Buttery Garlic Naan Bread Recipe (2024)

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ButteryGarlic 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 theBEST Indian restaurants!These pillowy soft naan breads are so addictive, you will love howquick and easy this recipe is to make! Your new favorite yeast bread recipe!

Buttery Garlic Naan Bread Recipe (1)

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. Normallybaked inside hot Tandoor ovens with charcoal or wood fire, ournaan 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 watchingthem puff up into glorious breads right in front of you in seconds!

Buttery Garlic Naan Bread Recipe (2)

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN NAAN BREAD AND PITA BREAD

Both flatbreads are made with a yeast raised dough, however Pita breadhas 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.

Buttery Garlic Naan Bread Recipe (3)

  • 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.

Buttery Garlic Naan Bread Recipe (4)

  • 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 withTikka Masala or Butter Chicken, oruse them to make wraps. Substitute garlic naan breadsfor tortillas for quesadillas, or for simple naan pizzas!

Buttery Garlic Naan Bread Recipe (5)

HOW TO STOREGARLIC 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. Frozennaan 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

Buttery Garlic Naan Bread Recipe (6)

Garlic Naan Breads are so soft and perfect for mopping up curries, you’ll find it hard to stop at one! Just like the best Indian restaurants, this will become your new favorite naan recipe!

PRINT SAVE

Prep: 15 minutes mins

Cook: 10 minutes mins

Rise: 1 hour hr

Total: 1 hour hr 25 minutes mins

Serves: 10 naan breads

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

Perfect to serve withTikka Masala,Butter Chickenor Coconut Curry Shrimp.

Nutrition

Calories: 290kcal | Carbohydrates: 42g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 6mg | Iron: 2mg

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Gail says

    Dough was quite wet…added a fifth cup of flour to get it correct.
    Tasty! Agree with comment above to add additional salt. Appreciate the good instructions.

    Reply

  2. Mimi1022 says

    I have n
    Made these 3 or 4 times . My girls love this . I was requested today to make this by my lovely foster daughter. I obliged but I had no Greek yogurt 🙂 so using what I had I substituted vanilla yogurt. The naan was delicious and I don’t think the girls even knew 🙂 Win all the way around ! Thank you for this delicious recipe!

    Reply

    • Karina says

      Hi Mimi, that’s wonderful to hear! I’m glad you and your girls enjoyed the naan, and it’s great that you found a delicious substitute with vanilla yogurt. Thank you for the positive feedback!

      Reply

  3. Jewel says

    Buttery Garlic Naan Bread Recipe (13)
    I made this naan tonight to go with some butter chicken and it was easy and so delicious! This will be my go-to recipe for naan. YUM

    Reply

  4. Julie R says

    Buttery Garlic Naan Bread Recipe (14)
    Easy and very tasty recipe. The naan came out perfect, light texture and very delicious. I would definitely make it again.

    Reply

  5. Bob says

    Buttery Garlic Naan Bread Recipe (15)
    You put the nutrition info in Metric but not the recipe. It would be really nice if you could give Metric measurements too. Some recipe websites let you select this as an option before saving/printing.

    Reply

  6. Day says

    Buttery Garlic Naan Bread Recipe (16)
    Yum! These were amazing! Followed the recipe, made them in a regular pan.

    Reply

  7. Stef says

    Buttery Garlic Naan Bread Recipe (17)
    Made this Today, went straight by your Recipe! Didn’t not use Cilantro, but dried Parsley (had no fresh and it was perfectly fine)! It was super-easy to make and the Taste is Delicious, I wouldn’t change a thing!!! Both my Husband and I enjoyed it very much. Cooked this to go with your Butter Chicken Recipe. Also made the Garlic Butter Rice from Crave It All. Made it a PERFECT DINNER! Thank you so much for this Recipe!!!

    Reply

  8. Michelle Krz says

    Buttery Garlic Naan Bread Recipe (18)
    This was such an easy dough to work with and the naan turned out beautifully. I found that my first few naan turned out too thick because I couldn’t roll the dough thin enough or it overflowed my cast iron skillet. I found that it worked best when I cut it into 20 pieces and rolled the dough very thin. This puffed up perfectly and was very light. I wonder if anyone else did this? Thanks for the recipe! I will definitely be making this again.

    Reply

  9. Laroo says

    Buttery Garlic Naan Bread Recipe (19)
    Excellent. !!! Taste texture soft and delicious. I have tried numerous recipes. First one that taste texture like a restaurant .

    Reply

  10. Nicki P Gary says

    Buttery Garlic Naan Bread Recipe (20)
    I will NEVER buy Naan from a store again!!!
    My batch didn’t rize but I went ahead with the recipe as called for & its the BEST naan I’ve ever had!!! My only problem is that it made soo much & I live alone so next time I’ll halve the recipe.
    Thanks so much for sharing this recipe with us!

    Reply

  11. Debi Seltzer says

    Buttery Garlic Naan Bread Recipe (21)
    Thank you so much for such a delightfully simple yet delicious recipe! I made it with my Tiki Masala and the family went crazy!!! Best Baan bread I’ve ever had!

