This Paneer Tikka Naan Pizza is a perfect fusion of classic pizza and bold, Indian flavors. With a crispy naan base, gooey cheese, and flavorful paneer tikka topping, it's everything you love about pizza with a delicious twist. Ready in 30 minutes in the air fryer or oven, this paneer tikka pizza is sure to become a family favorite!
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Is there anything better than pizza? Yup, Indian-style Paneer Pizza!!
For me, this Indian pizza recipe is the best of both worlds - bold Indian flavors meet crusty and delicious pizza!
It's no secret how much my family loves paneer (including my meat-loving hubby 🙂 Dishes like Paneer Tikka Masala, Palak Paneer, Paneer Butter Masala, Paneer Biryani, and Paneer Tikka are on rotation in my home. Now, we've added this pizza with paneer to our repertoire.
Loaded with tandoori-style paneer and crisp veggies, this paneer tikka pizza requires minimal prep and comes together in 20 minutes using store-bought naan.
I assemble one naan per serving, then these individual pizzas are baked in the oven or air fryer to achieve crisp, charred goodness. It's a quick and easy vegetarian pizza dinner ready in no time!
Ingredients - Notes & Substitutions
Here's what you need to make this easy and delicious paneer naan pizza. The quantities mentioned make four 8-inch naan/pita breads or two 10-11-inch cooked pizza bases. Adjust the sauce and toppings if you multiply the recipe.
- Paneer: You can make your own using this easy recipe for homemade paneer, or buy brands like Verka, Gopi, Haldiram, or Sach. Look for it in the cheese section of larger grocery stores, such as Whole Foods, Trader Joe's, or Costco.
- Yogurt: I prefer 2% Greek yogurt for this recipe, but whole milk will do as well.
- Aromatics, lime juice & oil: Use fresh ginger, garlic, lemon or lime juice, avocado oil (or olive oil).
- Spices: Commonly used Indian spices are what we need, including salt, turmeric, Kashmiri red chili powder, ground coriander, garam masala, and chaat masala.
- Pizza Sauce: There are four different sauce options to choose from - store-ready pizza sauce, a mix of ketchup and sriracha, cilantro chutney, or a combination of ketchup and cilantro chutney (my preference!).
- Toppings: I love using sliced white or red onions, bell peppers, shredded mozzarella cheese, and fresh cilantro. Feel free to switch up the toppings based on your liking. (Topping options mentioned below).
- Flatbread: Use your favorite store-bought naan, such as garlic naan, whole wheat naan, or plain. Alternatively, you can use pita bread, lavash, flatbread, or a cooked pizza base.
Scroll to the recipe card for a detailed list of ingredients and quantities.
How To Make Paneer Pizza
This easy paneer tikka naan pizza requires a quick marinade and prep. Then, simply build and bake in the Oven or Air Fryer until crispy and golden!
- Marinate paneer: In a mixing bowl, combine all ingredients listed for the marinade and toss in the paneer cubes. Keep aside while you prepare onions and peppers for topping.
- Season Veggies: Toss the sliced onions and peppers with a pinch of salt, pepper, and Kashmiri red chili powder. Marination Tip: If you have the time, marinate paneer in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
- Pick your choice of sauce (see choices in recipe card) and spread about one tablespoon or more on the naan. Using a pastry brush or the back of a spoon, spread it evenly, leaving about ½-inch from the edges.
- Add shredded cheese to your preference. I add about a ¼- ⅓ cup per pizza, depending on the pizza base size. Spread the cheese evenly.
- Add paneer: Top each pizza base with marinated paneer, spreading it out evenly.
- Add Veggies: Now spread sliced onions and peppers. Top with chopped cilantro.
