History
Frybread is a thick flatbread of deep fried dough developed by the Navajo people after the Long Walk, when they were forcibly relocated to Bosque Redondo, New Mexico. It is served as a snack with honey or as the base of a Navajo taco, and the New Mexico sopaipilla is a variant of it. Indian Pueblo Kitchen at the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center serves an Indian taco on house made frybread with Pueblo beans, cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion and chile, and sells frybread as a side. The New Mexico State Fair food guide names Navajo tacos and fry bread among the fair's staples.
Book a food experience
Tours, tastings and classes from the cities on this page, bookable on GetYourGuide.
Common allergens: Gluten, Dairy
Make it at home
Ingredients
- 500g all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 350ml warm water
- 1 liter neutral oil for frying
- For Navajo taco topping: 400g cooked seasoned ground beef, 1 can pinto beans, shredded cheese, lettuce, tomato, chile sauce
Method
- Whisk flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl.
- Stir in warm water gradually to form a soft dough. Knead 2 minutes. Rest 15 minutes covered.
- Divide dough into 6 balls. Pat each into a 15 cm disc, slightly thinner in the middle.
- Heat oil to 175 C / 350 F. Fry one disc at a time, pushing down with tongs so it puffs evenly.
- Flip after 1 minute. Fry another minute until golden brown. Drain on paper towels.
- Top with warm seasoned beef, beans, cheese, lettuce, tomato and chile sauce. Serve immediately.
Tip from the editors. A small slit cut in the center of each disc before frying helps it puff evenly. Eat within 5 minutes of frying for the right chew.
Where to eat fry bread
Fry bread in Albuquerque
Indian Pueblo Kitchen ★ 4.1
Indian Pueblo Kitchen is inside the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center at 2401 12th Street NW, serving cuisine owned and operated by New Mexico's 19 Pueblos.
Why locals goLocated inside the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center, it is owned and operated by New Mexico's 19 Pueblos and features homemade stews, fresh breads and bakery items.
TipThe kitchen does not accept reservations, so just turn up: seating is first-come, first-served.
Fry bread in Phoenix
The Fry Bread House ★ 4.4
The Fry Bread House on 7th Avenue is a James Beard America's Classics winner, plating Tohono O'odham fry bread topped savoury or sweet at counter prices.
OrderA savoury red-chile fry bread, then a sweet one dusted with sugar.
TipIt is a Native American institution and a Beard America's Classics winner; cash goes far here.
Kai ★ 4.8
Kai at the Sheraton Grand at Wild Horse Pass is Arizona's only AAA Five Diamond restaurant, cooking Pima and Maricopa ingredients on Gila River land.
OrderThe grilled tribal buffalo tenderloin with cholla buds and scarlet runner bean chile.
BookSeveral weeks ahead
TipOpen Wednesday to Saturday only; the drive to Wild Horse Pass is about 30 minutes south of downtown.
Fry bread in Scottsdale
Featured by TableJourney as a signature dish of Scottsdale. See where to eat Fry bread in Scottsdale or the Scottsdale signature dishes guide.
More cities are in research. Want fry bread covered somewhere specific? Tell us where you want to eat.