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These easy and delicious Navajo tacos are made with thick, soft fry bead then layered with tasty taco fixings. A delicious family-friendly meal that you can pile high with all of your favorite toppings!
This is a great recipe because it uses Pillsbury biscuits. So easy! For a more authentic Native American fry bread try this recipe. This meal is a fun twist on tacos just like my taco casserole or taco-stuffed avocados. You’ll have to try them both next!
Navajo Taco Recipe
School is now in session and so easy and delicious dinners are a must! It gets pretty hectic after the kids get home from school. And I can’t believe how much homework they get now! My older boys spend at least an hour an a half, and my kindergartener even gets some too! These Navajo tacos have been a lifesaver. So simple to put together and the entire family loved them!
I loved using Pillsbury biscuits as the fry bread for these Navajo tacos. (Although if you’re up for the challenge, making homemade fry bread is always a winner!) They turned out perfectly, and were so simple to make. The best part about these Navajo tacos is that each family member can add their favorite toppings. My little one had two and begged me to make them every week. I am okay with that because of how tasty these turned out! You’ll want to make this family-favorite recipe again and again.
What is a Navajo Taco?
A Navajo taco is made up of deep fried bread discs topped with taco ingredients. Although named ‘Navajo,’ it’s a common dish in many Southwestern tribes. If you’re from Arizona or New Mexico, you’re probably familiar with it! Our family loves ground beef with beans and customized toppings to go on top. Check out my tips section below for more topping ideas!
Navajo Tacos Ingredients
Layer on your favorite toppings and be sure to pile them high for the BEST Navajo taco. Top it off with some salsa, guacamole and even Mexican Rice for a complete meal. Note: for each ingredient below, exact measurements can be found in the recipe card at the end of the post.
- Ground Beef: I used lean ground beef here! If you want something leaner you can always go for ground turkey instead. Feel free to use your favorite protein here! Ground pork, shredded chicken, or even tofu crumbles will also work.
- Taco Seasoning: Homemade taco seasoning or packaged seasoning works well with these tacos. Use your favorite or whatever you have on hand!
- Water: Adds moisture to the beef mixture.
- Chili with Beans: Mix the chili beans in with the beef creating a thick and hearty taco topping.
- Pillsbury Grand Original Biscuits: This acts as the fry bread dough. Simply flatten and then create a taco out of it.
- Cooking Oil: For frying the biscuits in.
Toppings
- Black Olives: Use a can of sliced olives and add them to the topping of the tacos.
- Sour Cream: Add a dollop for a light and creamy taco taste.
- Avocados: Cut up into long slices or chop into squares so your Navajo tacos have some (delicious) healthy fats.
- Tomatoes: Dice them up or use Roma or cherry tomatoes! You could also use pico de gallo for a different twist.
- Lettuce: So your tacos have some crunch.
- Cheddar Cheese: Shredded and sprinkled on top of your Navajo tacos.
How to Make Navajo Tacos
It’s SO simple and the perfect weeknight recipe. Everyone in your family will be begging for more! The pillowy bread and savory toppings are just too good of a combination.
- Fry the Biscuits: Flatten each biscuit. Then fry each piece of dough in 1/4-inch hot oil over medium heat until golden brown, turning once. Drain biscuits on paper towels, then keep warm.
- Cook the Ground Beef: In a medium skillet, brown ground beef until no longer pink. Then add 1/4 cup water, taco seasoning mix, and can of chili beans. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to low and allow to simmer.
- Assemble the Navajo Tacos: Once ready to assemble, lay fried biscuit on a plate and put 1/2 cup of meat mixture on top. Then top with your favorite toppings.
Keep Your Bread Warm
Once the Pillsbury dough is fried, place on a sheet pan and keep warm in the oven at the lowest temperature setting while making the other fry breads.
Tips and Variations
Easy-to-make and SO delicious, Navajo tacos are always a winner when it comes to weeknight meals. Here are a few extra things to keep in mind so your batch turns out just right!
