Cherokee Fry Bread Recipe (2024)

Published: May 23, 2020 Modified: Oct 18, 2023 by Nicole Durham This post may contain affiliate links.

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4.85 from 13 votes

This soft and fluffy Cherokee fry bread is a delicious treat that means a lot to me. They're versatile, filling, and so easy to make!

Recipe: $0.70 | Per Serving: $0.07 | Yields: 10 pieces

What's remarkable about Indian fry bread recipes is their diversity across families and tribes. Some incorporate water, sugar, or fats like shortening or lard. Most rely on estimations rather than precise measurements, often using the palm of the hand as a guide.

This traditional method adds to the challenge of replicating fry bread's unique flavor and texture. Each batch varies based on the cook's interpretation of measurements.

This Native American fried bread recipe offers measured quantities, departing from the traditional hand-measured approach. I hope you like it!

Pair your fry bread with taco meat using my DIY Taco Seasoning and Crockpot Chicken with Enchilada Sauce. Alternatively, serve it with chili and cheese—my Tomato Soup Chili and 5 Ingredient Instant Pot Chili would be perfect accompaniments.

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🍯 Why This Recipe Works
🥘Ingredients
🔪 Instructions for Cherokee Fry Bread
🍴 Recipe Tips
👩🏻‍🍳 Author Note
💭 Fry Bread FAQs
❤️ More Delicious Dinner Recipes
📖 Recipe
💬 Comments

🍯 Why This Recipe Works

Simple ingredient. You only need 4 ingredients to make fry bread at home (plus some oil for frying them in). You most likely have the necessary ingredients in your pantry right now.
They're cheap to make. The reason why fry bread became popular in the first place is because it was cheap and convenient. Given food rations from the US government, Natives had to make do with what they had.
They're easy to make. You can easily grab the kids and have them give you a hand with the mixing and shaping. My kids love to help out. Of course, I do all of the frying (for obvious safety reasons).

🥘Ingredients

Ingredient Notes:

Flour- The gluten structure and base of this fry bread recipe is all purpose flour.

Water- You will need water or milk to moisten the dough. Water is more traditionally used, but milk adds a richer flavor.

Baking powder- To help the fry bread puff and rise as it cooks, you'll want to use baking powder.

Oil- For frying the fry bread, you'll need some vegetable oil, canola oil, or similar. You'll need at least 1 inch of oil in a large pan.

For specific ingredients and measurements, please see the recipe card below.

🔪 Instructions for Cherokee Fry Bread

Step 1: Preheat a large pot of oil over medium heat. The oil should be 1 inch deep (or more).

Step 2: In a mixing bowl, add the flour, baking powder, and salt.

Step 3: Whisk together to combine.

Step 4: Slowly add in your milk or water, just until the dough comes together (you may not need all of the milk).

Step 5: Take a ball of dough and knead it a little between your hands to make it smooth and elastic. It helps to have your hands covered in flour or to use a lightly floured surface depending on how sticky the dough is.

Step 6: Make the dough into a round ball and then press it flat. Make it as big as you can without getting the dough to tear or "become so thin that you can read through it."

🍴 Recipe Tips

Recipe Forgiveness: This fry bread recipe is forgiving; if you add too much liquid, simply incorporate more flour, and vice versa.
Careful Oil Placement: When placing the fry bread in the oil, proceed slowly. Adding it too quickly can trap air bubbles underneath, causing it to take a bowl shape instead of staying flat. While this doesn't affect the taste, parts of the fry bread may remain white instead of turning golden brown.
Oil Absorption: After frying, place the Cherokee Indian fry bread on paper towels to absorb excess oil until the entire batch is finished.
Handling Frybread Dough: Unlike biscuit dough, frybread dough doesn't require delicate handling. It doesn't need to be kneaded like yeast dough but can withstand some rough handling.

👩🏻‍🍳 Author Note

Every year, I eagerly await September's Labor Day weekend, not for sales or camping, but for the big pow-wow! As a Cherokee tribal member, along with my kids, I cherish our Native American heritage.

Labor Day weekend hosts the grandest Pow Wow, with dance competitions, teepees, and food vendors. While I always try to attend for a few hours to savor some delicious frybread, sometimes I can't make it.

Thankfully, I can recreate it at home. This frybread recipe is a comforting treat, perfect for any time of year or when I'm feeling homesick.

💭 Fry Bread FAQs

Should I pop the bubbles in the frybread?

Popping the air bubbles that come up is an optional choice. You do not have to, but you can if you want. Fun fact: Some tribes will purposefully pierce a hole in the center of their fried dough after putting it in the oil because they believe that it will help to let the evil spirits out.

