Garlicky Naan Pizza
This easy Naan Pizza takes just 10 minutes to toss together but delivers a delicious, fun, and totally customizable dinner everyone will adore. Now homemade pizza is truly faster and easier than takeout!
As rewarding as it can be to make your own pizza dough, it does slightly defeat the purpose of pizza as an ultra fast and easy dinner option. But if you’ve yet to try using naan as an improvisational crust, you are in for a major treat, because this is delicious, easy, and incredibly fun.
Ingredients & Substitutions
Here is a visual overview of the ingredients you’ll need for this recipe. Scroll down to the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post for quantities!
- Naan, plain or garlic. Use your favorite brand and type, and plan on one medium naan per person. I love to brush a little garlic powder-infused olive oil around the outer rim of the naan bread to make an extra garlicky crust, but of course if you use garlic naan you’ll have that flavor literally pre-baked in.
- Mozzarella. Good news: you can use just about any type of mozzarella to make naan pizza! Pre-shredded works just fine (possibly because of the very high heat of the oven), or grate your own off a block of low-moisture mozzarella. You can also use slices of either low-moisture or water-packed mozzarella, as shown here. If using slices of water-packed fresh mozzarella, be sure to blot as much liquid as possible out with paper or clean kitchen towels before placing on the pizzas.
- Parmesan. Adding Parmesan cheese is not strictly necessary, but since mozzarella is such a mild cheese, a small amount of Parmesan adds a valuable salty tang. Pecorino, Romano, or even Asiago can serve a similar role.
Is pizza sauce the same as pasta sauce?
Not exactly! Pizza sauce is often a little bit thicker than a traditional pasta sauce, which helps it to stay in place and not make the crust soggy. It does most often have similar Italian and Mediterranean flavorings: garlic, olive oil, basil, oregano, marjoram, and thyme. That said, if you have a cup or so of leftover marinara or vodka sauce, using it on pizza is a great idea: delicious and practical.
My favorite store-bought pizza sauce is made by Muir Glen, but unfortunately I rarely see it anywhere other than Mom’s Organic Market, which tends to be pricey. Use anything you like and can easily find!
Variation: For a fun twist, use pesto in place of traditional sauce. Our favorite combination is a basil pesto with mozzarella, Parmesan, Kalamata olives, and pine nuts.
How To Make Naan Pizza
Seriously so easy. Here we go:
- Preheat oven way up to 450 degrees F, and place a pizza stone or baking sheet in the oven to preheat with the oven. This is essential for a crisp crust.
- Brush outer edge of naan lightly with garlic powder-infused olive oil.
- Top with sauce, cheese, and toppings as desired.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes.
Come and get it!
It’s best to let the pizzas cool for 1-2 minutes after removing from the oven and before cutting.
If adding basil leaves or other fresh herbs, it’s also best to sprinkle those on after removing and slightly cooling the pizza, so they stay plump and don’t wilt.
Equipment Tip: A pizza stone makes a big difference in preheating to very high temperatures along with your oven and delivering a crisp crust. As a bonus, many are sold together with a pizza peel, which makes it easier (and safer!) to slide your pizza in and out of the oven.
Extra Crispy? Yes Please!
Baking naan on a pre-heated pizza stone or baking sheet helps to crisp it up without the common extra step of par-baking. What is par-baking, you ask? It’s simply the act of placing a bread or pastry, in this case naan, in the oven for a few minutes by itself, then removing to add the toppings and bake again.
Of course, for an extra crispy crust, you can double up and use both techniques. Par-bake the naan for 2 minutes per side on a pre-heated baking surface or directly on the oven rack. Remove to add sauce and toppings, then bake for another 8 minutes or so.
Pizza Topping Ideas, Tips & Tricks
Pizza toppings are endless, of course! We of course love the staples: pepperoni, bell peppers, mushrooms, olives, red onion, and the like.
It’s also fun to go a little more outside the ordinary: prosciutto, shredded chicken, crisped bacon, crumbled Italian sausage, or even pre-cooked mini meatballs for the meat lovers. Fresh basil, oregano, or thyme for the herb lovers. Go wild and do a ham and pineapple combination. You name it.
- If adding veggies: This pizza does not bake for very long, so veggies such as mushrooms and bell peppers are likely to stay tender-crisp. This is most likely how you’re used to eating them on carry-out pizzas, but if you prefer a very tender veggie, consider giving them a quick cook in a skillet first.
- If adding bacon or sausage: Do not top this pizza with uncooked bacon or sausage, as it will not have enough time to crisp up or cook fully in the oven. If adding bacon, use pre-cooked and crumbled strips. If using sausage, brown fully in a skillet first, then add in crumbles.
- Red pepper flakes for the win: Sprinkle a few red pepper flakes on individual pizzas for extra flavor and heat. My kids don’t love it, but most adults do!
Pair it with these Salads & Soups
Homemade pizza goes perfectly with a simple side salad; our favorites are an everyday Italian salad, arugula, or strawberry spinach. It’s also terrific served alongside marinated mozzarella balls.
Naan pizza also makes a wonderful pairing with soup — think everything you love about soup and garlic bread, only with crusty pizza instead! Try it with fire-roasted Instant Pot tomato soup, veggie-packed creamy carrot red pepper, or this protein-rich white bean chicken soup.
More Fun Pizza Recipes
Love homemade pizza? Try this classic margherita pizza next, or a delicious arugula tomato bacon combination.
If you try this Naan Pizza Recipe, don’t forget to rate it and leave a comment below. I love hearing how recipes turn out in your kitchen, and it helps other readers, too.
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Garlicky Naan Pizza
Ingredients
- 4 slices naan plain or garlic
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- pinch fine sea salt
- 1 cup pizza sauce
- 2 cups mozzarella cheese shredded or sliced
- 2 Tablespoons Parmesan cheese
- pizza toppings as desired – we love fresh basil, pepperoni, and red pepper flakes – see notes about veggies and bacon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees F, and place a pizza stone or large baking sheet inside the oven to preheat along with it.
- Combine olive oil, garlic powder, and sea salt in a small dish. Brush this mixture lightly along the outer rim of the naan.
- Spread a thin layer of pizza sauce over the middle of each naan. Top evenly with mozzarella, Parmesan, and toppings as desired.
- Carefully slide the naan onto the baking surface. Bake for 8-10 minutes, until cheese is melted. Repeat if necessary – I can usually fit two average sized pieces of naan on my pizza stone at a time.
- Slide naan off of the pizza stone and onto a cutting board. Let cool for 2-3 minutes, then slice into quarters and serve.
Notes
- Plain vs. Garlic Naan: Brushing a smidge of garlic powder around the outer rim of the naan gives the crust a light garlic effect. Of course if you combine this with a garlic naan you’ll have double the flavor, which you may like – or not!
- For an Extra Crisp Crust: Baking the naan on a pre-heated pizza stone or baking sheet helps to crisp it up without the common extra step of par-baking (placing it in the oven for a few minutes by itself, then removing to add the toppings and baking again). Of course, for an extra crispy crust, you can double up and use both techniques — par-bake the naan for 2 minutes on each side on a pre-heated baking surface or directly on the oven rack, remove it to add sauce and toppings, then bake for another 8 minutes or so.
- Veggies: This pizza does not bake for very long, so veggies such as mushrooms and bell peppers are likely to stay tender-crisp. This is most likely how you’re used to eating them on carry-out pizzas, but if you prefer a very tender veggie, consider giving them a quick cook in a skillet first.
- Bacon: I do not recommend topping this pizza with uncooked bacon, as it will not have enough time to crisp up in the oven. If adding bacon, use pre-cooked and crumbled strips.
