Fry Bread, Indian tacos, and Navajo tacos are all names for the traditional bread of Indigenous Americans. Handed down orally from generation to generation, each tribe has its own versions and add different sweet or savory toppings. Author Sherman Alexie’s 1993 “The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fist Fight in Heaven” captures the importance of fry bread and the oral storytelling that links all native tribes together. In a scene from the movie version of the book called S moke Signals, Thomas Builds-The-Fire tells a story of how the mother trying to feed 50 people with only 25 pieces of her famous fry bread. Her solution to making sure everyone in the community got a piece of fry bread was simple. Tear them all in half.

Navajo Fry Bread

Fry bread takes very little effort to cook and is surprisingly tasty. It can be served plain, buttered, or with southwestern toppings like beans and salsa ("Navajo tacos") It can also be covered in sweet toppings like powdered sugar, cinnamon, or honey.

5 from 2 votes

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Course: Bread, Dessert, Lunch, Side Dish

Cuisine: American, American Northwest, American Southwest, Arizona, North American

Prep Time: 3 25

Cook Time: 20

Dough rising: 1

Total Time: 4 45

Servings:

Author: My Hungry Traveler

Equipment

Large cast iron skillet
Baking tray lined with paper towels.

Ingredients

3¼ cups All-purpose flour, divided
1 packet Active dry yeast
1½ tsp Sugar
½ tsp Salt
1½ cups Warm water
2 tbsp Butter, melted
2 cups Oil, for frying

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

Prepare Dough – Turn on oven light. Whisk flour, yeast, sugar, and ½ tsp salt together in a large bowl. Whisk water and melted butter together in another bowl. Pour water bowl into flour bowl and stir until it becomes a slightly sticky and elastic ball. Cover bowl in plastic wrap and then a kitchen towel. Leave in a warmed oven to double in volume, about 1 hour.
Shape Breads – Heat oil over medium-high heat. Punch down dough and transfer to a lightly floured surface. If too sticky, knead in a little flour. Shape into semi-equal balls. Press each ball into 8-inch round disks.
When oil hits 375°F (190°C), slip each bread disk into the skillet and fry until both sides are golden brown, about 2 minutes per side. Remove to a paper towel-lined baking sheet. Repeat with remaining rounds. Serve.