This Fry Bread Recipe is a flatbread made with simple pantry staples. Just mix the dough, fry it, and enjoy plain or with sweet or savory toppings.
author’s note
I’ve Been Obsessed Since Day 1!
I grew up eating these Utah scones, they’re a total Utah staple. Naturally, I became an expert at making Fry Bread way too young. It’s the best!
Don’t let the short ingredient list fool you—this is hands-down the best Fry Bread I’ve ever had. It fries up with a lightly crisp exterior and a soft, chewy, flavorful inside.
Another great thing? The dough comes together fast. No rising time like you’d need for white bread, honey whole wheat bread, or dinner rolls!
What Is Fry Bread?
Also known as Navajo or Indian Fry Bread, this flatbread is quick to make and fried until golden. It puffs as it cooks, creating irresistible air pockets. Crispy on the outside, soft and chewy inside—it’s melt-in-your-mouth good.
There are so many ways to enjoy it:
- Plain: straight out of the fryer
- Sweet: drizzle with honey, honey butter, jam, syrup, apple butter, or powdered sugar
- Cinnamon sugar: dredge while warm for a dessert-style treat
- Savory: top with shredded beef, pork, chicken, or seasoned ground beef
- Soup dunker: pair with chili or any hearty soup
How To Make This Fry Bread Recipe
- Mix the dough: Stir flour, yeast, salt, and milk together until a shaggy dough forms.
- Rest: Cover and let sit 15–20 minutes. This makes it easier to shape.
- Shape: Gently press pieces of dough flat with your hands. No rolling pin needed!
- Fry: Heat oil in a heavy pot or deep fryer. Fry until golden brown, flipping once.
- Drain & enjoy: Place on a cooling rack over a sheet pan. Eat warm with toppings.
Quick Tip
By using a large, deep pot instead of a shallow skillet, you’ll have much less mess! The oil won’t pop out on you or all over your stove.
Recipe Notes And Tips
- Yeast: This dough has yeast but doesn’t need a full rise.
- Kneading: Less is more. Don’t overwork the dough.
- Shape: Irregular is good. It makes lots of little nooks for toppings.
- Oil mess saver: Use a deep pot instead of a shallow skillet to avoid splatter.
Storage
- Best fresh: Fry bread is always best straight out of the fryer.
- Make-ahead dough: Cover and refrigerate up to 8 hours. Bring to room temp before frying.
- Store: Wrap loosely in plastic wrap for 1–2 days. Reheat in the oven for a few minutes to crisp back up.
More Fried Foods To Love:
Fry Bread
Fry Bread is a flatbread made with simple and accessible everyday ingredients. The dough is deep fried in oil and can be enjoyed plain or with various toppings—sweet or savory.
Video
Equipment
- Deep fryer or a large/deep cast-iron pot with thermometer, see note 1
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
- 2-1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder not baking soda!
- 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon instant yeast or active dry yeast
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup milk I use whole
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil plus more for frying
Instructions
- Melt butter in the microwave. Let the butter cool back to room temperature (it’s important it’s not hot!). Microwave the milk until just warmed (see note 2) but not hot. Mix together melted butter and milk and set aside. In a large bowl, add the flour, sugar, baking powder, yeast, and salt. Whisk to combine. Add the milk mixture to the dry ingredients and stir with a wooden spoon until the dough comes together.
- Dough should be rough, shaggy, and fairly sticky, but not so sticky you can’t work with it. Lightly flour your hands and knead the dough just a few times to shape it into a ball, being careful not to overwork/overhandle the dough. In the same bowl used for mixing, drizzle a tablespoon of vegetable oil. Rub oil on the bottom of the bowl and slightly up the sides. Add the dough ball back into the bowl and turn it to coat in the oil. Cover the bowl with a damp kitchen towel. Let it rest for 15–20 minutes. We don’t need the dough to rise, just the gluten to relax!
- Add 1 inch of oil to a large, cast-iron pot and heat to 350°F. Divide the rested dough into 8 equal portions (cut the dough ball in half then half again to get 4 large triangle pieces. Cut each triangle into 2 pieces to get 8 equal triangles). Lightly flour your hands and work with 1 dough piece at a time (keep the rest covered). Holding the piece of dough with your hands, gently work the dough into a circle, pressing it out with your fingers. (Don’t roll it out with a rolling pin or flatten on the table.) The dough should make a thin 5- to 6-inch circle and doesn’t need to look pretty—it’s supposed to look rustic! The thinner the pieces, the better; keep working the dough outward, being careful to not rip it.
- Gently drop only one piece of dough at a time into the fully heated oil. Fry about 30 seconds to 1 minute per side (if not using cast-iron pot, it will be longer)—fry pieces to a dark golden brown color, flipping the dough with 2 forks (or tongs) halfway through. Use a large slotted spoon (or tongs) to remove it onto a paper-towel-lined plate. Repeat to fry the remaining dough.
Final step! Please let us know how it was by leaving a review.
Recipe Notes
Note 1: Frying equipment options:
-
- Use a deep fryer.
- If you don’t have a deep fryer, you’ll want a heavy-bottomed deep pot (I recommend a large (5 quart) cast-iron pot) and thermometer to gauge the temperature of the oil and ensure it maintains the right heat throughout frying. You want to ensure the temperature stays consistent, which will affect how the bread fries. If you don’t have a thermometer, try this trick: Stand a wooden spoon handle in the hot oil. When bubbles gather around the stick, the oil is ready to fry.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 200kcal | Carbohydrates: 33.7g | Protein: 5.2g | Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 8.2mg | Sodium: 16.4mg | Fiber: 1.2g | Sugar: 2.7g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
To fry this fry bread recipe, use one of these two methods:
- Deep Fryer: Easiest option. The lid controls splatter, and the set temperature keeps oil consistent.
- Heavy Pot: No fryer? Use a deep, heavy pot (like a 5-quart cast iron) with a thermometer to keep oil at the right temp.
We have tried out a few different fry bread recipes and this is hands down our family’s favorite one. I do like to divide the dough into 10-12 pieces instead of 8. We like to eat them as a treat and it slows my kids down on how fast they eat them. If I were making them for Navajo Tacos dividing into 8 would be perfect.
I am so thrilled to hear this! Thanks so much Lacy! 🙂
Would this recipe work with an air fryer? If so, any tips or suggestions?
Sorry I don’t know! I haven’t tested in an air fryer!
Cant wait to make this soon can i use vegan butter and almond milk i never had fry bread before cant wait to try this in my air fryer perfect for my office snacks
Delicious! You’ll have to let me know what you think! 🙂