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Delicious homemade Air Fryer Indian Fry Bread cooked to perfection in an air fryer! Also known as "Navajo tacos" and "Indian fry bread," this Southwestern favorite can be served savory with traditional taco toppings or served sweet with honey and powdered sugar.
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Check out my other air fryer dinner recipes like Air Fryer Crispy Chicken Caesar Wraps and Air Fryer Breaded Sea Scallops.
Growing up in Arizona, there was plenty of Indian fry bread to go around. It's a menu staple among restaurants and food trucks throughout the Southwest and for good reason! It's delicious.
This air fryer fry bread is perfectly crisped on the outside and soft and chewy on the inside. Fortunately, this recipe for fry bread is so quick and easy you can make it at home in a matter of minutes.
This simple bread tastes amazing with both savory and sweet toppings. Top with your favorite taco fixings for a satisfying entree or drizzle with honey and a sprinkle of powdered sugar for an addicting dessert.
Indian fry bread recipes date back many generations. The recipe originated in the Navajo Nation and is still a beloved food enjoyed throughout the American Southwest generations later. Traditional Native American fry bread recipes call for just a few basic ingredients to make the perfect vessel for taco toppings, sweet treats and so much more.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- This recipe is inspired by authentic Native American fry bread recipes.
- Great way to try a regional food you can't get as easily anywhere else.
- Cooking fry bread in an air fryer cuts back on oils and mess.
- Fry bread is delicious topped with savory AND sweet toppings. The options are endless.
- Fried dough is always a kid-friendly food and adults love it too.
Ingredients You’ll Need
For Fry Bread:
- All-Purpose Flour: The main ingredient and the structure of this basic dough recipe.
- Baking Powder: A leavening agent that makes bread rise.
- Salt: Helps the dough rise evenly creating a cohesive, pita-like bread.
- Warm Water: Adds moisture to the dry dough ingredients so they form into a firm dough.
- Vegetable Oil: Since we are air frying rather than deep-frying, vegetable oil coats the dough to achieve a lightly crisped and golden crust on the surface of each piece of fry bread.
For Savory Toppings:
- Taco Meat: Use your favorite taco-seasoned ground meat. This is a great way to re-purpose leftovers from Taco night!
- Shredded Cheese: like mild cheddar or a Mexican blend.
- Chopped Lettuce, Diced Onion, Diced Tomato: Use these classic taco toppings or a variety of your favorites.
For Sweet Toppings:
- Honey
- Powdered Sugar
- Maple Syrup
- Agave
- Cinnamon
Step-By-Step Instructions
Step 1:
In a mixing bowl, combine all the dry ingredients.
Step 2:
Using a bread hook, mix in the water and oil. Knead on medium-slow for 5-10 minutes until the dough forms a ball and no longer sticks to the bowl.
Step 3:
Place dough ball in an oiled bowl, cover with a damp cloth and let dough rest for 2 hours.
Step 4:
Cut the dough and form in golf ball size balls.
Step 5:
Using your hands, compress the dough balls to form a small flat bread ¼” thick.
Step 6:
Place in air fryer basket and spray with oil. Cook on 330 degrees F for 7 minutes, flip and cook for 3 more minutes.
Step 7:
Top with taco meat, lettuce, cheese, onion and tomatoes.
NOTE: You can print the FULL recipe with all ingredients & detailed instructions below!
Expert Tips
- Avoid over-kneading the dough. Stir the dough ingredients until a firm ball of dough forms and then stop.
- Do not overcrowd your air fryer basket or overlap the balls of dough. For the dough to cook evenly, it needs to have room to rise. Depending on the size of your air fryer basket, you may need to work in batches.
- The high heat in the air fryer can cause the dough to curl up. To keep Indian fry bread flat, cut ⅛th of an inch slit down the middle of each piece of dough before cooking.
- Fry bread is best served fresh from the fryer (or in this case air fryer) but you can plop room temperature fry bread in the microwave for 15 seconds or so to warm it back up.
