Mini Naan makes a surprisingly great pizza crust that can be leveraged to quickly put a satisfying, semi-homemade meal together. These Mini Naan Pizzas are air-fried, resulting in flatbread-style pizzas that you're sure to love. Once assembled, an 8-9 minute air fry is all you need for perfectly cooked mini naan pizzas.
Mini Naan Pizzas were a Pinterest discovery I knew I had to try. And lately, I’ve been seeing recipes for these “pizzas” everywhere in my foodie-leaning algorithm feeds. I love them and here are a few reasons I'll bet you'll love 'em too.
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Why You'll Love Air Fried Mini Naan Pizzas
- The quick cooking time - I tried baking before deciding that air frying was a superior cooking method. Notably, air frying mini naan pizzas is faster than baking.
- The crust - Air frying results in a “pizza crust” that retains its chew vs. being transformed into a crispy thin crust. My husband also preferred the air-fried mini naan pizzas because the unique texture of naan was largely preserved and the resulting dish resembled a flatbread-style pizza. If you like making pizzas with alternative types of crusts, you might also like this "Tortizza" or Tortilla Pizza made in the air fryer.
- The versatility - Isn't that why pizza is so great after all? Experiment with whatever toppings you'd like because this recipe is versatile enough to suit your preferences. Plus this simple main can be paired with everything from crunchy Top Ramen Salad to veggies (like cucumbers, celery, and carrots) and a Green Olive Dip.
Ingredients
- Mini garlic naan - I’ve been crushing pretty hard on garlic naan, and it is fantastic when used as a pizza "crust". Regardless of brand, opt for the garlic flavor when possible.
- Rao’s Marinara sauce - Rao's is my go-to sauce for mini naan pizzas because it is rich, tomato-y goodness that's worth the splurge.
- Diced prosciutto - Cook according to package instructions, in advance of pizza assembly.
- Pickled jalapenos - Bring heat and a slight vinegar tang, lending a spicy and acidic kick.
- Shredded cheese, pepper jack or cheddar - Having tested this recipe with cheddar and pepper jack (purchased in block form and hand shredded) I can confidently say that both cheeses melt beautifully and complement this recipe.
A full ingredient list with exact amounts can be found in the recipe card below - keep scrolling!
Variations
For this recipe, I prescribe prosciutto and pickled jalapenos, which results in a spicy, salty, umami-forward naan pizza. I have also tried the following combos:
Pepperoni + green olive
Sausage + green bell pepper + white onion
Bacon bits + pepperoncini
Shredded chicken + pepperoncini + red onion
All fantastic by the way! But you might also try mushrooms, Canadian bacon, and feta cheese. Maybe pineapple?
How to Make Mini Naan Pizzas in the Air Fryer
Spritz a baking sheet with cooking spray.
- Step 1: Lay out 4 pieces of mini naan onto the baking sheet - I can fit 4 snugly onto a baking sheet that fits into a Ninja XL Air Fryer Oven.
- Step 2: Add 2 tablespoons of marinara sauce to each piece of mini naan, using a spoon to spread the sauce evenly.
- Step 3: Divide prosciutto into 4 equal portions. Add 1 portion of cooked prosciutto to each piece of naan. Add 4 slices of pickled jalapenos to each piece of naan.
- Step 4: Add ¼ cup shredded cheese to each piece of naan. I used good old mild cheddar here.
- Step 5: Preheat your air fryer to 400 degrees Fahrenheit, if necessary. Air fry for 8-9 minutes. No need to turn them during cooking.
- Step 6: Remove from the air fryer when they are cooked to your preferred doneness and let sit for 2 minutes before serving.
This was recipe tested using a Ninja XL Air Fryer Oven.
This recipe makes four mini naan pizzas but is super easy to scale up or down depending on how many people you need to feed. I'm sharing my recipe that uses diced prosciutto and pickled jalapenos, but choose whatever toppings you'd like! Check out my top tips below to ensure air-fried pizza greatness.
I recipe tested with several different brands and kinds of ingredients and these are my top recommendations for ensuring you create the best-tasting, best-textured slice.
Top Tips for the BEST Naan Pizza
Opt for the garlic naan. I find the brand matters less here than the flavor. For me, garlic naan resulted in the best-tasting pizza.
Choose a high-quality marinara sauce. Rao’s Marinara is my FAVORITE. Get the Marinara one specifically. Tip: The cost of Rao's Marinara sauce is consistently lower at my local Aldi than at other grocery stores.
Choose a good melting cheese that you shred yourself. Sorry, not sorry but pre-shredded cheese doesn’t always melt so great.... I buy blocks of pepper jack and cheddar and lean heavily on their use for pizza.
Don’t overdo the toppings. I think it’s best to keep the toppings simple and avoid overloading the naan. Since the resulting crust will have some flexibility and chew, you don’t want to have a bunch of toppings fall off. I recommend picking 2-3 toppings max (not including the cheese) and restraining yourself from overdoing it - which is really, really hard if pepperoni is involved.
I love a pepperoni, bacon, and jalapeno combination too - salty and spicy!
Air fry it! The mini pizzas cook faster than baking and the resulting naan crust is tender and chewy with slightly crisp edges. And toasty toppings :).
Recipe FAQs
If you’re looking for a tender, chewy naan with lightly crisped edges, air fry for 8-9 minutes at 400 degrees Fahrenheit. I find that cook time and temperature results in perfectly toasty toppings as well.
I have tested this recipe primarily with regular old cheddar and pepper jack cheeses, purchased in blocks and hand-shredded. Feel free to use any good melting cheese you like, including mozzarella, Monterey jack cheese, or provolone or any of these best cheeses for pizza suggestions.
I love the mini garlic naan at Aldi. I've also found mini naan flatbread at my local grocery store, usually in the bread aisle or in or near the baked goods section. If your nearest grocery store has a global foods type aisle, you might also check there.
I recommend serving these naan pizzas with this Dill Pickle Pasta Salad or pair it with potato chips and this Taco Pickle Dip. Or you might want to enjoy it with a simple garden salad or veggies and your favorite dip, maybe something like this Spinach Dip (without mayonnaise).
Similar Recipes
If you love these air fryer mini naan pizzas, you might also want to try these other air fryer dishes:
If you tried this Mini Naan Pizzas in the Air Fryer recipe (or any other recipe on Midwexican), please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it turned out in the 📝 comments below!
Mini Naan Pizzas in the Air Fryer
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 pieces mini garlic naan
- 8 tablespoons Rao’s Marinara sauce
- 4 ounces prosciutto
- 16 slices pickled jalapenos
- 1 cup shredded cheese pepper jack or cheddar
Instructions
- Spritz a baking sheet with cooking spray.
- Lay out 4 mini naans onto the baking sheet - I can snugly fit 4 onto a baking sheet that fits into the Ninja XL Air Fryer Oven.4 pieces mini garlic naan
- Add 2 tablespoons of marinara sauce to each piece of mini garlic naan, using a spoon to spread the sauce evenly.8 tablespoons Rao’s Marinara sauce
- Divide cooked prosciutto into 4 equal portions. Add 1 portion of cooked prosciutto to each piece of naan.4 ounces prosciutto
- Add 4 slices of pickled jalapenos to each piece of naan.16 slices pickled jalapenos
- Add ¼ cup shredded cheese to each piece of naan.1 cup shredded cheese
- Preheat your air fryer to 400 degrees Fahrenheit, if necessary. Air fry mini naan pizzas for 8-9 minutes. No need to turn them during cooking.
- Remove from oven when the naan pizzas are cooked to your preferred doneness and let sit for 2 minutes before serving.
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