- Toppings: Add all your favorite toppings that you love. Mix and match vegetables and meats to your liking. Add some chorizo or even buffalo chicken for a fun switch-up! You can also add a drizzle of your favorite sauce, like this cilantro lime sauce!
- Frying Bread: Before frying your bread, lay flat then cut a line in the center of each biscuit. This will keep it from curling in the oil and will stay flat for your taco toppings. You’ve got to give it room to expand to puffy deliciousness!
- Oil Temperature: It is best to keep your oil at a constant temperature. The best temperature is around 250-300 degrees Fahrenheit. If the temperature becomes too low the bread will be tough and not soft like a cloud. Opposite of that though it will become too hot and can easily burn on the outside while the inside does not cook.
- Fry Bread for Dessert: If you have leftover fry bread, top it with sweet toppings for dessert! Cinnamon sugar or a dollop of honey butter are both great options.
Storing for Later
If you made too much fry bread or have leftover toppings, good news! You can store and enjoy them later.
- Fry Bread: Store in an airtight bag at room temperature for up to 3 days.
- Taco Meat: Store in a sealed airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
Other Fun Taco Recipes to Try
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Easy Navajo Tacos
Ingredients
- 1 lb Ground Beef Lean
- 1 Homemade Taco Seasoning or Packaged
- 1 15 ounce black beans drained and rinsed
- 1 15 ounce diced tomatoes
- 1 15 ounce pinto beans drained and rinsed
- 1 can Pillsbury Grand Original Biscuits 8 Biscuits
- Oil for Frying I used vegetable oil
Topping options:
- Olives
- Sour Cream
- Avocados
- Tomatoes
- Lettuce shredded
- Cheddar Cheese shredded
Instructions
- Flatten each biscuit. Fry each biscuit in 1/4-in. hot oil over medium heat until golden brown, turning once. Drain biscuits on paper towels, keep warm.
- In a medium skillet, brown ground beef until no longer pink. Add taco seasoning mix, black beans. diced tomatoes, and pinto beans. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to low and allow to simmer.
- Once ready to assemble, lay fried biscuit on a plate and put 1/2 cup of meat mixture on top. Top with your favorite toppings.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I’m Navajo… therefore super judgey about any tampering with tradition etc. These were fantastic <3 and so easy!!! Great job love, I will be making these for my husband often… making dough from scratch for frybread can be a messy pain so this is an awesome alternative!
I would LOVE to make fry bread from scratch!! If you have a recipe that I can include that would be awesome. But then it may not qualify them as easy! This is an easy alternative. 🙂
just might be me, but you say or I hear indian tacos, my senses start watering, thoughts zooming in on a nice steamy bowl of mutton steam corn stew. Not store bought corn, the good stuff they serve at any of the ceremonies back home on the reservations. A bowl of stew, 2 frybreads, 2 cups of that campfire style home brewed coffee (with the grains and all, so when you smile its all up in the grill :)), and a little touch of vanilla ice cream to sweeten the deal, yummy later on hit up the mutton ribs 🙂
Hi! This looks good, but I can give you an authentic recipe for fry bread.
4 cups all purp. Flour
1T baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 T powdered milk
1 1/2 c warm water
1 c lard or shortening
Mix your dry ingredients. Pour in water, and make a soft dough. Dough should be soft, not sticky. Cover and let rest for 15 minutes or longer. Shape into 2″ balls, and then flatten by patting and stretching the dogh by hand. You could also use a rolling pin. I do mine by hand, and I like them thicker around the edges. They will hold the toppings better. Melt your lard in a frying pan. It should be heated to around 350° . Fry on both sides until golden brown.
Please try this, it is so good. It takes tons of practice t o make fry bread, but it is worth it.
