Navajo Fry Bread Recipe
by Sommer Collier — last updated on Mar 26, 2026 
My Navajo fry bread recipe is one I love because it’s incredibly easy to make and turns out perfectly crispy every time. I fry a simple dough until it’s golden and crunchy on the outside and soft and pillowy on the inside. Depending on my mood, I top it with honey for a sweet treat or load it up with meat and salsa for a savory taco-style meal.
I absolutely love making this Navajo fry bread; it’s simply irresistible and satisfying to make from scratch. For me, mixing the dough, stretching it out by hand, and watching it puff up in the hot oil… It’s just such a delectable process! Plus, depending on what I’m craving, I can control the texture, making it extra crispy or keeping it soft and chewy. And like my unleavened bread recipe, this fry bread comes together with just a handful of staple pantry items. I love that it’s versatile, too, and depending on my mood, I can make it either sweet with a generous drizzle of honey or a sprinkle of cinnamon-sugar or savory and pile on my favorite Navajo taco toppings like minced meat, guacamole, and salsa. No matter how you serve it, this Navajo fry bread is pure comfort food. It’s simple, delicious, and a recipe you’ll want to come back to again and again. If you’ve never made it before, trust me, you’re in for a treat!
Wilhelmina – ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ I love this fry bread! It is so pillowy and soft and it works great as a base for sweet or savory!
Table of Contents
Sommer’s Recipe Highlights
Great for Sharing – Like my homemade funnel cake recipe, I love to serve these up in batches whenever I have friends and family over. I fry them up and set out all the optional toppings to make an indian taco bar. Or, they serve as the base for a fun dessert bar as well. Just imagine them with a scoop of ice cream on top, a sprinkle of chopped nuts or chopped candy bar, and a drizzling of hot fudge or salted caramel sauce. Divine!
Incredible Textures – If this bread had a, ahem, carnival name, it would be Bubble Galore. Biting into this skillet bread is like an explosion of textures. First, you get that perfectly crispy and crunchy exterior, and then comes that soft, pillowy inside. It’s perfection.
Simple and Quick – This recipe comes together in a few simple steps, and the best part is that you don’t need to break the bank to gather the ingredients. Not many breads can be made in less than 30 minutes.
Key Ingredients and Tips
- All-purpose flour – I always use regular all-purpose flour to make the dough. No fancy flours necessary!
- Baking powder – This is what gives it light and fluffy life. Make sure to buy a fresh box every 6 months, so it never lets you down.
- Hot milk – It’s so important to use hot milk to make the bread soft and tender.
- Oil – I use a neutral oil for frying, like peanut or vegetable oil. Olive oil will work, but it leaves a distinct flavor.
How to Make
Find the full recipe with ingredient proportions, detailed instructions, and a video tutorial in the printable form at the bottom of the post.
Make the dough – To start off, I grab a large bowl, and I throw in the flour, baking powder, and a pinch of salt. I mix those altogether, and then I slowly and carefully, pour in the hot milk. This part is important — I use my finger to mix together the dough until it forms a ball that pulls away from the sides of the bowl.
Prep the pan – Once the dough is ready, I let it rest, covered, for 10 minutes. Then, I grab a skillet and fill it up with about 1 inch of oil. I heat up the oil until it’s 375 degrees Fahrenheit. (Use a cooking thermometer here.)
Shape the dough – In the meantime, I cut the ball into 10 equal pieces and flatten them so they’re about 6 inches in diameter. I like to stretch them out in by hand because it’s just a lot more fun to do it this way!
Poke holes – Before I fry these up, I poke a hole in the center of each dough disk so the dough doesn’t balloon while it cooks.
Fry – Then, I fry these up for about 30 seconds per side until they’re golden brown and perfectly crispy. I transfer the cooked bread to a paper towel-lined plate so that any excess oil can drain.
Recipe Variations
- Pre-made dough – If you are really short on time, you can make easy Navajo fry bread with pre-made dough, such as frozen rolls or pizza dough. Follow the thawing directions on the package. (But, yes, fresh-made it better!)
- Cinnamon sugar – If you’re making a sweet version of this recipe, top it off with a dusting of cinnamon sugar right after it’s fried.
- Cheese – Similarly, sprinkle some shredded cheddar cheese or grated parmesan cheese on top while it’s hot.
- Spicy – Add a dash of cayenne pepper into the dough for some heat.
