Indian Fry Bread: A Popular Tradition

The ingredients are simple, the tradition is priceless. Handed down through generations of Native Americans, Indian Fry Bread has become more than just a staple in Native American diets. It is a tradition taught by mother to daughter to grandaughter and on down the line. Attend any Pow Wow or special Native American event and chances are you will come across Indian Fry Bread.


Indian Fry Bread, nicknamed the "Indian Taco", is made of flour, milk, baking powder,salt, and lard. Although, these ingredients can vary slightly. For example, some recipes substitute buttermilk instead of milk, or butter instead of lard. The ingredients are mixed together and then balls of dough are made from the batch. The dough balls are patted out by hand into flat round plate size patties. They are placed one at a time into hot oil that is heated over an open fire and cooked until golden brown. Then they are topped with a variety of toppings that range from honey or powdered sugar for a sweet-tooth craving, to beans, chili, lettuce and tomato for a heartier meal. Of course, lots of folks prefer to eat them plain. They are melt in your mouth delicious no matter how they are prepared.

Tortilla Country

For those of you planning to visit the southwest, take heed. This is tortilla country. Tortillas are everywhere, so it is in your best interest to know about them. They are round and flat and easily confused with other non-food items. I once had an uncle who very politely unfolded a large tortilla that had been placed on the table in front of him, and he laid it on his lap to use as a napkin. I quietly informed him that a tortilla is to be eaten, not worn, and he whispered a hushed and very embarrassed "thank you." Luckily, no one in the restaurant had noticed.

Tortillas come in a varieties of colors and sizes. They can be very small about the size of the palm of your hand, or very large like a large dinner napkin! Flour tortillas are white, corn are yellow, blue corn are, of course, blue, and wheat tortillas are light brown.

Much like folks back east who rush to the bakery for a fresh baked morning roll, or to the corner bagelry for a hot bagel, people in the southwest venture out in search of freshly made tortillas, even in the heat of summer.




Tortillas are have many uses in Mexican food dishes. Flour tortillas are filled with ingredients that can include beans and cheese. They are rolled with ends tucked in. These are call burritos. Take the same burrito and deep fry it and you will have a bean and cheese chimichanga Corn tortillas are deep fried into tacos, tostadas, or cut first then fried into tortilla chips, traditionally served as an appetizer with salsa.