In the early 70’s I went on a mission trip with my church from Missouri to the Navajo reservation in Arizona. While we there we went to the home of their pastor, Brother George. Their home was a small wood frame with no windows and only dirt floors. Some people lived in dirt hogans. While we were at their house, his wife made us fry bread from scratch. I think it was the best hot bread I have ever tasted. After she mixed her dough, she pinched off a piece and rolled it in a ball. Then she began to stretch it by tossing it back and forth from hand to hand until it was the size she wanted it. She did not speak English, but she pinched off some dough and gave it to me and pointed for me to roll and stretch it. I rolled it in a ball an then as I was trying to toss it between hands, it fell on the dirt floor! That was my first and last attempt at making Navajo fry bread. For years, our church would have a Navajo taco feed once a year. Such good memories.
I’m sure the host Navajo family mentioned it, probably not in English though. Simply put you failed the native cooking test, a test that Navajo mothers and grandmothers closely monitor. If a person drops the dough in the dirt, or if they burn the frybread, our mothers and grandmothers start to worry. That’s the basic native In-law 101 test, its pass or fail. They won’t surrender their love ones in your care, out of fear that they’ll starve 🙂
Cool story! We(Navajos) do make the BEST fry bread ofthe Native American tribes! I learned from my mother, from scratch & so tasty. You can also roll out the homemade fry bread dough and cook in a hot skillet–wahlaa, your fresh Navajo tortilla!
I’ve made this a few times now and it’s just a great, quick recipe that my husband and kids love. Thanks so much for sharing!
Do you use Flaky, Homestyle, or Buttermilk Grand biscuits?
I used homestyle. I have also used the buttery homestyle which were really yummy!
We have done something similar but instead of a taco filling & toppings we top the “fry bread” with pulled pork or shredded bbq chicken and than coleslaw.
Super yummy!!
That sounds great and oh sooo easy too. Simple is perfect for me. You could probablyalso use regular biscuits too as hors douvres for parties too.
Just got done making and eating these and they were delish! So much easier using biscuits than making scones from scratch like I usually do and they tasted the same!!! The only thing I changed was adding diced onion to the ground beef and using homemade taco seasoning from allrecipes.com! So good!
These look so good! I don’t have an actual fryer. Can the fried biscuits be done on the stove with a frying pan full of oil? I can’t tell if that’s how you did it or if you used a real fryer.
That’s what is awesome about these. You don’t need a fryer. Just heat up about 1-2 inches of oil in a medium skillet and fry them in the pan. 🙂
Awesome, thanks! That’s how I thought you did it. 🙂
Update: These were fabulous and my super picky hubs LOVED them!! Thanks for the recipe!!!
This looks so yummy, I just don’t understand how do you do the biscuits. Are they raw in the can and I just should put’em on the fry pan, or should I bake’em first and then fry? Sorry if the answer is quite stupid.
Just flatten the raw biscuit and fry them in the pan. 🙂
Thank you 🙂 gonna make this next week!
My BIL makes these shells from scratch and everyone marvels at them, hmmmph! Now I can dazzle them on my own, thanks 🙂
Where do we get BIL’s recipe for homemade shells?
Is it Indian fry bread?
Chili with beans or chili beans?
You can use either but I used chili with beans. 🙂
I’m a little confused on the Chili part. You said Chili with beans. Is this like Wolf Brand can Chili or a can of Chili Beans? Please help.
Actually either one would work!! We just used a can of chili beans but chili with beans sounds just as delicious!! Hope that helps!! Xo
SO. Genius!!!! I love these so much! They remind me of my childhood at the fair.
Ohhhhhhhh my gosh, I love navajo tacos!! Growing up, my mom would take me to the “Beary Unique Boutique” when it came around the holidays and every single time I had to get a navajo taco, they were bigger than my face and sooooo good! I haven’t had one in years though, I can’t wait to steal this recipe Alyssa!!!
We love scones. But I must say I impressed, first you place the biscuit in oil and cook and when you go and drain the fat they turn into tortillas…..now thats impressing LOL Im glad Ben enjoyed them so much.
I had to read it over like 10 times to get what you were talking about!! That is what I get for typing at 2am. 🙂