This cheese naan recipe makes soft, fluffy skillet flatbreads filled with melted mozzarella and finished with melted butter and black sesame seeds or nigella seeds. The dough is made without yogurt and cooks easily in an everyday skillet.
Warm homemade naan is already difficult to resist, but hiding a layer of melted cheese inside it feels almost unfair. The outside develops those familiar golden skillet spots while the center stays soft, stretchy, and wonderfully cheesy.
This naan recipe without yogurt uses warm water, milk, egg, instant yeast, and melted butter to create a tender dough. Each portion is filled with mozzarella, carefully sealed, and cooked in a hot skillet until puffed and lightly blistered.
Serve this cheese naan with Easy Chicken Curry with Coconut Milk or use it to scoop up the creamy sauce from this Butter Chicken Recipe. It is also excellent torn into pieces and served with Creamy Hummus Recipe. Add a bowl of Spicy Asian Cucumber Salad when you want something cool, crunchy, and spicy beside the warm bread.
This is an easy skillet version rather than traditional tandoor naan. You do not need a pizza stone, special oven, or complicated equipment—just a mixing bowl, rolling pin, and a properly heated skillet.
Table of contents
Ingredients for Cheese Naan
Let’s Make Cheese Naan
- Activate the Yeast and Start the Dough
Stir the warm water, sugar, and instant yeast together, then leave the mixture for about 5 minutes until small bubbles begin forming on the surface. If nothing happens, the yeast may be old or the liquid may have been too hot or too cold.
Whisk the egg separately. Place the flour and salt in a large mixing bowl, then add the yeast mixture, milk, beaten egg, and most of the melted butter.
- Knead and Let the Dough Rise
Mix until a shaggy dough forms, then knead for 8 to 10 minutes. The finished dough should feel smooth, stretchy, and slightly tacky rather than dry.
Place it in a lightly greased bowl, cover, and let it rise in a warm place until doubled in size.
- Divide and Fill With Cheese
Divide the risen dough into five equal portions and shape each one into a smooth ball.
Flatten one portion into a small round, place shredded mozzarella in the center, and bring the edges over the cheese. Pinch the seam firmly closed so the cheese stays inside during cooking.
- Gently Roll the Filled Dough
Place the sealed side down on a lightly floured surface. Gently press and roll it into a round flatbread, taking care not to tear the dough or expose the cheese.
Keep the remaining portions covered while you work so they do not dry out.
- Cook in a Hot Skillet
Preheat a large dry skillet over medium to medium-high heat before adding the naan. A properly heated skillet helps the dough puff, cook through, and develop golden brown spots without becoming dry.
Place one filled naan in the hot skillet and cook until bubbles form and the underside develops golden brown spots. Flip and cook the second side until the dough is fully cooked and the cheese has melted.
- Brush With Butter
Transfer the hot naan to a cooling rack or plate and immediately brush it with melted butter.
Sprinkle with black sesame seeds or nigella seeds, when using. Repeat with the remaining dough.
Can I Make Cheese Naan Without Yogurt?
Yes. This dough uses warm milk, water, egg, yeast, and butter instead of yogurt.
The result is still soft and flexible, with enough strength to hold the cheese filling.
What to Serve With Cheese Naan
Cheese naan works especially well with chicken curry, butter chicken, chickpea curry, lentil curry, hummus, grilled chicken, soups, and fresh cucumber salads.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Using too much flour, which can make the dough dry and the cooked naan firm.
- Using yeast that is no longer active.
- Letting the remaining dough portions sit uncovered while shaping the naan.
- Adding too much cheese, which can make the filled dough difficult to seal.
- Not pinching the seam firmly enough, allowing the cheese to leak during cooking.
- Rolling the filled dough too aggressively and tearing the surface.
- Cooking the naan before the skillet is properly heated.
- Cooking the naan for too long, which can make it dry instead of soft.
