Instant Pot Yogurt Recipe (Creamy Mediterranean Greek Yogurt)
Make rich, creamy Mediterranean Greek Instant Pot yogurt recipe with just 2 ingredients, hands-off process, and a fraction of store-bought cost. Thick, tangy, probiotic-rich, and endlessly versatile.
Ingredients
- 3,8 l whole milk 1 gallon, regular pasteurized
- 2 tbsp plain yogurt with live active cultures (starter)
Instructions
Heat the Milk
- Pour the entire gallon of whole milk into the Instant Pot inner pot. Secure the lid with the valve on Venting. Press the Yogurt button twice until 'Boil' displays. Allow the Instant Pot to heat the milk to 180°F (82°C). This takes approximately 25–35 minutes. The pot will beep when complete.
Cool the Milk
- Remove the inner pot and allow the milk to cool to 105–115°F (40–46°C). This takes approximately 45–60 minutes at room temperature. Use a kitchen thermometer to verify the temperature before proceeding.
Add the Starter
- Scoop 1 cup of the cooled milk into a small bowl. Whisk in 2 tablespoons of plain yogurt with live active cultures until smooth. Pour this mixture back into the Instant Pot and gently stir to combine.
Incubate
- Return the inner pot to the Instant Pot. Press the Yogurt button. The display will show 8:00 (8 hours). Press Start. Do not disturb the yogurt during incubation. When the cycle completes, the yogurt will be set and jiggly.
Strain for Greek-Style
- Line a fine-mesh strainer with cheesecloth and set over a large bowl. Ladle the yogurt into the strainer. Cover and refrigerate for 2–4 hours for thick Greek yogurt, or overnight for labneh-style yogurt cheese. Transfer strained yogurt to a clean jar.