    Reply

  12. Margaret says

    Buttery Garlic Naan Bread Recipe (22)
    I cannot believe how simple it is to make such heavenly naan. My goodness! This recipe is SO good! I subed out the veg oil for coconut oil, I also forgot to buy yogurt so I used some powdered buttermilk and increased the milk by 1/2 a cup. Cooked them on the blackstone in two batches of 4. My husband couldn’t stop eating them, he at 2 before our curry was done!!

    Reply

  13. Sam says

    Buttery Garlic Naan Bread Recipe (24)
    Amazing!!! I find that using sour cream instead of the yogurt makes it SO much more delicious. I also use 3 teaspoons of minced garlic instead of two, with some of the juice. Tastes so good!!!!!

    Reply

  14. yvonne says

    Buttery Garlic Naan Bread Recipe (25)
    This is the best naan and so easy!! Definitely a keeper.

    Reply

  15. Russell says

    Buttery Garlic Naan Bread Recipe (26)
    Didn’t make the garlic butter topping this time, but the naan still came out beautiful. Can’t wait for the next curry night when I’ll do the whole recipe.

    Reply

  16. Marianne says

    Buttery Garlic Naan Bread Recipe (27)
    Easy recipe, used my homade greek style yogurt and the whey from the yogurt instead of the milk and water. Made for a lovely tangy soft bread. We froze ours2/bag for later dinners of Dahl, butter chicken, curries and of course flatbread pizzas. This is a keeper. Thank you

    Reply

  17. Diane M Ferguson says

    Buttery Garlic Naan Bread Recipe (28)
    This is the most delicious Naan bread I’ve ever had! It turns out beautiful! I had zero leftovers because everyone kept eating it so I had to make more the next day. Thank you for sharing this amazing recipe!

    Reply

  18. Samantha says

    Buttery Garlic Naan Bread Recipe (29)
    can i let the dough rest overnight? thought i’d need the dough today but won’t need it until tomorrow.

    Reply

  19. Marie says

    Buttery Garlic Naan Bread Recipe (30)
    Absolutely amazing! I only had a medium size cast iron skillet, so I did 12 portions instead of ten – but they turned out pillowy and perfect! My sons decided that dinner was more naan with a side of Mulligatawny -instead of the other way around. This is a keeper!

    Reply

  20. Ava says

    Buttery Garlic Naan Bread Recipe (31)
    As I commented earlier, I made the dough in my bread machine. I then cooked it on my stove top griddle. I was 5 star wonderful! Soft, fluffy and perfect! Thank you for posting this recipe. No more Costco naan at this house!! I’ll be making this recipe whenever I make Indian food.

    Reply

  21. Ava says

    Buttery Garlic Naan Bread Recipe (32)
    I m making the dough in my bread machine right now. I gave the recipe maximum stars because 1. The dough smells amazing! And 2. The dough consistency looks perfect! I was wondering one thing… The recipe does not call for ghee, yet it’s mentioned in the write up. I’ll be cooking the naan on my stovetop griddle, where I’ll be able to cook 5 at a time. I’ll be back later with the results…Can’t wait!

    Reply

  22. Shirley Fowler says

    Buttery Garlic Naan Bread Recipe (33)
    They turn out so wonderful, soft and fluffy. This is definitely a keeper. Thanks

    Reply

  23. Judy G. says

    Buttery Garlic Naan Bread Recipe (34)
    I made this my cast iron skillet tonight and turned some of it into pizza. My family raved about it! It was delicious! The dough texture was light and easy to stretch. I thought the dough was best when rolled out super thin because it does puff up a lot in the pan and browns nicely.

    Reply

  24. Tom says

    Great recipe. Made the first time this weekend easy and delicious.

    I’m new to making doughs. For the next time I make this recipe… Does any body know if the dough can be made the night before and rest in the fridge until I need it the next day?

    Reply

  25. Tatiana says

    Just made this for dinner and I loooove it! Had to cut it in half since its just the two of us and I didn’t want leftovers and it came out great

    Reply

  26. Darla says

    Buttery Garlic Naan Bread Recipe (35)
    This was the best Naan we have ever had! It was easy to make. We enjoyed it with chicken tiki Marsala, and individual pizzas. This was better than store bought naan. Can’t wait to make it again!

    Reply

  27. simon says

    Buttery Garlic Naan Bread Recipe (36)
    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

    Reply

  28. J says

    Buttery Garlic Naan Bread Recipe (37)
    Made this tonight to go along with some butter chicken; it turned out so well!

    Reply

    • 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

      Reply

  29. 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!

    Reply

  30. Millia says

    Buttery Garlic Naan Bread Recipe (38)
    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

    Reply

  31. Cheryl says

    Buttery Garlic Naan Bread Recipe (39)
    This was so good! I baked on a pizza stone!

    Reply

    • Amy says

      Buttery Garlic Naan Bread Recipe (40)
      Hi Cheryl,
      I have made this recipe so many times and I love it, but I have been wondering about baking the dough. Do you recall the temperature of the oven and the time required? Alex Guarnaschelli has a recipe for a baked garlic naan using inverted sheet pans: 450 for 5 go 6 minutes, but her dough recipe is so different than Karina’s.
      Happy Holidays!
      Best,
      Amy

      Reply

  32. Laurel says

    Is there another type of pan I could use? I don’t have a cast iron skillet. Thanks.

