Indian Tacos (also called Navajo or Native American Tacos) are a delicious treat we have always enjoyed at the Oklahoma State Fair!
Make these delectable Indian Tacos at home with just a few simple ingredients and enjoy them anytime! What sets these apart is the amazing Indian Fry Bread which makes the base for these tacos.
Indian Tacos and I go way back. I probably first tried one as soon as my mom was able to feed it to me. The only drawback was that I never had it more than once a year at the State Fair! Probably one of the bigger draws of going to the Fair is enjoying all the “once a year” foods they have. Corn Dogs, Candy Apples and Indian Tacos were always among my favorites.
I realize that many State Fairs don’t have the Indian Tacos. If you have never tried one then I would compare it to the best Taco Salad in a shell you have ever tried, but a lot more bread to it!
The Fry Bread is what really sets this hearty meal apart. Indian Fry bread (also called Navajo or Native American Fry Bread) is just a simple bread mixture with leavening and milk that is flattened out and fried. It puffs up and makes a delicious bed for all the yummy toppings.
This recipe makes around 4-5 fry breads depending on the size of the Indian Taco you are making. State fair sized Indian Tacos would be more like 1-2 of these, but I am assuming you want a smaller sized portion. When we have one at the State Fair we often split it between 4-5 people because it is so HUGE!
The great thing about making this myself is that I avoid the lines, the price of the fair and the crazy price for just one taco! Although, to be fair, it’s probably the most reasonably priced item there based on size. I love the Fair and I will continue to buy them there, but now I have this recipe to enjoy these any time!
Mmm. Just looking at an Indian Taco makes my stomach growl. They are so good and I’m glad I get to make them at home now!
Tips and Suggestions for Indian Tacos:
- Serve them at a party or a crowd. I would suggest serving each item separately. Have your guests make a line to fill up their own Indian Tacos. This way everyone can use their favorite ingredients and leave off what they don’t love.
- Use extra fry bread as a dessert. Fry bread is great with sweet toppings as well. Instead of adding the toppings for an Indian Taco, try something sweet like powdered sugar or honey. You could even go further with fruits and other sweet toppings as well.
- Make a Taco Sauce seasoning like Dan’s from the Oklahoma State Fair. Take these Indian Tacos up a notch and serve them with a little taco sauce that that is seasoned with smoked paprika. I’m not sure exactly what the sauce they use at the fair is made of, but this is as close as I’ve tried. Mix 1 cup of taco sauce with 1/2 or more to taste of smoke paprika. This will get you that smoky flavor that the sauce at the Oklahoma State Fair has.
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Indian Tacos with Indian Fry Bread
This is an Oklahoma State Fair favorite for Indian Tacos with authentic indian fry bread.
Ingredients
- For Fry Bread:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup milk
- 4 cups oil for frying, or as needed
- Toppings:
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 Tbsp . Taco Seasoning, I make my own or use Penzey's southwest seasoning
- 1 15 oz . can of Ranch Style Beans (Ranch Style is a brand of beans, but you can sub any chili beans if you don't have them in your area)
- 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
- 2 cups shredded iceberg lettuce
- 1/4 cup of chopped onions, optional
- Other topping suggestions: Sour Cream, Picante or Taco Sauce, Guacamole
Instructions
- In a large skillet cook the ground beef with taco seasoning mix over medium high heat. Once the meat has browned turn heat down and add beans. Cook until the mixture is heated through. Cover, and keep warm while you prepare the fry bread.
- In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir in milk, and mix until the dough comes together. You may need more flour in order to handle the dough. Knead the dough until smooth on a lightly floured surface. Let it rest for around 5 minutes.
- Heat oil in a large, deep heavy skillet to 365 degrees F (180 degrees C). Oil should be at least 1 1/2 inches deep.
- Cut dough into 4 to 5 equal parts and flatten each part out into a thin tortilla sized circle. Fry breads in the hot oil until golden on both sides (around 5 mins.), turn only once. Drain on paper towels.
- Top each fry bread with beans, ground beef, lettuce, cheese and whatever other toppings you want. Enjoy!
Notes
If making a large batch of these for a gathering ahead of time: Fry them and then place on a baking sheet. Set your oven to 200° F or the lowest setting. Place the baking sheet in the oven until you're ready to serve them (up to 2 hours).
Nutrition Information
Yield
4Serving Size
1 gramsAmount Per Serving Unsaturated Fat 0g
Juanita Brooks
Saturday 16th of September 2023
What is the best oil to use I’m going to make this for my grandsons birthday party I want them to come out fluffy and good
Stefania
Saturday 20th of May 2023
Absolutely loved them ,Thanks for the receipe for the fry bread! First time to oklahoma fair and your Indian taco .
Rachel
Tuesday 15th of August 2023
So glad you loved them! -Rachel
Lori Stark
Sunday 16th of April 2023
Thank you so much for posting. Also for mentioning us here at Dans Indian Tacos! This will be year 45 at the Oklahoma State Fair for us.
Rachel
Sunday 20th of August 2023
That's great! Looking forward to the Indian Taco Truck soon!:)
Larry
Thursday 2nd of March 2023
Oh so good havent had one since i lived in broken bow oklahoma but now i have the recipe thank you
Cecelia
Friday 24th of February 2023
I tried this last night ! It was good,but I could have fried it a bit longer in the oil 🪔 oops 😬