Avocado Naan - I swapped the oil in my garlic naan recipe for mashed avocado, which adds the prettiest hint of green while making the naan bread incredibly soft and fluffy. You might not go back to regular naan!
If you’re wondering what to serve with homemade naan, this tofu tikka masala or Indian butter shrimp are both delicious choices. The naan is perfect for scooping up all that flavorful sauce!
Why you’ll love this avocado naan recipe?
Avocado in naan? It might sound unusual, but it works surprisingly well! Avocado has a naturally rich, buttery texture that adds moisture and softness to breads without really changing the flavor. I’ve even used it to make my softest avocado dinner rolls.
For this recipe, I took my garlic butter naan and swapped the oil for mashed avocado. The result is incredibly soft, fluffy, and delicious, with the prettiest hint of green—but honestly, no one would guess there’s avocado in it!
Unlike many restaurant-style naans, this one stays soft even after it cools. The secret is using both yeast and baking powder in the dough. And because it stays soft, it’s perfect for wraps, sandwiches, or quick meals later on.
-maria doss
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Ingredient Notes
- All purpose flour - It gives the avocado naan that perfect balance of structure and softness. But if you like a little more chew, you can totally swap in bread flour instead.
- Sugar - It helps wake up the yeast and get the dough rising nicely. It also helps with that beautiful golden color when you cook the naan, plus just a subtle touch of flavor in the background.
- Avocado - I always use a very ripe one, no brown spots, and mash it really smooth before mixing it in. It blends right into the dough and keeps everything soft and tender, just like in our avocado waffles!
- Yogurt - Use it at room temperature. If it’s cold, it can slow the dough down a bit, so I’ll sometimes warm it very gently for a few seconds if needed. Refer to recipe notes to use Greek yogurt.
- Yeast - You can use active dry yeast, instant or rapid-rise yeast.
- Baking powder - While yeast gives naan its flavor, softness, and light chew through fermentation, baking powder provides an extra lift so the dough puffs quickly in the hot pan. Together, they create naan that’s both airy and tender with that signature restaurant-style texture.
Tips for Success
- Cooking temperature: Cook avocado naans over medium-high heat. Low heat takes too long to brown the naan and can make it turn out less soft. Whereas high heat will brown it much faster, before it cooks through.
- Cooking time: About 2–3 minutes on the first side and 1–2 minutes on the second side.
- Dough texture: The naan dough should be soft and slightly sticky, but not so sticky that it’s hard to handle. Avoid firm dough—it will make the naan less soft.
- Yogurt temperature: Use room-temperature yogurt. Cold yogurt can slow down the dough’s rise. If needed, warm it briefly in the microwave for 8–12 seconds, stirring every 4 seconds.
- Choice of pan: A cast-iron skillet is best since it holds heat well. If not, use any heavy-bottomed pan.
- Rolling the dough: Roll to about ¼ to ⅛-inch thick. Too thick and it won’t cook through; too thin and it may turn crisp instead of soft.
- Keeping naan soft: Stack hot naan in a kitchen towel-lined pan and keep it covered immediately after cooking to trap steam and maintain softness.
- Type of yeast: You can use active dry yeast, instant or rapid-rise yeast.
- Use lukewarm water: The foolproof method is to use a thermometer - aim for a reading between 105°F to 110°F (40°C to 43°C). An easier method is to place a few drops of water on the inside of your wrist. The water should feel neither hot nor cold, and barely be warm to the touch. This method is similar to testing a baby's bottle temperature.
- Avocado: Use a soft, ripe avocado without any brown spots. Also, if your avocado was in the fridge, make sure to let it come to room temperature before using.
What To Eat With Naan?
Avocado Naan Bread
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon rapid-rise or instant yeast
- 1 teaspoon sugar, divided
- ¼ cup lukewarm water, refer to notes
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons plain yogurt, at room temperature
- ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons mashed avocado, at room temperature (about 1 medium)
- salted butter, for brushing
Instructions
- Proof yeast. Add 1 teaspoon yeast and ½ teaspoon sugar to ¼ cup lukewarm water in a small cup and stir gently. Cover with plastic wrap and let it sit for about 10 minutes. (Lukewarm water is crucial for proofing-refer to notes for more details)
- Combine dry ingredients. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, add 2 cups flour, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon baking powder and the remaining ½ teaspoon sugar. Whisk together for a few seconds.