How To Serve Fry Bread
Once fry bread is fresh out of the air fryer, you can go with savory toppings or sweet. Not in the mood for tacos? No worries. Try these savory options:
Indian fry bread is just as yummy topped with fajita chicken and vegetables.
Form dough into the size of "slider buns" to make bbq chicken sliders.
Indian fry bread is also the perfect dipping vessel for taco dip cups.
In addition to honey and powdered sugar, dessert-style fry bread is delicious drizzled with chocolate sauce, maple syrup, strawberry syrup, etc.
Storing & Freezing
Room Temperature - Wrap homemade fry bread loosely in plastic wrap and keep it on the countertop for 1 to 2 days.
Refrigerator - Once the bread has cooled, store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Freezer - Individually wrap each piece of fry bread tightly in plastic wrap and store them all in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 months.
Recipe FAQ's
You can, but keep in mind that fried doughs are best served fresh.
This was most likely caused by over-kneading the dough. Be sure to stop working the dough as soon as the ingredients are mixed well.
Yes and no. While the ingredients for traditional Bannock recipes and fry bread are very similar, Bannock is usually baked (similar to a scone), and fry bread is fried. Also, Bannock traces back to European fur traders, and fry bread originated in the Navajo Nation.
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More Easy Air Fryer Recipes
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Air Fryer Indian Fry Bread Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ¾ cup warm water
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 pound prepared taco meat
- 1 cup shredded cheese
- 1 ½ cups chopped lettuce
- ½ cup tomatoes diced
- ½ cup onion diced
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl, combine all the dry ingredients.
- Using a bread hook, mix in the water and oil. Knead on medium-slow for 5-10 minutes until the dough forms a ball and no longer sticks to the bowl.
- Place dough ball in an oiled bowl, cover with a damp cloth and let dough rest for 2 hours.
- Cut the dough and form in golf ball size balls.
- Using your hands, compress the dough balls to form a small flat bread ¼” thick.
- Place in air fryer basket and spray with oil. Cook on 330°F for 7 minutes, flip and cook for 3 more minutes.
- Top with taco meat, lettuce, cheese, onion and tomatoes.
Notes
- Different air fryer brands may cook at different rates, so be sure to keep on eye on food.
- Avoid over-kneading the dough. Stir the dough ingredients until a firm ball of dough forms and then stop.
- Do not overcrowd your air fryer basket or overlap the balls of dough. For the dough to cook evenly, it needs to have room to rise. Depending on the size of your air fryer basket, you may need to work in batches.
- The high heat in the air fryer can cause the dough to curl up. To keep Indian fry bread flat, cut ⅛th of an inch slit down the middle of each piece of dough before cooking.
- Fry bread is best served fresh from the fryer (or in this case air fryer) but you can plop room temperature fry bread in the microwave for 15 seconds or so to warm it back up.
- Room Temperature: Wrap homemade fry bread loosely in plastic wrap and keep it on the countertop for 1 to 2 days.
- Refrigerator: Once the bread has cooled, store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Freezer: Individually wrap each piece of fry bread tightly in plastic wrap and store them all in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 months.
Nutrition
All nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary with brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes and more.
Nathan
Love how easy this bread is to make! Pretty cool how versatile it is too, you could have a whole dinner and dessert just based on fry bread!
Natalie
This sounds so easy and looks delicious. I will definitely make this. I fell in love with Indian cuisine only recently. Adding this recipe to my list to try. Thanks!
Gail Montero
This bread looks amazing! Definitely adding this to my must-make list! YUM!
Marie Charlotte
Love how I can top these with all my dinner leftovers! I have some butter chicken and raita in the fridge right now - that would be delish!!!
Megan Lehr
I love indian fry bread! Been looking for a great easy recipe and this hit the spot!
Mazie Pope
Hi I'm curious I don't have a mixing bowl with a hook.
Will it come out the same if made by hand?
I love using my airfyer every chance I get so thank you very much for this recipe.
Erika
Hi Mazie, you should definitely be able to knead the dough by hand.