Traditional Navajo Taco Beans Recipes

NAVAJO TACOS

Steps:

• In a medium Dutch oven or stock pot, add the beef and onion, and cook together over medium to medium-high heat until the beef is cooked through and no longer pink, about 8 minutes.
• If there's extra grease, drain it from the pan.
• Add the garlic, and cook until just fragrant, about 30 seconds.
• Add the beans, tomatoes, and green chilis, and stir to combine.
• Add the chili powder, cumin, and smoked paprika, and stir to combine.
• Simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the mixture is heated through.
• I like to get the meat topping going and then make the fry bread. The topping is okay to rest over low temperature, keeping warm until the fry bread is ready.

NAVAJO TACOS (INDIAN FRY BREAD)

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Add the warm water and mix using a fork until a dough forms. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 5 minutes, then transfer to a clean bowl and cover tightly in plastic wrap. Let the dough rest for 10 minutes.
• Divide the dough into 8 equal sections by pinching off golf-ball sized balls of dough, then pat and roll out the dough balls into roughly 6-inch discs on a lightly floured surface. Keep them covered with plastic wrap while you prepare to fry them.
• Heat 3 cups of oil in a large skillet or frying pan over medium heat for about 5 minutes until the oil temperature reaches between 350 and 360 degrees F. Working in batches, fry each disc in the hot oil until the dough is golden brown on one side, then carefully flip with tongs and fry on the other side. Set on a paper towel to drain oil and stick in a warm oven to stay hot while the other fry bread is cooked.
• In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat, then add the onions and cook for 2-3 minutes, just until they begin to soften. Add the meat and brown with the onions.
• When the meat is no longer pink, add all of the spices, kidney beans, tomatoes, and chilies, and decrease the heat to medium-low. Stir everything together, then cover and simmer for 10 minutes, then use to top Indian fry bread for Navajo tacos.
• Add any toppings you like to the base of fry bread and taco mixture, piling it high.

EASY NAVAJO TACOS

Steps:

• Flatten each biscuit. Fry each biscuit in 1/4-in. hot oil over medium heat until golden brown, turning once. Drain biscuits on paper towels, keep warm.
• In a medium skillet, brown ground beef until no longer pink. Add taco seasoning mix, black beans. diced tomatoes, and pinto beans. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to low and allow to simmer.
• Once ready to assemble, lay fried biscuit on a plate and put 1/2 cup of meat mixture on top. Top with your favorite toppings.

NAVAJO BREAD AND NAVAJO TACO

Steps:

• 1. Fry bread is wonderfully lumpy (puffed here and there). It can be served as a dessert or used as a main dish bread. Our family will often take them and stuff them, much like one might use bread or tortilla to dip into their food.
• 2. Sift together the flour, salt, powdered milk, and baking powder into a large bowl. Pour the water over the flour mixture all at once and stir the dough with a fork until it starts to form one big clump.
• 3. Flour your hands. Using your hands, begin to mix the dough, trying to get all the flour into the mixture to form a ball. NOTE: You want to mix this well, but you do NOT want to knead it. Kneading it will make for a heavy Fry Bread when cooked. The inside of the dough ball should still be sticky after it is formed, while the outside will be well floured.
• 4. Cut the dough into four (4) pieces. Using your floured hands, shape, stretch, pat, and form a disk of about 5 to 7 inches in diameter. NOTE: Don't worry about it being round. As Grandma Felipa would say "it doesn't roll into your mouth."
• 5. Heat the vegetable oil to about 350 degrees F. NOTE: You can check by either dropping a small piece of dough in the hot oil and seeing if it begins to fry, or by dipping the end of a wooden spoon in and seeing if that bubbles. Your oil should be about 1-inch deep in a large cast-iron skillet or other large fryer.
• 6. Take the formed dough and gently place it into the oil, being careful not to splatter the hot oil. Press down on the dough as it fries so the top is submersed into the hot oil. Fry until brown, and then flip to fry the other side. Each side will take about 3 to 4 minutes. Indian Fry Bread can be kept warm in a 200 degree F. oven for up to 1 hour. They refrigerate well and can be reheated in a 350 degree F. oven for 10 to 15 minutes before serving.
• 7. NAVAJO TACO FIXINGS: Brown ground beef, add all spices and continue to brown till all is mixed in let simmer for 5 minutes till all is cooked...Heat Pinto beans and spices in separate sauce pan...
• 8. Build your Navajo Taco: #1 fry bread, #2 Meat, #3 Pinto Beans drained, #4 Toppings to include and other topping you want, #5 last of all Cheese if you prefer...Eat warm and Enjoy

