Puffy, golden-fried dough served savoury, piled with beans, beef, lettuce and cheese as an Indian taco, or sweet, dusted with powdered sugar and honey.

Fry bread carries a complicated history, born of the rations of flour, sugar and lard issued to Native communities during forced relocation, and turned into a resilient staple. In Phoenix the Tohono O'odham-rooted Fry Bread House made it a citywide dish and won a James Beard America's Classics award in 2012. Eaten savoury as an Indian taco or sweet with sugar, it is a Native American signature of the Valley.

Where to eat Fry bread in Phoenix

2 editor picks for Fry bread in Phoenix, ranked by editorial score. All Phoenix signature dishes · Fry bread across every city.

  • Kai

    Order The grilled tribal buffalo tenderloin with smoked corn puree, cholla buds and scarlet runner bean chile.

    Kai at the Sheraton Grand at Wild Horse Pass is Arizona's only AAA Five Diamond restaurant, cooking Pima and Maricopa ingredients from the Gila River land.

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  • The Fry Bread House

    Order A savoury red-chile fry bread, then a sweet one dusted with sugar.

    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.

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Make it at home

Serves 645 minIntermediate

Ingredients

  • 300g flour
  • 1 tbsp baking powder
  • Half tsp salt
  • 180ml warm water or milk
  • Neutral oil for frying
  • Toppings: beans, seasoned beef, lettuce, cheese, or sugar and honey

Method

  1. Mix flour, baking powder and salt, then add the warm liquid and bring together into a soft dough.
  2. Rest the dough covered for 20 to 30 minutes.
  3. Divide into 6 balls and pat or stretch each into a flat disc about 15cm across, with a hole in the centre.
  4. Heat 3cm of oil to 180C (350F).
  5. Fry each disc until puffed and golden, about 1 to 2 minutes per side.
  6. Drain, then top savoury with beans, beef, lettuce and cheese, or sweet with powdered sugar and honey.

Editor tip. Do not overwork the dough; gentle handling keeps the fry bread light and puffy rather than tough.

Common allergens: Gluten.