Naan (Grilled Flatbread)
- By Amy Dong
- Updated Mar. 23, 2026
This scrumptious naan flatbread turns out soft, tender, and flavorful. They cook up with plenty of nice, airy bubbles and are deliciously chewy.
Naan Grilled Flatbread
I previously shared my favorite recipe for Chicken Tikka Masala which was a huge hit with everyone who has tried it. Now, this fabulous naan style recipe has been waiting for its turn in the spotlight. It very well could steal the show.
Like the Chicken Tikka Masala, I have tried numerous times to create a decent flatbread that reminds me of the naan I’m so used to ordering from my favorite Indian eateries. I even tried a popular naan recipe that looked promising.
Unfortunately, none of the recipes worked out well enough to write home about. Until now.
Watch this Naan Recipe in Action
Naan Recipe, Easy to Make
This could well be the closest I’ll ever come to making flatbread akin to Indian or Asian naan. I’m very okay with that, given the happy results of this delicious flatbread.
In all truth, it’s extremely difficult – maybe next to impossible – for most home cooks to make authentic naan bread. We can come pretty close to the real thing, but won’t actually replicate the original classic entirely.
The reason for that is due to the fact that most of us do not happen to have a home kitchen adorned with a traditional clay oven, which can get up to 900F. At least, I don’t. It’s that extremely high heat that creates the unique texture of authentic naan flatbread.
Looking for more easy breads and baked goods to make for meals? Try this best popover recipe!
Soft, Tender, Flavorful
This scrumptious naan stye flatbread turns out soft, tender, and flavorful. These cook up with plenty of nice, airy bubbles and an irresistibly chewy bite and are great served for meals or with a bit of the best tahini sauce.
Tip: don’t over your just-cooked naan with foil. The warm condensation will your big, pretty bubbles to flatten. That’s basically what happened to mine. I share that tidbit so it won’t happen to you 😉 Regardless, none of my eaters noticed – these were gobbled up as soon as they were released.
Overall, this tasty flatbread is a bit thicker and chewier than traditional naan, but it has made a worthy name for itself – every last bit of the bread was scraped up. No leftovers means no experiments with reheating. Therefore, I can’t say how well leftover naan keeps, but my guess is your freshly cooked naan will be devoured in a flash.
Fresh Off the Pan
This naan recipe is is simple and straightforward. You just have to stay patient while cooking them because (unless you have multiple cast iron skillets and uncanny hand-eye-speed coordination) you will probably be cooking them one at a time.
You’ll have to bat away all those hands trying to grab the bread before you’ve officially rung the dinner bell. Good thing these cook up fast!
Do be sure to serve these up while still warm and fresh, so cook them up right before you’re ready to nosh. Enjoy!
Naan (Grilled Flatbread)
Ingredients
- 2 ¼ teaspoons instant yeast
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt, plus more for sprinkling
- 2 ¾ cups bread flour, plus more for dusting
- 1 cup room temperature water
- ¼ cup plain whole yogurt
- 1 tablespoon olive oil, plus more for oiling bowl
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 tablespoons salted butter, melted
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- Optional: kosher salt, freshly chopped parsley, cilantro, or chives, for sprinkling
Instructions
- In a stand mixer, combine yeast, sugar, salt, and bread flour in the bowl of stand mixer. Mix with paddle attachment until combined, about 15 seconds. Add water, yogurt, olive oil, and garlic. Mix on low until a shaggy dough forms, about 30 seconds.
- Replace the paddle with the dough hook and knead the dough on medium speed until smooth and glossy, about 8 minutes. If dough is too sticky, add 1 tablespoon flour at a time, just until dough clears the sides of the bowl. Do not add too much dough. If dough is too dry, add 1 teaspoon water at a time. Dough should still stick a bit to the bottom of the bowl.
- Transfer dough ball to well oiled bowl. Turn dough in bowl, so surfaces of dough are protected by oil. Cover with plastic wrap and place in draft free, warm spot until dough has doubled in bulk, about 1 hour. Actual time depends on room temperature.
- Turn dough onto lightly floured surface. If sticky, sprinkle lightly with flour. Form dough into a log and slice into 8 equal portions. Roll each portion into round ball. Roll or flatten each ball into a 4-inch circle, always keeping other dough balls covered while working. It helps to set them on wax or parchment paper to prevent bottoms from sticking.
- Let the 4-inch circles rest for 10 minutes, covered. Using lightly oiled rolling pin, roll each round into 6 inch circle. Keep others covered as you roll each dough round.
- 5-10 minutes before ready to cook, heat a heavy cast iron pan over medium high heat. Working one at a time, gently lift a dough circle, stretch it about 1 inch larger, and place in skillet. You can also press it into a wider circle carefully, right after you put it into the pan.
- Cook until small bubbles appear on the surface of the dough and bottom is a deep golden brown, about 1-2 minutes. Using a large flat spatula, flip the naan bread and repeat on other side.
- Transfer naan bread to a wire rack and cool for a couple of minutes. Combine melted butter with garlic powder. Right before serving, brush each naan generously while still warm.
- Lightly sprinkle with a bit of kosher salt, desired herbs, and serve immediately. Cover bread loosely in clean towel to keep warm.
Notes
- The brand of flour you use can make a difference in how much water you’ll need for a slightly sticky but workable dough.
- Be sure to gently “scoop and level” with dry-measuring cups when measuring flour; do not tap or pack down flour while measuring (this will lead to bread that’s tough/dry.)
- If mixing by hand, knead dough until smooth and elastic, 12-15 minutes.
- The time it takes for dough to double depends on the room temperature. It can take more time if room is cooler.
- Cook time does not include the time for dough to rest/rise.
- Storage: Cooked naan bread can be wrapped airtight and stored at moderate room temperature for 2 days. Store airtight in fridge up to 4 days, or in freezer up to 1 month.
- To reheat, wrap them tightly in foil and place in oven for 5-10 minutes at 350F, or just until heated through.
- Make Ahead: Uncooked dough circles can be stacked between wax paper and kept airtight in fridge for up to 2 days. They can also be frozen up to 1 month; defrost in fridge and cook as instructed.
