41 Yogurt Recipes That Are Much More Than Breakfast
Yogurt has endless superpowers but the most marvelous of all might be its ability to shape-shift between savory and sweet preparations. Whether blitzed into a breakfast smoothie to add bulk or slathered on lamb as a tenderizing marinade, we’re hard-pressed to come up with any foods that don’t go well yogurt.
From classic dips and meze like tzatziki and spinach-mint dip to desserts like tart Key lime pie and frozen yogurt paletas, yogurt is right at home in these recipes, lending its versatile creaminess and tanginess.
Whether you’re using labneh, Greek yogurt, or whole-milk yogurt, here are our favorite yogurt recipes. These sauces, soups, salads, and cakes make a case for always keeping your fridge stocked up on yogurt.
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne1/41Classic Tzatziki
Laced with cucumber, garlic, lemon, and mint (dried or fresh, depending on who’s making it), it’s cooling and punchy.
- Photograph by Isa Zapata, food styling by Pearl Jones, prop styling by Marina Bevilacqua2/41
Chilled Beet and Yogurt Soup
Beat the heat with this incredibly vibrant, wildly simple, and refreshingly cold beet soup made in a blender. Roast your beets for the brightest color.
- Photograph by Isa Zapata, food styling by Pearl Jones, prop styling by Marina Bevilacqua3/41
Yogurt-Marinated Chicken With Hot Honey and Herbs
Tenderizing yogurt makes the perfect marinade for grilled bone-in chicken thighs, which get even more flavor from chile-infused honey.
- Photograph by Isa Zapata, food styling by Pearl Jones, prop styling by Marina Bevilacqua4/41
Blistered Asparagus With Labneh and Harissa
This just-charred-enough asparagus begs to be dragged through a swoosh of cool, creamy labneh mixed with bright, fiery harissa.
- Photograph by Isa Zapata, food styling by Pearl Jones, prop styling by Marina Bevilacqua5/41
Yogurt-Berry Paletas
Creamy yogurt and the season’s best berries team up to make refreshing frozen paleta treats you’ll want on hand all summer long.
- Photograph by Isa Zapata, food styling by Pearl Jones, prop styling by Marina Bevilacqua6/41
Labneh
The hands-off process of straining yogurt overnight yields labneh, a thicker, creamy spread you’ll use in everything from dips to dressings.
- Photo by Emma Fishman, Food Styling by Pearl Jones7/41
Spiced Lamb and Dill Yogurt Pasta
You’ll find all the flavors of Middle Eastern shish barak (tiny lamb and pine nut) dumplings here, but made simpler and brighter with help from dried pasta and plenty of fresh dill.
- Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Eliza Mozer8/41
Creamy Strawberry-Ginger Smoothie
Sweet strawberry, zingy ginger, and creamy yogurt join forces in this punchy pink refresher. Added dates ensure the final smoothie isn’t overly tart.
- Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Taneka Morris, Prop Styling by Gerri K. Williams9/41
Hot & Tangy Tandoori Buffalo Wings
These spiced wings feature both aromatic tandoori masala spice blend and Frank’s RedHot for a nod to classic Buffalo wings with a little flair.
- Photograph by Alex Lau, food styling by Susie Theodorou, prop styling by Sophie Strangio10/41
Sour Cherry Cheesecake
Tangy sour cherries meet sweet and pillowy cheesecake in the ultimate spring-to-summer dessert.
- Photograph by Heami Lee, Food Styling by Thu Buser, Prop Styling by JoJo Li11/41
Chaat-Style Potato Salad
Expect an explosion of flavor in this potato salad inspired by the sweet-salty Indian snack.
- Photograph by Cody Guilfoyle, Prop Styling by Nicole Louie, Food Styling Thu Buser12/41
Spiced Lamb Ramen With Cucumbers and Yogurt
Inspired by Japanese mazemen, this brothless dish is dreamy on a warm night.
- Photo by Emma Fishman13/41
Shrikhand
This impossibly smooth, thick, saffron-studded treat is yogurt in its dreamiest, creamiest dessert form.
- Alex Lau14/41
BA’s Best Key Lime Pie
Our best Key lime pie recipe sports a whipped cream topping with Greek yogurt for extra tang. Coconut oil gives the graham cracker crust a tropical edge.
- Photograph by Isa Zapata. Food Styling by Susan Ottaviano. Prop Styling by Maeve Sheridan15/41
Turkish-Style Poached Eggs With Brown Butter Garlic Chips
The best part of these Turkish-style poached eggs on a bed of crispy bread and creamy yogurt is the garlicky spiced brown butter that gets drizzled on top.
- Photo by Marcus Nilsson16/41
Rose and Yogurt Panna Cotta
An unconventional panna cotta inspired by the flavors of falooda: rose syrup, pistachios, and golden raisins all join in.
- Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Pearl Jones, Prop Styling by Beth Pakradooni17/41
Gyoza and Greens With Chile Butter
Transform store-bought dumplings into a restaurant-worthy meal using wilted greens, creamy garlicky yogurt, and plenty of chile butter.
- Alex Lau18/41
Blackberry-Tahini Yogurt Cake
Trust us: This simple berry-studded cake recipe is a real keeper.
- Photo by Alex Lau, Styling by Sue Li19/41
Shrimp Salad With Yogurt
You can make this salad ahead of time—but wait until an hour before to add the lemon juice, which will prevent the shrimp from getting tough.
