Butter Chicken Naan Pizza

Name: Butter Chicken Naan Pizza
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 28 min
Total time: 48 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: 12 oz (340 g) boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed of excess fat, cut into ½-inch (1 cm) pieces; 2 tbsp (30 g) plain whole-milk yogurt; 1 tbsp (15 ml) fresh lemon juice; 1 tsp (2 g) garam masala; 1 tsp (2 g) Kashmiri chili powder or sweet paprika; ½ tsp (3 g) kosher salt; 1 tbsp (15 ml) neutral oil (such as avocado or canola); 2 tbsp (28 g) unsalted butter; 3 cloves (10 g) garlic cloves, finely minced; 1 tbsp (8 g) fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated; ¾ cup (180 ml) plain tomato sauce (passata); 1 tsp (2 g) garam masala; 1 tsp (4 g) granulated sugar; ¼ tsp (1½ g) kosher salt; ¼ cup (60 ml) heavy cream; 1 tsp (1 g) kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves), crushed between your fingers (optional); 4 pieces (360 g) plain naan, 6–7 inch (15–18 cm), about 90 g each; 1 tbsp (15 ml) olive oil; 2 cups (225 g) low-moisture mozzarella, coarsely shredded (about 8 oz); ½ onion (60 g) small red onion, very thinly sliced into half-moons; ¼ cup (6 g) fresh cilantro, leaves and tender stems, roughly chopped; 1 lime (65 g) lime, cut into 4 wedges (optional)

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

Crisp-edged naan topped with a thick, creamy butter chicken sauce, tender spiced chicken thigh, stretchy mozzarella, sharp red onion and fresh cilantro. It's a fast weeknight pizza with the flavors of a slow-simmered curry.

Prep: 20 min
Cook: 28 min
Wait: 17 min
Total: 1 hr 5 min
Makes: 4 individual 6-inch pizzas

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Ingredients

4 servings

For the chicken
12 oz (340 g) boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed of excess fat, cut into ½-inch (1 cm) pieces
2 tbsp (30 g) plain whole-milk yogurt
1 tbsp (15 ml) fresh lemon juice
1 tsp (2 g) garam masala
1 tsp (2 g) Kashmiri chili powder or sweet paprika
½ tsp (3 g) kosher salt
1 tbsp (15 ml) neutral oil (such as avocado or canola)
For the sauce
2 tbsp (28 g) unsalted butter
3 cloves (10 g) garlic cloves, finely minced
1 tbsp (8 g) fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated
¾ cup (180 ml) plain tomato sauce (passata)
1 tsp (2 g) garam masala
1 tsp (4 g) granulated sugar
¼ tsp (1.5 g) kosher salt
¼ cup (60 ml) heavy cream
1 tsp (1 g) kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves), crushed between your fingers (optional)
For the pizzas
4 pieces (360 g) plain naan, 6–7 inch (15–18 cm), about 90 g each
1 tbsp (15 ml) olive oil
2 cups (225 g) low-moisture mozzarella, coarsely shredded (about 8 oz)
½ onion (60 g) small red onion, very thinly sliced into half-moons
¼ cup (6 g) fresh cilantro, leaves and tender stems, roughly chopped
1 lime (65 g) lime, cut into 4 wedges (optional)

Equipment (6)

12-inch (30 cm) heavy skillet or sauté pan with a lid-free wide base
2 large rimmed baking sheets (about 13×18 inches / 33×46 cm)
Instant-read thermometer
Box grater
Small mixing bowl
Pastry brush or spoon for the oil

Steps

Before you start

Start the 15-minute chicken marinade first. Preheat the oven while it marinates.
Shred the mozzarella from a block of low-moisture mozzarella. It melts better than pre-shredded cheese and browns more evenly.
Use plain tomato sauce (passata), not seasoned pizza or pasta sauce. The spices are added in the recipe.
Use regular 6- to 7-inch naan, about 90 g (3 oz) each. Large or very thick naan needs a little more topping and 1–2 extra minutes in the oven.