Should I make my frybread cracker thin or thick and fluffy?

Again, this is a personal choice. That said, soft and fluffy has always been a winner in my books. It makes it easier to convert into a sweet treat, Indian tacos, and more.
You will flatten the dough before cooking, and it will puff up while being cooked, so as long as you don't make it paper thin while you're flattening it you will still get some natural puff to your fry bread.

How to use this fry bread recipe

After making your delicious Cherokee fry bread you can use it however you want. Serve it with honey, butter, jam, cinnamon sugar, or even powdered sugar if you're looking for a sweet treat.
You can also top it with seasoned taco meat, lettuce, cheese, and your other favorite taco toppings for an Indian taco (basically an open-faced taco). My school served it with chili and cheese once a week.

❤️ More Delicious Dinner Recipes

Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole
Chicken Divan Casserole
Air Fryer BBQ Chicken Thighs
Honey Mustard Pork Shoulder

If you tried thisCherokee Fry Bread Recipe, please leave a ⭐️star ratingand share your feedback in the 📝comments section below. I would truly appreciate it!

📖 Recipe

Print Recipe

4.85 from 13 votes

Cherokee Fry Bread

This soft and fluffy Cherokee fry bread is a delicious treat that means a lot to me. They're versatile, filling, and so easy to make!

Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 35 minutes mins

Equipment

Ingredients

▢ 3 cups All purpose flour ($0.39)
▢ 1 ½ teaspoon Salt ($0.01)
▢ 2 Tablespoons Baking powder ($0.30)
▢ 2 cups Water or milk (you may not need all of it!) ($0.00)
▢ Oil *for frying in

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

In a large skillet (one with taller sides) heat 2 inches of oil on the stove over medium/high heat.
In a mixing bowl combine your flour, baking powder, and salt. Slowly add in the milk or water, you won't need all of it, just enough to get the dough to combine.
Take a ball of dough about half of the size of your palm and roll it between your hands like you're kneading the dough. Get it smooth and elastic feeling. It helps to have your hands or your work surface lightly floured to avoid sticking.
Roll the dough into a ball the final time and then flatten it out between your hands trying to make it as big as you can without making it so thin that it tears.
Slowly add your dough to a prepared pan, only do one at a time unless there is room for both to be in there without touching. Add the dough in by slowly laying it in the oil closest to you and working your way backwards, like you're tucking in a bed of oil under a banket.
When you can see the bottom edge of the dough turn a golden brown, flip the dough using tongs and wait for the other side to do the same. Remove and place on paper towels to rest.
Finish repeating the steps with the rest of the dough and then serve your fry bread as desired.

Notes

This fry bread recipe is forgiving; if you add too much liquid, you can balance it with more flour or vice versa.

When placing fry bread in the oil, do it slowly to avoid trapping air bubbles underneath, which can cause it to form a bowl shape instead of a flat piece. This doesn't affect the taste but may leave a white area where the dough can't reach the oil.

After frying, place the fry bread on paper towels to absorb excess oil until the batch is finished.

Popping air bubbles is optional; some tribes pierce a hole in the center, believing it helps release evil spirits.

Serve Cherokee fry bread with honey, butter, jam, cinnamon sugar, or powdered sugar for a sweet treat. Alternatively, top it with seasoned taco meat, lettuce, cheese, and other taco toppings for an Indian taco (an open-faced taco).

Nutritional Information

Author Nicole Durham

Course Main Course, Snack

Cuisine Native American

Diet Vegan, Vegetarian

Tried this recipe?Mention @BeeyondCereal on Instagram and hashtag it #BeeyondCereal

Nutrition provided is an estimate. It will vary based on specific ingredients used. To view how this recipe was calculated you can visit my Pricing Disclosure Page for more information.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

Kechi says
January 06, 2021 at 4:34 am

Making this recipe was my first time making fried bread, and we all devoured it! I loved it with homemade orange jam!
Reply
Bintu | Recipes From A Pantry says
January 06, 2021 at 4:30 am

This sounds so delicious - I've never tried it before but you've got me intrigued, I think I might have to now!
Reply
rika says
January 06, 2021 at 1:58 am

I have everything I need to make this fry bread! I love simple recipes like this!
Reply
Beth says
January 05, 2021 at 11:28 pm

I loved reading the backstory and history of this delicious recipe! This is a family favorite around our home!
Reply
Jeannette says
January 05, 2021 at 11:11 pm

What an incredible treat! Love how I can add anything on top, including leftovers from the fridge. Win-win, I say!
Reply
- NicoleDurham says
  January 05, 2021 at 11:21 pm
  
  It really is great with anything <3
  Reply