Navajo Taco Recipe

5 from 3 votes

Navajo Tacos start with crispy, homemade fry bread piled high with seasoned beef, beans, and your favorite taco toppings—cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, and sour cream. So good!

Prep Time40

Cook Time10

Total Time50

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: American

Keyword: navajo taco recipe, navajo tacos

Servings: servings (1 taco per serving)

Author: Chelsea Lords

Cost: $14.62

Equipment

Ingredients

Meat and Toppings

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound lean ground beef 93/7
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 (1-ounce) packet taco seasoning see note 1
1/2 cup mild picante sauce or salsa
1 (16-ounce) can chili beans undrained, see note 2
Toppings as desired see note 3

Fry Bread

2 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
2-1/3 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder not baking soda!
1/2 teaspoon instant yeast
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk I use whole milk
1 tablespoon vegetable oil plus more for frying

US - Metric

Instructions

Fry Bread

Start with the dough so it can rest while preparing the meat. Melt butter in the microwave. Let butter cool back to room temperature. (It’s important it’s not hot!) Microwave the milk until just warmed (see note 4) but not hot. Mix together melted butter and milk and set aside. In a large bowl, add flour, sugar, baking powder, yeast, and salt. Whisk to combine. Add milk mixture to the dry ingredients and stir with a wooden spoon until the dough comes together.
The dough should be rough, shaggy, and fairly sticky, but not so sticky you can’t work with it. Lightly flour your hands and knead the dough a few times into a ball, being careful to not overwork the dough. Drizzle a tablespoon of vegetable oil in the bowl, turn the dough in the bowl to coat in the oil, and cover the bowl with a damp kitchen towel. Let rest until the meat filling is finished. You don’t need the dough to rise, just the gluten to relax!

Meat and Toppings

While dough is resting, add the olive oil to a large pan over high heat. Once oil is shimmering, add the ground beef. Let beef sear (brown) before crumbling with a wooden spoon and browning all the way through. Reduce heat to medium and add the seasoning mix and garlic. Stir until very fragrant, about 1 minute. Add in picante sauce, scraping the bottom of the pan to release any browned bits. Mix until incorporated, then add in chili beans (undrained). Stir and cook until beans are warmed through. Reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until fry bread is ready.
Add 1 inch of oil to a large, cast-iron pot and heat to 350°F. Divide the rested dough into 8 equal portions (cut the ball of dough in half then half again to get 4 large triangle pieces. Cut each triangle into 2 pieces to get 8 equal triangles). Lightly flour your hands and work with 1 piece of dough at a time (keep the rest of the dough portions covered). Holding the pieces of dough with your hands, gently work the dough into a circle, pressing it out with your fingers (don’t roll out the dough with a rolling pin or flatten on the table). The dough should make a thin, 5-to-6-inch circle and doesn’t need to look pretty—it’s supposed to be rustic!). The thinner the pieces, the better; keep working the dough outward, being careful to not rip it.
Gently drop only 1 piece of dough at a time into the fully heated oil. Cook until golden brown, about 30 seconds up to 1 minute per side (if not using cast-iron pot, it will take longer) flipping the dough with 2 forks halfway through. Use a large slotted spoon to remove the dough onto a paper-towel-lined plate. Repeat this process to fry the remaining dough.
Set out fried dough and top with equal amounts of meat filling. Add your favorite toppings such as shredded iceberg lettuce, halved cherry tomatoes, thinly sliced olives, guacamole, sour cream, cilantro, and/or lime. Enjoy immediately.

Video

Notes

Note 1: Taco seasoning packets can vary in the spice level and in flavor. I love McCormick® or Old El Paso® mild taco seasoning packet. Otherwise, I usually use a homemade taco seasoning blend.

Note 2: You can find chili beans near other canned beans in the grocery store. They are generally pinto beans in a mild chili-spiked sauce. If you can’t find chili beans (sometimes called ranch-style beans), I recommend using a can of drained pinto beans instead.

Note 3: Optional toppings: shredded iceberg lettuce, halved cherry tomatoes, sliced olives, fresh guacamole, sour cream, fresh cilantro, and/or fresh lime.

Note 4: Test milk temperature: Drizzle a few drops of the warmed milk onto the inside of your wrist. If it is warm and comfy, it will be perfect for the yeast. If it feels hot, it will be too hot for the yeast. Too cold and the yeast will simply remain dormant.

Storage: Store the meat and bean filling for 5–7 days in an airtight container in the fridge. The fry bread doesn’t store as nicely—it’s best right after being fried.

Nutrition