, heat the oil properly, and every round comes out golden and pillowy.
Variations
- Sweet fry bread: skip the savory toppings, dust the hot breads with cinnamon sugar and serve with honey for a dessert version.
- Chicken navajo tacos: swap the beef for shredded rotisserie chicken tossed in the same taco seasoning with a splash of chicken broth.
- Green chile beef: stir a cup of roasted chopped green chiles into the seasoned beef for a New Mexico style kick.
- Breakfast navajo tacos: top the warm breads with scrambled eggs, crumbled bacon or sausage, cheese and salsa for a morning version.
What we learned testing it
- The warm milk test won. Dough mixed with warm milk came together faster and fried up puffier than the cold milk batch, which stayed a little dense in the center.
- One inch of oil beat a shallow fry. The deeper oil let the rounds float and puff evenly, while the shallow batch browned on the bottom before the tops finished.
Read how we test recipes.
Navajo Tacos
Makes 8 navajo tacos · 55 min total · Medium
Ingredients
Equipment
Large heavy skillet or Dutch oven · Rolling pin · Slotted spoon · Paper towels · Sheet pan
Instructions
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Make and rest the fry bread dough
Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Stir in the warm milk and melted butter until a shaggy dough forms, then knead on a floured surface for 2 to 3 minutes until smooth and soft. Cover with a clean towel and rest 10 minutes. The rest relaxes the gluten so the bread puffs instead of turning tough.
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Fry the bread until puffy and golden
Divide the dough into 8 equal balls and roll each into a 6 inch round about 1/4 inch thick. Heat 1 inch of oil in a heavy skillet over medium high heat until it reaches 350 F. Fry one round at a time, 1 to 2 minutes per side, until puffed and deep golden. Lift out with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels, keeping finished breads warm on a sheet pan in a low oven.
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Brown the seasoned taco beef
Brown the ground beef in a large skillet over medium high heat, breaking it into small crumbles, about 6 to 8 minutes. Drain off any excess fat, then stir in the taco seasoning and water. Simmer 3 to 4 minutes until the liquid reduces into a saucy coating on the beef. Keep warm while you fry the bread.
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Assemble with fresh toppings
Set out the warm fry breads and let everyone build their own. Spoon about 1/3 cup of the seasoned beef onto each bread, then layer on shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, shredded cheddar and a dollop of sour cream. Add olives and pickled jalapenos at the table for the people who want them. Serve right away while the bread is still warm and crisp at the edges.
Notes
- Rest the dough the full 10 minutes. Skipping the rest gives you dense, chewy bread instead of the light, puffy texture that makes navajo tacos famous.
- Keep the oil at 350 F. Too cool and the bread soaks up grease, too hot and it browns before it puffs. A small test piece tells you the temperature is right.
- Roll the rounds evenly thin. Thick centers stay doughy while thin edges overcook, so aim for a steady 1/4 inch all the way across.
- Serve the bread warm. Fry bread is at its best in the first 20 minutes, crisp at the edges and soft inside, so time the toppings to be ready when the last bread comes out.
- These protein estimates come from nutrition labels, not lab testing. One taco lands near 22 g of protein from typical brand labels, mostly from the beef and cheddar, so check your labels for your exact numbers.
Nutrition per serving
Nutrition information is being calculated.
Substitutions
- Ground beef
- Use ground turkey or shredded rotisserie chicken with the same seasoning. Turkey runs leaner, so add a spoonful of oil when browning to keep it from drying out.
- Warm milk
- Use warm water instead for a leaner dough. The bread fries up a touch crisper and less rich, which some people prefer.
- Cheddar cheese
- Use monterey jack, pepper jack or crumbled queso fresco. Each changes the flavor a little, and queso fresco gives the most traditional touch.
Storage and make-ahead
Fry bread is best eaten fresh and does not store well once topped. Keep leftover plain breads in a zip top bag at room temperature for up to 1 day, then reheat in a hot dry skillet to crisp them back up. Store the seasoned beef separately in the fridge for up to 3 days and reheat in a skillet with a splash of water. Assemble fresh tacos each time.
Frequently asked questions
What are navajo tacos?
Navajo tacos are tacos served on fry bread instead of tortillas. The base is a puffy, golden round of fried dough topped with seasoned meat, lettuce, tomatoes, cheese and sour cream. They are also called indian tacos and are a beloved fair and powwow food across the Southwest.
Why did my fry bread not puff up?
Three usual causes. The oil was not hot enough, so the bread cooked through before it could puff. The dough was rolled too thick, so the center stayed heavy. Or the dough did not rest, so the gluten was too tight to expand. Fix all three and the next round puffs like a pillow.
Can I bake the fry bread instead of frying?
You can, but it will not be fry bread. Baked rounds come out more like flatbread, still tasty but missing the puffy, crisp edged texture that defines the dish. If you want to skip frying, a hot cast iron skillet with a thin slick of oil is the closest compromise.
What oil is best for frying fry bread?
A neutral oil with a high smoke point, like vegetable, canola or peanut oil. You need about an inch in the pan and a steady 350 F. Save the olive oil for salads, since it smokes at frying temperatures.
Can I make the dough ahead of time?
Yes, up to a day ahead. Mix and knead the dough, wrap it tightly and refrigerate. Let it come back to room temperature for 30 minutes before rolling, since cold dough is stiff and resists puffing.
