A Tribute to the Indian Fry Bread Taco

My husband and I recently took a driving trip through the Wind River Indian Reservation, the Grand Tetons, Yellowstone National Park, Mount Rushmore, and the Crazy Horse Memorial. Indian fry bread tacos were on the menu at both the Wind River Hotel and the Crazy Horse Memorial. We ordered them at Crazy Horse.

The first time I ate fry bread was in the late 1970s when I worked for a small oil and gas exploration company on 15th street in downtown Denver. One of our geologists, K. C. Bowman, spent a good deal of time with the Navajo, and they taught him how to make fry bread. K. C. would make fry bread and bring it to work, sprinkled with cinnamon sugar and drizzled with honey. K. C.’s fry bread tasted much like sopapillas. I was lucky enough to get the recipe from him.

On our trip, we learned the history of Indian fry bread, which is tied to the forced displacement of the Navajo people in 1864. The US government required them to walk 300 miles from their homes along the Rio Grande River and the Grand Canyon to Bosque Redondo in New Mexico. This is known as The Long Walk. Given meager rations by the government—flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, and lard—the Navajo created fry bread, a fluffy piece of fried dough, crunchy on the outside but soft on the inside.

Over time the recipe spread to other relocated tribes and eventually Native American cooks began adding toppings to the fry bread like K. C.’s version with cinnamon sugar and honey but also ground meat, beans, cheese, lettuce, and tomatoes. This dish, the Indian taco, became a staple at powwows, fairs, and festivals.

For many, the Indian taco symbolizes the resilience, ingenuity and perseverance of Native people. I honor the Navajo and all Native American tribes by sharing K. C.’s recipe for Indian fry bread and my re-creation of the Indian Fry Bread Tacos we ate at the Crazy Horse Memorial.

Indian Fry Bread “Navajo” Tacos

Makes 8 tacos

K. C.’s fry bread:

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 ½ teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

¾ to 1 cup warm water

Vegetable oil for frying

In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Add warm water and mix using a fork until well combined.

On a lightly floured surface, place dough and knead for 10 minutes. If the dough is unmanageably sticky, add small amounts of flour while kneading until you get a workable texture. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit for 30 minutes.

Divide the dough into 8 sections. Place the dough sections on wax paper. Using your hands, press the dough balls into 6-inch circles about ¼-inch thick. The circles don’t have to be perfect. Punch a hole in the center of each piece so the dough will cook evenly and not burst.

Place a large, deep skillet over a medium-high heat. Add enough vegetable oil to fill the skillet halfway. When the oil reaches a temperature of 350 degrees F, it is hot enough to use. Work in batches of two. Fry each disc in hot oil until the dough is golden brown on one side, about 2 or 3 minutes. Using tongs, flip the dough over and fry on the other side. Place on paper towels to drain. Place in a warm oven (the lowest temperature setting) to keep warm while you fry the remaining circles.

Carol Ann’s Ground Beef Topping

1 pound ground beef

1 can (15-ounces) Bushes’® pinto beans with mild chili sauce

1 can (14.5-ounces) fire-roasted diced tomatoes, drained

1 teaspoon chili powder

½ teaspoon paprika

⅛ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon large grind black pepper

1 teaspoon minced garlic

In a large skillet, place ground beef over a medium-high heat and brown until the meat is cooked through, crumbling meat with a fork as it cooks. Add pinto beans and tomatoes and stir to combine. Add chili powder, paprika, crushed red pepper flakes, salt, pepper, and garlic and stir to combine. Cover and simmer for 5 minutes.

Possible toppings:

Ground beef filling

Shredded lettuce

Chopped tomato

Chopped red or green onion

Shredded cheese

Sour cream

Guacamole

Sliced pickled jalapeños

Sliced black olives

Top each fry bread taco with the ground beef mixture and toppings of your choice.

Carol Ann

Carol Ann Kates is the award-winning author of cookbook, Secret Recipes from the Corner Market, and international Amazon best-selling and award-winning author of Grocery Shopping Secrets. She’s an expert in how to shop, select, and store produce for maximizing home cooking outcomes and minimizing time and money spent. As a former supermarket and deli operator, Carol Ann shares grocery-insider wisdom—the same expertise you used to receive when patronizing a mom-and-pop establishment. Contact her at CarolAnn@CarolAnnKates.com and explore her website, www.CarolAnnKates.com.

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