How to Make Greek Yogurt at Home Without Special Equipment
Sneak Peek: Ready to make creamy, thick, and perfectly customizable Greek yogurt at home? This recipe is packed with simple tips—like heating milk in the microwave and avoiding messy cheesecloth—to help you create the yogurt of your dreams with ease.
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Making yogurt is easier than you think. Follow my instructions, and before you know it, you’ll be turning cartwheels over your first successful batch of Greek yogurt.
At first, I wasn’t turning cartwheels. I approached making Greek yogurt like a high school term paper. I read many recipes and tried to distill millions of ideas and traditions into the perfect “recipe.”
Before long, I was confused. So many people copy from a friend. When they make one good batch of yogurt, they publish the directions. Who should I listen to??? Aach!
What Makes This Recipe Unique?
- Microwave Method: (other options included)
- Use a microwave-safe bowl to heat milk quickly, evenly, and without constant stirring.
- Avoid boil-overs and burnt milk—common stovetop problems.
- Straining Made Easy:
- Use a yogurt pouch, fine mesh sieve, or coffee filters instead of messy cheesecloth.
- Flexible setup: strain on the counter or in the fridge, depending on your kitchen space.
- Natural Thickness Without Gimmicks:
- Heat milk to 180°F to unravel proteins for creamier yogurt.
- Optional: Hold at 180°F for 15 minutes to make yogurt even thicker.
- Custom Incubation for Any Kitchen:
- Oven with light on.
- Cooler with warm water bottles.
- Instant Pot (for those who prefer it).
Happy Cooks Speak Up
“Paula, I have been using your original recipe for Greek yogurt, starting about 2009, and I am glad to see you have the website. Very recently, I discovered Icelandic skyr. Last night, I made my first batch of whole-milk skyr, using this same method. The texture is great and the taste is every bit as good as the starter culture I purchased. Well done!” –DAVE E.
If you’re unsure whether homemade yogurt is right for you, hop over to this post for an easy and humorous read about “Five Things You Should Not Do When Making Yogurt.”
What’s the Difference Between Greek Yogurt and Regular Yogurt?
- Greek yogurt is regular yogurt with the whey (liquid) strained out.
- Thicker, higher in protein, lower in sugar.
- More fat unless made with non-fat milk.
- Homemade Greek yogurt avoids added thickeners like gelatin or powdered milk, preserving fresh flavor.
How Long Does It Take to Make Greek Yogurt?
- Heating: ~15-18 minutes (every microwave is different)
- Cooling: ~20 minutes
- Incubation: 2.5-10 hours
- Strain: ~1-3 hours
Let’s get started.
Step 1. Heat the Milk (Paula’s Microwave Method)
- What You Need:
- A 2-quart microwave-safe glass bowl (paid link)or Pyrex dish.
- How to Do It:
- Add milk to the bowl.
- Choose your method:
- Microwave:
- MW on HIGH for 14–18 minutes until it reaches 180°F (82°C). Use a quick-read thermometer (paid link) to check temperature.
- Stove-Top:
- Heat milk slowly to 180˚F (82°C), stir often, and check the temperature to prevent scorching
- Instant Pot:
- Pour milk into the Instant Pot’s inner pot. Use the “Saute” function on LOW or NORMAL or press the “Yogurt” button until it says “Boil.” Press start to heat the milk to 180°F (82°C). Stir frequently to avoid scorching. Use a thermometer to monitor the temperature. Once it reaches 180°F, turn off the pot and remove the inner pot to cool.
- Limitations include inconsistent heating in older models and a smaller capacity.
- Microwave:
- Avoid boiling milk:
- If it happens, carry on—your yogurt should still work, but it may be less smooth.
- For thicker yogurt:
- Hold milk at 180°F for 15 minutes using 20% power.
- Optional: Some people swear by this trick. In my experience it doesn’t matter if you’re going to make Greek yogurt.
Why the Microwave Works: No stirring, no scorching, and fewer dishes to clean.
Microwaves can vary wildly. Experiment with yours to see what works best. Once you figure out the perfect timing, make a note. You’ll never have to think about it again unless you get a different microwave or use a different amount of milk.
Step 2: Cool the milk
- Target temperature:
- 100-110˚F (37–43°C)
- Speed It Up:
- Place the bowl in an ice bath or sink with ice water for faster cooling.
Step 3: Add Starter
Starter Options:
- Plain Greek yogurt (store-bought) with live cultures, no additives, and unflavored
- Freeze-dried starter cultures (available online)
- Yogurt from your previous batch (as long as it’s not flavored or more than 7-10 days old)
How to Add Starter:
- Spoon starter into a small bowl:
- Use a small amount of starter—less than you might think.
- Add cooled milk:
- Pour some cooled milk into the starter
- Whisk until smooth.
- Combine starter with warm milk:
- Whisk the starter mixture into the warm milk to ensure even distribution.
Read more about the pros and cons of various types of cultures.
Step 4: Incubate Yogurt (Without a Yogurt Maker)
- Temperature:
- Keep milk at 100–110°F (37–43°C).
- Incubate:
- Place covered, inoculated milk in a warm place for 2.5-10 hours.
- The longer the incubation the tangier the yogurt
- Options:
- Oven with the light on.
- Cooler with warm water bottles.
- Wrap in a towel and set in a warm spot.
- Instant Pot:
- After letting the milk cool and adding the starter, Use the “Keep Warm” function to maintain 100-110˚F (37–43°C). Or press the “Yogurt” button until the display reaches your desired incubation time. Close the lid.
CAUTION: If your incubation system is too hot (over 120˚F (49°C)), the cultures die; if too cool (below 100˚F), nothing happens—either way, you’ll end up with milk, not yogurt.