- Photograph by Emma Fishman, food styling by Judy Kim.20/41
Blistered Cherry Tomato Toast
Turn summer’s bounty into a full meal with some blistered cherry tomatoes, cooling yogurt, and a drizzle of balsamic glaze piled on top of fried bread.
- Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Judy Kim, Prop Styling by Stephanie De Luca21/41
Afghan Pasta
All the flavors of meaty Afghan mantu in a streamlined pasta dish.
- Alex Lau22/41
Spiced Dal With Fluffy Rice and Salted Yogurt
In this dish, lentils get a double dose of tartness from lime-marinated red onion and a drizzle of tangy yogurt.
- Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Rebecca Jurkevich, prop styling by Amy Wilson23/41
Grilled Salmon Steaks With Cilantro-and-Garlic Yogurt Sauce
This yogurt sauce will work on virtually any protein you can think of. Even tofu. Yeah, we went there.
- Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Pearl Jones, Prop Styling by Dayna Seman24/41
Everything-Spice Fish With Tomato Salad
Hit all the notes of a fully loaded bagel—complete with tangy yogurt taking the place of cream cheese—with this crispy fish cutlet.
- Photo by Alex Lau, Styling by Sue Li25/41
Jalapeño-Cilantro Yogurt Sauce
Think of this as a spicy Green Goddess dressing.
- Photo by Chelsie Craig, Food Styling by Yekaterina Boytsova26/41
Sweet Potatoes With Charred Lemons and Crunchies
With custardy insides and charred exteriors, these sweet potatoes are everything you always wish roasted sweet potatoes could be. A crunchy mixture of toasted nuts and seeds provides pops of texture and spice, and a cooling lemony yogurt sauce cuts through the richness.
- Alex Lau27/41
Spinach-Yogurt Dip With Sizzled Mint
Our version of this dip (called borani esfanaaj in Iran) uses spinach, but it can be made with cooked beets or roasted eggplant, too.
- Photo by Chelsie Craig, food styling by Kat Boytsova28/41
Digaag Qumbe (Yogurt-Coconut Chicken)
Warming cumin, cardamom, turmeric, and ginger make this Somali chicken stew recipe from Hawa Hassan a rich aromatic experience.
- Photograph by Laura Murray, food styling by Susie Theodorou, prop styling by Sophie Strangio29/41
Citrus-Ginger Raita With Spice Oil
Ginger and orange juice give this raita a holiday feel. Treat it like cranberry sauce–it goes with everything.
- Photo by Emma Fishman, Food Styling by D'mytrek Brown30/41
Spinach Thepla and Vaghareli Dahi
Hetal Vasavada’s approach to the unleavened Gujarati spiced flatbread ensures a soft, supple dough every time.
- Photograph by Emma Fishman, Food Styling by D'mytrek Brown, Props from Meilen Ceramics31/41
Beet Fritters With Beet Greens Yogurt
So you love beets but don’t love waiting hours for them to roast? Shred ’em along with some potato to make these crispy dinner fritters.
- Photograph by Maria Be, food styling by Thu Buser, prop styling by Marina Bevilacqua32/41
Yogurt-Marinated Lamb Chops With Mango Chutney
These lamb chops get their kick from two flavorful marinades, a butter-basting session on the grill, and a shower of spices during their rest.
- Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Michelle Gatton33/41
Turmeric Yogurt Dip
Vigorously squeezing the cucumbers to remove as much water as possible helps to concentrate their flavor and creates a thicker dip.
- Alex Lau34/41
Turmeric Fried Eggs With Kale, Yogurt, and Bacon
Breakfast bowls shouldn’t take 2 hours to make; this one is ready in about 20 minutes.
- Photo by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Cyd McDowell, Prop Styling by Paige Hicks35/41
Crispy Air Fryer Potato Wedges With Yogurt-Tahini Sauce
These potato wedges are spiced and air-fried to perfection before you dip them into a tangy yogurt sauce.
- Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Drew Aichele, Prop Styling by Beatrice Chastka36/41
Frozen Greek Yogurt Blackout Pie
This no-bake pie is incredibly easy to make and will keep for over a week in the freezer.
- Photograph by Scott Semler, Food Styling by Judy Kim, Prop Styling by Stephanie Yeh37/41
Raspberry-Cardamom Yogurt Semifreddo
No ice cream maker required to whip up this fruity, fancy-feeling frozen dessert.
- Photo by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Cyd McDowell, Prop Styling by Paige Hicks38/41
Kuku Sibzamini With Lemon Yogurt
These Persian potato fritters are miraculously crispy on the outside, fluffy on the inside, and taste best dipped in a quick ‘n’ zesty yogurt.
- Photograph by Isa Zapata, food styling by Pierce Abernathy, prop styling by Olga Grigorenko39/41
Herb-Stuffed Flatbreads With Yogurt Sauce
Crispy on the outside, herby on the inside, these simple flatbreads are inspired by Armenian jingalov hats, which are just as delicious as they are fun to say.
- Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Sean Dooley, Prop Styling by Allison Ritchie40/41
Creamy Chimichurri Roast Chicken
This velvety chimichurri riff combines the sauce’s signature acidity and herbaceousness with yogurt’s mellow tang for a versatile two-in-one marinade and good-on-everything condiment.
- Ted Cavanaugh41/41
Cumin-Chile Lamb Kebabs With Garlic Yogurt
A perfect cube is not essential, but try to get the lamb into roughly the same size pieces so they cook at the same rate.