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This homemade herbed garlic butter naan is a slight variation on an HBH classic. It’s extra soft, doughy, chewy, and brushed generously with caramelized garlic herb butter. Quite honestly, you’ll have a hard time finding a better naan recipe out there. The best part, this bread is so easy make, and pretty difficult to mess up. Serve alongside your favorite Indian dishes, with grilled meats, alongside hummus, or simply on its own…fresh off the skillet. You simply can’t go wrong with this naan.

overhead photo of Herbed Garlic Butter Naan

This recipe has been a long time coming.

Those of you who read often probably already know that I am obsessed with my homemade naan. It’s truly one of my favorite recipes I’ve ever shared. And it is, without a doubt, the one I remake most often. Probably because it’s also my family’s favorite. With requests from my mom and little sister coming in often, very often.

This herby, garlicy naan is my homemade naan recipe from years back, but with the addition  of herbs, garlic, and butter. It’s so simple, and pretty much perfect in every which way. I can’t believe it’s taken me so many years to create this recipe. But man oh man, I’m thankful I finally listened to all of you who said to make garlic naan, because it’s a game changer.

naan dough before cooking
naan on skillet
naan on skillet

Just like with my plain naan recipe…which I still think you NEED, because sometimes garlicy, herby bread isn’t the best for everything…this naan is simple. You really can’t mess it up. That said, there are a few things you need to know.

First, the milk and the yogurt are a must. I’ve discovered that these two ingredients, which are not always traditional in naan, are really what make this recipe better than others. You can use a nut milk, and you can also use coconut yogurt, but I will not lie, it’s not exactly the same. If your diet allows, I highly recommend using whole milk and yogurt.

Second, a cast iron skillet (a screaming hot one), is really what you need to create the perfect naan. Yes, this can be made in a nonstick skillet, but you will not get all those lovely pockets of air and toasted bottoms. It just won’t happen. I like to use this Staub Skillet, which conveniently comes with a clear glass lid, perfect for knowing just when to flip. It’s practically dedicated to making naan.

Third, it’s important to roll your naan dough out pretty thin. It may not seem right, but a thin naan dough will equal a soft doughy baked piece of naan. As the naan cooks (on the screaming hot skillet), it will quickly puff. If the dough is too thick, it will just be dense and heavy, instead of airy and light.

Fourth, butter, yes, you need it. Brushing the naan dough with butter before cooking is the key to a beautiful golden naan. So is finishing each cooked piece of naan with a little garlic herb butter. The butter is essential for that melt in your mouth, roll your eyes back, delicious taste. Trust me.

PS. as my mom is reading this, I can guarantee you that her mouth is watering. I think naan might just be her favorite food. It may be hard for her to admit, but I kinda think it beats out chocolate…maybe. 

side angled photo of Herbed Garlic Butter Naan
close up photo of Herbed Garlic Butter Naan

And that’s honestly all you need to know. Your first piece might not look that nice, but you’ll get the hang of it. By the last piece of naan, you will be a pro.

The best part though? No matter how the naan looks, it’s still going to taste DELICIOUS. Truly, you can’t mess this recipe up. It always turns out good. And really, is anything slathered with garlic herb butter ever not delicious?

Answer? Nope, always delicious. Oh, just don’t burn the garlic. Then you could have an issue…

Now, what can you serve this naan with? EVERYTHING.

I’m talking butter chicken meatballs – yes, please. Or the vegan option, coconut butter cauliflower? For sure some sheet pan chicken shawarma. Oh, and definitely this sweet potato lentil soup with rice. Or any soup for that matter.

side angle photo of drizzling butter over Herbed Garlic Butter Naan

My personal favorite? Hot right off the skillet with a little extra herby butter and nothing else. Yes, yes, yes.

And with that, enjoy one of my favorite recipes of all time. Make it…make it today, tomorrow, and every day you can find the time. Just like a good chocolate chip cookie, naan makes the day better. So dramatic, but so true.

overhead close up photo of Herbed Garlic Butter Naan

If you make this herbed garlic butter naan, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to also tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!

Watch the How To Video:

Herbed Garlic Butter Naan

Author: Tieghan Gerard
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Servings: 8
Calories Per Serving: 620 kcal

Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.