- Knead the dough. After 10 minutes, add the proofed yeast mixture, ¼ cup + 2 tablespoon yogurt, and ¼ cup + 2 tablespoon mashed avocado to the dry ingredients. Stir with a wooden spoon until the dough comes together and is evenly moistened. Then knead for 1–2 minutes, until the dough is soft and fairly smooth. If it feels too sticky, add a little more flour as needed.👉 The dough should be soft, but not so sticky that it’s hard to knead. If it feels too sticky, add 1-2 tablespoons of flour as needed. Don't add too much flour - Soft dough equals soft naans!👉 Use room-temperature yogurt. Cold yogurt can slow down the dough’s rise. If your yogurt is cold, warm it briefly in the microwave for 8–12 seconds, stirring every 4 seconds.
- Rise. Cover the dough with plastic wrap, then place a tea towel over it. Let it rise for one hour.
- Roll into balls. Once the dough has risen, divide it into 8 pieces. Gently roll each piece into a roughly even ball—you don’t need to make them perfectly smooth. (Lightly dust your hands with flour if the dough feels sticky and starts to cling) Keep the remaining dough covered with a kitchen towel to prevent it from drying out.
- Cook. Heat a large, heavy-bottomed pan (cast iron preferred) over medium-high heat. Take a piece of the dough and roll it on a lightly floured surface into a circle or oval shape (less than ⅛ inch thick). Keep the dough moving between rolling, so that it doesn’t stick to the counter.Place the dough on the hot pan (make sure it’s hot to ensure good puffing) and cook until large bubbles have formed and the bottom is golden brown (about 2 to 3 minutes). Flip and cook 1-2 minutes more until the other side is golden brown as well. Maintain a medium-high heat!
- Brush with butter. Transfer the hot naan to a pan lined with a kitchen towel. Brush with butter and keep the pan covered—this helps the naan stay soft and warm until serving time! Repeat with the remaining pieces. Refer to notes to make garlic butter avocado naan!👉 Loosely drape the towel over the last naan or place a paper towel on top, then cover the pan until serving. This helps absorb steam and prevents condensation from dripping back down, keeping the naan soft without turning the first piece soggy.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information, based on third-party calculations, should be seen as estimates, not guarantees, as various factors like product types, brands, processing methods, and more can alter the nutritional content in recipes.
How to make naan with avocado?
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How to make garlic butter avocado naan?
Start by making the garlic butter. Add 4–6 finely chopped garlic cloves and 3 tablespoons butter to a small saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring often, until the garlic is fragrant and lightly golden. Be careful not to let it brown.
Remove from the heat and stir in 2 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro and a pinch of salt if using unsalted butter. Set it aside, then brush the warm naan generously with the garlic butter as soon as they come off the pan.
Serving Suggestions
Warm garlic avocado naan is perfect for scooping up curry, but there are so many other ways to enjoy it too! Here are a few of my favorite ideas:
- Curries: Serve it with your favorite Indian curry, like butter chickpeas, chicken keema matar, or chicken kofta in spinach curry. The soft naan is perfect for soaking up all that flavorful sauce.
- Chicken and fish: Pair it with air fryer tandoori chicken, chicken tikka skewers, or even air-fried fish from our tilapia fish taco bowls, for an easy dinner.
- Wraps: Use the soft naan as a flatbread for chicken, paneer, roasted vegetables, or leftover curry. It’s perfect for making cauliflower and chickpea wraps or chicken shawarma wraps using the instant pot chicken shawarma!
- Breakfast: Top it with eggs, avocado, or a little butter for a quick and satisfying breakfast.
- Pizza: Turn naan into a quick, easy air fryer naan pizza—just add your favorite toppings and cook until hot and bubbly.
Why is naan so good? Warm, soft, slightly chewy, buttery, and lightly charred from the tandoor—what’s not to love? It’s the kind of flatbread that’s made for scooping up every last bit of your favorite curry!
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Hi, I’m Maria! I share easy, flavor-packed dinners, high-protein meals, and irresistible baking ideas. If you’ve ever asked, “Don’t know what to cook tonight?” you’re in the right place. And yes—there’s plenty here for breakfast, snacks, and dessert too. More about maria ->
