Greek Moussaka (Musaka)

5 from 19 votes

This delicious authentic Greek dish is made with layers of aubergines & potatoes, tomatoey meat sauce, and cheesy béchamel.

Prep Time1

Cook Time1

Total Time2

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Greek, Mediterranean, Turkish

Diet: Low Salt

Servings: people

Calories: 924kcal

350 g potatoes (approximately 2 large potatoes) (peeled and sliced 0.5 cm thick)
700 g aubergine (approximately 3 medium aubergine) (peeled in stripes and sliced 1 cm thick)
vegetable oil for frying

Heat a large pan or dutch oven on medium heat and cook the lamb mince until brown and release its fat. Stir occasionally to break the mince down into small pieces.
Add onions and garlic, saute until translucent then add freshly ground black pepper, paprika, cinnamon, and salt. Sauté for 30 seconds.
Stir in the tomato paste and cook for a minute before adding the tinned tomatoes.
Add the stock, sugar, and herbs. Stir well and cook on low heat for 15 minutes.
Check the seasoning and add some salt if needed.
While the meat sauce is cooking, start the béchamel sauce.

Melt the butter in a saucepan on medium heat and stir in the flour.
Mix well using a wooden spatula or a whisk and cook for 2 minutes stirring all the time.
Whisk in a little of the warm milk at a time stirring continuously until you have a smooth, velvety sauce.
Cook on low heat for a few minutes stirring all the time until the sauce has thickened and the flour taste has disappeared.
Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the nutmeg, salt, and the 50 g grated parmesan cheese.
Let it cool down for five minutes and whisk in the egg yolk, set aside, and start preparing the vegetables.

Preheat the oven to 180° C (360° C).
Heat a large frying pan on medium heat and add some vegetable oil in just enough to cover the bottom of the pan.
When the oil is hot enough, add the potatoes in batches and fry until lightly brown on both sides, remove from the pan and set aside on a plate.
Fry the aubergines in the same pan until both sides are lightly browned and they started to soften. Remove from the pan and set aside on a colander to drain excess oil.
To assemble the lamb moussaka, layer half of the aubergines on the bottom of an oven dish then top with half of the mince filling and spread nicely all over the eggplants.
Layer the potatoes on top of the filling, sprinkle on some salt then top with the rest of the mince filling.
Nicely cover with the remaining aubergines and pour over the bechamel sauce. Spread evenly using a silicone spatula or a pallet knife.
Sprinkle evenly the 25 g grated parmesan and 25 g grated cheddar then cover with the breadcrumbs.
Cook in the preheated oven for about an hour or until it is golden brown and bubbling away.
Let it cool down for 15 to 20 minutes before serving.

Moussaka needs a thicker meat sauce to help create those layers.
Break the mince down into small pieces with a wooden spoon while cooking.
Aubergines absorb lots of oil while frying. Gently pressing on them would help to get rid of some excess oil.
You can prepare moussaka up to three days in advance and bake it when you need it.
Roast the aubergines in the oven if you want a lighter moussaka.
You can freeze moussaka before or after baking.
Let the Moussaka cool down for 15 to 20 minutes before portioning and serving.