📍 Arizona

Navajo taco (fry bread)

Name: Navajo taco (fry bread)
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 2 cups all-purpose flour; 1 tablespoon baking powder; 1 teaspoon salt; 3/4 cup warm water or milk; Plenty of oil for frying; 400 g ground beef; 1 cup cooked pinto beans; Lettuce, tomato, onion, and grated cheese; Hot sauce to taste

· Lunch

Fluffy fry bread topped with beans, seasoned ground meat, lettuce, tomato, and cheese, served as an open taco.

Editorial content by WorldBites · 2026-10-04 · Contact

⏱ 45 min🍽 4 servings📊 Intermediate🏷 Commonly associated

Preparation: 25 min
Cooking: 20 min
Waiting and resting: 0 min

History

Fry bread emerged in the 19th century among Native American peoples, especially the Navajo, after the forced displacement known as the Long Walk, when the government handed out flour, lard, and sugar. From those ingredients this fried bread was born, and later the Navajo taco when toppings were added. Today it is a symbolic dish, at once a cultural pride and a reminder of a difficult history.

Ingredients

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Preparation

1
Mix the flour, baking powder, and salt; add the water and form a soft dough without over-kneading.
2
Let the dough rest about 20 minutes and divide it into balls; stretch each one into a disc.
3
Fry the discs in hot oil until they puff up and brown on both sides; drain.
4
Season and cook the ground meat; heat the beans.
5
On each fry bread place beans and meat, and crown with lettuce, tomato, onion, and cheese.