Fry Bread Recipes: 14 Golden Indian Tacos and Honey Treats After a Cowboy Cook’s Video Hit 467K Views

Fry bread recipes are having a moment, and a cowboy cook from Oklahoma helped spark it. Cowboy Kent Rollins, whose YouTube channel has about 3.58 million subscribers, posted a video on Navajo fry bread and Indian tacos that has passed 467,000 views, and he took time to share the history behind the dough before he ever picked up a skillet. That mix of story and comfort food struck a chord. Fry bread is simple: flour, baking powder, salt and warm water, patted thin and cooked until puffy and golden. From there it can become a hearty taco dinner or a sweet treat with honey or cinnamon sugar. Below are 14 ideas, sweet and savory, plus a few cousins from around the world..

The Cowboy Cook Behind the 467K-View Fry Bread Video

Kent Rollins cooks from a chuck wagon on the open range, and his fry bread video stands out because he slows down to talk about where the bread comes from and who taught him to respect it. Then he builds the classic Indian taco: puffy fry bread piled with seasoned beef, beans, lettuce, tomato and cheese. His channel, run with his wife Shannon, has grown to millions of subscribers on a simple promise of honest, home-style food. This gallery follows his lead with easy fry bread recipes you can make in a regular skillet at home..

You will need: 2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 tablespoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon salt, 3/4 cup warm water, 1 lb ground beef, 1 can pinto beans, shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, shredded cheddar, sour cream, neutral oil for shallow frying.

How to make it: 1. Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt, then stir in the warm water to make a soft dough. 2. Cover and rest for 20 minutes. 3. Brown the beef with chili powder and cumin, then warm the beans. 4. Pat the dough into thin 7 inch rounds and cook in 1 inch of hot oil for about 1 minute per side until golden. 5. Drain on paper towels and pile on the toppings.

Where Fry Bread Comes From

Fry bread has deep roots in Native American history. As the history of frybread explains, the Navajo version dates to 1864, when the Navajo people were forced to make the Long Walk to Bosque Redondo in New Mexico and given government rations of flour, sugar and lard. Out of hardship came a bread that is now shared at powwows, family gatherings and fairs across the country. For many families it stands for resilience and togetherness, and in 2005 South Dakota named frybread its official state bread.

You will need: Nothing to buy for this one, just a few minutes to learn the story before you cook.

How to make it: 1. Read about the Long Walk and the history of the bread. 2. Ask local Native-owned food trucks or powwow vendors about their family recipes. 3. Support Native cooks and businesses when you can. 4. Share the story when you serve fry bread at home.

Classic Indian Tacos With Beans, Beef and Cheese

The Indian taco, also called a Navajo taco, is the most famous of all fry bread recipes and a staple at fairs and powwows. A warm round of bread replaces the tortilla, and it is topped with seasoned beef, beans, lettuce, tomato and plenty of shredded cheese. It is filling, messy in the best way and easy to set up as a build-your-own bar for a crowd. Keep the bread warm in a low oven wrapped in a clean towel while you finish the batch, and let everyone pile on their own toppings.

You will need: 6 fry bread rounds, 1 lb ground beef, 1 packet taco seasoning or 2 teaspoons chili powder and 1 teaspoon cumin, 1 can pinto beans, lettuce, tomatoes, cheddar, sour cream, salsa.

How to make it: 1. Cook the bread and keep it warm in a 200 F oven. 2. Brown the beef with the spices and a splash of water. 3. Warm and lightly mash the beans. 4. Spread beans on each round, then add beef. 5. Finish with lettuce, tomato, cheese, sour cream and salsa.

Fry Bread Recipes With Red Chile and Fresh Salsa

In the Southwest, red chile sauce turns a simple Indian taco into something deeper and smokier. Here the bread is topped with slow-simmered beans, a spoon of red chile, crisp lettuce and a big scoop of fresh tomato salsa. Make the chile from dried red chile powder, garlic and broth and it keeps in the fridge for a week, ready for the next batch of fry bread recipes. If you like more heat, add a few pickled jalapeños. A squeeze of lime at the end brightens everything.

You will need: 4 fry bread rounds, 2 cups cooked pinto beans, 3 tablespoons red chile powder, 2 cloves garlic, 1 1/2 cups broth, 1 tablespoon flour, lettuce, fresh salsa, lime.

