Naan (2024)

Warm, buttery homemade naan will take your weeknight dinners to the next level. Whip up restaurant-quality bread with toasted edges and a pillowy interior. This easy naan recipe yields deliciously puffy, garlicky results that are the perfect accompaniment to curries, soups, and dips. Learn to make foolproof naan with this 5-star recipe — plus, learn how to store and what to serve with this popular bread.

What Is Naan?

Naan (pronounced nahn) is an oven-baked, leavened bread that is stuffed and flavored in a variety of ways. An essential part of South and Central Asian cuisine, naan is easy, affordable, and makes the most of pantry ingredients you already have on hand.

Flour, yeast, milk, and butter make a tender dough that's simply seasoned with garlic and salt, but there is a wide array of naan bread flavors. You'll find everything from coconut and raisin-stuffed bread to saucy lamb-topped naan in restaurants and home kitchens around the world.

Naan vs. Pita

Naan is similar to other baked flatbreads but has a few distinguishing characteristics. Naan is enriched with ingredients like yogurt, milk, and eggs, while pita uses water to moisten its dough, making naan the softer bread.

Naan vs. Roti

Roti is generally thinner and coarser than naan as it uses stoneground flour and is unleavened. While naan's fillings are baked right in, roti is traditionally served and filled with whatever main dish it accompanies.

How to Make Naan

Making delightfully soft homemade naan is easier than you think. You'll find the full recipe below with step-by-step instructions, but here's what you can expect when you make this top-rated recipe:

Start by making an easy egg-enriched yeast dough, then let it rise for one hour. Next, punch the dough down and knead in minced garlic or other desired fillings before letting it rise a second time. Cook the naan dough on a grill pan over high heat until golden brown and puffy.

What to Serve With Naan

Homemade garlic naan is a bold, flavorful bread that's made for dipping. Serve naan with a fragrant dal full of warm spices and slow-cooked veggies, or opt for a citrusy chicken curry. Top naan bread like a pizza and share with friends — it's a versatile recipe that allows you to customize it.

How to Store Naan

Naan bread can be stored at room temperature for up to three days. Allow naan bread to fully cool before wrapping it in an airtight plastic bag for best results. To reheat, sprinkle the bread with a bit of water before baking at 350 degrees F until crisp.

Allrecipes Community Tips and Praise

"I never thought I could make naan at home, but it was so easy!" says viciouskitten. "I took others' advice and rolled the dough very thin before frying and the texture was perfect!"

"I loved the taste of this bread because it's so close to what's served in some of my favorite Indian restaurants," shares home cook DChrissy. "Instead of grilling, I cooked the naan in a large saute pan after I brushed both sides with melted butter. Make sure you don't add too much flour when you're kneading, or the dough will be stiff."

"This recipe was fabulous," says reviewer Jen. "The whole family gobbled them up alongside meat and veggie shish kabobs. The portion is substantial, with one recipe feeding two adults and two tweens generously for two meals."

Editorial contributions by Rai Mincey

Ingredients

• 1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast

• 1 cup warm water

• ¼ cup white sugar

• 3 tablespoons milk

• 1 large egg, beaten

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• 2 teaspoons salt

• 4 ½ cups bread flour

• 2 teaspoons minced garlic (Optional)

• ¼ cup butter, melted

1. Dissolve yeast in warm water in a large bowl. Let stand about 10 minutes, until frothy.

   

2. Meanwhile, generously oil a large bowl.

3. Stir sugar, milk, egg, and salt into the yeast mixture. Mix in enough flour to make a soft dough.

   

4. Knead dough on a lightly floured surface until smooth, 6 to 8 minutes.

   

5. Place dough in the prepared oil, cover with a damp cloth, and let rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

   

6. Punch down dough on a lightly floured surface, and knead in garlic. Pinch off small handfuls of dough about the size of a golf ball; you should have about 14. Roll each piece into a ball and place on a tray. Cover with a towel, and allow to rise until doubled in size, about 30 minutes.

   

7. Meanwhile, preheat a large grill pan over high heat.

8. Roll each piece of dough into a thin circle.

   

9. Brush some melted butter on the preheated grill pan. Place a few pieces of dough in the pan (as many as you can fit) and cook until puffy and lightly browned, 2 to 3 minutes. Brush butter onto the uncooked sides, flip, and cook until browned, 2 to 4 more minutes. Remove from the grill and repeat to cook the remaining naan.

   

10. Enjoy!

    

Nutrition Facts (per serving)