Roasted Paneer is a soft cheese that doesn't melt when heated. We roast in the oven for a crispy outer texture and a gooey inside and season with just a few simple ingredients, made within 10 minutes.
Make it in the oven or make Air Fryer Paneer, we show you both cooking methods down below.
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Paneer is an Indian cheese (Indian cottage cheese) that is made with curdled milk and is similar to halloumi, the difference being that paneer is a high-acid cheese and halloumi has almost no acid. High acidity or low acidity is what keeps this cheese from melting.
Why you'll love roasted paneer or air fryer paneer?
- It's made with just a few ingredients and makes a great low carb appetizer or snack.
- Bake in the oven within 10 minutes or make air fryer paneer in only 7 minutes.
- It's rich in minerals like iron, calcium and magnesium.
- Paneer has a mild milky flavor and accepts all the flavors you add to it. Mix with mild or strong flavors, you can add more or less according to your tastes.
- You can also use it in curries, as skewers, wraps or in a tandoori paneer tikka recipe marinated with plain greek yogurt.
- It's keto, low carb, gluten-free and diabetic friendly with less than 1g of carbs per ounce.
Ingredients Used
Simply made with olive oil and just a few spices. You can easily add more or fewer spices to this oven baked paneer recipe. I'll also show you some variations further down below.
- Paneer: made from full-fat buffalo milk or cow's milk.
- Olive Oil: used for the marinade to help the spices stick to the paneer and ads a little crispiness.
- Cumin: earthy and warm with a slightly citrus flavor.
- Red Chili Powder: with notes of cumin, garlic, oregano and cayenne pepper.
- Garlic Powder: sweeter and much less aggressive than fresh garlic.
- Onion Powder: adds a sweet savory flavor that you can't get from fresh onions.
- Salt and Black Pepper
See the recipe card for quantities.
Steps by step instructions
How to make the oven roasted paneer recipe?
STEP 1: Preheat your oven to 425°F
Place the block of paneer on a cutting board and cut it into 1-inch cubes.
STEP 2: Place the paneer cubes in a medium-sized bowl and add the olive oil, red chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and black pepper. Mix thoroughly so that each paneer cube is coated with olive oil and spices.
Cover with plastic wrap and store in the fridge for 1 hour.
STEP 3: After one hour, remove the marinated paneer cubes from the fridge and transfer them to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Move the paneer around so that it is in a single layer and has some space between each paneer cube.
- STEP 4: Bake at 425°F for 10 minutes flipping halfway.
STEP 5: Remove the roasted paneer from the oven and garnish with freshly chopped cilantro. Serve warm.
Air Fryer Paneer Cooking Method
- Spray the air fryer basket with cooking spray or oil if needed.
- Preheat your air fryer to 400°F
- Follow steps 1 and 2 above.
- Remove the marinated paneer cubes from the fridge and transfer a single layer into the air fryer basket.
- Air fry for 4 minutes, then flip the paneer cubes and air fry for another 3 minutes all at 400°F.
Garnish the air fryer paneer with freshly chopped cilantro and serve warm.
Appetizer and snack recipes you might enjoy
Recipe tips
Top Tip: paneer can easily dry out when cooked, especially in the air fryer. Careful not to overcook the paneer.
Storage: Paneer is best served immediately after cooking but if you do have leftovers, keep them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. To reheat, place them on a microwave-safe dish lined with a damp paper towel. Heat on high for 45 seconds.
Serving: garnish the oven roasted paneer with freshly chopped cilantro and a squeeze of lemon juice. Serve with grilled vegetables, a salad, or with a fried egg. Dipping those paneer cubes in the yolk is delicious.
Recipe variations
The roasted paneer and air fryer paneer recipes provide the simplest of ingredients. Here are a few ideas to make them over the top delicious.
- Spices - add more spice to the marinade like dried fenugreek leaves, a teaspoon garam masala, turmeric, cardamom or ginger.
- Marinade - make paneer tikka masala and marinade with plain yogurt or greek yogurt
See this spicy Thai Chicken Curry Pasta recipe.
Frequently asked questions
You can eat it raw and it would contain fewer calories and fat and would keep all of its nutrition.
It depends on who you ask but those who follow a low carb way of eating and do not fear fat will eat it without any concern. Some diabetics with heart or cholesterol issues that believe fat is evil may disagree. Don't blame fat for what the sugar did!
Roasted Paneer (Oven or Air Fryer)
Equipment
- Air Fryer if making in the air fryer
Ingredients
- 175 g paneer
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon chili powder
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Cut the paneer into one inch cubes then add them to a medium bowl with the remaining ingredients.
- Mix thoroughly so that every cube is well coated with the olive oil and spices. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and palce in the fridge for at least 1 hour.
- After 1 hour, preheat your oven to 425°F or air fryer to 400°F.
- If oven roasting, transfer the paneer cubes to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Spread out into a single layer and bake at 425°F for 10 minutes flipping halfway.
- If air frying,, spread the air fryer basket with cooking spray or oil and transfer the paneer cubes to the air fryer basket. Air fry at 400°F for 4 minutes, then flip and air fry for another 3 minutes.
- Garnish the paneer cubes with freshly chopped cilantro, a squeeze of lemon juice and serve warm.
Notes
This recipe card provides the basic details to make this recipe. For more information, questions or variations please review the content above the recipe card.
Updates and Revisions
If conflicting information between the video and recipe card, the recipe card will always have the most up to date information, ingredients and instructions.
Nutritional Information
All nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary with brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes and more.
Food safety
- Cook to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C)
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooked food unattended
- Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove
See more food guidelines
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