One of my favorite things in life is Indian food. Whenever I go to an Indian restaurant I always order wayyyy too much. I just can’t help myself!
Getting just one main dish, or even just one side dish, is never an option. Whilst I can put away quite a bit of food, there’s no way I can finish an order that usually consists of rogan josh, tandoori chicken, vindaloo, biryani, rice, and naan. You’ll notice that I can never decide between getting just rice or just naan – so I get them both.
Accompanying the guilt and tiredness I feel after the meal is subtle happiness. I’m happy to see so that I’ll be eating delicious leftovers for lunch for the next couple of days!
The curry and rice will be inhabiting my fridge and the leftover naan will be sealed on my countertop, waiting to be eaten as well!
Now, you may not have quite the addiction to Indian food that I have. But if you have leftover naan, whether you baked it yourself or got it from a restaurant, you’ll no doubt want to enjoy it at its best.
Read on as I discuss how to reheat naan bread using a variety of methods. I’ll also explain how to add flavor back to your naan so it’s almost as good as fresh!
Is it Safe to Reheat Naan Bread?
Yes! It’s safe to reheat naan bread. It’s also one of the easiest, quickest, and best quality-keeping breads to reheat.
This of course is only true if it’s been stored correctly and it hasn’t already gone bad before reheating it.
Fortunately it’s very easy to tell if naan has gone bad by smelling and looking at it. If there’s mold on it, or it smells sour or spoiled, then you shouldn’t eat it.
How to Reheat Naan Bread in an Air Fryer
Another reason why naan bread is so great to reheat is that it doesn’t matter what appliances, or how much time, you have. There’s several different ways to reheat naan bread.
An air fryer is a great, simple, and quick method for reheating naan bread.
Cooking foods in an air fryer stops them from getting soggy, as they tend to do in the microwave. They also allow for more even cooking, which is great if you’re reheating naan.
To reheat naan bread in an air fryer there are only a few simple steps:
- Preheat the air fryer to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. This should just take a couple of minutes.
- Place the naan in the air fryer once it’s preheated.
- Reheat naan the air fryer for only 1-2 minutes – checking every 30 seconds or so.
The reason the reheating time is so fast is because of the relative thinness of naan bread. If you’re putting a large amount in at once you may want to allow longer. However do check frequently to prevent burning.
Reheating Naan Bread in the Microwave
Reheating naan bread in the microwave is similar to warming other dough-like foods in the microwave. They come out a bit soggy and not quite as good as they were before.
However, naan bread does hold up a bit better than other foods you put in the microwave. This is because it isn’t too crispy, like a pizza for example.
So, using a microwave can be a quick way to reheat naan bread without sacrificing too much quality. It’s also a great method if the naan is frozen, as the process is much faster and simpler.
This is how you do it for the best results:
- Place the naan on a microwave-safe plate.
- Heat for 20 seconds.
- Check to see if it’s reached the desired condition. If not, heat for 10-15 more seconds, continue until it reaches the desired condition. Be sure to frequently check between blasts as it can become dry and hard quickly.
If you’re reheating multiple naans at the same time, you’ll need to increase the initial cook time. Set the timer to 45 seconds for 2 naans and 80 seconds for 3. Just as when you’re cooking one, be sure to keep an eye on them to prevent them from overcooking.
How to Reheat Naan Bread in the Oven
If you’re reheating naan bread in the oven and it’s not frozen, you’ll need to give it a bit of extra moisture to prevent it from drying out. Otherwise, this is a simple and straightforward method to evenly reheat naan and bring it back to its freshly prepared state.
Here’s how you do it:
- Preheat your over to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Lightly oil a baking sheet while the oven is preheating.
- Place the naan on the baking sheet and sprinkle the top of the naan with some water. This is important to keep the moisture.
- After the oven is preheated, place the baking sheet with the naan on it on the center rack of the oven.
- Let it warm for 2-3 minutes.
- Take it from the oven and brush it will a small bit of oil, butter, or ghee.
- Serve the naan immediately.
Reheating Naan with a Skillet
If you’re reheating naan that isn’t frozen, this is my overall favorite method since it’s super straightforward and the least hassle.
Be sure to have some melted butter and a brush at the ready.
Here’s how to do it:
- Put a skillet on a burner that’s on medium-high heat.
- Wait until the skillet is hot.
- After the skillet is hot, place the naan in the middle of it with the top-side down. This is to give the bubbly part of the naan bread a bit of char. Keep a close eye on it however to prevent it from burning.
- After it’s a bit charred – but not burnt – flip the naan and quickly brush the charred side (now top) with a bit of butter or ghee to give it a delicious buttery taste.
- It will only need a few seconds (30 seconds max) to be fully warm.
- Immediately serve the naan bread or you can add some additional flavor!
How to Add Flavor Back to Your Naan Bread
While regular naan bread is already super tasty, you can greatly turn up the flavor volume on it by adding a number of additional toppings and seasonings. Also, if you freeze and defrost your naan bread, chances are that it will have lost some of its flavor. By adding some flavor to it, you can reinvigorate your naan bread.
If you want to add flavor back to your naan bread, it’s best to reheat using the skillet or oven method. I’ve already briefly mentioned a few possible flavorings that are the quickest and easiest to add: oil, butter and ghee. But you can essentially add whatever you’re fancying at the moment.
One of the classic flavors you see at Indian restaurants or when you buy it in the supermarket is garlic. This is also one of my favorites. You just need to finely chop up garlic and sprinkle it on the naan bread immediately after you finish warming it. I highly recommend adding garlic in addition to butter or ghee.
Some other flavors you can consider adding to your naan are ginger, mint, rosemary, chili flakes (if you’re feeling spicy), cilantro, sesame seeds, or even cheese (yes, cheese!). Similar to adding garlic, add the topping directly after you finish preheating it. If you use cheese then you may want to add it even during the reheating process, towards the end. This will help to ensure it nicely melts in.
How to Store Naan Bread
There are really only two ways that you should store naan bread: in the freezer or in an air-tight bag or container at room temperature. You should avoid storing it in the fridge if possible. Though storing it in the fridge gives it a longer lifespan than when it’s at room temperature – 2 weeks instead of just a few days – it does reduce the quality and it dries out faster.
Storing Naan in the Freezer
If you’re storing it in the freezer, you must first wrap the naan bread in aluminum foil or a freezer-safe ziplock bag. I’d recommend the freezer bag as the best option.
For the best quality, it’s recommended to eat it within 3 months. Naan can be safely stored indefinitely but expect a loss of quality the longer it’s frozen.
Storing Naan at Room Temperature
Freezing is a good way to keep naan bread good for longer if you won’t be eating it soon. However, to enjoy the best quality I recommend storing at room temperature in an air-tight container or bag. It can still last for around 5 days stored like this, making it the perfect method if you’re planning to eat those leftovers soon.
Storing at room temperature helps to maximize the amount of moisture retained.Just make sure the naan is in an airtight container and away from light and heat. A pantry is usually a good place to do this, though most kitchen cupboards work well too.
Enjoy your naan!