Fry Bread Tacos
- Level: Intermediate
- Yield: 8 to 10 servings
- Total: 12 hr (includes resting and soaking time)
- Active: 1 hr 30 min
Ingredients
4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups hot water
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 cups peanut or vegetable oil, for frying
The Diner’s Beans, recipe follows
The Diner’s Chili, recipe follows
2 cups finely shredded Cheddar Jack cheese
1 head iceberg lettuce
1 medium tomato, diced
Sour cream
The Diner’s Beans:
1 pound dry pinto beans, soaked overnight in enough water to cover
1/2 yellow onion, chopped
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried cilantro
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 bay leaf
Salt
The Diner’s Chili:
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 pounds 80/20 ground sirloin
1/2 yellow onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
One 8-ounce can chopped tomatoes
Salt and pepper
1 tablespoon dark chili powder
1 tablespoon light chili powder
1 tablespoon paprika
1 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Directions
- To make the fry bread dough, stir together the flour, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Mix in the hot water a little at time, kneading until a sticky dough forms. It will be tacky and lumpy, but should not contain any dry clumps of flour. Drizzle the 3 tablespoons vegetable oil over the dough and then tilt and rotate the bowl a bit to make sure that all of the visible surface of the dough has been coated. Cover the bowl with a clean dish towel and let rest at room temperature for about 2 hours. (The dough will not rise or expand while resting.)
- To fry the dough, heat the peanut oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until a deep-fry thermometer registers 350 degrees F, or until a pinch of flour tossed into the oil gives off an audible sizzle. Pull off a handful-size chunk of dough and shape it into a thin disk without overhandling the dough. Fry until golden brown on both sides, about 3 minutes per side. (Trust your eyes and nose to tell you when the bread is ready.) Drain on paper towels. Repeat with the remaining dough, bringing the oil back up to 350 degrees F between batches. (You should end up with 8 to 10 medium-sized pieces of fry bread. If your pan is 12 inches or larger, you can experiment with cooking two pieces at a time.)
- To serve, top each piece of fry bread with 1/4 to 1/2 cup of the Beans and 1/4 cup of the Chili. Top with some cheese, lettuce, tomato, and sour cream.
The Diner’s Beans:
- Rinse the soaked beans, place in a medium pot with 10 cups water and turn the heat to medium-low. Add the onions, oregano, cilantro, pepper flakes, garlic, bay leaf and 1 teaspoon salt and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the beans are tender, about 2 1/2 hours.
The Diner’s Chili:
- Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the beef, onions and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until the beef is browned, about 7 minutes. Skim off any fat and then stir in the tomatoes, 1 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. Add the dark chili powder, light chili powder, paprika, cumin and pepper flakes and simmer on low, stirring occasionally, for 2 1/2 hours.