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Soft, garlicky, and perfectly chewy, this homemade garlic naan is so easy to make with basic pantry ingredients. A hot cast iron skillet gives it those beautiful bubbles and charred spots, just like your favorite restaurant. No tandoor oven needed.
Homemade Buttery And Garlicky Naan
If you’ve made my regular Naan before, you already know how soft, puffy, and foolproof it is. This garlic naan version is just as easy and just as delicious, with that extra aromatic garlic flavor that fills your kitchen. Using the same base dough from my popular naan recipe, you’ll get that chewy texture, the bubbles, and a light char without needing a tandoor oven.
The traditional way of making naan with charcoal or wood fire sounds romantic, but let’s be honest, it’s not something most of us can pull off at home. A hot cast iron skillet or heavy-bottom nonstick skillet works beautifully, giving you restaurant-quality naan that’s warm, fluffy, and bursting with garlicky flavor. This homemade garlic naan is one of those recipes you’ll want to make again and again.
If you want more naan ideas, check out my plain Naan and Cheesy Garlic Naan recipes!
Things To Know Before Making Garlic Naan
Yogurt: The secret to soft, fluffy naan is yogurt. It adds moisture, tenderness, and a slight tang that balances the dough beautifully. Different brands of yogurt vary in thickness and water content, so if your yogurt is more watery, your dough might feel a bit stickier. Simply add a little extra flour while kneading until it reaches the right consistency. Greek yogurt makes a denser dough, so I usually prefer plain regular yogurt for a lighter, airier naan.
All-Purpose Flour: Not all flours are created equal. Depending on the country or brand, all-purpose flour can have slightly different protein levels, which affects gluten development. Higher-protein flours give your naan a chewier texture, while lower-protein flour results in a softer, more tender bread. If your dough feels too elastic or too slack, adjusting the flour a little at a time helps achieve the perfect balance.
Pro Tip: From my experience making the dough in the US versus Malaysia, water content and humidity can affect how the dough comes together, so small adjustments help every time. Don’t skip experimenting a bit; these tweaks can make your homemade garlic naan taste just like a restaurant version.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Yeast
- All-purpose flour
- Yogurt
- Garlic
Check out the recipe card at the bottom for all the ingredient details.
Pro Tip #1: Don’t Skip The Sugar
Sugar feeds the yeast, helping it activate faster and develop more flavor in the dough. While the yeast will technically activate without sugar, adding just a teaspoon gives the naan a softer texture, more bubbles, and a slightly richer taste.
Pro Tip #2: Why Plain Yogurt Works Best
Plain yogurt adds moisture and tenderness to the dough, giving you that soft, pillowy texture. Its slightly thinner consistency means the dough is easier to knead and roll out. You could use Greek yogurt if you like, but it makes a denser dough.
Pro Tip #3: Best Oil To Use
Stick to a neutral-flavored oil like vegetable, canola, or sunflower oil. These oils won’t interfere with the garlic flavor and help the dough stay soft and easy to work with.
Pro Tip #4: Butter Or Ghee For Serving
Brushing melted butter or ghee on hot naan adds richness and a glossy finish. Ghee is clarified butter that has a nutty, aromatic flavor and is commonly used in Indian cooking. You can usually find ghee in the international aisle of most grocery stores, specialty Indian stores, or online.
How To Make Garlic Naan
In a small bowl, mix the sugar, warm water, and yeast. Give it a good stir and let it sit for about 10 minutes until it gets foamy. This tells you the yeast is alive and ready to make your naan soft and puffy.
Dump the flour onto a clean surface and make a little well in the middle. Pour in your yeast mixture, yogurt, salt, and oil. Knead everything together for about 10 minutes until the dough feels smooth and shiny. Cover it with a damp cloth and let it rest in a warm spot, like beside your stovetop or in a slightly warm oven, until it doubles in size, about an hour.
Pro Tip: You can gently stir the yeast mixture and yogurt first to combine them slightly before adding the salt and oil. This makes the dough easier to mix and knead evenly.
Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a 6-inch (15 cm) circle. Sprinkle the minced garlic on top and press it in gently so it sticks to the dough.
Heat a cast iron or heavy-bottom nonstick skillet over high heat and lightly grease with oil it so the naan does not stick. Place the rolled-out dough onto the skillet with the garlic side facing up. When it puffs up, bubbles form, and you see some charred spots on the bottom, flip it and cook the other side. Keep going until all the naan is cooked.
Pro Tip: I don’t recommend brushing butter at this stage because it will burn on the high heat.
Brush the hot garlic naan with melted butter or ghee and sprinkle cilantro on top if you like. Serve it warm and enjoy!
A Classic Indian Pairing
Enjoying garlic naan with Chana Masala and Pudina (mint) chutney is a classic way to experience Indian flavors. The garlicky, soft naan pairs beautifully with the hearty, spiced chickpea curry, while the mint chutney adds a fresh, tangy note that balances the richness of the meal.
This combination isn’t just about flavor. In Indian households, naan is often torn by hand and shared among family and friends, making it perfect for group meals. Chana Masala is a beloved dish both at home and on the streets for its comforting, satisfying taste. With the addition of vibrant mint chutney, this trio creates a balanced, flavorful, and culturally authentic meal that celebrates the heart of Indian cuisine.
Frequently Asked Questions
For the best texture, stick to all-purpose flour. Other flours like bread flour or whole wheat can change the texture and may not give the soft, pillowy result you’re looking for, so they’re not recommended.
Yes! You can prepare the dough up to a day in advance. After kneading, cover it tightly and refrigerate. Bring it to room temperature before rolling and cooking.
Yes. You can portion the dough, wrap each piece tightly in plastic wrap, and freeze for up to 1 month. When you’re ready to use it, let the dough thaw in the refrigerator overnight and come to room temperature.
If your naan isn’t puffing, it could be because the dough is too thick or the skillet isn’t hot enough. Make sure your skillet is fully preheated and roll the dough evenly.
Let the leftovers cool completely, then store in an airtight container or a zip-top bag at room temperature for up to 2 days. Reheat in a hot skillet or oven to bring back the softness and flavor.
Yes. Let the cooked garlic naan cool completely, then wrap each piece in plastic wrap or foil and place in a freezer bag. It keeps well for up to 2 months. Reheat in a hot skillet or oven until warmed through. Avoid microwaving as it can make them extra chewy.
This recipe is 218 calories per piece.
What To Serve With This Recipe
For a wholesome Indian meal and easy weeknight dinner, I recommend the following recipes:
I hope you enjoy this post as much as I do. If you try my recipe, please leave a comment and consider giving it a 5-star rating. For more easy and delicious recipes, explore my Recipe Index, and stay updated by subscribing to my newsletter and following me on Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram for new updates.
Other Indian Recipes You Might Like
- Chapati (Indian Flat Bread)
- Roti Canai – Roti Paratha
- Tandoori Chicken
- Tandoori Shrimp
- Cardamom Chicken (Masala Murgh)
Garlic Naan
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- ½ cup water
- ¼ oz active dry yeast, 2 ¼ teaspoons
- 10.5-12.5 oz all-purpose flour, 2¼-2⅓ cups
- ½ cup Greek yogurt, plain
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 3 cloves garlic, finely minced
- oil , for greasing the skillet
- 4 tablespoons melted butter, or ghee
- 2 tablespoons cilantro leaves, chopped, optional
Instructions
- In a small bowl, add the sugar, warm water, and yeast. Stir to combine. Let it sit until the mixture becomes foamy, about 10 minutes.
- Transfer the flour to a flat surface and make a well in the center. Add the yeast mixture, yogurt, salt, and oil into the well. Knead until the dough becomes smooth and shiny, about 10 minutes. Cover with a damp cloth or paper towel and let it rise in a warm spot, such as beside the stovetop or in a warm oven. The dough should double in size in about 1 hour.