1
Marinate the chickenOven 450°F / 230°C
- In a medium bowl, stir together the yogurt, lemon juice, 1 tsp garam masala (marinade), chili powder and ½ tsp salt.
- Add the chicken pieces and toss until every piece is evenly coated.
- Let it sit at room temperature for 15 minutes while you preheat the oven to 450°F (230°C) with a rack in the upper third and another in the center.
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Ready when: Chicken is evenly coated and looks orange-red with no dry patches of spice
Tip: Don't marinate longer than 30 minutes at room temperature. The lemon juice will start to make the chicken mushy.
2
Prep the toppings
- While the chicken marinates, mince the garlic, grate the ginger, shred the mozzarella, slice the red onion into very thin half-moons and chop the cilantro.
- Keep the mozzarella, onion and cilantro in separate piles.
- Cut the lime into wedges if using.
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Ready when: Onion slices are thin enough to bend easily; cheese is in loose shreds
Tip: Slice the onion as thin as you can. Thick slices stay raw and sharp in the short bake.
3
Crisp the naanOven 450°F / 230°C
- Place the naan on two baking sheets, 2 per sheet.
- Brush the tops lightly with the olive oil (about 1 tsp per naan).
- Bake at 450°F (230°C) for 3 minutes, just to dry and crisp the surface so the sauce doesn't make it soggy.
- Remove and leave the oven on.
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Ready when: Naan surface looks dry and is just starting to turn pale gold at the edges
Tip: Don't let the naan brown at this stage. It gets a second bake with toppings and can burn.
4
Sear the chicken
- Heat the neutral oil in a 12-inch (30 cm) skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers, about 1 minute.
- Add the chicken and its marinade in a single layer.
- Cook undisturbed for 3 minutes, then stir and cook 2–3 minutes more until browned in spots and no longer pink on the outside.
- It will finish cooking in the sauce.
- Transfer to a clean bowl and leave the browned bits in the pan.
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Ready when: Chicken is browned in spots and opaque on the outside
Tip: If your skillet is smaller than 12 inches, sear in two batches. Crowding steams the chicken instead of browning it.
5
Bloom the aromatics
- Reduce the heat to medium.
- Add the butter to the same skillet and let it melt, scraping up the browned bits.
- Add the garlic and ginger and stir constantly for 45–60 seconds.
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Ready when: Garlic and ginger smell fragrant and look pale gold, not brown
Tip: If the garlic browns, it turns bitter. Lift the pan off the heat for a few seconds if the butter starts to darken.
6
Simmer the sauceOven 165°F / 75°C
- Pour in the tomato sauce and add 1 tsp garam masala (sauce), the sugar and ¼ tsp salt.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring often, for 5 minutes until the sauce darkens and thickens.
- Stir in the cream and kasuri methi (if using), then return the chicken and any juices to the pan.
- Simmer 3 more minutes.
- Check that the thickest piece of chicken reads 165°F (74°C).
- Taste and add a pinch of salt if needed.
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Ready when: Sauce is thick enough that a spoon dragged across the pan leaves a clear trail for 2 seconds, and the chicken reads 165°F (74°C)
Tip: The sauce must be thick. A thin sauce runs off and makes the pizza soggy. If it's loose, simmer 1–2 minutes longer.
7
Assemble the pizzas
- Spoon about ⅓ cup (80 ml) of the chicken and sauce mixture onto each naan, spreading it to within ½ inch (1 cm) of the edge.
- Sprinkle each with about ½ cup (55 g) mozzarella, then scatter the red onion over the top.
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Ready when: Chicken and sauce are evenly distributed and the edges of the naan are left bare
Tip: Leave a bare rim so the edge stays crisp and the cheese doesn't slide off the sides.
8
Bake until bubblyOven 450°F / 230°C
- Bake at 450°F (230°C) for 7–8 minutes, swapping the pans between racks and rotating them front to back halfway through, until the cheese is fully melted and speckled with golden spots and the naan edges are deeply golden.
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Ready when: Cheese is bubbling with golden-brown spots and the naan rim is crisp and deep golden
Tip: Watch from minute 6. Naan goes from golden to burnt quickly.
9
Rest and garnish
- Let the pizzas rest on the baking sheets for 2 minutes so the cheese sets and the bottoms stay crisp.
- Scatter with the cilantro, then slice each pizza into 4 wedges and serve with lime wedges to squeeze over the top.
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Ready when: Cheese no longer sloshes when the pan is nudged; slices cut cleanly

Good to know

Tips

Dry the naan first. The brief pre-bake keeps the base crisp under the saucy topping.
Keep the sauce thick. Thick enough to mound on a spoon means no soggy pizza.
Add heat to taste: sprinkle sliced serrano or green chili on top before baking, or add ¼ tsp cayenne to the sauce.
Pat the red onion slices dry on a paper towel if they seem wet, so they roast instead of steaming on top.

Make ahead

"The butter chicken topping can be made up to 3 days ahead. Cool it, then refrigerate in an airtight container. Reheat gently in a skillet or microwave until warm and spreadable (add 1–2 tbsp water if it has tightened), then assemble and bake as directed. You can also pre-bake the naan (step 3) up to 4 hours ahead and keep it at room temperature."

Storage & reheating

"Room temperature: up to 2 hours. Refrigerator: store cooled leftover pizzas in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Freezer: freeze unbaked topped pizzas on a tray, then wrap and keep for up to 2 months; bake from frozen at 425°F (220°C) for 12–14 minutes. To reheat baked leftovers, place on a baking sheet at 400°F (200°C) for 6–8 minutes until hot and crisp. Avoid the microwave, which makes the naan chewy."

Substitutions

boneless, skinless chicken thighs → boneless, skinless chicken breast. Cut into ½-inch pieces and reduce the sear to about 4 minutes total. Breast dries out faster, so don't overcook it in the sauce.
plain naan, 6–7 inch (15–18 cm), about 90 g each → pita bread or store-bought par-baked pizza crusts. Pita needs the same 3-minute pre-bake. Par-baked crusts can skip it; follow the package time for the final bake.
heavy cream → full-fat coconut milk. Gives a slightly sweeter, dairy-free sauce. Use the same amount and simmer 1 extra minute.
low-moisture mozzarella → half mozzarella, half Monterey Jack. Same total weight. Monterey Jack melts smoothly and adds a mild creaminess.