Serving Suggestions
Indian fry bread is extremely versatile. In New Mexico and Arizona, it is often made for any meal from breakfast to dinner, snacks, and desserts. You can top it with cinnamon sugar, honey, butter, fruit, eggs, cheese, and more. Here are a few of my favorite ways to enjoy this super simple flatbread!
If you’re making tacos, add:
- Beef taco meat, ground turkey taco meat, shredded beef, or shredded chicken
- Shredded lettuce
- Pico de gallo
- Roasted tomato salsa
- Diced red onion
- Shredded cheddar cheese
- Sliced black olives
- Avocado
- Sour cream
- Some lime wedges
If you’re making a dessert with this fry bread:
- Top them with honey and powdered sugar
- Cinnamon sugar
- Nutella and banana slices
- Berries and whipped cream
- Peanut butter and honey
- Caramel and sea salt
- Top them off with my apple pie filling and vanilla ice cream
Storing
Store it for a day or two at room temperature in an airtight container. After they are fried, they start losing structural integrity quickly, so you may need to reheat them in the oven or air fryer.
You can freeze the dough for this recipe, but it takes a little extra work to do so. Lay the separated dough balls on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper or wax paper, about 2 inches apart. Place the sheet pan in the freezer for as long as it takes for the exterior to freeze solid. Then take them out, wrap them separately in plastic wrap, and store them in a heavy-duty freezer bag.
When you are ready to use the dough, switch the dough balls to the fridge the night before and unwrap them while they are still cold. Before frying, allow them to reach room temperature, then roll them out or pull them into a disk shape. Then, continue with the recipe as written.
Frequently Asked Questions
This usually happens because the oil isn’t hot enough, or because your dough is too thick. To check the oil, use a cooking thermometer and make sure it’s at 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
Yes, you can. Spray the air fryer with nonstick cooking spray and cook one at a time in an air fryer at 375 to 400 degrees F for just a couple of minutes each.
Yes, but they just won’t be as crispy and crunchy.
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More Bread Recipes
Navajo Fry Bread Recipe
Video
Ingredients
For the Navajo Fry Bread Recipe:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup hot milk
- 1/2 cup hot water
- Oil for frying
For the Navajo Tacos:
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1/2 cup chopped onions
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 15 ounces red kidney beans, drained
- 14 ounces diced tomatoes
- 4 ounces chopped green chiles
Optional Taco Toppings:
- shredded lettuce
- pico de gallo
- shredded cheese
- sliced black olives
- chopped cilantro
- avocado slices
- sour cream
- lime wedges
Instructions
- For the Navajo Fry Bread: Mix the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Heat the milk and water together. once hot, slowly add in the hot liquid a little at a time, mixing with fingers until it forms a ball that pulls away from sides of the bowl.
- Add more flour or water as needed to form a dough that is not too sticky. Cover and let the dough rest for 10 minutes. Pour 1 inch of oil in a large skillet. Set a thermometer on the edge of the skillet and heat to 375 degrees F.
- Meanwhile, cut the dough into 10 equal pieces. Flatten the balls and gentle stretch out the edges while turning to form a 6-7 inch disks. The thinner the better. (You could also roll them out on a lightly floured board, but pulling the dough is more fun.) Roll them out all at once, so they have a little time to rest before they go in the fry. Restretch them right before placing in the oil if needed.
- Make a tiny hole in the middle of each disk, so the dough doesn't balloon up as it fries. Lay them out in a single layer so they don't stick together.
- Gently lay one dough disk in the hot oil pressing down with tongs so the oil goes over the top of the dough. Fry until golden brown around edges, then turn over and cook until the color matches, usually 20-30 seconds per side. Place on paper towels to drain. Repeat until all the dough disks are cooked. *For lighter more flexible fry bread fry quickly, but if you want them crunchy, fry a little longer per side to golden-brown.
- For the Navajo Tacos: Set a large skillet or saute pan over medium heat. Add the ground beef to the skillet. Break the meat into small pieces with a wooden spoon. Once it starts releasing its fat, add in the chopped onions, garlic, and all pieces. Continue cooking the meat until it is well browned. Then mix in the kidney beans, toamtoes, and green chiles. Simmer another 2-3 minutes. Then turn off the heat.
- Once the Indian Fry Bread and Taco Meat are ready, start building tacos. Scoop the taco meat onto the fry bread. Then top with shredded lettuce, pico de gallo, and any other topping you like. Serve warm.
Super delicious! For the water I used three fourths cup of hot water, one quarter cup Icelandic yogurt. To help make dough patties I oiled my hands & the dough, it was sticky dough. Thanks for the recipe!