Read about more ideas for an incubation system.
Step 5: Remove Yogurt from Heat Source
- Check if the yogurt is set:
- It should appear set, like “Jello.”
- If you’re unsure, learn more about checking yogurt consistency here.
- Watery liquid on top:
- This is whey, a normal byproduct.
- Stir it back into the yogurt (if not making Greek yogurt) or pour it off and save it for other uses like smoothies or baking.
- Chill or strain: Chill the yogurt for 2-3 hours if you like it plain, or strain it immediately to make thick, creamy Greek yogurt (See next step.)
If your yogurt still looks like milk at this point, learn how to rescue your yogurt
Step 6. Strain for Greek Yogurt
- Why Strain:
- Remove whey for thicker, protein-packed yogurt.
- Mess-Free Tools:
- Industrial coffee filters tucked into a colander
- A yogurt pouch or a fine mesh strainer as seen above
- Straining Tips:
- Time: Longer straining = thicker yogurt.
- Fermentation: Properly fermented yogurt strains best.
- Thin yogurt fix: Use finer mesh or double-layer coffee filters.
- Tip: Strain yogurt immediately after incubation for faster results or do it after the yogurt is chilled, in the refrigerator or on the counter.
- After Straining (in this order):
- Whisk by hand (furiously) to make silky smooth yogurt.
- Save yogurt (or whey) for next batch before flavoring.
- Add flavorings such as extracts, fruit, etc.
For more about straining yogurt, see these posts: How To Strain Yogurt with Paper Coffee Filters – Not Cheesecloth; An Easy Way To Strain Yogurt Without Cheesecloth
Step 7: Storing Homemade Yogurt
- Storage Window:
- Unflavored yogurt without additives should last at least two weeks.
- The freshness window may be smaller if you add fruit or other flavorings.
- Smell it:
- If it seems off, throw it out.
- Examine the yogurt carefully for mold:
- Pink mold can be hard to see, so look carefully.
- Black, green, or gray mold is easy to spot. Throw it out.
Parting thoughts: Does this whole process seem too complicated? Anytime you work with living organisms when making food like bread or yogurt, those yeasty bodies depend on you to throw the perfect party so they can have fun. Check out all my posts related to making yogurt.
It takes a few tries to determine what yeasty bodies prefer, especially the ones that hang out in your kitchen. Keep trying. I guarantee that creamy and delicious yogurt is within your reach. I’ll help you.
If you still have questions, see this post: 31 Top Questions About Making Yogurt.
Questions? Email me: Paula at saladinajar.com. Hope to see you again soon!
If you want inspiration and exclusive tips, add your email and press the button. (Don't worry. I won't sell your email.)
How to Make Greek Yogurt at Home Without Special Equipment
Video
Ingredients
- 2 quarts (1893 g) milk (fat-free, 2% or whole milk)
- 1-2 tablespoons yogurt (commercial or your own homemade yogurt for starter)
Instructions
- Fill a Pyrex 2-qt microwave-safe bowl or pitcher with 2 quarts (1893 g) milk. Alternatively, pour milk into a heavy-duty pot to heat on the stove.
- Heat milk in the microwave until bubbles begin to appear around the edge. The temperature should reach 170-180˚F after you stir it. (In my new microwave, it takes 15 and a half minutes on HIGH). Monitor the temperature closely until you figure out the best time and power for your microwave.
- If you prefer thicker yogurt, an optional step is to hold the temperature at 180˚F for 15-20 minutes. (I do this in my microwave for 15 minutes on 20% power.)
- Remove the milk from the heat source and stir it. If a skin has formed, remove it.
- Allow your milk to cool until the temperature drops to between 100-110˚F. Use an ice water bath to hasten the process, if desired.
- Add a small amount of cooled milk to 1-2 tablespoons yogurt as a starter. (You may use yogurt from a previous batch of your homemade yogurt.) Whisk until the starter is smooth. Add the starter mixed with milk back to the large bowl or pan of cooked milk and whisk until smooth
- Cover the milk and place it in a warm environment where the temperature stays around 100-105˚F.
- Allow the inoculated milk to incubate for 4-8+ hours or until set like gelatin.
- At this point, you could chill the yogurt and eat it as is. Or you can decide whether to pour off the whey, stir it back in, or strain it. Straining yogurt to make it thicker will result in Greek yogurt.
Making Greek Yogurt from Regular Yogurt
- Very carefully pour yogurt into a wet bouillon strainer or chinois. If the mesh is fine enough, you won’t need to use a cheesecloth or paper towel. Or use a double layer of commercial-size paper coffee filters inside a cheap colander. (This is my current favorite method of straining.)
- Let yogurt sit in the strainer until the yogurt is reduced by approximately a third. Time will vary according to the thickness of the yogurt when it finished incubating and your preference regarding texture and sourness.
- Empty whey from the batter bowl and pour yogurt from the strainer back into the original bowl. Use a good whisk to beat until smooth. Thin with milk or leftover whey if yogurt is too thick.
- Now is the best time to add flavorings or sweeteners, if desired. Otherwise, add extras before you are ready to eat. (Save enough yogurt to use as a starter before adding flavorings or sweeteners.)
- Chill. This will stay fresh in the refrigerator for at least two weeks.
Notes
Equipment
Nutrition
All images and text ©️ Paula Rhodes for Salad in a Jar.com
Paula Rhodes, owner
As a retired home economist, I created Saladinajar.com to share my belief that you don’t have to be a chef to find joy in creating homemade food worth sharing. Bread machines (used in an unconventional way), homemade yogurt, and quick microwave recipes are my specialty.