The Fry Bread House: A James Beard Award-Winning Tribute to Native American Cuisine in Phoenix
“Crispy on the outside and soft on the inside—a warm pillow of dough.” That’s how they describe the fry bread at The Fry Bread House in Phoenix, Arizona, and after watching Guy Fieri dig into their massive Native American tacos, you’ll understand why this place earned a James Beard Award back in 2012.
The story here is as rich as the food. Cecilia Miller started sharing her family recipes with the masses in 1992, and now her children Jennifer and Richard are carrying the torch after their mother passed away in 2020. As Jennifer told Guy, “She had no idea that her food was going to have the appeal to a wide array of people.” The family made the decision to keep the legacy alive, and Phoenix is better for it.
The Red Chili Beef Ultimate Taco
This isn’t your standard taco—Guy called it “a meal for two” and joked about inviting Paul Bunyan over. The foundation is that signature fry bread, made with flour, salt, baking powder, and shortening mixed for about 10 minutes. They add milk and water, let it rest for 15 minutes, then portion and stretch the dough before floating it in hot oil.
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The red chili beef starts with beef shoulder and neck, seared in vegetable oil with salt, then boiled for 3 to 4 hours until it can be pulled apart. For the sauce, they use mexico/" class="ddd-auto-link">New Mexico chili pods steeped in hot water and blended with some of the steeping liquid. The finish brings together vegetable oil, onions, garlic, beef and chicken bouillon, pepper, and cayenne before adding the pulled beef and red chili sauce.
The taco gets built with smashed pinto beans (soaked overnight, boiled with salt and a little grease), that incredible red chili beef, sour cream, onions, cheese, and lettuce—all folded in half on that pillowy fry bread. Guy’s verdict? “The fry bread itself is fantastic… the chili beef inside of it is really nice, great flavor.” Even some of Guy’s friends who were dining—the Goldsteins, who built his outdoor kitchen at Guy’s Ranch Kitchen—raved about it: “It does have a little bit of a kick at the end.”
The Posole with Chimuth
Guy also dove into the posole, which he called “amazing.” It starts with seared pork loin, then builds with oil, onions, hominy, garlic, oregano, black pepper, water, chicken base, cayenne, red chili sauce, cilantro, and green onions. This is a thicker stew, packed with tender pork and serious spice.
The chimuth—similar to a flour tortilla but distinctly Native American—accompanies the posole. It’s made simply with all-purpose flour, salt, and warm water, rested and portioned, then cooked on what they call a comal. Guy learned the hard way about cooking these: no tongs needed, just bare hands and quick timing. “Wait about 5 seconds and then turn it over,” they told him as he joked about tattooing his arm on the hot surface.
His take on the posole: “Tender pork, nice and light, not shy on flavor at all.”
More Than a Meal
What makes this episode stand out—much like when FRIED Spare Ribs and YAM Fried Chicken showcased soul food traditions—is the cultural significance. As one of Guy’s dining companions put it, “It shows that cultural education that’s occurring through food, and that’s a powerful thing.”
Guy summed it up perfectly: “Getting a chance to share with the world this amazing culture, this heritage—job well done, guys.” Jennifer’s response? “That means so much to me.”
Looking for more Triple D spots to visit? Check out our restaurant directory to find Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives locations near you.