How to make it: 1. Cook garlic in a little oil, stir in flour and chile powder for 30 seconds. 2. Whisk in the broth and simmer 10 minutes until thick. 3. Warm the beans. 4. Top each warm round with beans, red chile and lettuce. 5. Add salsa and a squeeze of lime.

Fry Bread Recipes With Honey Butter

This is the one many people remember from county fairs: a hot, puffy round brushed with melting honey butter. The outside stays crisp, the inside is soft and chewy, and the honey soaks into every bubble. Whip soft butter with honey and a pinch of salt ahead of time so it is ready the moment the bread comes out of the pan. It is a simple treat that turns a cold evening into something cozy, and kids usually ask for seconds before the first round is gone.

You will need: 4 fry bread rounds, 1/2 cup soft butter, 1/4 cup honey, pinch of flaky salt.

How to make it: 1. Beat the butter, honey and salt until fluffy. 2. Cook the bread until golden and puffy. 3. Drain briefly on paper towels. 4. Brush or spread with honey butter while hot. 5. Drizzle with extra honey and serve right away.

Cinnamon Sugar Fry Bread Recipes for Snacking

Cut the dough into small squares or strips before cooking and you get bite-size pieces that are perfect for sharing. Toss them in cinnamon sugar while they are still warm so the coating sticks. They taste a lot like a homemade doughnut but take a fraction of the time, since there is no yeast and no long rise. Serve them in a bowl with coffee or hot cocoa, or bag them up for a game night. Among sweet fry bread recipes, this is the fastest crowd-pleaser.

You will need: 1 batch fry bread dough, 1/2 cup sugar, 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon, oil for shallow frying.

How to make it: 1. Mix the sugar and cinnamon in a shallow bowl. 2. Roll the dough 1/4 inch thick and cut into 2 inch pieces. 3. Cook in batches in hot oil until puffed and golden. 4. Drain for a few seconds. 5. Toss in cinnamon sugar while warm.

Fry Bread Recipes for Dessert: Berries and Cream

Fry bread makes a wonderful base for a quick dessert, a little like a rustic shortcake. Top a warm round with whipped cream, fresh strawberries, blueberries and raspberries, then finish with a snowy dusting of powdered sugar. Out of season, frozen berries warmed with a spoon of sugar work just as well and make a glossy sauce. Make the rounds a little smaller than usual for dessert so everyone can have their own, and serve them right away while the bread is still crisp.

You will need: 4 small fry bread rounds, 2 cups mixed berries, 1 cup whipping cream, 2 tablespoons sugar, powdered sugar.

How to make it: 1. Whip the cream with the sugar to soft peaks. 2. Cook the bread and let it cool for 2 minutes. 3. Spoon whipped cream onto each round. 4. Pile on the berries. 5. Dust with powdered sugar and serve.

Simple Fry Bread Recipes: Fair-Style Powdered Sugar

Sometimes the simplest of all fry bread recipes is the best. Many families eat fresh fry bread with nothing more than a shower of powdered sugar, torn into pieces and shared straight from the plate. It is the kind of snack that disappears while the next round is still cooking. For the softest texture, do not overwork the dough, and let it rest before shaping. A rested dough stretches easily without springing back, and the rounds puff up with big airy pockets.

You will need: 1 batch fry bread dough, powdered sugar in a sieve, oil for shallow frying.

How to make it: 1. Rest the dough for at least 20 minutes. 2. Stretch pieces into thin rounds by hand. 3. Poke a small hole in the center so it cooks evenly. 4. Cook until golden on both sides and drain. 5. Dust generously with powdered sugar.

Fry Bread Recipes for Breakfast: Eggs, Beans and Salsa

Leftover dough makes an excellent breakfast. Cook smaller rounds and top them with black beans, sunny-side-up eggs, sliced avocado, crumbled cheese and fresh salsa. It is like huevos rancheros on a crisp, chewy base, and it keeps everyone full until lunch. You can make the dough the night before and keep it covered in the fridge; just let it come to room temperature for 30 minutes before shaping. Chopped cilantro and a squeeze of lime finish the plate.

You will need: 4 small fry bread rounds, 4 eggs, 1 can black beans, 1 avocado, 1/2 cup crumbled cotija or feta, fresh salsa, cilantro.

How to make it: 1. Warm the beans with a pinch of cumin. 2. Fry the eggs to your liking. 3. Cook the bread rounds and drain. 4. Top with beans, an egg, avocado and cheese. 5. Spoon on salsa and scatter cilantro.

