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This homemade naan recipe makes soft, chewy flatbread with beautifully blistered spots and a buttery finish. All you need is a hot skillet—no tandoor required.
Naan is a soft, pillowy flatbread traditionally baked in a tandoor, a blazing-hot clay oven that gives it those characteristic bubbles and charred spots. Of course, most of us don’t have a tandoor at home, but I’ve found that a good, hot skillet does a wonderful job. The trick is to keep the dough soft and slightly sticky, then cook it over high heat so it puffs up and develops those beautiful golden, blistered spots.
This homemade naan recipe is one of my favorite breads to make because, aside from the rising time, it’s surprisingly quick and easy. And there’s nothing quite like brushing a warm piece of naan with melted butter and serving it alongside chicken curry, butter chicken, or chicken tikka masala.
“My search for the perfect naan bread is over—this recipe is the best!”
What You’ll Need To Make Homemade Naan
- All-purpose flour: The base of the dough. For best results, spoon it into your measuring cup and level it off.
- Sugar and salt: Sugar adds a touch of sweetness and helps the yeast along, while salt brings out the flavor.
- Instant or rapid-rise yeast: Helps the dough rise and gives the naan its pillowy texture. You can use active dry yeast instead, but allow a little extra time for rising.
- Warm water, plain yogurt, and olive oil: Bring the dough together and help keep the naan soft and tender.
- Anise seeds (optional): Add a subtle licorice note. You can substitute nigella, poppy, or sesame seeds, or leave them out.
- Melted salted butter: Brushed over the naan after cooking for a rich, buttery finish.
- Chopped parsley (optional): Adds color and freshness. Use cilantro if you prefer. For garlic naan, stir minced garlic into the melted butter before brushing it over the cooked bread.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
How To Make Naan
Make the dough: Whisk together the dry ingredients in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, combine the yogurt, olive oil, and warm water, then add to the dry ingredients. Stir with a fork until the dough starts to come together, then knead gently with floured hands until you have a soft, slightly sticky ball. There’s no need to knead it until smooth.
Let it rise: Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl and cover. Leave it in a warm spot until it’s about doubled in size. The dough should look noticeably puffier and feel soft and airy.
Divide and shape: Turn the dough onto a well-floured work surface and divide it into six pieces. Dust with flour as needed to keep the dough manageable, then roll each piece into a thin oval. Don’t worry about making them perfectly uniform—a slightly irregular shape is part of naan’s charm.
Cook the naan: Heat a dry cast-iron or heavy nonstick skillet until very hot. Add a piece of dough and watch for large bubbles to form on the surface and golden-brown spots to appear underneath. Flip and cook until the other side is browned and blistered, with a few darker charred spots. Adjust the heat as you go; I usually lower it to medium after the first naan.
Brush and serve: Brush each naan with melted butter as soon as it comes out of the skillet, then keep it tucked in a clean kitchen towel while you cook the rest. Sprinkle with parsley, if using, and serve warm.
storage & Freezing Tips
Naan is best enjoyed fresh from the skillet, but leftovers can be stored in a resealable plastic bag. To reheat, wrap the naan in aluminum foil and warm in a 350°F (175°C) oven until heated through. Naan also freezes well for up to 3 months. Once completely cooled, wrap each piece tightly in plastic wrap and place them together in a freezer bag. To reheat from frozen, wrap the naan in foil and warm in a 350°F (175°C) oven until hot.
Naan Recipe Video Tutorial
Homemade Naan
Ingredients
- 2 cups all purpose flour spooned into measuring cup and leveled-off, plus more for rolling (see note)
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon instant dry yeast/rapid-rise yeast (see note)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- Heaping ½ teaspoon anise seeds (optional)
- 3 tablespoons plain yogurt
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- ¾ cup warm water (about 100°F/38°C)
- 2 tablespoons melted salted butter, for brushing on finished naans
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh Italian parsley (optional), for serving
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, yeast, salt and anise seeds (if using). Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the yogurt, olive oil, and ¾ cup (180 ml) warm water (about 100°F/38°C).
- Add the yogurt mixture to the dry ingredients and mix with a fork until the dough begins to come together. Lightly flour your hands and knead gently to form a soft, slightly sticky dough, adding more flour a little at a time if it’s too wet to handle. Stop kneading as soon as the dough comes together.
- Lightly oil a clean bowl or coat it with nonstick cooking spray (the bowl should be large enough to allow the dough to double in size). Transfer the dough to the prepared bowl and cover with plastic wrap or a damp kitchen towel. Let rise in a warm place for 1 to 1½ hours, or until roughly doubled in size.
- Place about ½ cup (65 g) flour in a small bowl. Lightly dust a work surface with some of the flour and turn the dough out onto it. Sprinkle a little flour over the dough and your hands.
- Shape the dough into a long rectangle and cut it into 6 equal portions, dusting with more flour as needed to prevent sticking. Roll each portion in the bowl of flour to coat lightly.
- Warm a large cast iron or heavy nonstick pan over medium-high heat until very hot.
- Using a rolling pin, roll one portion of dough into an oval about ⅛ in (3 mm) thick and 9 x 4 in (23 x 10 cm). Gently toss the dough back and forth between your hands to shake off any excess flour, then carefully lay it in the dry skillet.
- Cook for a few minutes, until air bubbles form across the surface and the bottom is golden brown with blackened spots. Flip and cook 1 to 2 minutes more, until the bottom is lightly browned and blistered in spots.
- Remove the naan from the skillet, brush with melted butter, and place in a tea towel-lined dish to keep warm.
- Repeat with the remaining naans, adjusting the heat lower if necessary as you go (I usually find it necessary to lower the heat to medium after the first naan). Sprinkle with parsley, if using, and serve warm.