- Bake the pizza in the oven: Place the pizzas on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake in a pre-heated oven at 350°F for 8-10 minutes, until the edges look crisp and the cheese has melted. Rest for 3-5 minutes, slice, and enjoy! (air fryer instructions below)
- Or, bake the pizza in an Air Fryer: Place one pizza at a time in the fryer basket and bake at 325°F for 7-8 minutes until the edges look crisp and the cheese melts. (no preheating needed). Check at 7 minutes and, if required, put it back in for another 1-2 minutes. Rest for 3-5 minutes, slice, and enjoy!
Topping Variations for Naan Pizza
My family and I love onions and peppers on our paneer tikka pizza. But part of the fun is topping the pizzas with your favorite veggies or those that are in season. You could also try:
- Sliced zucchini or summer squash
- Sweet corn kernels or baby corn
- Pitted or sliced olives
- Sliced jalapenos
Serving Suggestions
Paneer pizza, like any pizza, is best enjoyed warm and crisp! It's so flavorful that it doesn't need any condiments. Serve it with your favorite chilled beverage and enjoy.
You can also serve it with a refreshing side salad, such as a strawberry spinach salad, an avocado, tomato, and cucumber salad, or a fruity Mango avocado salad.
How to Store
Wrap any leftover pizza in aluminum foil or an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days. When ready to use, reheat in the air fryer at 350°F for 2 minutes.
Recipe Tips
- Marinate Paneer: Prepare and marinate the paneer while gathering the remaining ingredients, giving it time to soak up the flavors. You can also refrigerate it for 30 minutes if you have the time.
- Experiment with the sauce: Suit your preference here. Use a store-bought pizza sauce, or cilantro chutney, or use a combination of spicy ketchup with cilantro chutney (my fav!).
- Use your favorite flatbread for the pizza base. I love plain naan, but feel free to use garlic naan, whole wheat naan, pita bread, lavash bread, flatbread, or cooked pizza base.
- Adjust the sauce & ingredients if using a different pizza base. Keep in mind the topping measurements are good for four 8-inch naan/pita breads or two 10-11-inch cooked pizza bases.
- Pick your favorite toppings or use veggies in season. Onions and peppers are the most common, but you can use any ingredient you would put on a pizza. Some of my other favorites include sliced zucchini or summer squash, sweet corn kernels or baby corn, olives or jalapenos.
- Mozzarella and paneer are the best cheesy combo! But feel free to use any kind of shredded cheese you have on hand.
- Oven vs air fryer. If you are cooking for 1-2 people, I recommend the air fryer. For a family of 4 or a larger crowd, you can cook more in the oven. If you'd like a crisper cheese finish, broil in the oven for 2-3 minutes after baking.
FAQ
Paneer is a fresh, non-melting Indian cheese that's made from curdled milk and a fruit or vegetable acid, such as lemon juice.
You can use any kind of flatbread for this recipe, including pita, lavash, tortilla, or a cooked pizza base.
You can use extra-firm Tofu that's cut into 1-inch cubes instead of paneer.
Naan and pizza dough are very similar in texture. The only difference is that naan dough also includes yogurt, which makes it softer and tangier.
More Easy Pizza Recipes
These recipes are part of the Easy Weeknight Meals Series:
📖 Recipe
Paneer Pizza - Naan Pizza (Air Fryer | Oven)
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Video
Equipment
- Oven
Ingredients
Marinade for Paneer
- 2 tablespoon plain Greek or thick yogurt (I use 2%)
- 1 teaspoon minced ginger ¼-inch, grated fine
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic 1 clove
- 1 teaspoon lime or lemon juice
- ½-¾ teaspoon salt adjust to taste
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder or paprika for mild
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- ½ teaspoon garam masala
- ½ teaspoon chaat masala
- 2 teaspoon avocado oil or olive oil
- 10 oz paneer cut in ½-inch cubes
Base Sauce Choices for Pizza - Pick ONE (divided between 4 pizzas)
- 4-6 tablespoons of store-ready pizza or marinara sauce
- 4 tablespoons ketchup + 2 teaspoon sriracha
- 4-6 tablespoons of cilantro chutney
- combination of ketchup + cilantro chutney (best of both words)
Other Toppings
- ¼ cup onions, sliced (about ¼ medium onion)
- ¼ cup green bell pepper or any kind (about ¼ medium pepper)
- ¾-1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese adjust to taste
- 2 tablespoon chopped cilantro
Pizza Base
- 4 pre-cooked naan (see notes for substitute)
Instructions
Assemble Paneer Pizza
- In a mixing bowl, combine all ingredients listed for marinade and toss in the paneer cubes. Keep aside while you prepare onions and peppers for topping.
