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July 24, 2019

Homemade Garlic Naan

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Perfectly soft and pillowy, this homemade garlic naan is just what you need when comfort food calls. Each bite is chewy and buttery, and a sprinkling of fresh herbs delivers a flavorful kick. Plus, this naan is so easy to make you’ll want to serve it with just about every meal.

An aerial view of homemade garlic naan with a sprig of cilantro.

While I’m always excited to share new recipes, I’m particularly happy to bring you this homemade garlic naan. For some recipes, I’ll make it the first time and instantly fall in love. That was not the case with this naan recipe. Honestly, it took a few tries to get the right combination of ingredients, but now that I have one delicious and easy naan recipe to share, I couldn’t be happier.

I still remember the first naan recipe I created —- if you can even call it naan. The naan came out stiff, dry and overall terrible. I felt like a huge failure.

But as someone who’s been called stubborn once or twice, I was determined to perfect my naan. I kept tweaking my recipe and ingredients as I tried a few more times. Each time, the naan got better and better, but it wasn’t quite there — and then I landed on this recipe. Everything I wanted in a naan came together perfectly.

*Cries tears of joy*

While a part of me hates that it took so many tries to create this recipe, another part of me feels emotionally attached to this naan for all the determination that went into it. Making a homerun on the first try is still preferred. Obviously. But finally creating a killer recipe after so many tries feels so dang good.

A plate of homemade garlic naan with a blue napkin and bunch of cilantro.

How to Make Homemade Garlic Naan

For novice bread makers, I know tackling any kind of dough recipe can seem intimidating, but I have no doubt you can successfully make this garlic naan. The process couldn’t be simpler. Promise. Let’s jump into it.

We start by stirring together some warm water and honey. Once they come together, we sprinkle some yeast on top and let it sit for about 10 minutes. In the meantime, we mix together flour, salt and baking powder.

A bowl of water, honey and yeast to make the homemade garlic naan.After the yeast mixture has time to sit, we whisk in milk and yogurt, pour it over the flour and stir to combine. And now we get to the fun part — kneading! We can make it super simple and knead in a stand mixer with a dough hook, or we can knead by hand. Either way, the kneading doesn’t take long, about two minutes in a stand mixer or four minutes by hand.

A ball of homemade garlic naan dough after it's been kneaded on parchment paper.Now we cover our dough and let it rise until doubled in size. Plan for about an hour or two.

A bowl of homemade garlic naan dough that has risen.With our dough doubled in size, we’re ready to divide it into eight pieces and roll out. The naan will puff up quite a bit once it cooks, so you want it to start thin, about 1/8 inch in thickness.

Several balls of homemade garlic naan dough on a pastry board.A piece of homemade garlic naan dough with a rolling pin.As we work on dividing and rolling the dough, we should also start heating our cast-iron skillet until it’s scorching hot. Traditionally, you’d cook naan in a tandoori oven, but since that’s not exactly an option for most of us, I find the cast-iron skillet works best. The high heat from the cast-iron skillet helps the naan quickly puff up and gives us all those delicious golden brown speckles.

We can now lightly brush our naan dough with a little ghee and place in the hot cast-iron skillet to cook for about a minute. Brush the other side with ghee as it cooks and then flip.

Ghee is a clarified butter that’s popular in Indian cooking. You’ll find ghee has a rich, nutty flavor that makes our naan even more indulgent. If you don’t have ghee, you can substitute butter, but it should be easy to find. I picked it up in the baking aisle at my grocery store. Plus, ghee has a higher smoke point than butter, so it’ll handle the heat better.

While we cook the naan, we also melt more ghee with fresh garlic in another skillet. As each piece of naan finishes cooking, we brush it with the garlic ghee and sprinkle the naan with fresh herbs if desired. I love adding a little chopped cilantro for an extra flavor kick and pretty color. Parsley works well too.

And that’s it! Now enjoy a piece of that freshly cooked, warm naan with lots of garlicky, buttery goodness.

How to Serve Naan

I love snacking on naan as an appetizer, but this recipe has so many other uses. Here are some of my favorite ways to serve naan.

  • Use as a substitute for pizza dough, like this shrimp and avocado grilled naan pizza.
  • Try as a wrap.
  • Switch traditional sandwich bread for naan.
  • Use as a dipper for hummus.
  • Serve as an accompaniment for curry.
  • Cut into triangles and add to salads.
  • Substitute tortillas for naan and use to make quesadillas for a fun twist.
  • Use to sop up delicious shakshuka sauce.

And those are just a few ideas. You’re welcome to get creative and use this naan in other ways or simply enjoy as traditionally served.

