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Birthday parties, mission farewells, family reunions… some foods just lend well to special events and large gatherings.
And some foods just tend to get requested more often than others…
Such is the case for Navajo Tacos in our family!
Never heard of Navajo Tacos? Maybe you’ve heard them called Indian Fry Bread.
Well, our family originally hails from Arizona where many Navajo Indians live, and this meal is a tradition.
ALTHOUGH, we use a chili recipe and fry bread recipe that I’m pretty sure would not be considered very traditional to a Navajo. 🙂 But YUMMY nonetheless!
The chili is super simple to make, and the fry bread isn’t hard, it just takes time. But the incredibly favorable response from your family enjoying it is totally worth it! YUM!
If you’re serving a large crowd, it’s super easy to assign people to bring the toppings – grated cheese, sour cream, lettuce, tomatoes, onions, salsa, avocado, etc. YUM!
Related Post: How to Do it All as a Mom
Be sure to make extra fry bread… Everybody loves to eat it plain, or with honey drizzled on it, or powdered sugar sprinkled on it!
- 4 cups dry pinto beans, sorted and rinsed
- 1 med onion, chopped - OR 3 Tbl minced onion
- 2 Tbl chili powder
- 3 Tbl beef bouillon powder
- 1 tsp cumin
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Before bedtime, place beans in a crockpot and fill crockpot with water almost to the upper edge. Place lid on top and let cook on high all night.
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Next morning, drain water off of beans and fill with fresh water to just barely cover the beans.
Then stir in the remaining ingredients: onion, chili powder, beef bouillon powder, cumin
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Place lid on crockpot and let cook all day until dinner.
- 2 Tbl yeast
- 1/2 cup warm water
- 1 1/2 cups milk
- 1 cube butter
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 tsp salt
- 2 eggs
- 6-7 cups flour
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Mix the warm water and the yeast. Don't get the water too hot or it will kill the yeast. Set aside.
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Place the milk and the butter in a saucepan. Scald on stove until butter is melted. Cool so it won't cook the eggs or spoil the yeast.
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Add sugar and salt to the milk/butter mixture.
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Put above ingredients in your mixer. Add eggs and yeast, stir in.
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Add flour 1 cup at a time, mixing as you go. Mix or knead for 10 min.
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On a floured surface, roll out dough about 3/8" thick. Cut into squares, pull thin and fry in hot grease. ***
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Use metal tongs to flip the fry bread over to cook on the other side.
When done, use tongs to remove fry bread from oil, and place fry bread on a tray covered with paper towel.
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NOTE: the oil is VERY hot. Be sure to wear an apron and watch out for your hands as sometimes the oil pops.
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***Prepare beforehand a fry pan filled with shortening and melt it. Just before frying, get it up to full temperature. Test the temperature by putting in a pinch of dough to see how long it takes to cook. You want it took cook pretty quickly and the fry bread to come to a nice golden brown.
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Layer fry bread, chili, and any toppings you desire. Such as sour cream, lettuce, grated cheese, tomatoes, onion, salsa, onions, avocado, etc.
Does your family have any favorite foods for parties or celebrations? I’d love to hear about them!
I’ve been wanting your recipe for chili! The food looks totally delicious in these pictures, too – almost as good as in real life. 🙂
Yay! Yup, that chili recipe is a keeper. Thanks for your comment!
This all sounds VERY yummy!!! I wish I could make some, but my cooking days are over, as I do not have a stove to cook on any more. If I did, I would be trying these…Love you, Myra=a. Happy cooking…
I love you too, Carol! You’ve always been a super good cook! I loved the times when I got treated at your house. Thank you for all you’ve done for me, and your beautiful kindness!
I make my fry bread the same way. I was wondering though if you think they could be made in an air fryer?
Hi Theresa! That’s a great question. I’ve never used an air fryer before. If you try it, let me know how it works out!