- Divide the dough into 8 equal portions. Roll each portion into a 6 inch (15 cm) circle using a rolling pin. Sprinkle minced garlic on top, then gently press them into the surface so they stick.
- Heat a cast iron skillet over high heat and lightly grease it to prevent sticking. Place the rolled dough onto the skillet with the garlic side facing up. When the naan puffs up and bubbles and you see some charred spots on the bottom, flip it over and cook the other side. Repeat with the remaining dough.
- Brush the hot garlic naan with melted butter or ghee and garnish with cilantro if you like. Serve warm.
Video
Notes
- Start with 300 g (about 10.5 oz or 2 1/4 cups) of flour. If the dough still feels sticky, gradually add up to 350 g (around 12 oz or 2 1/3 cups) until it reaches the right consistency.
- You can give the flour, yeast mixture, and yogurt a gentle stir first before adding the salt and oil. This helps makes it more manageable.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Will this work without an iron skillet?
Hi Diane. Yes, you can use a heavy-bottomed stainless steel skillet too. Anything that can retain heat well.
I tried this last night and it ended up smoking up the kitchen. Should I turn down the skillet after the first naan? I had to remove the smoke detector before continuing. LOL. I son’t have an overhead vent over the stove.
Hi Leslie. Oh, yikes. You may want to reduce the amount of oil used, and perhaps turn down the heat just a bit. Also make sure all your dough is ready to go so that you don’t have a long wait between each piece.
I tried the Naan recipe but this one was even better!
Great and easy recipe. Very Authentic. I added black cumin seeds too. What a perfect treat.
Awesome I love cumin seeds.
Hi there—- I tried out this naan tonight and it would not get “shiny”. I didn’t want to over-knead it, since that usually makes bread tough. It did rise nicely, I got 10 rounds from it. It didn’t have a good taste— it had a very raw bread dough flavor and was rather tough. Was my yeast bad? I kneaded it for about 15 minutes but no longer. It did produce nice bubbles so I think I’ve made a mistake (not your recipe). (Was this supposed to be using maida all purpose flour? I used American “all purpose flour”)
Hi Anatol I am not sure what happened. Yes, American all purpose flour is fine. It sounds like your flour might not old and stale.
Thank you for your response so fast :)
I just noticed that I used “instant” yeast (which I’ve never used before). Perhaps that was the problem. It came out looking beautiful, I will try it again with new yeast. (The flour was new, the yeast though was close to its “use by” date)
I see. Yeah please try again.
No instant yeast would make no difference. I used it and turned out perfect. The only difference with instant yeast is you do not need to proof it prior to mixing it with the flour you can just throw it in with all the other ingredients and go for it but I always proof it just like the recipe suggests that way you know if your yeast is active and good before you go to the trouble of making the whole recipe so if you didn’t proof your yeast you probably should do that to make sure that it’s active that could be a problem. Your flour could be old. Your measurements could be off my was really sticky I ended up adding one additional maybe 2 tablespoons of flour and it came out perfect and I did it in a mixer kneaded it for eight minutes.
Thanks Robin.
My husband & I love garlic naan with our curries and I just tried your recipe (I halved the amount of ingredients since 4 naan is more than enough for the two of us) and it turned out perfectly delicious!
I’ve been exchanging messages with my other friends who have lived in Singapore or Malaysia who say making naan at home is difficult. Your recipe is simple to follow and it works well with a non-stick pan as well.
Thank you so much for sharing this great and tasty recipe! Will definitely make it again!!
Thanks!
Great Naan! First time trying this and it was easy and excellent…entire family loved it.
Thanks!
I’m interested in making this, but there are only two of us. What to do with leftover nan or dough if I don’t make 8?
Make them and freeze.
Made this last night and it turned out great. It took a lot of time and counter space though. My boyfriend came to help me and we made a fun project out of it. I’d come back to this recipe to make again but would only do it alone if I had an afternoon with a lot of time. Not while I was also trying to make a main dish to serve it with. Thanks for the delicious recipe.
Hi Rebecca, awesome. Try my Butter Chicken or Chicken Tikka Masala.