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These chicken tikka naan pizzas combine two of my favorite things — pizza and chicken tikka masala — on a soft, delicious naan! It is one of my favorite recipes for using up leftovers from an Indian meal, or to make from scratch (using jarred tikka masala sauce) for a quick, easy and fun meal the whole family will love!
See recipe card below for full list of measurements, ingredients, and instructions.
Why This Recipe is So Good
- These quick and easy naan pizzas are the perfect recipe for using up those last few spoonfuls of curry, either homemade (this is my tried-and-tested recipe!), from the jar or because you’ve over-ordered takeout! Loaded up with cheese, red onions and sliced jalapeños they’re an easy family dinner that only takes about 20 minutes to make!
- No leftover curry? No problem! I’ve included instructions below to make these pizzas using either raw chicken and your favorite tikka masala jar sauce, or pre-cooked chicken from meal prep or leftover from another dish. Regardless of which route you take, you can still get dinner on the table fast.
What You Need to Know Before You Start
- Don’t be tempted to skip pre-baking the naan before adding toppings, this will help keep your pizza nice and crisp and will stop it becoming too soggy and the toppings sliding off. Gross! Also, don’t overdo it on those toppings — I’ve tested this recipe to produce perfect naan pizzas every time — but if you choose to change things up a little with any of the variations below, for both naan and regular pizzas the no. 1 cause of soggy pizza with toppings that don’t stick is that you’ve tried to use too many!
- Also don’t be tempted to cut the pizzas straight after they come out of the oven. I know they look amazing but waiting that extra few minutes will make sure you get nice clean slices without the topping sliding off!!
Recipe Variations
Use any saucy curry leftovers: I know I’ve called these chicken tikka masala naan pizzas, but in reality they can be any leftover curry pizzas, chicken or otherwise.
Make it vegetarian: As above, if you have any leftover saucy vegetarian curry use it in place of the chicken tikka masala. Or, if you’re following the fresh or rotisserie chicken method below, sub in chickpeas or small chunks of cauliflower. I would just try to avoid a curry with paneer in it. It may not melt like regular cheese, but while I can’t believe I’m saying this… there is sometimes such a thing as too much cheese and you don’t want to overwhelm the delicious flavors from the curry sauce!
Add more veggies: Sometimes I like to add a few more veggies to these, especially if I’m making these for kids! Cut all the veg up small and thin so they cook properly on the pizza. Think sliced bell peppers, or even cauliflower florets cut up very small.
Make naan bites: You know those boxes of little naan dippers next to the regular sized naan at the store? Use those to make a load of mini naan pizzas for the perfect game day snack! Just make sure there is at least one piece of chicken on each mini naan.
Frequently Asked Questions
You need about 1 cup of leftover chicken tikka masala per pizza.
A classic creamy garlic and herb dip would work well here, or you could use an Indian-style green chutney do lean even further into that vibe.
The same rules apply as if you were re-heating regular pizza! Bake it in the oven or in the air fryer until the cheese has melted — using the microwave will make the naan go soggy! Leftovers will last in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
More Indian-inspired Recipes
- Chicken Tikka Masala Curry Quesadillas
- Easy Chicken Jalfrezi Recipe with Rice
- Indian Meatballs with Creamy Sauce
- Whole30 Indian Chicken Saag
- Whole30 Butter Chicken Recipe
- Restaurant Style Chicken Curry (From Scratch!)
- Best Chicken Tikka Masala Recipe
- Easy Beef Curry Recipe
- Restaurant Style Paneer Tikka Masala
- Naturally Orange Butter Chicken Recipe
Making changes to a recipe can result in recipe failure. Any substitutions or variations listed are simple changes that I believe will work in this recipe, but results are not guaranteed.
Chicken Tikka Naan Pizza
Equipment
- 2 large baking sheets
Ingredients
- 2 large naan breads
- 1½ cups tikka masala sauce about 1 jar – smaller jars will have around 1½ cups, larger will have about 2 cups
- 1 cup cooked chicken chopped or shredded – or 1 large chicken breast, cut into bite sized pieces
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil or vegetable oil
- salt and pepper to taste
- ¼ red onion thinly sliced
- 1 jalapeno thinly sliced, optional
- ¾-1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese or more as needed
- ¼ cup chopped cilantro for serving
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Place the flatbreads on a pair of baking sheets. Bake for 5-6 minutes.
For the Chicken Tikka Masala (skip if using 2 cups leftover curry)
- Season the chicken with salt and pepper, and heat the oil in skillet over medium heat.
- If using cooked chicken: Add to the skillet and brown slightly, about 30 seconds, then reduce heat and add in 1 cup tikka masala sauce and simmer about for 1 minute
- If using raw chicken: Add to the skillet and let cook about 90 seconds without touching, then stir and cook until browned on a couple sides and mostly cooked through, about another 1-2 minutes. Reduce heat and add in 1 cup tikka masala sauce and simmer about 1 minute
- Spoon a thin layer of tikka masala sauce (about ¼ cup) onto each naan, leaving a crust bare on the edge. Top with chicken tikka masala and sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. If you're using leftover curry, simply spread it over each naan, and top with cheese. Top with thinly sliced red onion and jalapeno, if using.
- Bake the naan pizzas for 5 minutes, or until edges are browned and cheese is melted and bubbling. You can broil for a short time to get a nice char on the onions and the cheese browned.
- Remove and let cool about 1-2 minutes, then sprinkle with chopped cilantro and cut into slices. Serve immediately.
Approximate Information for One Serving
Nutrition Disclaimers
Number of total servings shown is approximate. Actual number of servings will depend on your preferred portion sizes.
Nutritional values shown are general guidelines and reflect information for 1 serving using the ingredients listed, not including any optional ingredients. Actual macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands and types of ingredients used.
To determine the weight of one serving, prepare the recipe as instructed. Weigh the finished recipe, then divide the weight of the finished recipe (not including the weight of the container the food is in) by the desired number of servings. Result will be the weight of one serving.
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