The Best Ways to Reheat Naan Bread

Naan bread is a leavened Indian bread, traditionally baked in a tandoor, a clay oven, and it is absolutely delicious. Naan bread is available in many Indian supermarkets and restaurants, and can easily be made at home.

You may have naan bread in the fridge, waiting to be devoured with a curry or eaten on its own as a snack.

You want the naan to be hot and soft, so what’s the best way to reheat naan bread?

The best way to reheat naan bread is in the oven, in the skillet, or even in the microwave for a short time. These three methods ensure that the naan stays smooth and soft.

Read on to find out more about this amazing bread and how to reheat it.

Reheat the naan bread

Naan bread is fairly easy to reheat at home, either from frozen or using leftover naan from last night’s dinner.

Depending on the appliances you have at home and how you like to serve your naan bread, here are the three best ways to reheat naan bread and bring it back to its original delicious texture and flavor.

How to reheat naan in the microwave

Microwaving naan bread is one of the fastest ways to reheat it. Depending on the power of your microwave, you will need to heat the naan bread for between 30 and 90 seconds.

If the naan is frozen, this short burst of heat keeps the moisture in the naan intact, keeping it moist and soft.

Cooking for a longer time will reduce the moisture content and cook the starch, making the naan bread rubbery.

You will be able to tell if the naan bread is done if it is warm to the touch and can be folded gently.

If you are heating more than one naan, use the following time guideline for reheating the naan in the microwave:

• 1 naan - 25 seconds
• 2 naans - 55 seconds
• 3 naans - 90 seconds

How to reheat naan in a skillet

Reheating the naan in a skillet is a good option for naan that isn’t frozen. You will need to heat the pan over high heat before placing the naan in the pan. If you don’t have a good frying pan, you have to try this one that I use!

Instructions:

1. Place the naan bread top side down in the pan and flip after a few seconds. The naan needs just enough time in the pan to char the bubbling spots without burning or drying out too much.
2. The bottom of the naan can cook for a bit longer as it tastes better with a slightly crispy texture, this should take about 30 seconds in a hot pan.
3. If you want, you can add a bit of ghee to the top of the naan bread for a butterier taste.

How to reheat naan in the oven

To heat non-frozen naan in the oven, you’ll need to give it a little more moisture to prevent it from drying out.

Instructions:

1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Lightly grease a baking sheet.
3. Place the naan bread on the cookie sheet and spray the top of the naan with water.
4. Place the tray and naan on the center rack of the oven and allow to heat in the oven for 2-3 minutes.
5. Brush with oil or butter for added flavor. Serve the naan immediately to lock in the moisture and buttery flavor.

If you are looking for a new baking sheet, these are my favorites that you can get on Amazon.

How to reheat naan in the air fryer

To reheat naan in an air fryer, follow these instructions:

1. Preheat air fryer to 400 F.
2. Line the air fryer with aluminum foil.
3. Drizzle the naan with a dash of olive oil.
4. Place the naan bread on top of the foil in the air fryer basket.
5. Cook for 3 minutes or until heated through.

With this method you will have a perfectly toasted naan in less than 5 minutes.

How to add flavor to your naan bread

Your naan bread may have lost some of its flavors while frozen or in the fridge, and having a tasteless naan bread is not worth it.

Luckily, you can add a little extra flavor to your naan bread by heating it in a skillet or in the oven.

You can add just about any spice, ingredient, or topping you want to your naan bread, but here are the most popular flavor options best suited to take your naan bread to the next level:

• • ghee
  • Garlic
  • Ginger
  • Mint
  • red chili flakes
  • Cilantro
  • Mint
  • white sesame seeds

• black sesame seeds

I just have to reach for my favorite spice rack to try new flavors!

You have the freedom to mix and match whatever toppings and toppings you like when reheating your naan bread, to create the perfect sandwich or main dish side.

