This easy garlic naan is flavourful, scrumptious and incredibly quick and easy to make without using yeast! You will love this restaurant-style garlic naan, made with no fancy equipment or oven.
Enjoy this garlic homemade naan with our stir-fried okra (bhindi ki sabzi) recipe and Indian Brussels sprouts recipe.
I’ve always had a soft spot for garlic butter naan. If I’m at an Indian restaurant, it’s the one of the first things I love to order.
There’s just something about it that no other flatbread quite delivers: that buttery garlic flavor, the soft yet crispy texture, and those golden spots… absolutely irresistible.
Growing up in an Indian family, I’ve eaten my fair share of Indian flatbreads - from soft, everyday roti to rich, flaky parathas. Each one has its own charm. (If you haven’t already, check out our plain paratha recipe, tandoori butter naan bread recipe and vegan roti recipe). They’re staples in our kitchen - and all made with minimal ingredients)!
Over the years, I’ve been on a bit of a mission to recreate the kind of garlic naan I love from restaurants — but using simple ingredients and no fancy equipment. No oven, no tandoor. Just a hot pan and the right technique.
And the best part? This is the garlic naan recipe I keep coming back to. It’s my go-to when I want restaurant-style naan at home in under 15 minutes.
Why This Garlic Naan Recipe Works:
- Delcious taste and incredible texture: Buttery, garlicky topping that melts right into the warm naan. The texture = puffy, soft insides with crispy edges.
- Easy and convenient: this is a quick naan recipe which needs no yeast and no oven!
- Versatile: enjoy with Indian curries like our creamy sweetcorn curry recipe … or on their own! Alternatively, enjoy with cheese like our cheesy garlic naan bread recipe!
Jump to:
What is Naan?
- Naan is a popular South Asian leavened flatbread made using plain flour (aka all-purpose flour) and a number of additional ingredients (including yoghurt, oil or milk, leavening agent). Naan can be made with or without yeast (versions with yeast require extra time for the dough to rise).
- Naan is traditionally baked in a tandoor (tandoor oven/clay oven), however you can also bake in an oven or cook using a tava. This recipe uses a tava to cook the naan flatbreads (the fastest and cheapest option to give you delicious restaurant-style naans).
- Naan is such a versatile flatbread and can come in a variety of flavours including chilli naan and cheese naan. Naan can also come in varying textures. You have either have fluffy, soft naans which are slightly chewy and as well as crispy and soft naan – depending on your preference!
Notes about Recipe Ingredients
- Plain (all purpose) flour: this is used to make the dough and also sprinkled on your worktop to help you roll out the naans (without them sticking on the surface).
- Natural/homemade yogurt: natural homemade yogurt is mixed with the flour to make the dough for this recipe. This recipe uses homemade yogurt but you can use natural yogurt from the grocery store or supermarkets if preferred.
- Baking powder: this is a leavening agent added to the flour before adding the yoghurt, this helps give the naan some lift, helping it cook to get the perfect texture (without using yeast).
- Salt: this is added to the dough (before adding the yoghurt) to season the naan and enhance its flavour.
- Butter: use salted butter, this is used to spread on top of each naan once it is cooked. Melted butter enhances the taste of this naan.
- Garlic: fresh garlic is finely minced/grated and mixed with the butter to spread on each naan once cooked.
- Fresh coriander (fresh cilantro): this refreshing herb is also mixed with the garlic and butter to spread on each naan, enhancing the flavor of this garlic naan.
Variations and Substitutions
- Olive oil: substitute butter for olive oil if preferred.
- Whole wheat flour: use the garlic butter with our whole wheat naan bread recipe if you prefer to substitute plain flour.
- Toppings: including nigella seeds or sesame seeds for added crunch.
SAVE this recipe! 📩
We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!
Equipment
- Tava pan: I recommend using a non-stick tava pan (also known as a tawa) with a handle, which is a large round, flat and slightly curved pan used to make a variety of flatbreads. If you do not have a tava, you can use a large flat frying pan (with a handle) instead.
- Spatula and brush/spoon: You will also need a spatula to flip the naan, brush or spoon is used to spread the garlic and coriander butter onto each naan
- Rolling pin: this is used to roll out the dough to make each naan.
How to Make Garlic Naan
- Make the dough. In a large mixing bowl, mix dry ingredients (flour, baking powder and salt). Add the whisked yoghurt (image 1) and mix together (image 2) form a sticky dough (image 3).
- Knead the dough. Gently knead the dough with your hands to ensure all ingredients are mixed and incorporated together to form a smooth, slightly soft and sticky dough.
- Divide the dough into 4 sections/balls. One at a time, pinch a chunk of the dough and roll into round balls. Repeat with the remaining dough (image 4). Meanwhile, preheat your tava on low heat.
- Roll out the naan dough into a round flatbread shape. Prepare your work surface by sprinkling flour and placing some in a bowl. Take a dough ball, flatten it slightly, sprinkle with more flour (image 5). Roll the dough ball on the floured surface with a rolling pin into a thin, round flatbread shape out into a thin, round flatbread/tortilla using a rolling pin.
- Cook on tava. Place uncooked rolled naan onto a preheated tava and cook on medium-high heat, for 2-3 minutes, or until you see bubbles forming on the surface of the naan (image 6). Flip to cook the other side (image 7).
- Grill naan slightly on stovetop flame (optional but recommended): Once both sides are cooked and have bubbles/air pockets, carefully place naan directly on top of a stovetop/open flame (high flame). Grill for a few seconds seconds or until you see the naan charring slightly. Use tongs to carefully flip the naan to grill the other side. Note: this step is optional but recommended for a delicious, roasted flavor of naan that resembled restaurant-style naan made using a tandoor.
