Indian Fry Bread Recipes

I grew up in Northern Minnesota and Indian fry bread was a staple in our house. Fry bread is still one of our favorite traditional Ojibwe recipes. You may be able to enjoy fry bread at some Native American festivals and ethnic restaurants. You can also make your own fry bread.

Mom's Indian Fry Bread

Here is the Indian Fry Bread recipe that my mother made when I was young---and still makes when we request it.

Ingredients:

• 2 c. sifted flour
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 4 tsp. baking powder
• 1 egg
• 1/2 c. warm water or milk

Directions:

1. Sift first three ingredients together and stir in beaten egg. Add water or milk to make soft dough. 
2. Round up on lightly floured cloth or bread board. Knead lightly. Roll or pat out 1/2 inch thick. 
3. Cut into strips about 2 x 3 inches and cut slit in center of each strip.
4. Drop into deep, simmering, fat. Brown on both sides. Serve hot.

Frybread: Past, Present & Future

When I was young, we lived in Cass Lake. Fry bread, wild rice, wild game and fish, wild berries, maple syrup, and other native foods were often on our menu.

We moved quite frequently as my pastor father accepted assignments to various churches around Minnesota. The native foods I learned to love early in life remain an important part of our family food traditions. 

I still love to make these traditional foods. This is one of my ways of remembering this part of my history and honoring the culture and traditions of the Ojibwe people in Minnesota.

Native American Recipes

Traditional Indian Fry Bread

This traditional fry bread recipe does not use egg or milk.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 3 cups of flour
• 1 cup warm water

Directions:

1. Combine all of the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Add warm water in small amounts and knead until soft but not sticky. Adjust the flour or water as needed.
2. Cover and let stand 15 to 20 minutes.
3. Pull off large egg-sized balls of dough and flatten out into fairly thin rounds. 
4. Fry rounds in hot oil until bubbles appear on the dough, turn over and fry on the other side until golden brown.

Authentic Ha-pah-shu-tse Fry Bread Mix

One More Indian Fry Bread Recipe

Ingredients:

• 4 cups of flour 
• 1 tbs. baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 tbs. powdered milk
• 1 ½ cups warm water
• 1 cup shortening

Directions:

1. Put flour in bowl, add baking powder, salt and powdered milk. Stir together.
2. Mix in warm water to form dough.
3. Cover hands in flour. Knead dough by hand until soft but not sticky. Cover with a cloth and let stand for 15 minutes.
4. Shape dough into balls about 2 inches across then flatten by patting and stretching the dough.
5. Melt shortening about an inch deep in frying pan. When hot put dough rounds in pan. Fry one side till golden brown, then turn and fry the other.

*Top with any combination of honey, berries, powdered sugar, cinnamon, etc. to make a fry bread dessert.

*Top your fry bread with traditional taco fixings like ground beef, lettuce, tomatoes, cheese etc. to serve this as an "Indian Taco".

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