MOM'S NAVAJO TACOS AND INDIAN FRY BREAD

Steps:

• Heat olive oil in a 12-inch non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and saute 2 minutes, add garlic and saute 20 seconds. Scoot mixture to the side then crumble beef into skillet.
• Season with salt and pepper and cook stirring occasionally and breaking up beef when stirring, until beef has browned and cooked through. Drain fat from beef and return to skillet.
• Stir in chili powder, cumin, paprika, kidney beans, canned diced tomatoes and green chilis then season mixture with salt and pepper to taste.
• Cover and simmer for 10-15 minutes (if you used the tomato sauce you can add in a few tbsp of water to thin a little if needed).
• Using a slotted spoon, spoon mixture over fry bread, then top with lettuce, cheese, tomatoes and sour cream (and any of the other optional toppings listed). Serve immediately.
• In a mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, yeast and salt. Whisk melted butter into warm milk and pour milk mixture into dry ingredients.
• Stir until mixture comes together and slightly forms a ball, dough should be fairly sticky (if needed you can add in a little more flour or a little more water to reach a good consistency but try not to overwork the dough).
• Cover dough with plastic wrap and allow to rest 5 - 10 minutes.
• Heat 1 inch of oil in a large cast iron skillet to 350 - 360 degrees over stove top.
• Divide rested dough into 8 equal pieces.
• Working with floured hands and one piece of dough at a time (keep other pieces covered with plastic wrap), pat dough out on a lightly floured surface into a 6-inch circle and gently drop into hot oil, and cook until golden brown, then flip and cook opposite side until golden brown.
• Remove from oil and drain onto a plate or baking sheet lined with paper towels.
• Serve warm with Navajo taco filling.*

MOM'S NAVAJO TACOS

Steps:

• Place pinto beans in a bowl and cover with room-temperature water. Let soak, about 8 hours. Drain.
• Transfer drained beans to a large pot; pour in 6 cups water. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally and adding water if the level gets below 1 inch, until beans are tender, about 1 hour.
• Stir thawed chili, cumin, oregano, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and black pepper into the pot. Continue cooking over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until beans are soft, about 1 hour more.
• Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Pour in hot water gradually, 1/2 cup at a time, and knead until dough is soft but not sticky. Let dough rest, covered, about 30 minutes.
• Pinch off a piece of dough the size of a tennis ball; flatten out into a round on a floured surface. Repeat with remaining dough.
• Melt lard in a large saucepan or deep-fryer over high heat. Gently lower dough into hot lard and fry, rotating with a fork, until evenly browned, 15 to 20 seconds. Flip dough and fry until second side is golden brown, 15 to 20 seconds more. Drain fry bread on paper towels. Repeat with remaining dough.
• Place 1 fry bread on a plate. Cover with chili beans and top with Cheddar cheese, tomatoes, onions, and lettuce.

EASY FRY BREAD TACOS

Steps:

• Allow dough to rise according to package directions. Meanwhile, for filling, cook beef and sausage in a skillet over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Stir in taco seasoning, beans and water. Simmer 15-20 minutes or until the water is almost evaporated; set aside. , After dough rises, punch down. Divide dough into 12 equal balls. Using a small amount of flour, roll each ball into an 6-in. circle (dough will be thin). , In an electric skillet or deep fryer, heat 1-in. oil to 350°. Gently place 1 dough circle into oil. Fry until golden brown, 1-2 minutes, turning once. Drain tortillas on paper towels; keep warm. Top each tortilla with meat mixture, tomato, onion, lettuce, cheese and taco sauce.

NAVAJO TACOS

Steps:

• Mix flour, baking powder, and salt together in a large bowl. Pour in water; stir dough until just combined. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest, about 15 minutes.
• Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add ground beef; cook and stir until browned, about 5 minutes. Drain off grease. Stir in pinto beans, diced tomatoes with their juices, and chili seasoning until well-blended. Simmer until chili flavors combine, 10 to 15 minutes.
• Grease your hands lightly with oil and pinch off a piece of dough about the size of a baseball. Press it with your palms into a round about 4 inches in diameter and 1/2-inch thick. Repeat with remaining dough.
• Heat oil to a depth of 2 to 3 inches in a deep fryer or large saucepan. Fry dough rounds in batches until well-browned, puffy, and cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Drain on paper towels.
• Divide fry bread among serving plates while still hot. Spoon chili mixture on top.