How to preserve naan bread

Properly storing naan bread is the best way to ensure that it keeps well and perfectly maintains its flavor and texture. For store-bought naan or homemade naan, here are the two best ways to properly store naan:

• Store fresh naan bread in an airtight container or plastic bag. The naan can be left at room temperature when stored in one of these ways. The naan will keep for 3 days if stored in an airtight container before needing to be consumed.
• To freeze the naan, you will need to put it in an airtight plastic bag. It can be stored in the freezer, inside a plastic bag, for 2 months. To thaw the naan, it is best to let it thaw in the plastic bag at room temperature overnight, then reheat it in an oven or skillet over high heat, lightly coating it with ghee, oil or butter.

Different types of Indian bread

Most everyone is familiar with the deliciously soft and tender naan bread that is given as a side to takeaway curry dishes, but there are other wonderful Indian breads that are just as amazing as naan.

Why not try one of the breads below and broaden your culinary knowledge of Indian breads?

chapatti

Chapati is an unleavened bread made by pounding and stretching the dough between the palms of the hands, before cooking it on a tava, which is a disc-shaped pan.

Chapati goes very well with almost any curry or stew. It has a mild nutty flavor and is an everyday bread in India.

Parotta

Parotta is a layered flatbread from Kerala. Parotta is made with maida flour and contains a higher gluten content than its sister bread, paratha. This makes the bread silkier and doughier once baked.

Parotta is traditionally served for breakfast or lunch with a dahl or lentil curry, but there are more modern ways to enjoy the bread, such as stuffed with onions and cheese, or even served sweet with Nutella and bananas.

Paratha

The paratha is possibly the most common flatbread in India. It is a versatile bread, as it is flaky, chewy and dense. This texture is achieved by coating the dough with ghee while folding.

Paratha bread is baked in a hot Tava and then pan-fried in oil. The result is a crispy flatbread that doesn’t fall apart when served with curries or stews.

puri

Puri is an unleavened bread that is deep-fried until golden and crisp. The dough puffs up on contact with the hot oil, creating a golden puff pastry that is best served with chana masala or a korma.

Bhatura

Bhatura is a deep-fried, golden, crispy bread. It is a leavened bread made with maida flour, ghee, yogurt and yeast. It is popularly served with chana masala at breakfast.

Bhakri

There are two different types of bhakri, one is prepared by cooking like a pancake on a hot tava, and the other is swollen in oil and served with ghee.

It is a basic bread that farmers usually eat in the countryside, accompanied by chutney and rice.

Naan Variants

Being a simple but delicious bread, there are many different ways to serve naan. One of them is to fill the naan with different ingredients and spices.

There are many options for how to serve naan, but here are some famous fillings for naan bread.

paneer naan

Paneer is an Indian cheese, and the curry can be served stuffed in the naan, or even the cheese on its own.

kulcha naan

It is a naan bread stuffed with onions and potatoes. It is a vegetarian option and it is as delicious as any other variant with meat.

Peshawar Naan

This is a sweet variant, it is a naan filled with nuts and raisins. It can be eaten as a dessert or as a snack during the day.

keema naan

It is a naan filled with minced lamb or goat meat. It can be served as a main meal, with many variations of spices and curries to experiment with.

Apart from these traditional ways of filling naan, there are more modern and western ways that use naan bread as a pizza base, or wrap a burger to imitate it.

There really are so many ways to serve naan, from the humble curry accompaniment to a flatbread pizza, it depends on how creative you are!

Final thoughts

Fortunately, reheating naan bread is not complicated, and there are ways to reheat naan bread so that it maintains its crispy, soft texture as well as its wonderful flavor and moisture.

It comes in handy to have some frozen naan in the freezer, or stored in an airtight container in the cupboard.

It is such a versatile bread that it can be used to complete almost any type of dinner, adding authentic Indian flavor to even the most mundane of meals.

The trick is knowing how to reheat the naan correctly to keep it delicious.