The recipe prices will vary based on fluctuating grocery costs. Please use what is posted as a guide.
Enjoy easy fry bread tacos with crispy, fluffy fry bread topped with taco meat and your favorite toppings.
What You’ll Love About These Fry Bread Tacos:
- Customizable: This is a great recipe because it provides a base for the taco meat but allows for customization with your favorite toppings. There will be something for everyone! You can even serve these with honey and powdered sugar or Nutella and bananas for a sweet treat.
- Quick Recipe: This recipe has a quick rising time, making it a quick and easy recipe for any night of the week.
- Homemade Fry Bread: This recipe makes the fry bread from scratch, allowing for a fresh and delicious base for the tacos that is irresistible. The seasoned ground beef with chili beans makes the best taco filling and will quickly become one of your family favorites.
Ingredients & Estimated Cost:
- 1 cup warm water – $0.00
- 1 Tablespoon active yeast – $0.73
- 1/4 cup olive oil – $0.48
- 1 Tablespoon sugar – $0.02
- 3 cups all-purpose flour – $0.30
- 1 ½ cups vegetable oil – $0.84
- 1 ½ pounds lean ground beef – $7.25
- 3 Tablespoons taco seasoning – $0.30
- 1 teaspoon onion powder – $0.03
- 15.5 oz can chili beans – $2.29
Depending upon which toppings you choose and their quantities, the toppings will run you an additional $1-$3.
The recipe cost is calculated by the amounts needed for the recipe. To find out more about how we price our recipes, check out Budget Recipes Explained. The pricing for this recipe was updated in April 2024.
How To Make Fry Bread Tacos:
***For complete recipe instructions, see the recipe card below.
- Brown the ground beef in a large frying pan over medium-high heat, breaking it into pieces with a wooden spoon.
- Add in the taco seasoning, onion powder, and chili beans.
- Cook until thickened. Lower the heat and let it simmer while you prepare the fry bread, stirring occasionally.
- Combine water, yeast, olive oil, and sugar in a large bowl. Let the mixture sit for at least 5 minutes.
- Gradually add flour to the wet ingredients until the dough no longer sticks to the bottom of the bowl. Cover and let the dough rise for at least 10 minutes.
- Divide dough into 12 equal pieces.
- Use a rolling pin to roll out each piece into a 4-inch circle.
- Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet to 350 degrees F. Fry the dough circles one at a time in the hot oil for 20-30 seconds per side or until golden brown. Remove the fry bread from the oil and drain on paper towels.
- Enjoy your fry bread plain, or top it with your favorite taco toppings such as sour cream, cheddar cheese, guacamole, salsa, tomatoes, and green onions!
Recipe Variations and Substitutions:
Frybread is a versatile dish that can be enjoyed for both dinner and dessert! Here’s how to turn it into a sweet treat:
- Sweet Toppings: Skip the savory toppings and pile on your favorite dessert toppings. Nutella, peanut butter, honey, and powdered sugar are all classic choices.
- Fruity Fun: Add fresh fruit like sliced bananas or strawberries for a refreshing twist.
- Warm and Spicy: Sprinkle some cinnamon sugar on your frybread for a warm and comforting dessert.
- Time-Saving Tip: Instead of making the fry bread dough from scratch, you can use defrosted Rhodes Rolls or Pillsbury Grands Biscuits. Just roll them into 4-inch circles and fry as per the directions below.
Serving and Storage Tips
SERVE: For food safety, it’s important to refrigerate the leftover taco meat mixture within 2 hours of cooking.
STORE: Give your fry bread a crispy second life! Pop it into a toaster set on LOW heat. Keep an eye on it and heat until warmed through and crisp again.
- Beef Mixture: Leftover taco meat mixture can be stored safely in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Fry Bread: For best results, store leftover fry bread in an airtight container or Ziploc bag for up to 2 days.
FREEZE: Follow our tips below for long-term storage:
- Beef Mixture: For future taco nights, freeze leftover taco meat mixture in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
- Fry Bread (Optional): While freezing fried bread is possible, the texture will not be quite the same as fresh bread. If you choose to freeze, store leftover fry bread in Ziploc bags for up to 2 months. To reheat, try crisping it up in a toaster oven or skillet over low heat.
Get Kids Involved:
Ages 2-3: Let your little one be your sous chef and help you pour the ingredients into the bowl.
Ages 4-5: Let them help you measure out the dry ingredients like flour and sugar. Use measuring cups and spoons that are easy for them to handle.
Ages 6-8: Let them use a spoon to stir the ingredients together in the bowl. This is a great way to develop their hand-eye coordination and get them invested in the recipe.
