Indian Tacos

My step-dad has been my step-dad since I was in the about the third grade. He’s Native American. We grew up attending the occasional pow wow, and my mom would make the occasional Indian Taco. I hadn’t had an Indian Taco in years, and out of nowhere got inspired to make them. We actually usually have all of the ingredients needed to make them on hand, and I was on vacation. So I had the time and felt justified in taking in the extra calories. Also, the state fair is too far away to wait to buy one. Which makes me wonder, are these a regional thing? I’m in Oklahoma. Do people in other parts of the country eat these or have vendors that sell them at special outdoor fairs and festivals?

Anyway, just in case you haven’t heard of an Indian Taco, it’s meat and beans and taco toppings on top of fry bread. Delicious, golden fry bread. . .

Indian Tacos

For the Fry Bread:

4 cups of all purpose flour

1 tsp salt

2 cups warm water

Vegetable oil for frying

Combine all ingredients except the oil in a large mixing bowl. Knead until the dough is mixed evenly and soft. Shape dough into balls. (Most pieces of fry bread for Indian Tacos is bigger than what I made. I made 1 1/2 inch dough balls. You can make up to 3 inch dough balls though.) Flatten the balls into patties making a small hole in the middle of each.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Fry one patty at a time, turning to cook until each side is golden brown.

For the chili mixture

1 lb ground beef

2 cups cooked pinto beans

1/2 onion chopped

2 roma tomatoes

1 small can of green chilies

1 package taco seasoning mix

In a medium pan over medium heat add the beef and onions. Cook until beef is browned through stirring occasionally.

In a food processor combine the tomatoes, green chilies, and taco seasoning.

Add the tomato mixture and beans to the browned beef and bring to a boil. Simmer on low for 10-15 minutes stirring occasionally.

Build the Taco

Top the fry bread with the chili and then any other toppings you want. We used lettuce, tomatoes, shredded cheese, salsa, and sour cream.

Enjoy!