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Ingredients

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

  • 1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the water, honey, and yeast. Let sit for 5-10 minutes or until the mixture begins to bubble on top. 
    2. Add the milk, yogurt, flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Using the dough hook, mix until the flour is completely incorporated, about 2-4 minutes. The dough should be sticky. Dust lightly with flour and knead the dough into a ball using your hands. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let sit in a warm place for 1 hour, until doubled in size, or if not using right away, overnight in the fridge.
    3.  When ready to cook divide the dough into 8 equal balls. Using a rolling pin, roll each piece of dough into a large oval, about 8 inches long and about 1/4-inch thick. Repeat with the remaining dough.
    4. Heat a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat, you want the pan screaming hot. Brush both sides of the naan with half of the melted butter. Drizzle the the skillet with a teaspoon of olive oil, then carefully use a paper towel to wipe the oil around the skillet. Place the naan on the hot skillet, immediately cover with a lid and cook for 1 minute, bubbles will form. Flip and cook, uncovered for another 1-2 minutes, until large toasted spots appear on the underside. Remove from the skillet and wrap in a clean kitchen towel. Repeat with the rest of the naan, keeping them wrapped in a towel while you work. 
    5. To make the garlic herb butter. Melt together the remaining half of the melted butter plus the garlic. Heat over low heat until the butter is lightly browned and the garlic golden. Remove from the heat and add the herbs. Brush the garlic herb butter over the warm naan and serve. These are best served warm, right off the skillet, but leftovers are still delicious. Keep stored in an airtight container for up to 3-4 days or freeze for up to 3 months.

Notes

Yeast: If you do not have access to yeast or simply cannot use, you can omit the yeast. The naan will be a little less fluffy, but it is still going to be great! 
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horizontal photo of Herbed Garlic Butter Naan
This post was originally published on February 19, 2019
4.26 from 812 votes (635 ratings without comment)

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Comments

  1. 5 stars
    My 5 star is how excited I am to try this. Wondering if you’ve ever smoked it in a Traeger? I’m thinking I might preheat the smoker to 500 with one of my Cast iron pans inside then cook it but I was also considering smoking the dough first on a really low temp… thoughts?

    Reply

    1. Hey Liz! I have not used a Traeger, but it sounds like a really great idea! I bet it would be so good! Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan

      Reply

  2. How sticky is sticky when it comes to the dough? Mine didn’t form into a ball like in your video. I weighed the flour at 480g like you mentioned. Thanks!

    Reply

    1. HI there! When you put your finger into the dough, it should be able to be pulled way with dough completely sticking to your finger. If the dough is too sticky, Just add additional flour until the dough pulls away from the side of the mixing bowl. That will help with any stickiness. In general, it is better to have a sticker dough, dry dough will be hard to work with and bland. Please let me know if you have any other questions. So glad you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan

      Reply

  3. I just made this!!! Soo good! I have a few Qs:
    1. Would the technique be different if I used instant yeast?
    2. Got confused bec in the video, you didn’t dust with floor + roll it into a ball before rising. But in the above instructions, you do. Is it necessary?
    3. What is the non-bubbly side of your naan bread supposed to look like? Is it really flat & kinda hard?

    Thanksssss

    Reply

    1. HI! 1. Yes, if you use instant yeast you do not need to let the yeast sit for 5 minutes in the first step of the recipe. 2. Yes, it’s necessary to dust with flour before rolling to help with sticking. 3. The non bubble side should not be hard at all, it should have blackish brown spots, similar to a tortilla. Please let me know if you have any other questions. So glad you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan

      Reply

    1. HI! You can freeze the dough, that works really well! Just thaw the dough overnight in the fridge or on the counter for a few hours. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan

      Reply

  5. 5 stars
    Ok, first, this recipe is CRAZY delicious! When you say “screaming hot” I figured out that is about 400-450°. This will get you good bubbles. My first 2 naan’s were at about 550° and that was too hot. I have an infrared thermometer to help with my wood pellet pizza oven. It came in hand today. I used a 14″ cast iron pizza pan. It doesn’t have sides and basically is just a flat piece of cast iron. This worked well. Another key point is rolling the dough as thin as you can (the recipe says 1/4″ but your comments say thin). Thin is the best. The garlic butter at the end is so good. I added kosher salt and my special Tuscan seasoning mix to the bread. The dough is so soft and supple and fun to work with. I made a mess, but it was well worth it.

