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A plate of fry bread topped with ground taco meat, shredded lettuce, cheddar cheese, diced tomatoes, pickled onions, sour cream, and chopped chives, with lime wedges on the side.
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Navajo Tacos

Hot fried dough all puffy and warm, piled with seasoned beef and everything a taco should have. Grab a fork, you'll need it before the first bite is over.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Total Time1 hour
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Southwestern
Servings: 8 servings (1 taco per person)
Calories: 487kcal
Author: Dee Broughton

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.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 487kcal | Carbohydrates: 41g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 82mg | Sodium: 473mg | Potassium: 681mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 133IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 161mg | Iron: 5mg