Buttery Garlic Naan Breads are so soft and perfect for mopping up curries, you’ll find it hard to stop at one!
This Garlic Naan Bread recipe is better than the ones you’ll find at the BEST Indian restaurants! These pillowy soft naan breads are so addictive, you will love how quick and easy this recipe is to make! Your new favorite yeast bread recipe!
GARLIC NAAN BREAD RECIPE
Crave It All here sharing our recipe for garlic naan bread; a favorite spin on a traditional flat bread from India. Normally baked inside hot Tandoor ovens with charcoal or wood fire, our naan bread recipe has been altered to cook them right on the stove in a hot cast-iron skillet.
We use a combination of yogurt and oil to give them an addictive soft and fluffy texture, and add minced garlic right into the dough to give us a perfect garlicky flavor.
You’ll be amazed watching them puff up into glorious breads right in front of you in seconds!
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN NAAN BREAD AND PITA BREAD
Both flatbreads are made with a yeast raised dough, however Pita bread has a harder texture when compared to Naan. While pita bread only contains flour, water, yeast, salt and some olive oil; naan is made with a fattier, more enriched dough including ghee (clarified butter), oil, yogurt and sometimes eggs. This gives naan its different texture.
TIPS ON HOW TO MAKE GARLIC NAAN BREAD
We start off with a basic naan dough, like this one for our super soft naan breads.
- First, you’re going to activate your yeast.
- Mix all of those ingredients together until the dough comes together with your hands.
- Knead until smooth, then transfer to a lightly greased bowl. You can use the same bowl you mixed the dough in to save dishes.
- Cover with plastic wrap and let double in size.
- Divide dough into 10 balls and roll each piece into large ovals about 6-inches long and 1/8-inch thick. The thinner you roll them, the more air pockets form inside them while cooking.
- Get a lightly greased skillet nice and HOT. The high heat makes the dough rise fast and fills the breads with air.
- Cook garlic naan bread until bubbles form, then flip and cook until large golden spots appear on the underside. Flatten the breads with a spatula while cooking to ensure they cook through.
- Wrap cooked garlic naan bread in a clean kitchen towel and keep them wrapped while cooking remaining breads.
- Optional: brush your warm cooked naan with a little melted garlic butter; top with coarse salt and fresh chopped cilantro.
Serve with Tikka Masala or Butter Chicken, or use them to make wraps. Substitute garlic naan breads for tortillas for quesadillas, or for simple naan pizzas!
HOW TO STOREÂ GARLIC NAAN BREAD
If you plan on storing your naan breads, do not brush them with the garlic butter. When cooked, let cool completely to room temperature to prevent condensation. Transfer to ziplock bags and store at room temperature for up to 2 days, or refrigerate for up to 4 days.
When ready to eat, heat them up on a pan over low-medium heat, or in the microwave for 10 seconds. Brush with garlic butter and enjoy!
FREEZE NAAN
Follow the same steps above (store plain — no garlic butter) and store in the freezer for up to 2 months. Frozen naan bread thaws quickly at room temperature. Reheat in the microwave or on a skillet over low-medium heat, then brush with garlic butter.
MORE BREAD RECIPES
Easy Flatbread Recipe (No Yeast)
Artisan Bread Recipe
Easy Buttermilk Cornbread
Garlic Naan Bread
Ingredients
NAAN BREADS
- 1/4 cup warm water
- 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast or instant (rapid rise)
- 3/4 cup warm milk
- 3/4 cup plain Greek yogurt or natural plain yogurt
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil plus 2 tablespoons extra for cooking
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 4 cups plain flour plus extra for dusting -- 19 1/2 oz. or 560g
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
GARLIC BUTTER TOPPING
- 3 tablespoons butter, melted
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon fresh chopped cilantro or parsley
Instructions
FOR NAAN BREAD
- Combine together the water, sugar and yeast. Let sit for 5-10 minutes or until the mixture begins to bubble on top
- Add in the milk, yogurt, oil, minced garlic, flour baking powder and salt. Mix until the dough comes together with your hands.
- Turn dough out onto lightly floured surface. Use floured hands to knead the dough until smooth, about 3 to 5 minutes.
- Lightly grease the same mixing bowl with a small spray of cooking oil. Transfer dough to the bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let rest at room temperature for about an hour until doubled in size.
- When ready to cook, divide the dough into 10 equal pieces. Roll into balls, then use a rolling pin to roll each piece of dough into a large oval, about 6-inches long and 1/8-inch thick. Repeat with remaining dough.
- Heat a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Grease skillet all over with 1/2 teaspoon of the extra oil.
- Place one piece of the naan on the oiled hot skillet and cook until bubbles form on top, about 1-2 minutes. While cooking, brush the top with a little oil.
- Flip and cook for another 1-2 minutes, until large golden spots appear on the bottom.
- Remove from the skillet and wrap in a clean kitchen towel. Repeat with the remaining naan (keep them wrapped in a towel while you work).
FOR GARLIC BUTTER TOPPING
- Combine melted butter and minced garlic together in a bowl. Brush each naan with the garlic butter and top with the fresh herb of your choosing.
Notes
Nutrition
simon says
First time I tried cooking anything like this and I have to say they were so simple to make and delicious! Just like in a restaurant. Roll them as thin as possible, they’ll puff up beautifully
J says
Made this tonight to go along with some butter chicken; it turned out so well!
Victoria says
Made these for some guests to enjoy along side home made chicken tikka curry and homemade bombay potatoes, I was so impressed, don’t need to cook for too long otherwise they burn, easy to get hang of once you’ve practised, very very tasty
Lorena says
Made this recipe, my first time ever making naan. It was absolutely delicious. Just as soft and tender as the naan from an indian restaurant. Brushing generously with salted butter after cooking is a must. This recipe also yields A LOT of bread. I made them into the 10 pieces but they were so huge. Next time I’ll roll the balls up smaller and get more pieces that are smaller. I also used almond milk because it was all I had but it still turned out so well, the large amount of yogurt in the recipe made up for it. Will be making again!
Millia says
I have never been able to make naan bread before without turning out hard like a rock or tasteless. I followed the recipe carefully and I must say I have learnt a lifetime recipe to keep. It was so soft much better than the ones you get in a restaurant and my family absolutely loved it. When cooking I kept smearing it with some oil as it was getting dry. Also I didn’t have a cast iron skillet just used a ordinary frying pan. Thanks a million
Cheryl says
This was so good! I baked on a pizza stone!
Laurel says
Is there another type of pan I could use? I don’t have a cast iron skillet. Thanks.
Erica says
Quick and easy! Made this tonight. My daughter and I loved it!
I’d say any type of pan would work. Just be sure to preheat it so it’s an even temperature when you put the bread down.
Lady Ann says
you should get one, the iron pan is the best for cooking steaks and other great recipes, you can find them cheap at marshalls.
Damien Toal says
Just use a normal large frying pan or a tawa is even better (and what Indian/Pakistani use as well).