    Reply

    1. Wow this comment makes me want to go make some haha! I am so glad you loved this recipe, Brenda! Thank you so much! xTieghan

      Reply

  6. 5 stars
    I love this recipe! I’ve made it twice now. After we eat one or two warm (because we really can’t stop ourselves), I put the rest in the refrigerator. After they are cool, I cut them in half and then carefully slice lengthwise and use them for sandwiches – just pop a sliced half in the microwave to warm it up and it’s lovely warm bread for a sandwich that is not too thick (I don’t care for bread heavy sandwiches). This recipe is definitely in my rotation – can’t wait to make a curry or two to go with this as well. Thank-you so much !

    Reply

    1. Hi Nancy! I am so happy that you loved this recipe and I hope you love it with curry as well! Thank you! xTieghan

      Reply

  7. 5 stars
    I made this last night with my daughter. We both agreed it was the best Naan we’ve ever eaten! Although this is a very straightforward recipe, it does require some skill to get the dough the correct consistency and to cook it at just the right temperature / time. Even if you had a fail the first time, try again! A few notes based on my experience:
    1) You can sub half of the flour with whole wheat or whole wheat white. We did that, and it gave the dough a wonderful density and heft.
    2) I had to add at least another 1/3 -1/2 cup flour to get the right texture of the dough (sticky but still workable). This is not surprising given how humid it was yesterday – and the fact I used whole wheat for part of the flour. Be confident is adjusting the flour amount to get the correct consisency of the dough.
    3) Be sure to roll your dough thin enough. A few of our pieces were thicker – and just as delicious – but didn’t have the lightness and airiness that we love.
    4) You must know (learn) your pan and your cooktop to determine the best temperature to use. I have a Wolf gas burner cooktop and a large cast iron skillet, and I used medium-low heat on the highest burner (I have high and low gas rings on each burner). Next time I will probably use high heat on the lower burner to prevent the exterior from getting too brown – although we ate every last “burned” bite!
    5) I cooked each side only about 1 min – 1 min 30 sec. I found that worked for my cooktop and skillet. Again, don’t be afraid to adjust based on your equipment!

    Reply

  8. I’ve made this twice now, so good! I have to keep experimenting with the temp of the pan. I find that cast iron gets super hot and if I don’t want the naan carefully it will burn. You have to work fast that’s for sure.

    Reply

  9. 4 stars
    My naan came out very doughy and thick. Still good with the garlic butter on top but what do I need to change to make it lighter / airier? Followed the recipe exactly.

    Reply

    1. Hi Corey! How thin did you roll the dough? my guess is that You need to roll the dough thinner and use a very hot skillet, I recommend a cast iron skillet. Please let me know if you have any other questions.Thank you! xTieghan

      Reply

    1. hi David! I am sorry, I have not tested this with GF flour and am unsure of the outcome. Some have tried and ended up with a glumpy naan. Please let me know if you have any other questions. So sorry I could not help you more! Thank you! xTieghan

      Reply

  11. 5 stars
    We made the Naan, Coconut Butter Cauliflower with a fresh mango, lime chili salad you had suggested. Everyone loved it. Everything worked so well together to enhance the depth of flavors. It is a real keeper. One note: We baked the naan on our baking steel sheet in the oven for a superior texture and no chance of burning the bread. Thanks so much for these recipes. You are very talented.

    Reply

  12. Your naan looks soooo good! I tried making your recipe but my naan didn’t bubble up like yours does. Any suggestions? I’d like to try making it again.

    Reply

    1. HI! How did you make the naan? did you change the recipe at all? It is important to use a very hot cast iron skillet and roll the dough pretty thin. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan

      Reply

    1. Hey Hallie! I do recommend greek yogurt as I am not sure how regular yogurt will work. I would think it would be fine, but I have not tested it. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan

      Reply

  15. 5 stars
    This recipe is easy and amazing! The naan turned out exactly how it was supposed to. It’s a solid 10. I’m saving this recipe to use again!

    Reply