Pumpkin Fry Bread for Fall

In Chile, sopaipillas are often made with mashed pumpkin in the dough, which gives them a sunny orange color and a soft, tender bite. The same trick works beautifully in fry bread: swap some of the water for pumpkin puree and add a pinch of cinnamon. Serve them plain with a savory soup, or drizzle with warm maple syrup for a fall treat. If you are hunting for more seasonal baking, our pumpkin recipes are packed with cozy ideas.

You will need: 2 cups flour, 1 tablespoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon salt, 3/4 cup pumpkin puree, 2 to 4 tablespoons warm water, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, oil for shallow frying.

How to make it: 1. Mix the dry ingredients and cinnamon. 2. Stir in the pumpkin and just enough water to make a soft dough. 3. Rest for 15 minutes. 4. Pat into small rounds and prick with a fork. 5. Cook until deep golden and serve warm.

New Mexico Sopaipillas With Honey

Just south of Navajo country, New Mexico has its own puffy fried bread. Sopaipillas are small pillows that balloon in the hot oil, leaving a hollow center that is perfect for honey. Restaurants across the state set out a squeeze bottle of honey with every plate. Some cooks stuff them with beans and meat for a savory meal, while others dust them with sugar. The trick to a good puff is rolling the dough evenly to about 1/8 inch and making sure the oil is fully hot before the first piece goes in.

You will need: 2 cups flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 tablespoon shortening, 3/4 cup warm milk, honey, oil for frying.

How to make it: 1. Rub the shortening into the dry ingredients. 2. Stir in warm milk and knead briefly. 3. Rest 20 minutes, then roll 1/8 inch thick. 4. Cut into triangles or squares and cook until puffed. 5. Serve hot with honey.

Bannock, a Northern Cousin

Across Canada and the northern United States, bannock is a close relative. It can be baked, cooked in a pan or fried, and many First Nations families have their own recipe passed down for generations. Pan-cooked bannock is thicker and more biscuit-like than most Navajo-style fry bread recipes, which makes it great for splitting and filling with butter and jam. It is also a favorite camp bread because the dry mix travels well and only needs water. Cook it slowly over medium heat so the middle cooks through.

You will need: 3 cups flour, 2 tablespoons baking powder, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/4 cup melted butter, 1 1/4 cups water, butter and jam to serve.

How to make it: 1. Mix the flour, baking powder and salt. 2. Add the butter and water and stir just until combined. 3. Press into a greased skillet about 3/4 inch thick. 4. Cook over medium-low heat about 12 minutes per side. 5. Cut into wedges and serve with butter and jam.

Hungary’s Lángos With Sour Cream and Cheese

Travel to Hungary and you will find lángos, a large fried flatbread sold at markets, beaches and festivals. It is usually brushed with garlic water and topped with sour cream and a mountain of grated cheese. The dough is often made with yeast and sometimes potato, so it is a bit chewier than Navajo-style bread, but the idea is very similar. Try it as a fun twist on movie night: one big round per person, eaten warm and torn by hand.

You will need: 1 batch fry bread dough or yeasted dough, 2 cloves garlic crushed in 3 tablespoons water, 1 cup sour cream, 1 1/2 cups grated cheese.

How to make it: 1. Stretch the dough into large thin rounds. 2. Cook until golden on both sides and drain. 3. Brush with garlic water. 4. Spread with sour cream. 5. Cover with grated cheese and eat warm.

Argentina’s Torta Frita for Rainy Days

In Argentina and Uruguay, torta frita is the classic rainy-day snack. Families cook a stack of thin round dough cakes with a little hole in the middle and eat them with mate or hot chocolate. They are often sprinkled with sugar or eaten plain, crisp at the edges and soft in the center. It is a lovely reminder that fry bread recipes show up in kitchens all over the world, each with its own story. Make a big batch and keep them warm under a towel for the whole family.

You will need: 3 cups flour, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 3 tablespoons melted butter or lard, 1 cup warm water, sugar for sprinkling.

How to make it: 1. Mix the dry ingredients, then add butter and water. 2. Knead until smooth and rest 30 minutes. 3. Roll into thin 5 inch rounds and poke a hole in the center. 4. Cook in hot oil until golden. 5. Sprinkle with sugar and serve warm.