- Toss the sliced onions and peppers with a pinch of salt, pepper and Kashmiri red chili powder. This step is optional, but enhances the flavors.
- Pick your choice of sauce and spread about one tablespoon or more on the naan. Using a pastry brush or the back of a wide spoon, spread it evenly to coat the pizza, leaving about ½-inch from the edges. Adjust the sauce quantity to your liking.
- Add shredded cheese to your preference. I add about ¼-⅓ cup per pizza depending on pizza base size. Spread the cheese evenly.
- Roughly section the paneer into 4 portions. Top each pizza base with marinated paneer, followed by sliced onions and peppers. Top with chopped cilantro.
- Brush the edges with avocado (or olive) oil and bake using the oven or air fryer as follows:
Bake it in the Oven
- Place the naan pizzas on a parchment or aluminum lined baking sheet. Bake in a pre-heated oven at 350°F for 8-10 minutes, until the edges look crisp and cheese has melted. Rest for 3-5 minutes, slice and enjoy!
Air Fry Paneer Pizza
- Place one pizza at a time in the fryer basket and bake at 325°F for about 7-8 minutes, until the edges look crisp and cheese has melted. Check at 7 minutes and, if needed, put it back in for another 1-2 minutes. Rest for 3-5 minutes, slice and enjoy!
Notes
- Marinate Paneer: Prepare and marinate the paneer while gathering the remaining ingredients, giving it time to soak up the flavors. You can also refrigerate it for 30 minutes if you have the time.
- Experiment with the sauce: Suit your preference here. Use a store-bought pizza sauce, or cilantro chutney, or use a combination of spicy ketchup with cilantro chutney (my fav!).
- Use your favorite flatbread for the pizza base. I love plain naan, but feel free to use garlic naan, whole wheat naan, pita bread, lavash bread, flatbread, or cooked pizza base.
- Adjust the sauce & ingredients if using a different pizza base. Keep in mind the topping measurements are suitable for four 8-inch naan/pita breads or two 10-11-inch cooked pizza bases.
- Pick your favorite toppings or use veggies in season. Onions and peppers are the most common, but you can use any ingredient you would put on a pizza. Some of my other favorites include sliced zucchini or summer squash, sweet corn kernels or baby corn, olives or jalapenos.
- Mozzarella and paneer are the best cheesy combo! But feel free to use any kind of shredded cheese you have on hand.
- Oven vs air fryer. If you are cooking for 1-2 people, I recommend the air fryer. For a family of 4 or a larger crowd, you can cook more in the oven. If you'd like a crisper cheese finish, broil in the oven for 2-3 minutes after baking.
Daxa says
This was so easy to make and absolutely delicious! Will definitely make it again and again. Thank you for sharing Aneesha????
Aneesha says
You're welcome Daxa! I'm so glad you enjoyed this recipe. Thank you for taking the time to rate the recipe!
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Aneesha says
I'm glad you liked it, thank you!
Queen says
Creative and delicious! Thank you!
Aneesha says
Thank you so much!
Aruna says
The vegetarian naan pizza came so good - everyone who tasted liked (I improvised it a bit more) but ur recipe is the inspiration for it - Thanks a lot
Aneesha says
That's awesome, thank you! I'm so glad you were able to customize and enjoy it!