- Spread with garlic coriander butter. Place cooked naan on a plate or tray and spread with garlic coriander butter (image 8). Repeat steps above with the remaining dough.
Expert Tips for Best Results
- Use a pre-heated tava: preheat the tava on low-medium heat, this will help cook the naan at the right temperature – if the temperature is too low the naan will stick to the tava and not form bubbles, resulting in an undercooked, dry naan. With the correct temperature, the naan will form air pockets and bubbles which allows the naan to become cooked, crispy and fluffy.
- Flavor tips: For more flavor, finely mince the garlic and finely chop the coriander/cilantro before mixing with the butter.
- Ensure dough is kneaded to appropriate consistency: we want the dough to be slightly soft and sticky and kneaded appropriately to ensure ingredients are well mixed.
- Sprinkle your worktop lightly with flour and roll dough gently with the rolling pin: This helps to create naan of even thickness and keeps them from sticking to the worktop (if you roll them too hard the force will make them stick to your worktop, this could make you use extra flour, which will make the naan tough and reduce their softness).
- Cook and roll simultaneously: this is a time-saving tip – in the method above, you’ll notice I recommend cooking the naan whilst rolling out the next naan, this helps you save time and make the naans faster.
How to Serve Naan
- Garlic naan is so versatile and can be served with many dishes.
- For main meals, you can serve naan with many Indian dishes including bhindi masala, easy paneer manchurian and creamy sweetcorn curry.
- You can even serve naan as a wrap with salad, paneer and dips (like our fresh mint chutney recipe, guacamole (smashed avocado dip) recipe and super quick blender salsa recipe.
Recipe FAQs
How to store this garlic naan?
These naans can be kept for up to 3 days in the fridge and up to 3 months in the freezer.
How to pack leftover naan for storage in fridge?
Transfer cooled stack of naans onto a paper towel/kitchen towel and wrap with foil and seal to keep airtight and store in fridge. Alternatively, transfer into an airtight container.
How to freeze garlic naan?
Line each naan with parchment/baking paper and wrap with foil and seal to keep airtight. You can also check out these tips on how to freeze naan bread for more detailed instructions.
How to reheat garlic naan?
Gently wet the naan under a running tap. Allow naan to slowly heat on a preheated tava on low heat. Using your spatula to keep flipping the naan to evenly cook both sides. Alternatively, place the naan on a microwave safe plate and heat for 30-40 seconds per naan, or until hot and steaming. (Optional: you can then transfer onto a preheated tava to crisp up the naan). From frozen: allow to defrost for a few hours at room temperature before reheating in the microwave.
Suggested Asian Recipes
Easy Garlic Naan (without Yeast)
This easy garlic naan is flavourful, scrumptious and incredibly quick and easy to make without using yeast! You will love this restaurant-style garlic naan, made with no fancy equipment or oven.
Ingredients
- 150 g plain flour (all-purpose flour) (plus extra for dusting)
- ¼ teaspoon Baking powder
- ⅛ teaspoon Salt
- 110 g Natural yogurt or homemade yoghurt
Garlic butter
- 1 clove Garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon Coriander chopped
- ¼ cup Salted butter melted
Instructions
- Mix dry ingredients (flour, baking powder and salt) in a bowl. Add the whisked yoghurt and mix to form a sticky dough.
- Knead the dough until ingredients combined to form a smooth, slightly soft and sticky dough, divide into four sections/balls.
- Preheat tava/frying pan on low heat.
- Using a rolling pin, roll one dough ball into a thin tortilla/flatbread on a floured surface.
- Cool on preheated tava for 2-3 minutes, or until you see bubbles forming on the surface of the naan. Flip to cook the other side.
- Optional step (recommended for restaurant-style/tandoori flavoured naan) - Once both sides are cooked and have bubbles/air pockets, carefully grill/char the naan on an open flame (stovetop) for a few seconds. Use tongs to carefully flip the naan to grill the other side.
- Transfer naan onto a plate and spread with garlic butter mixture. Repeat steps with remaining dough.
Garlic butter mixture
- Mix melted butter, garlic and coriander/cilantro into a bowl, set aside to garnish on top of naans.
Notes
- Use a pre-heated tava: preheat the tava on low-medium heat, this will help cook the naan at the right temperature – if the temperature is too low the naan will stick to the tava and not form bubbles, resulting in an undercooked, dry naan. With the correct temperature, the naan will form air pockets and bubbles which allows the naan to become cooked, crispy and fluffy
- Grill naan slightly on stovetop flame: although this is an optional step, it is highly recommended for a delicious, roasted flavour of naan that resembled restaurant-style naan made using a tandoor.
- Ensure dough is kneaded to appropriate consistency: we want the dough to be slightly soft and sticky and kneaded appropriately to ensure ingredients are well mixed.
- Sprinkle your worktop lightly with flour and roll dough gently with the rolling pin: This helps to create naan of even thickness and keeps them from sticking to the worktop (if you roll them too hard the force will make them stick to your worktop, this could make you use extra flour, which will make the naan tough and reduce their softness).
- Cook and roll simultaneously: this is a time-saving tip – in the method above, you’ll notice I recommend cooking the naan whilst rolling out the next naan, this helps you save time and make the naans faster.
Nutrition
Calories: 153kcalCarbohydrates: 30gProtein: 5gFat: 1gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.2gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.3gCholesterol: 4mgSodium: 113mgPotassium: 83mgFiber: 1gVitamin A: 28IUVitamin C: 0.1mgCalcium: 54mgFolate: 71µgIron: 2mgZinc: 0.4mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
DK
I love garlic naan and this recipe is amazing! It came out soft, chewy and rich with garlic taste!
Sonia
Thank you! So glad to hear you enjoyed this recipe!