Can You Freeze Homemade Naan?

You sure can. Once you form the dough balls, you can wrap them in parchment paper and store in an airtight container in the freezer, or you can cook the naan and then freeze it. I prefer to freeze the dough balls, so you get freshly cooked naan, but that’s your call.

Perfect Pairing for Homemade Garlic Naan

If you serve this garlic naan on its own, I love it with an amber ale. The bready quality of the amber ale nicely mimics the naan for a cohesive pairing.

Craving a glass of wine instead? Reach for a glass of chardonnay, which has a rich, buttery quality. You’ll find it matches perfectly with the naan’s buttery coating.

When nothing but soft, buttery bread will do, I hope you try this homemade garlic naan. I have no doubt it’ll be one of your new favorite comfort food recipes. Please let me know how you enjoyed this homemade garlic naan recipe in the comment section and don’t forget to sign up for my newsletter. You can also catch me on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook and Twitter.

Cheers!

A close-up of homage garlic naan on a white plate.

Looking for the Perfect Meal to Go With Naan? Try These Burrata and Bubbles Recipes.

  • Gose Thai chicken curry
  • Beer-lamb shakshuka
  • Curried feta-lamb meatballs in spiced tomato sauce
  • Shrimp and avocado grilled naan pizza
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An aerial view of homemade garlic naan with a sprig of cilantro.

Homemade Garlic Naan


★★★★★

5 from 10 reviews

  • Author: Amanda McGrory-Dixon
  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Cook Time: 10 minutes
  • Total Time: 30 minutes
  • Yield: 8 servings 1x
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Description

Perfectly soft and pillowy, this homemade garlic naan is just what you need when comfort food calls. Each bite is chewy and buttery, and a sprinkling of fresh herbs delivers a flavorful kick. Plus, this naan is so easy to make you’ll want to serve it with just about every meal.


Scale

Ingredients

1/4 cup warm water, 105-110 degrees
2 tablespoons honey
1 packet active dry yeast
4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup whole milk
1/2 cup plain, full fat yogurt (see note)
8 tablespoons ghee, divided (see note)
4 garlic cloves, grated or minced
Fresh cilantro or parsley, chopped, for garnish, optional


Instructions

  1. Stir together the honey and water until combined. Sprinkle the packet of yeast on top. Let sit for about five to 10 minutes. The mixture will start to look foamy. Use a bowl that has some depth for this. It makes step three easier.
  2. In a mixing bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder and salt.
  3. Whisk in the milk and yogurt to the yeast mixture and pour on top of the flour. If using a stand mixer, mix with the paddle attachment until the dough starts to form a ball. Then, switch to the dough hook and knead for about a minute and a half to two minutes on speed two. If making by hand, stir the yeast and flour mixtures with a wooden spoon. Once it comes together, knead by hand in the bowl for about three to four minutes. The dough will be a bit sticky and shaggy looking.
  4. Grease a bowl and place the dough inside. Cover with plastic wrap or a towel and let sit in a warm place until it doubles in size. This should take about one to two hours.
  5. Divide the dough into eight equal balls. On a lightly floured surface, roll one ball at a time until it’s about 1/8-inch thick. For a more traditional look, roll into a rectangular shape.
  6. Heat a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat until scorching hot. Lightly brush one side of the rolled naan dough with ghee. Set aside four tablespoons of ghee for this step. Place in the hot skillet and cook for about a minute to a minute and a half. While it cooks, lightly brush the other side with ghee. Flip and cook for another minute to a minute and a half. The naan will bubble up, potentially with huge bubbles. This is normal. Repeat with all the dough.
  7. As you cook the naan, melt the remaining ghee with garlic over medium heat in another pan. Turn to low if the garlic starts to get too hot. When each piece of ghee finishes cooking, brush with the garlicky ghee mixture and sprinkle with fresh chopped cilantro or parsley if desired. To keep warm, you can cover the naan in tinfoil until all the pieces cook and are ready for serving. Enjoy!

Notes

  • For the yogurt, I used plain, regular yogurt, not Greek yogurt. This recipe has not been tested with Greek yogurt.
  • You can substitute butter for ghee, though I recommend ghee if possible. I can find it easily in the baking aisle at my grocery store.
  • Eight balls is just a suggestion based on a 12-inch skillet. You can make them bigger or smaller if you’d like.
  • Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
  • Category: Breads
  • Method: Stove-Top
  • Cuisine: Indian

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 piece
  • Calories: 350
  • Sugar: 7
  • Sodium: 383
  • Fat: 15
  • Saturated Fat: 0
  • Unsaturated Fat: 0
  • Trans Fat: 0
  • Carbohydrates: 51
  • Fiber: 0
  • Protein: 13
  • Cholesterol: 37

Keywords: homemade garlic naan, naan, homemade naan

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Michelle says

    July 24, 2019 at 8:36 am

    Oh, my goodness! I can almost taste these garlic naan! Will definitely have to try these soon. I bet they taste so much better than store-bought naan.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Amanda McGrory-Dixon says

      July 24, 2019 at 3:16 pm

      Definitely better than store-bought! They’re so much softer.