Should not be sticky as a native az born and bred your dough should be floury and stretchy never wet and sticky if so you need to add more flour
Has anyone ever tried this in the air fryer?
Nicole, I have used my air fryer. At 375 -400* I did one at a time and they puffed up and browned. Reduces the fat. My grandson prefers black beans and cheese filling and once filled they can reheat in air fryer too with foil or parchment. If using parchment I would anchor it with food otherwise it tends to get sucked up into the heating elements and could cause a fire. Vicki
Being a male Brit I first tried Navajo fry bread 20 years ago in Mexican Hat, Utah and adored it, why I have never tried to make my own before I will never know.
This recipe was so simple and quick its unbelievable, the result was fantastic there was a slight tweak on the recipe in as much that I used spelter flour and I ddn’t have powdered milk so used normal milk instead, minus the hot water of course and halved the ingredients which was just enough for 2
If you like Navajo fry bread you will like this recipe.
Its a great recipe but its not Navajo. The powdered milk says it Blackfeet. Its my grandmothers recipe except let it sit for at least an hour. The longer the better.
We made these without the milk powder (vegan in our house). They turned out well! We made the last 4 pieces of dough into 2 larger “elephant ears” and sprinkled them with powdered sugar. The rest we used for tacos. They were simple and tasty. Don’t cook too long if you want them to be soft enough to fold as a taco. The crunchier ones were nice flat with melted cheese on top though (like a tostada).
I just want to mention, as someone who grew up on this stuff, that Blue Bird brand flour works best, and making the measurements approximate makes it even better (So, don’t you dare touch that level, and maybe use your hand to measure the salt instead of a measuring spoon, etc.) The powdered milk also isn’t necessary in the slightest, though it does taste great either way. Gluten-free tends to be tricky, though, as it’s harder to get it to stretch like it’s supposed to. Well, that’s all I wanted to say, so…
Hi Kailin,
Thanks for all the insight! :)
I love this very versatile recipe. Have used it several times now but my favourite is to add coriander and crushed garlic in the mix. When cooked, prick all over and spread with garlic butter or cream cheese. Eat while still hot.
I only have self rising flour;
Will it work? If so, how much do I use that is equivalent to 4 cups of flour ?
Hi! This looks sooooo good. But I just barely started working towards Keto. For some reason I thought this was a keto recipe when I clicked it, but I was clearly totally wrong. hahaha – I was wondering if you know if we can use a keto friendly alternative to the flour, like almond or coconut? I’ve a little too new to really know…
Thanks!
Elicea
Hi Elecea,
You can use almond flour and coconut flour for keto. However, I can’t say for sure if it would work in this recipe. I haven’t tested it for keto. If you happen to try it, please report back! :)
This was a great replacement for store bought tacos. Flour your board and hands to make this easier to knead.
I’m full blooded Navajo, grew up on the reservation, and I’m a certified chef. Girl, your recipe needs some tweaking. We don’t use hot water when making our dough, it needs to be warm, slightly on the warmer side and most Navajos use milk or a powdered milk for some richness. If that makes sense. Also, bluebird flour works well, it’s what most Navajos use. Blue cap Lard works well for frying. A good hack to test the hotness of the grease is to take a small piece of dough (like crumb) and drop it in the center of the pan, if it rises instantly it’s ready, if it flops to the bottom of the pan the oil is too cold… hope you taje the pointers and try it out. best of luck!! Male sure you rest your dough before you use it, like 5 to 10 minutes and then use teaclothes to help retain some moisture. Also, when yoi lay your frybread in the oil/grease/lard poje a hole in the center with a fork, it’ll bubble and spit but it will also help the air escape the center so the bottom of the bread cooks evenly. It’s really an art. Lol These hacks will help your dough be fluffier.
Cat, thank you for the feedback on this recipe. If you have time, please email me at carnival6sic6@hotmail.com. I am going to make Fry Bread this weekend, and would love to hear your opinion on ingredients and technique. Thanks!
Love it! Thank you for the tips!
I make Fry Bread every year when the state fair comes around and make into Indian Taco’s with homemade chili and all the toppings. Oh, so Good.
First’ Indian Taco’ (that is what they called them there ) I had was at the Oklahoma City State Fair many years ago and have been mixing my own ever since. Love them.
Don’t why I only make them at Fair time. Guess they just taste better during that time.
Now; I’m getting hungry. May just have to put this on my menu for next week. :}