Learn how to make Greek yogurt with only two ingredients! You can enjoy perfect fresh greek yogurt simply and economically in a few hours!

If you love this Greek yogurt post, you will also love this Greek Yogurt With Honey, Galaktoboureko–Phyllo Custard Dessert or Portokalopita – Greek Orange Phyllo Cake!

A ceramic bowl with yogurt and a spoon on a cloth napkin, fig halves above it and a detail of another bowl.

Overview

What is Greek yogurt?

Greek yogurt has been strained to remove most of its whey, resulting in a thicker consistency than regular unstrained yogurt while still preserving the distinctive sour taste of yogurt. The yogurt is strained at the very end to remove the excess watery whey, creating a thicker, protein-dense product. Thus, it is also called “strained yogurt.”

Two ceramic bowls with homemade greek yogurt, a spoon on a cloth napkin, fig halves, walnuts, a honey dipper and a jar with honey. and a detail of another bowl.

Why make it at home?

Homemade Greek yogurt tastes better and has a velvety beautiful texture. It is more economical than store-bought. You will also get lots of compliments!

This is what you need

Ingredients for homemade greek yogurt. A cheese cloth, a milk thermometer, a small bowl with yogurt and a sauce pan with milk on a butcher block.

You only need two ingredients and some basic kitchen necessities to make delicious, authentic Greek Yogurt right at home.

How to make it

A sauce pan on the stove full with milk and a milk thermometer. — Put the milk in a pot with a thick bottom and place it on low to medium heat. Simmer milk for 18-20 minutes until milk temperature reaches 185° F / 85° C.
Remove from the heat.

A sauce pan on a butcher block full with milk and a milk thermometer. — Let the milk cool for 22-24 minutes until the milk temperature reaches 113°F / 45°C.

Milk being poured in a sauce pan. — Using a glass or bowl, add a full tablespoon of yogurt and half a cup of the warmed milk. Mix well with a whisk and add it to the pot with the rest of the milk. Mix well.

A red sauce pan with a towel wrapped around it in a microwave oven. — Now the yogurt needs to thicken in a warm environment. So I place it in my microwave oven with the light on under it. I find it is warm enough. Leave the pot in the warm oven for 6-8 hours.
*Alternatively, warm your oven to 113° F / 45° C (see Tips and Tricks below and Recipe notes).

Line a mesh sieve with the cheesecloth. Place the mesh sieve over the tallest bowl or pot you have to allow the liquids to gather on the bottom without touching the strainer and cheesecloth.
Pour the yogurt into the cloth. Tie the cloth loosely around yogurt and place it in the fridge for at least 3 hours.
The yogurt is ready!

Two ceramic bowls with yogurt, a spoon on a cloth napkin, fig halves, walnuts, a honey dipper and a jar with honey. and a detail of another bowl.

Tips and tricks

Don’t throw out the liquid that is drained out of the yogurt. It is whey and is a great protein. It can be added to smoothies, soups and stews, and even oatmeal.
I use my microwave oven above my stove to keep the milk warm enough for fermentation. The light under it provides enough warmth (I prove my bread in there as well).
You can also warm the oven to 113° F / 45°C, and let the yogurt rest in there. You might need fewer hours if you choose this method. Check after 3-4 hours if yogurt has your desired thickness.

How to enjoy Greek yogurt

There are so many possibilities!

Greeks love yogurt served as a dessert with honey and walnuts. It is so good! Tavernas often serve it to their customers as a thank you at the end of the meal.

Portokalopita – Greek orange phyllo cake is easy to make with oranges, phyllo sheets, yogurt, and star anise; it is an irresistible treat.

A bowl with yogurt, a honey dipper dripping honey, a spoon on a cloth napkin, fig halves, walnuts, and a detail of another bowl.

Make tzatziki dip! It’s an ideal addition to souvlaki, eggplant & zucchini fritters, or crudités.

We love yogurt in place of sour cream. Daryl can’t have chili without a generous dollop of our homemade yogurt. Yogurt is a great way to cool down the heat of curries and other spicy dishes.

Use yogurt in a marinade. Add a cup of yogurt to a mixing bowl and add seasonings like freshly ground pepper, dry oregano, thyme, pepper flakes, za’atar, crushed garlic, and some olive oil. Add chicken pieces, cover them well with the yogurt mixture and let them marinate for a few hours. Yogurt is a natural meat tenderizer. Grill the chicken and serve with a tomato salad and cut up pita bread. It will be the juiciest chicken ever!

Make cauliflower fritters with Greek yogurt & parmesan. They are ready in 20 minutes!

A bowl with yogurt, honey and walnuts, a spoon on a cloth napkin, fig halves, another bowl with yogurt and a jar with honey.

How To Make Greek Yogurt

by Jenny Skrapaliori Graves

Make perfect creamy greek yogurt with only two ingredients.

5 from 17 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 22

Resting time 6

Course Breakfast, Dessert

Cuisine Greek

Servings 4

Calories 155 kcal

Equipment

Large pot
a cheese cloth
A milk thermometer
a mesh sieve

Ingredients

▢ 1000 ml organic grass-fed whole milk about 4 cups
▢ 1 tablespoon greek yogurt full fat

Instructions

Place milk in a pot with a thick bottom and place it on low to medium heat. Simmer milk for 18-20 minutes until milk temperature reaches 185° F / 85° C.
Remove from the heat.
Let the milk cool for 22-24 minutes until the milk temperature reaches 113°F / 45°C.
Using a glass or bowl, add a full tablespoon of yogurt and half a cup of the warmed milk. Mix well with a whisk and add it to the pot with the rest of the milk. Mix well.
Now the milk needs to ferment and thicken in a warm environment.
Method A: Place milk in the microwave oven with the light on under it. Leave the pot in the microwave oven for 6-8 hours.
Method B: Warm the oven to 113° F / 45° C and let milk rest in there. Check thickness after 3-4 hours.
Line a mesh sieve with the cheesecloth. Place the mesh sieve over the tallest bowl or pot you own to allow the liquids to gather on the bottom without touching the strainer and cheesecloth.
Pour the yogurt into the cloth. Tie the cloth loosely around yogurt and place it in the fridge for at least 3 hours.
The yogurt is ready!

Notes

Get a good full-fat yogurt with live active cultures, such as Fage. Thin a tablespoon first with some of the warm milk, then stir that into the pot.
You can also buy freeze-dried starter cultures, which look like powder and can be stirred right into the milk. Cultures for Health sell basic yogurt cultures and specific ones tailored for Greek yogurt.
Save a few tablespoons of your yogurt batch to use on your next one as a starter.

Nutritional Info – Please keep in mind that the nutritional information provided is only an estimate and can vary based on the products used.

Nutrition

Calories: 155kcalCarbohydrates: 12gProtein: 8gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 25mgSodium: 109mgPotassium: 335mgSugar: 13gVitamin A: 405IUCalcium: 287mgIron: 1mg

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