This homemade garlic naan recipe makes soft, fluffy, restaurant-quality naan right from your own kitchen! Made with a simple ingredients like flour, yeast, and yogurt, this naan gets cooked in a hot cast iron skillet to create those signature charred, bubbly spots. Finish with a brush of garlic butter for the ultimate restaurant-style bread!

WHY I MADE THIS EASY NAAN RECIPE

Naan is one of my favorite foods of all time! I discovered it many moons ago thanks to my friends when I was in college. You never forget the first time you take a bite of hot naan fresh from the tandoor, and I’ve been hooked on garlic naan ever since.

I originally shared my Gluten Free Garlic Naan Recipe about a year ago because I wanted to see if making naan was possible without gluten, and thankfully it is! That naan recipe came out so tasty and delicious that I’ve made it many times since then. Even though I don’t strictly follow a gluten free diet anymore, that’s one recipe that I’m definitely proud of because it took me so. many. tries. to get that gluten free naan just right.

My new fluffy, homemade garlic naan recipe is different from that one though, because 1) it uses traditional all purpose flour, and 2) I nailed this recipe on the very first try. As you’ll see in the video, I whipped this garlic naan together minutes before my husband and I were heading out the door to run some errands. I was planning to make saag paneer for dinner that night, and there’s no way I could eat it without naan, so of course I had to make it.

And I’m so proud to share that I knocked this recipe out of the park. This homemade garlic naan is soft, fluffy, tender, and delicious. I can’t wait for you guys to try this one! If you make it, be sure to share a pic and leave a comment or review so I can see it and congratulate you!

MY HOMEMADE GARLIC NAAN RECIPE

The full instructions on how to make this homemade garlic naan is in the recipe card at the bottom of this blog post, but here’s a quick overview of how to make it.

Be sure to scroll down to the bottom to view the full recipe and get all of the measurements and instructions!

Garlic Naan

• Combine the warm water, yeast and honey together in a large bowl.
• Mix in the oil, yogurt, and minced garlic until combined.
• Add in the flour, baking powder, and salt. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead the dough together until it is round and smooth.
• Rest in the fridge for two hours, or at room temperature for 1 hour.
• Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and divide into 8 pieces. Shape each piece of dough into a loose ball.
• Using a rolling pin, roll each piece of dough into a rough circle.
• Cook in a hot cast iron skillet and cook for 2-3 minutes, until the bottom has brown spots.
• Flip over and cook for 2 more minutes.

Garlic Butter Topping

• Brush both sides of the hot naan with the garlic butter topping. Serve warm!

FLUFFY NAAN KEY INGREDIENTS

The full ingredients list for this naan recipe is in the recipe card below, so make sure to scroll all the way to the bottom to see what you need to make this!

Here is a quick overview of what you need to make this quick and easy homemade naan:

• Yeast and Baking Powder: Naan is a fluffy, pliable flatbread that gets part of its wonderful texture from yeast, a common rising agent. Baking powder is also added to this recipe to make the bread even lighter. We use both yeast and baking powder here to make sure our naan comes out soft and fluffy each and every time!
• Honey: Yeast needs to eat sugar in order to activate, and I almost always use honey as my sugar agent for recipes that call for yeast (like for my Easy Focaccia Recipe). You could also use white sugar, brown sugar, or even maple syrup, if you prefer.
• Yogurt: A key ingredient to making naan. Adding yogurt makes the dough super duper soft, which is what you want. I use Greek yogurt because that is what I typically have on hand at home, but you can use regular yogurt, if you’d like. Just make sure it is plain and unsweetened without any additional flavorings.
• Flour: I used all purpose flour because that’s what I have on hand most often, but you can use bread flour too, if you’d like. Bread flour will give these naan more chew and even better texture, so I recommend it if you have it! If you’re gluten free, then follow my Gluten Free Garlic Naan Recipe to see how to make gluten free naan at home!

HOW LONG DOES THIS HOMEMADE NAAN TAKE TO MAKE?

This fluffy garlic naan recipe has a few different components to it, but they all come together quickly and easily.

The full recipe is below, but here’s the gist of it:

• Prep time: 30 mins
• Cook time: 30 minutes
• Rest Time: 1 hour
• Total Time: 2 hours

In total, this easy garlic naan will take about 2 hours total to make! And 1 hour of that time is just allowing the dough to rise, which is completely hands-off.

HOW TO STORE THIS GARLIC NAAN?

Cool the naan completely and place in an airtight container. Store in the fridge for up to 1 week.

Reheat the naan either in a hot skillet (best method), or in the microwave. Because this naan is so soft and pliable, you don’t have to worry about it getting hard or drying out over time as long as you store it properly in the fridge.

You can even freeze the cooled naan by wrapping them individually in plastic wrap or foil and storing in a freezer-safe container. To reheat, warm it in a skillet or oven until hot. Brush with a bit more garlic butter before serving to get that fresh-from-the-skillet taste.

GARLIC NAAN RECIPE FAQ

1. Can I make this naan dairy-free?

Yes! You can substitute the yogurt with a thick, unsweetened dairy-free yogurt (like coconut or almond yogurt), and use plant-based butter for the garlic butter topping.

Just be sure the yogurt is thick, Greek-yogurt style, and not too liquidy.

2. What kind of flour should I use?

I used all purpose flour for this recipe, but bread flour also works great, too!

3. Can I make this recipe gluten free?

Yes, you can! Follow my Gluten Free Garlic Naan Recipe to get those details, since the recipe is a bit different.

4. Can I make the dough ahead of time?

Yes! You can refrigerate the dough for up to 24 hours. Note that it will rise substantially so make sure you place the dough in a big enough bowl so that it doesn’t spill over.

5. Why didn’t my dough rise?

If your dough didn’t rise, your yeast may have been inactive or the water may have been too hot or too cold. Check out this helpful blog post for other tips: 6 Reasons Why Your Dough Didn’t Rise.

6. Can I freeze the naan?

Absolutely. Once cooked and cooled, wrap the naan individually in plastic wrap or foil and store in a freezer-safe container. To reheat, warm it in a skillet or oven until hot. Brush with a bit more garlic butter before serving.

7. Do I need a cast iron skillet?

A cast iron skillet gives the best texture and browning, but if you don’t have one, a heavy-bottomed metal skillet or griddle will work. Just make sure it gets hot enough to cook the naan quickly to create those surface bubbles.

8. Can I leave out the garlic?

Yes! If you prefer plain naan, you can skip the garlic in both the dough and the butter topping.

9. Why is my dough sticky?

Naan dough is naturally a bit stickier to work with than traditional dough. If it’s too sticky to handle, wet your hands and dust your surface with a bit more flour while shaping.

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If you love this recipe be sure to leave a review! And feel free to reach out to me with any questions or comments via my Contact page. You’ll hear back from me soon!

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