FAQs
Low-moisture mozzarella is a good choice because it melts smoothly and does not release as much liquid as fresh mozzarella.
Leave a clean border around the filling, gather the edges completely over the cheese, and pinch the seam firmly closed.
The skillet may not have been hot enough, the yeast may not have been active, or the dough may have been rolled too thickly.
Hard naan is commonly caused by too much flour or excessive cooking.
Keep the dough slightly tacky, remove the naan once both sides are cooked, and brush it with butter while still hot.
Yes. Let the dough rise at room temperature for approximately 30 minutes, then cover and refrigerate overnight.
Yes. Use the same amount.
Stir it into the warm water and sugar, then leave it for 5 to 10 minutes before adding it to the dough.
More recipes
Cheese Naan Recipe
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Add the warm water, sugar, and instant yeast to a small bowl. Stir and leave for approximately 5 minutes, until lightly foamy.
- Beat the egg in a separate small bowl.
- Add the flour and salt to a large mixing bowl and stir to combine.
- Pour in the yeast mixture, warm milk, beaten egg, and 3 tablespoons of melted butter.
- Mix until a rough, shaggy dough forms.
- Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead for 8 to 10 minutes, until smooth and elastic.
- Add additional flour only one tablespoon at a time when the dough is too wet to handle. It should remain slightly tacky.
- Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl and turn it once to coat the surface.
- Cover and leave in a warm place for 60 to 90 minutes, or until approximately doubled in size.
- Gently press the air from the risen dough.
- Divide the dough into five equal portions and shape each portion into a smooth ball.
- Cover the dough balls and let them rest for 10 to 15 minutes.
- Flatten one ball into a round approximately 5 inches wide.
- Place about ⅓ cup shredded mozzarella in the center, leaving a clean border around the edge.
- Bring the edges of the dough over the cheese and pinch firmly to seal.
- Turn the filled dough seam-side down and gently roll it into a 7- to 8-inch round. Avoid pressing hard enough to tear the surface.
- Preheat a heavy skillet over medium to medium-high heat.
- Place the naan in the dry skillet and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until bubbles form and the underside develops golden brown spots.
- Flip and cook the second side for another 2 minutes, or until the dough is cooked and the cheese has melted.
- Adjust the heat as necessary so the outside does not burn before the center cooks.
- Transfer the naan to a cooling rack or plate.
- Brush immediately with some of the remaining melted butter.
- Sprinkle with black sesame seeds or nigella seeds, when desired.
- Repeat with the remaining dough and cheese.
- Serve the cheese naan warm.
Nutrition
Notes
- Cheese: Low-moisture mozzarella melts well without releasing too much liquid. A mozzarella and mild cheddar mixture can also be used.
- Seal the dough carefully: Pinch the seam firmly before rolling so melted cheese does not escape into the skillet.
- Roll gently: Apply light, even pressure. Small air bubbles are normal, but exposed cheese may stick to the pan.
- Liquid temperature: The water and milk should feel warm, not hot. Very hot liquid can prevent the yeast from working correctly.
- Instant yeast: Instant yeast does not technically require proofing, but the short rest helps confirm that it is active.
- Soft dough: Avoid adding large amounts of extra flour. A slightly tacky dough creates softer naan.
- Hot skillet: Preheat the skillet before cooking the first naan.
- Dry skillet: Do not add a large amount of oil to the pan. Brush the naan with melted butter after cooking.
- Keep it soft: Place the cooked naan under a clean kitchen towel.
- Garlic variation: Add one finely grated garlic clove to the finishing butter.
- Herb variation: Add chopped cilantro or parsley to the melted butter.
- Storage: Refrigerate cooled naan in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
- Freezing: Separate the naan with parchment paper and freeze for up to 2 months.
- Reheating: Warm in a dry skillet over medium-low heat until the cheese softens again.
Tried this recipe?
Let us know how it was!Estimated reading time: 6 minutes
