Indian Tacos with Fry Bread – Easy Fair Food Favorite
It’s fair time across the United States and y’all are in for a special treat. Today, we’ve got a classic dish that’s a favorite of ours – Indian Tacos with Fry Bread. We just got back from the Elko County Fair visiting Shan’s family and we enjoyed Indian tacos until we made ourselves sick!
Make the Dough
This is a very easy and basic dough recipe. We are talking about 4 cups of all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon of salt, 2 tablespoons of baking powder, and 3 tablespoons of oil.
When I get that mixed around I’ll add 1 1/2 to 2 cups of warm water. Start with the 1 1/2 cups first, and then slowly add more water if needed for a slightly sticky dough.
Let the dough set for two hours.
Now, it is pretty sticky but that’s sort of what we’re after at this point. Knead it around a little (flour your hands, if needed). The end result is sticky fingers and a soft dough that’s just a tad tacky.
Now we’re going to cover it and let it sit in a warm place for 2 hours. Sure, it’s not got the yeast in it that’s gonna make it rise and bubble up, and jump around, but it is gonna increase in size just a little due to the baking powder.
Roll the Bread Thin
Pour the melted butter over top and knead it just slightly to incorporate that butter in. Flour your board or surface well and put the dough on it. I like to form the ball into sort of a loaf shape because it’s a little easier to pinch off the dough for the fry bread circles.
Pinch off a little bigger than a golf-balled sized ball (or whatever size you prefer). I mash them down slightly and then get the rolling pin out. Roll them out in a thin circle (or the closest shape to a circle you can get!) As you roll them out, flip them on occasion which will help them from sticking to the board, adding flour as needed.
Roll the dough thin.
Fry the Bread at 325 Degrees
Take a cast iron skillet and add about an inch or so deep of frying oil (we used Canola today). I like to start at about 325 degrees, ’cause I don’t wanna a flash fry, I want this to fry a little slower.
Shake off any excess flour on the dough rounds before adding to the grease. It’ll help that grease stay a lot better for a little longer.
Fry these fellers until they are a light brown on both sides. Place on a paper towel or wire rack to cool just slightly.
Fry them till they are golden brown.
Toppings 2 Ways…
So what do you put on these fried-up masterpieces? Well, you can go sweet or savory!
For Indian Tacos the base that I love are some good pinto beans, and we also add a little ground hamburger to the beans. You can check out our video on our Cowboy Pinto Beans or our blog recipe for Refried Beans.
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Basically, I just take 1 lb. of beans, at cover them with water in a stock pot. I add chopped onion, bacon, a little jalapeno. Boil them hard for about 10 minutes and then let simmer until tender. When you lift a bean up out of the water and the skin cracks it’s time to season – if you season before that, you can cook out your seasonings. We use our Red River Ranch Original or Mesquite.
Top the bread with the beans and your favorite toppings like: lettuce, tomatoes, onions, cheese, sour cream, etc.
Add some vegetables and cheese on top.
Have It as a Dessert
Want a sweet treat? Take those rascals right out of the hot grease and if you want to you can rub you some butter on there. I’m going to put some cinnamon and powdered sugar and sprinkle it on top.
Drizzle on a little honey and you’ve got a crowd-pleaser right there!
You can have it as a dessert!
One way or another, enjoy them Indian fry bread tacos, and don’t forget to share with a neighbor!
Watch how to make Easy Fair Food Favorite – Indian Tacos with Fry Bread!
Indian Fry Bread – makes about 12 - Cowboy Kent Rollins
Ingredients
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons baking powder
- 3 tablespoons Canola or vegetable oil
- 1 ½ to 2 cups warm water
- 4 tablespoons butter melted
- Oil for frying
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, salt, and baking powder.
- Stir in the oil and 1 ½ cups of the warm water just until its combined. With your hands begin mixing and needed. You may need to slowly add more water to create a soft and slightly tacky dough.
- Cover the dough and let rest 2 hours in a warm location.
- Pour the butter over the dough and knead for a couple minutes.
- Pinch the dough off slightly larger than golf ball-sized. Roll in your hand to create a ball. And place on a floured surface.
- Pat each ball out slightly and then roll out thinly with a rolling pin.
- Fill a cast iron skillet with 1 – 2 inches deep with the fry oil and heat to about 325 degrees.
- Fry the bread until lightly golden brown on each side. Cool slightly on a wire rack or paper towel.