Ages 9-11: For this recipe, it’s important to watch your little chefs closely throughout the process. Frying involves hot oil, so here’s a chance to teach them some important safety tips:
- Never leave hot oil unattended.
- Always use a spoon or tongs to handle food in hot oil.
- Stand back from the pan to avoid splatters.
Before you get started, why not have your junior chefs read through the recipe twice? This will help them understand the steps involved and get them excited about what they’re going to create!
Ages 12+: Make this a team effort due to the hot oil. Your child can prepare the recipe while you closely supervise the hot oil and frying the fry bread.
Budget Tips
The leftover beef mixture can be used to make another meal. To make Chili Mac, add ½ – 1 cup of leftover beef mixture to our Instant Pot Mac and Cheese recipe when it comes out of the Instant Pot.
More From Easy Budget Recipes
Fry Bread Tacos
Equipment
- large frying pan
- mixing bowl
- large deep skillet
Ingredients
FOR THE FRYBREAD:
- 1 cup warm water
- 1 Tablespoon active yeast
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 Tablespoon sugar
- 2 ½ – 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ cups vegetable oil for frying
FOR THE BEEF MIXTURE
- 1 ½ pounds lean ground beef
- 3 Tablespoons taco seasoning
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 15.5 oz can chili beans undrained
TOPPING (pick and choose):
- Shredded Mexican cheese
- Shredded lettuce
- Chopped tomatoes
- Chopped avocados
- Chopped red onion
- Sliced olives
Instructions
FOR THE BEEF MIXTURE:
- Add the ground beef to a large frying pan and cook over medium-high heat. Use the back of a wooden spoon to break apart the meat into pieces, and cook until the beef is browned.
- Stir in the taco seasoning, onion powder, and chili beans to beef and cook until mixture is slightly thickened.
- Reduce the heat to low and let it sit on the stovetop while you prepare the fry bread. Stir the beef occasionally.
FOR THE FRYBREAD:
- In a large bowl mix together water, yeast, olive oil, and sugar. Let the mixture sit for 5 minutes. Gradually add the flour by the ½ cup-fill until the dough is no longer sticks to the bottom of the bowl. Cover and let the dough rise for 10 minutes.
- While the dough rises, add vegetable oil to a large deep skillet. Heat the oil over medium heat until it reaches 350 degrees F.
- Divide the dough into 12 pieces. Roll out each piece into a 4-inch circle.
- Place rolled dough, one piece at a time, into the hot oil. Cook for 20-30 seconds per side, or until golden brown. Remove the bread from the oil and place it on stacked pieces of paper towel. Repeat with the remaining pieces of dough.
TO FINISH:
- Place meat mixture on top of frybread. Sprinkle with your desired toppings and enjoy!
Dawn M says
Looking forward to making this. I love the Pro tip.
Jess Jankowski says
We hope you love it as much as we do!
Nellie Tracy says
The whole fam loves this one so it is a definite win!
Jess Jankowski says
Makes life that much easier when the whole family loves it!
Amanda says
I never tried tacos with fry bread before. I think this is such a delicious way to eat tacos!
Jess Jankowski says
Oh my goodness…you are in for a treat! It is so good!
Debra says
Yes, please. I’ve never heard of navajo tacos….which is odd since we adore tacos and make different varieties a couple times a week. I’m so excited to try these. Homemade shells? I’m in!! These sound so easy to make too. Thank you for the education and the recipe.
Jess Jankowski says
Oh my goodness! You are in for a real treat! Please let us know how you like them! I’m really so excited for you to try them, they are just so easy!
Veena Azmanov says
Unique and delicious and a must try option too.
Jess Jankowski says
Thank you! Enjoy!
Claudia Lamascolo says
Wow this is really different my husband will love them, Mexican style foods are his favorite and this looks amazing!
Jess Jankowski says
It is a fun twist on something we all already love! Can’t wait to hear how your husband likes it!
Amy says
These look so delicious, I can’t wait to try them!
Jess Jankowski says
They really are easy and something a little different!
kim says
This was such a great recipe idea! It was tasty, easy and everyone gobbled it up!
Jess Jankowski says
Amazing! Love it when the whole family loves a new recipe!
Wendy says
Easiest recipe ever and so delicious!!! Even my college daughter on a limited budget did this and loved it!
Jess Jankowski says
Boom! College kids making homemade recipes on the cheap! Ah-mazing!
KF says
I took a shortcut and lightly toasted some Naan Bread. Tasted delicious!
Jess Jankowski says
Great idea!