      Reply
  2. Kylee says

    July 24, 2019 at 2:37 pm

    This is quite possibly the best naan I’ve ever made and tasted! I love how easy it was to make, and how pretty it was. My family were super impressed by my Indian food night!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Amanda McGrory-Dixon says

      July 24, 2019 at 3:29 pm

      Yes! So glad to hear that.

      Reply
  3. Sharon says

    July 24, 2019 at 2:58 pm

    Naan is one of my favorite breads to use for wraps. I love this homemade garlic naan that I can make right at home anytime.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Amanda McGrory-Dixon says

      July 24, 2019 at 3:30 pm

      Right? So nice to have it fresh off the stove!

      Reply
  4. Lindsey Pine says

    July 24, 2019 at 3:41 pm

    I am a sucker for naan!! I think it’s my favorite part about going to an Indian restaurant! I will definitely be trying this recipe out soon.

    Reply
    • Amanda McGrory-Dixon says

      July 30, 2019 at 12:01 am

      It’s so good! Hope you enjoy. 😀

      Reply
  5. Michelle says

    July 24, 2019 at 6:00 pm

    I could eat that WHOLE plate of garlic Naan!! Thanks for all your tips on how to make this at home! Another great use for my cast iron skillet. I have to make this NOW!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Amanda McGrory-Dixon says

      July 30, 2019 at 12:02 am

      Love my cast-iron skillet! Glad it’s helpful!

      Reply
  6. Mama Maggie's Kitchen says

    July 25, 2019 at 9:33 pm

    Yum! Naan is one of my favorite dish. This recipe of yours looks really delicious. I should try making this now!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Amanda McGrory-Dixon says

      July 30, 2019 at 12:04 am

      Thanks so much! 😀

      Reply
  7. Analida Braeger says

    July 27, 2019 at 5:38 pm

    This is the best ! I love dipping it in curries and using it to scoop for rice dishes 🙂 thanks for sharing ! will try

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Amanda McGrory-Dixon says

      July 30, 2019 at 12:05 am

      Same here! It’s the perfect dipping vehicle!

      Reply
  8. Jenni LeBaron says

    July 27, 2019 at 6:17 pm

    This is such a great classic! I love naan for so many things. It’s great to sup up anything savory, but we also love using it as a pizza crust like you’ve suggested. These are just gorgeous!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Amanda McGrory-Dixon says

      July 30, 2019 at 12:08 am

      Thanks so much, Jenni!

      Reply
  9. Cathleen @ A Taste of Madness says

    July 28, 2019 at 9:45 pm

    I have always wanted to make naan but never knew where to start. This recipe looks perfect!
    Also, I am very glad that you can freeze this. 🙂

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Amanda McGrory-Dixon says

      July 30, 2019 at 12:12 am

      It makes it extra convenient — hope you get a chance to try it!

      Reply
  10. Michele says

    July 28, 2019 at 11:01 pm

    I tried naan for the first time the other day and I loved it! I’m so excited to try to make it myself. Love how easy your step-by-step instructions look to make it. Looks so delish!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Amanda McGrory-Dixon says

      July 30, 2019 at 12:14 am

      Thanks, Michele! It really is an easy process.

      Reply
  11. Amy says

    July 29, 2019 at 12:59 am

    Naan + hummus is one of my favorite snacks! I love how you added garlic—it totally takes this to another level! Thanks for the recipe!

    Reply
    • Amanda McGrory-Dixon says

      July 30, 2019 at 12:23 am

      You’re so welcome!

      Reply
  12. Amanda Mason says

    July 29, 2019 at 3:40 am

    Ok, so yumm! Your pictures are making my mouth water! Love naan but I never thought of making garlic naan!! I’m so making this soon!!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Amanda McGrory-Dixon says

      July 30, 2019 at 12:24 am

      Thank you so much — I hope you do! 😀

      Reply

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About Me

I'm a Denver-based lady and believe life is best spent with comforting meals, tasty beverages and good company. When I'm not playing in the kitchen, I'm probably exploring new breweries with my husband, Matt, or obsessing over my adorable dog, Baylor. Read More…

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