Notes
- I use King Arthur flour, which is higher in protein than some other all-purpose flours. If using a flour with a lower protein content, such as Gold Medal, you will likely need to add a few more tablespoons of flour.
- Active dry yeast may be used instead of instant/rapid-rise yeast, however, the dough will take longer to rise. To give active dry yeast a boost, you can dissolve it in the lukewarm water and let it sit until frothy, about 10 minutes. After that, add it to the flour, sugar, salt, and anise seeds, and proceed with the recipe.
- To keep the cooked naan warm, place them in a 200°F (96°C) oven.
Nutrition Information
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
See more recipes:
Ways to Use Naan
Naan is delicious alongside curries, but there are plenty of other ways to enjoy it. Serve it with a bowl of mulligatawny soup, use it as a base for individual flatbread pizzas, or fold it around grilled chicken, kabobs, or roasted vegetables for a sandwich or wrap. You can even top warm naan with fried eggs for a quick and satisfying breakfast.
More Homemade Bread Recipes You’ll Love
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Made this last night. Super easy and delicious, also fast. Just as good if not better than from the Indian restaurant. Cooked perfectly in my new cast iron skillet. Yes the dough is sticky but just add small amounts of flour until you can work with it. I added about 4 extra tablespoons of flour ( one at a time).
Should I use less instant yeast than active-dry?? Most recipes call for less. Thanks!
Hi Stephen, You should use the same amount. Hope you enjoy!
Made my first batch last week and although it was not the perfect ratio – I LOVE IT! It tasted better than what I expected, especially since I’ve never made any bread before! I’ve been wanting to eat more bread and I’m so glad there’s this recipe since I don’t have an oven yet. Thank you Jenn!
Oh em gee! I was worried that my clumsy hands would not get this right, but the naan came out perfectly! My entire family gobbled up the whole batch! You have to be pretty patient for the dough to rise but it was worth the wait. Can I double the recipe and get the same results? Or would I have to make 2 separate batches? I can’t wait to try another recipe of yours!
Hi Karen, So glad you enjoyed it! I haven’t doubled this myself but a number of readers have done so successfully.
It didn’t work, the dough is very wet and sticky and doesn’t look like the pictures.
Hi Palmilla, Sorry you had a problem with the naan! Did you use a standard liquid measuring cup for the water and a dry ingredient measuring cup for the flour?
Same with me here, it was so wet that i have to put extra almost 1 cup in the batter to get the texture like in the photo.
tasty, making this again in the near future, thanks! if i wanted to freeze the dough, do i roll out into individual naans first, or freeze the whole ball?
Hi Lainey, Glad you liked the naan! Yes, you could get away with freezing the dough (I’d freeze it in one big ball). Here’s some helpful guidance.
I weighed the flour (instead of using a measuring cup) for my second batch and it was definitely stickier than the first time (which did look like the photo), but after it rises, as long as you roll the cut ball of dough in flour before rolling, it is workable and that’s what keeps it so nice and fluffy inside once cooked! 🙂
Same with me here, it was like glue. Put in at least 3/4 cup more flour. Used Greek yogurt so not too wet either.
This recipe was amazing! I was honestly shocked by how well the texture came out. Just like if you ordered it from a restaurant. Thank you for this!
I did find that the recipe made 6 small naans, so for a family of four, I would do 1.5 times everything.
As others have said, the liquid to solid ratio doesn’t work with the amounts specified. The dough is far too wet to work with, needed to add another 50 grams to make it more cohesive. Would also suggest author uses a numeric measurement amounts such as grams or oz, cups is such a imprecise unit of measurement. Otherwise, the results are great.
Hi Deirdre, sorry you had a problem with the texture/dry to wet ratios, but glad to hear they turned out nicely nevertheless. The recipe actually has weight measurements as well — to view them, scroll down to the recipe, and immediately under the recipe title on the right side, you’ll see a little toggle. If you move it from “cup measures” to metric, you’ll see measurements that will work for you.
Hi Jen, I too have had problems with the ratios, I wasn’t even close and tried everything by weight which is included for everything except water which is still in cups. Do you happen to know the weight in grams for the water as I can tell by the number of top rated reviews that this must be a good recipe if I can get the ratios right.
Hi Ed, Sorry you had a problem with this. You’ll need 180 ml of water. I hope you have better luck the next time around!
Ran out of yeast, but have some sourdough starter. Wondering if you have any experience and/or suggestions on how to use starter to make these naan.
I don’t have any experience with it — I’m sorry!
Your recipes are all good so it must be me. I followed instructions as written. After the first naan was flipped over the cast iron pan got
more and more burned flour in it much like in your photo only all over pan so each naan that followed had a burned all over look.
Also when i dumped dough on counter (after rising) the underside was a little hard and dry. Perhaps i had dough too close to fireplace where i put it to rise. I did not get a fluffy naan all over but some of the edges were as you would expect ,light and fluffy. Wifey loved the taste which we had with a chicken curry. Will try again. I may try a non stick pan or cast iron bbq. I can put all naan on bbq at once so no residual flour that would attach to each naan as they are cooked. I give three stars but again think it was me as so many said it worked for them. ron Vancouver BC
I’ve never made naan in my life and I was quite intimidated to make it, but your recipe was so easy to follow and they turned out delicious! I used to buy Trader Joe’s frozen naan but taking some time out of my day to make fresh naan is 10000% better. My family couldn’t get enough and wanted more. Will definitely be making this on a regular basis!
Followed this to the letter and they came out perfect…. thank you. Yes the dough was a bit wobbly but I just kept adding flour to rollout etc and they were the best nan ever. Leftovers in plastic in the fridge to use in the next couple of days