Cheese and Garlic Naan Recipe (Stuffed & Easy)

Cheese and garlic naan is the ultimate version of everyone's favourite Indian flatbread. Soft, pillowy naan with a cheese centre and a brush of garlic butter on top. It's the kind of thing you'd order at a restaurant and never think to make at home, but it's far easier than it looks.

The trick is that the cheese goes inside the dough, not on top, so you get that stretchy, gooey pull when you tear it open. Here's how to do it.

Ingredients

For the naan dough:

• 2 cups (approx. 250g) plain flour, plus extra for dusting
• 1 tsp instant dried yeast
• 1 tsp caster sugar
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ cup (125ml) warm milk (warm to the touch, not hot)
• ¼ cup (60g) natural Greek or plain yoghurt, at room temperature
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil or melted ghee
• 2–3 cloves garlic, minced (approx. 1 tbsp)

For the cheese filling:

• 1½ cups (approx. 150g) grated mozzarella
• ½ cup (approx. 50g) grated cheddar (optional, for a sharper flavour)

For the garlic butter finish:

• 2 tbsp melted butter or ghee
• 1–2 cloves garlic, minced (approx. ½–1 tbsp)
• 1 tbsp fresh coriander, finely chopped

Instructions

1. Activate the yeast. In a large bowl, whisk together the warm milk, sugar, and yeast. Let it stand for 5–10 minutes until foamy. If there's no foam, the yeast may be old, so start again with a fresh batch.

2. Make the dough. Add the flour, salt, yoghurt, 1 tbsp oil or ghee, and the minced garlic to the yeast mixture. Mix until a shaggy dough forms.

3. Knead. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Knead for 7–10 minutes until smooth, elastic, and no longer sticky.

4. First rise. Lightly grease the bowl, place the dough back in, and turn to coat. Cover with cling film or a damp cloth and leave in a warm spot for 1–1.5 hours, until doubled in size.

5. Mix the cheese. Combine the grated mozzarella and cheddar in a bowl. Keeping it ready now makes stuffing quicker later.

6. Divide the dough. Gently punch down the risen dough and divide it into 6–8 equal balls.

7. Stuff the naan. Take one dough ball and flatten it into a disc about 12cm wide in your palm or on a floured surface. Place a generous tablespoon of the cheese mix in the centre. Pull the edges up and over the cheese to seal it into a parcel, pinching firmly so no cheese escapes. Turn it seam-side down.

8. Roll gently. With a light hand, roll or press the stuffed ball into an oval about 0.5cm thick. Go slowly so the cheese stays sealed inside. A little cheese peeking through is fine, but try not to tear it.

9. Heat the pan. Heat a heavy-based frying pan (cast iron is best) over high heat until very hot. No oil needed in the pan.

10. Cook the naan. Place one naan in the hot, dry pan. Cook for 1–2 minutes until bubbles appear and the underside has dark spots. Flip and cook the other side for 1–2 minutes until charred in spots and cooked through. The cheese inside should be melted.

11. Make the garlic butter. While the naans cook, combine the melted butter or ghee, minced garlic, and chopped coriander in a small bowl.

12. Butter and stack. Brush each naan generously with the garlic butter as soon as it comes out of the pan. Stack the naans and cover with a clean tea towel to keep them warm and soft while you cook the rest.

13. Serve. Serve hot, ideally straight away while the cheese is still molten.

Tips for the Best Cheese and Garlic Naan

• The most common mistake is cheese leaking out. Pinch the seam firmly and roll gently. If a little escapes and crisps in the pan, that's no bad thing, but a good seal keeps the centre molten.
• Mozzarella gives that signature cheese pull. A little cheddar adds sharpness, but go easy or it can make the naan greasy. 
• Too much cheese and the parcel won't seal, and the naan tears when you roll it.

What to Serve with Cheese and Garlic Naan

Cheese and garlic naan pairs beautifully with a saucy curry to mop up. It's a natural match for butter chicken or a chicken tikka masala. If you want something with more heat alongside the cheesy richness, our chicken madras is perfect,

Prefer the classic without the cheese? Our easy homemade garlic naan recipe is the one to make.

If you're building an Indian pantry, a few essential spices will take you from naan to a full spread of curries to serve alongside.

About the author

We're a small family business based in Brisbane. We've been bringing authentic Indian spices to Australian kitchens since 1995.