You know a taco has ruined you for every other taco when you can’t stop thinking about it. The first time we had these we were sitting somewhere in the Dakotas talking with ranchers. The fluffy dough and warm taco toppings changed what I thought tacos could be (and i have strong opinions on ground beef tacos). After that first bite, we were determined to recreate this at home.
We’ve made this dough enough times to know the trick nobody mentions: milk powder instead of milk. It relaxes the gluten fast, pushes deeper gold into the fry, and leaves you a softer crumb than water ever will. Once you’ve fried a batch that puffs on contact, you’re not going back. Pile it with seasoned beef, melted cheddar, and every topping you want, then eat it with your hands over a plate you’re not getting back clean. It’s fair food without the lines. Totally indulgent comfort food, and we are 100% here for it.
🔪 Ingredients for Navajo Tacos
For the Fry Bread:
- All-purpose flour
- Instant nonfat dry milk powder: adds color and a softer crumb than water alone. Don’t skip it.
- Baking powder: check that it’s fresh. It’s what makes the dough puff instead of lying flat.
- Salt
- Hot water: but not boiling
- Canola oil: or a high smoke point oil for frying.
For the Seasoned Beef:
- Ground beef: 80/20 because fat is flavor
- Yellow onion
- Garlic
- Taco seasoning: store-bought packets work fine, or sub your own blend.
- Low-sodium beef broth
- Black beans: rinse well before adding.
For the Toppings:
- Shredded iceberg lettuce
- Diced Roma tomatoes
- Shredded cheddar cheese
- Sour cream
- Pickled red onions
- Sliced green onions
Equipment
- Deep fryer or a large, heavy pot: for holding a steady 325 degrees F while frying.
- Wire rack: drains the fry bread without trapping steam the way paper towels do.
- Rolling pin: optional, hands work fine for stretching the dough.
📝 How to Make Navajo Tacos
Make the Fry Bread Dough
- Whisk the flour, milk powder, baking powder, and salt together in a large bowl. Pour in the hot water and mix with a fork until a shaggy dough forms.
- Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 2-3 minutes, just until it’s smooth and elastic, no longer sticky enough to cling to your hands.
- Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let it rest at least 15 minutes, until it feels noticeably softer and slightly relaxed.
Cook the Seasoned Beef
- Add the ground beef to a large pot over medium-high heat. Cook, breaking it up, until it’s about halfway browned, roughly 4 minutes.
- Stir in the onion and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the beef is fully browned with no pink left and the onion has softened, about 5 more minutes. Add the garlic and cook 30 seconds, until fragrant, then drain the excess fat.
- Stir in both packets of taco seasoning, then pour in the broth. Bring to a simmer, cover, reduce heat to low, and cook at least 10 minutes. Stir in the black beans and cook, uncovered, 3-4 minutes more, until the mixture thickens slightly.
Fry the Bread
- Once the dough has rested, divide it into 8 equal pieces. On a floured surface, use your hands or a rolling pin to stretch each piece into a rough 5-6 inch circle. They don’t need to be even circles.
- Pour canola oil into a deep pot to a depth of about 2 inches and heat to 325 degrees F. Fry one piece of dough at a time, 1-2 minutes per side, until it’s puffed and deep golden brown with a few dark blistered spots.
- Transfer the finished fry bread to a wire rack to drain and repeat with the remaining dough, keeping the oil at a steady 325 degrees F between batches.
Assemble the Tacos
- Place a fry bread on each plate, spoon a generous amount of beef over the center, and pile on the lettuce, tomatoes, cheddar, sour cream, pickled red onions, and green onions.
🔄 Substitutions
- Ground beef to ground turkey or chicken: works well for a leaner filling. Add a tablespoon of oil to the pan first since poultry needs the help browning.
- Canola oil to shortening or lard: the traditional choice, and it fries up with a slightly richer flavor using the same method.
- Canola oil to vegetable or peanut oil: any neutral, high smoke point oil fries the same way.
This beef filling doubles easily and holds up in the fridge. It’s the same base we use for our Ground Beef Burrito Bowl when we want taco flavor without the fry step.
💡 Meat Nerd Tips
- Test the oil before the first piece goes in. Drop a pinch of dough in; it should sizzle and rise within 5 seconds. If it just sits there, give the oil another minute.
- Stretch the dough to an even thickness, not just an even circle. Thin spots blister and burn before the center puffs.
- Keep the beef mixture a little wetter than usual. Fry bread pulls moisture fast, and a drier filling turns the whole plate stiff.
- Hold finished bread on a wire rack, not stacked on paper towels. Stacking traps steam and turns crisp edges soft before you even sit down.
🍽️ What to Serve with Navajo Tacos
- Mexican street corn or an elote-style corn salad
- Black beans and rice, or extra black beans from the filling served on the side
- Horchata or a cold Mexican Coke to cut the richness
Craving something crispier, our Baked Crispy Beef Tacos use this same beef in a shell that goes straight from the oven.
🧊 Leftovers and Storage
- Store the beef and fry bread separately in airtight containers. The beef keeps in the fridge up to 4 days.
- Fry bread keeps at room temp in a zip-top bag up to 2 days. Reheat in a 350 degree F oven for a few minutes, or briefly in an air fryer, until the edges crisp back up.
- Don’t assemble and store the tacos together. The fry bread goes soggy within the hour.
Navajo Tacos
Ingredients
For the Fry Bread
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup instant nonfat dry milk powder
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup hot water
- Canola oil for frying
For the Seasoned Beef
- 2 pounds ground beef
- 1 medium yellow onion diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 (1-ounce) packets taco seasoning
- 1 cup low sodium beef broth
- 1 (15-ounce) can black beans rinsed and drained
For the Toppings
- iceberg lettuce Shredded
- Roma tomatoes diced
- cheddar cheese Shredded
- Sour cream
- pickled red onions
- green onions Sliced
Instructions
Make the Dough
- Whisk flour, milk powder, baking powder, and salt. Stir in hot water until a shaggy dough forms, knead 2-3 minutes until smooth and elastic, then rest covered in an oiled bowl at least 15 minutes.
Cook the Beef
- Brown the ground beef with onion until no pink remains, add garlic, drain fat. Stir in taco seasoning and broth, simmer covered 10 minutes, then stir in black beans and cook uncovered 3-4 minutes.
Shape and Fry
- Divide dough into 8 pieces, stretch into 5-6 inch rounds. Fry at 325°F, 1-2 minutes per side, until puffed and deep golden brown. Drain on a wire rack.
Assemble
- Top each fry bread with beef, lettuce, tomatoes, cheddar, sour cream, pickled onions, and green onions. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Store beef and fry bread separately; beef keeps for 4 days refrigerated; fry bread keeps for 2 days at room temperature in a zip-top bag.
- Do not assemble tacos ahead; the fry bread (like anything fried) turns soggy fast.
- Developed with instant nonfat dry milk powder for color and crumb; water-only dough fries paler.
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Quick Summary
Navajo tacos are fried dough standing in for the taco shell, piled with seasoned beef and all your favorite toppings. The two things that make or break it are fresh baking powder and oil held steady at 325 degrees F. Get those right and the fry bread puffs every time. For more, dig into our full lineup of taco recipes.
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