Here’s a classic Greek Moussaka recipe—rich layers of eggplant, spiced meat sauce, and creamy béchamel baked into a golden casserole.
Greek Moussaka
🛒 Ingredients
🍆 Vegetable layers
- 2–3 large eggplants (sliced lengthwise or into rounds)
- Salt (for sweating eggplant)
- Olive oil (for brushing/frying)
🥩 Meat sauce
- 500 g ground lamb (or beef)
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 can (400 g) crushed tomatoes
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- ½ cup red wine (optional but traditional)
- 1 tsp cinnamon (key Greek flavor)
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- Salt & black pepper
- 1 bay leaf
🥛 Béchamel sauce
- 4 tbsp butter
- 4 tbsp flour
- 2½ cups milk (warm)
- 1 egg yolk
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese or kefalotyri cheese
- Pinch of nutmeg
- Salt & pepper
👨🍳 Instructions
1. Prepare the eggplant
- Slice eggplant and sprinkle with salt.
- Let sit 20–30 minutes to remove bitterness.
- Rinse and pat dry.
- Brush with olive oil and bake at 200°C (400°F) for ~20–25 minutes until soft (or pan-fry).
2. Make the meat sauce
- Sauté onion in olive oil until soft.
- Add garlic and cook 30 seconds.
- Add ground lamb and brown it well.
- Stir in tomato paste, crushed tomatoes, wine, cinnamon, oregano, bay leaf, salt, and pepper.
- Simmer 20–25 minutes until thick and rich. Remove bay leaf.
3. Make the béchamel
- Melt butter in a pan, whisk in flour, cook 1–2 minutes.
- Slowly whisk in warm milk until smooth and thick.
- Remove from heat and whisk in egg yolk, cheese, nutmeg, salt, and pepper.
4. Assemble the moussaka
Layer in a baking dish:
- Eggplant layer
- Meat sauce
- Eggplant layer
- Remaining meat sauce
- Béchamel sauce on top
Smooth the top and sprinkle a little cheese if desired.
5. Bake
- Bake at 180°C (350°F) for 40–50 minutes
- Top should be golden and slightly set
- Let it rest 15–20 minutes before slicing (very important)
🍽️ Serving Tips
- Serve with Greek salad or crusty bread
- Tastes even better the next day (flavors deepen)
- Can be made ahead and reheated easily
🔥 Quick Notes
- Traditional versions use lamb and cinnamon for signature flavor
- Eggplant can also be combined with potatoes if you want a sturdier base
- Letting it rest after baking is what helps it slice cleanly
If you want, I can also give you a lighter “healthy moussaka” version, a vegetarian lentil moussaka, or a step-by-step make-ahead freezer version.