Navajo Tacos

Navajo Tacos

Ingredients

· 1 Tbsp olive oil

· 3/4 cup yellow onion, diced

· 2 cloves garlic finely minced

· 1 lb lean ground beef

· 2 tsp chili powder

· 1 tsp ground cumin

· 1/2 tsp paprika

· 1 (15 oz) can dark red kidney beans, drained and rinsed

· 1 (14.5 oz) can petite diced tomatoes, drained (or sometimes I used an 8 oz can of tomato sauce instead)

· 1 (4 oz) can diced green chilis

· Salt and pepper, to taste

For serving

· Romaine or Iceberg lettuce, chopped

· Shredded cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese

· Roma tomatoes, diced

· Sour cream

· Sliced black olives and chopped cilantro (optional)

Navajo Fry Bread

· 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

· 2 tsp baking powder

· 1/2 tsp rapid rise or active dry yeast

· 1/2 tsp salt

· 1 cup warm milk (110 degrees)

· 1 Tbsp butter or shortening, melted

· Vegetable oil, for frying

Recipe

Navajo Taco Filling

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.

Navajo Fry Bread

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.*