Greek Dips and Sauces
How to Make Strained Greek Yogurt at Home
Γιαούρτι στραγγιστό yah-OOR-tee strah-ghee-STOH · Giaourti stragisto
In short
Strained Greek yogurt, giaourti stragisto, is made by draining plain whole-milk yogurt through muslin or a fine cloth for several hours, removing much of its liquid whey until it thickens into something dense enough to hold a spoon standing upright. It is the technique behind every genuinely thick Greek yogurt dish on this site.
The thick, dense texture that makes Greek yogurt what it is comes entirely from straining, not from any special culture or additive, and understanding the technique is genuinely useful, since it lets you turn ordinary plain yogurt into something considerably richer whenever you like, or rescue a batch that turned out thinner than hoped.
This is not a recipe in the usual sense, just a method: plain whole-milk yogurt, poured into a cloth-lined sieve set over a bowl, and left to drain in the fridge until much of its liquid whey has separated out, leaving behind a genuinely thick, spoonable yogurt.
It takes patience rather than skill, generally four hours for a lightly thickened result and considerably longer, even overnight, for something dense enough to hold a shape, and it is worth understanding properly since so many recipes on this site depend on starting with yogurt this thick.
Key preparation steps
- Line a sieve with muslin or a clean, fine cloth.
- Pour in plain whole-milk yogurt and set over a bowl.
- Refrigerate for several hours, letting the whey drain away.
- Scrape the thickened yogurt from the cloth once ready.
What you need
Plain, whole-milk yogurt is essential here, since low-fat yogurt has less body to begin with and strains to something thin and grainy rather than rich and thick. A fine muslin cloth, a clean, thin tea towel, or even a few layers of good quality kitchen paper work as the straining medium, set inside a sieve over a bowl deep enough to catch the whey without the sieve touching it.
The straining process
Pour the yogurt into the cloth-lined sieve, gather the edges up loosely, or leave it open, and refrigerate. Check after four hours for a lightly thickened result, suitable for most cooking purposes, and leave considerably longer, up to overnight, for a genuinely thick, dense yogurt suited to eating with honey and walnuts.
Using the finished yogurt, and the whey
Scrape the thickened yogurt out of the cloth into a clean container, where it keeps for about a week refrigerated. Do not discard the drained whey, it is a genuinely useful ingredient in its own right, good stirred into bread dough for extra tang and nutrition, or used in place of some of the milk in a marinade.
Tips from my kitchen
Use whole-milk yogurt
Low-fat yogurt has less body to begin with and strains to something thin and grainy rather than rich and thick.
Do not discard the whey
It is a genuinely useful ingredient, good stirred into bread dough or used in a marinade in place of some of the milk.
Strain longer for a thicker result
Four hours gives a lightly thickened yogurt suited to most cooking. Overnight gives something dense enough to hold a spoon standing upright.
How to Make Strained Greek Yogurt at Home
Γιαούρτι στραγγιστό · by Kalliopi Andreou · updated 2026-07-31
- Prep
- 10m
- Cook
- None
- Total
- 10m
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
Ingredients
Method
- Line a large sieve with a double layer of muslin, a clean fine tea towel, or several layers of good quality kitchen paper.
- Set the sieve over a bowl deep enough that it does not touch the liquid that will collect.
- Pour the yogurt into the lined sieve.
- Cover loosely and refrigerate.
- Check after 4 hours for a lightly thickened yogurt, or leave up to overnight for a genuinely thick, dense result.
- Scrape the thickened yogurt from the cloth into a clean container. Refrigerate and use within a week.
Nutrition, per 100 g
- Calories
- 68
- Protein
- 6 g
- Carbs
- 4 g
- Fat
- 3 g
- Sat fat
- 2 g
- Fibre
- 0 g
These figures are calculated estimates based on the ingredients listed, not laboratory analysis. Actual values vary with brands, cuts and portion size.
Frequently asked questions about Giaourti stragisto
What makes Greek yogurt thicker than regular yogurt?
Straining, not a special culture or additive. Plain yogurt is drained through cloth to remove much of its liquid whey, leaving a thicker, denser result.
Can you use low-fat yogurt for straining?
You can, but it strains to something thinner and grainier, since it has less body to begin with. Whole-milk yogurt gives a considerably richer, better result.
What can you do with the leftover whey?
It is genuinely useful stirred into bread dough for extra tang and nutrition, or used in place of some of the milk in a marinade, rather than simply discarded.