    Reply

    • Erica says

      Buttery Garlic Naan Bread Recipe (41)
      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.

      Reply

    • 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.

      Reply

    • Damien Toal says

      Just use a normal large frying pan or a tawa is even better (and what Indian/Pakistani use as well).

      Reply

    • Liv says

      Any pan will work. Just make sure the pan is oiled and nice and hot!

      Reply

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Buttery Garlic Naan Bread Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the difference between butter naan and plain naan? ›

main difference between butter naan and plain naan lies in their preparation and flavor. While both are types of Indian bread, plain naan is a traditional flatbread made from flour, water, yeast, salt, and sometimes yogurt, which is cooked in a tandoor (a traditional clay oven).

Is yeast or baking powder better for naan? ›

Naan is essentially a leavened flatbread, which means it contains some form of raising agent to provide its airy texture. Hence for this naan, the raising agent we will be using is yeast. Other variations do exist which may utilise self raising flour or baking powder/baking soda.

Why do you put yogurt in naan bread? ›

Salt could be optional if you are having naan with a curry. (Cause curry usually has salt and the bread might not need it). Variations like milk or yogurt is used instead of water to make dough soft and fluffy. This would change the texture and flavor of the bread.

How long can you keep naan dough before cooking? ›

Either transfer your dough to a lidded container or cover your bowl with plastic wrap if you did not do so in step 3. Move the bowl or loosely lidded container to the fridge and store overnight, but no more than 48 hours—the gluten will begin to break down, and the flavor will become too ethanol-y.

Why is naan unhealthy? ›

Skip: Naan

And like those fluffy spuds, this soft flatbread has little nutritional value. Most naan recipes call for Greek yogurt to give it that airy texture. But that's more than offset by less healthy ingredients like white flour, sugar, and oil.

How unhealthy is Butter Naan? ›

One Butter Naan provides about 3.2 percent of the total daily calorie requirement of a standard adult diet of 2,000 calories. Naan or plain naan recipe makes 10 naans. 65 calories for 1 Naan, Cholesterol 0.2 mg, Carbohydrates 10.1g, Protein 1.7g, Fat 1.9g.

Do Indian restaurants use yeast in naan? ›

About Naan

So most restaurants either use yeast or another leavening agent like baking powder & baking soda. If you order naan in Indian restaurants you may not find the texture & flavor to be the same in every place. Each place may have their own recipe to make these.

Can you leave naan dough to rise overnight? ›

Make the dough up to the end of Step 5 – Proof 1. Then after the dough has doubled in size, put the bowl with the dough it in the fridge overnight (I've done 24 hours). Do not punch dough down or touch it – just put it in as is. The fridge stops the dough from rising any further.

What makes naan bread so good? ›

Naan bread also has a buttery flavor due to the ghee and buttermilk in the dough, which adds an extra dimension of flavor compared to pita bread's more neutral taste.

Why do you sprinkle water on naan bread? ›

you put it on naans to keep them soft.

Why isn't my naan puffing up? ›

If your heat is too low, the naan bread will dry out before bubbles start forming. The heat is too high. If your heat is too high, the underside can start burning, so you'll need to flip it before it can start puffing up and before bubbles can start forming.

Is naan better with or without yogurt? ›

Milk, and dairy in general, will give the naan a soft, more tender crumb than water alone, but I'm not sure you want to go too far down that road, as you risk sacrificing that aforementioned chewy texture. A little yoghurt for tang and richness, mixed with rather more water, seems a good compromise.

Why can't you reheat naan bread? ›

However, when reheating in the oven, you want to be careful so that the naan bread does not become overly crisp and dry out. Also, you want to make sure to not heat the naan bread for longer than required. That said, it is easy to reheat naan bread in the oven, as it restores the fluffy texture.

What does naan mean in English? ›

: a round flat leavened bread especially of the Indian subcontinent.

Can you eat week old naan? ›

Naan bread typically lasts 2-3 days if stored in an airtight container at room temperature. It can also last up to a week if refrigerated. Naan bread can be frozen for up to 3 months. To freeze, wrap each piece of naan in plastic wrap and place in a freezer-safe bag.

What are the different types of naan? ›

Some of the most popular flavoured variations are plain naan, Peshwari naan, garlic and coriander naan and cheese naan. A good plain naan dough needs strong bread flour, yeast, black onion seeds, milk, and yoghurt – to give the naan that tanginess.

What does plain naan taste like? ›

What Does Naan Taste Like? Naan has the mild and slightly nutty flavor of a classic plain flatbread but with a hint of milkiness and zesty tang. Often, it's brushed with warm butter at the end for a richer finish.

Are there different types of naan bread? ›

Among the varieties of filled naan are: keema naan, which contains spiced lamb; Peshawari naan, which is sweet, being filled with combinations of coconut, raisins, sultanas, and nuts; Kashmiri naan, which uses candied cherries, golden raisins, almonds, cumin, and fenugreek; aloo naan, which contains spiced mashed ...

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