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Moussaka

Greek Moussaka

Moussaka is the ultimate Greek comfort food—layers of roasted eggplant, a rich spiced meat sauce, and creamy béchamel baked to golden perfection. This hearty dish is both elegant and satisfying, perfect for family dinners or special gatherings.
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Prep Time 40 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 50 minutes
Servings: 8 slices
Course: Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine: Greek, Mediterranean
Calories: 520
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the Eggplant Base
  • 1 kg eggplants sliced into 0.75 cm rounds
  • 1 tsp salt for sweating
  • 2-3 tbsp olive oil for brushing before baking
For the Meat Filling
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 onion finely diced
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 700 g ground beef or lamb
  • 1/2 cup red wine optional, enhances flavor depth
  • 400 g crushed tomatoes
  • 3 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1 cup beef broth or stock
  • 1 beef bouillon cube crumbled, or 1 tsp powder
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1.5 tsp sugar
  • 2 tsp dried oregano
  • 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon or 1 stick, removed after cooking
  • 3/4 tsp salt
For the Béchamel Sauce
  • 60 g butter
  • 5 tbsp plain flour
  • 2.5 cups milk
  • 1/4 tsp nutmeg freshly grated, optional
  • 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese or Kefalotiri
  • 1 whole egg + 1 yolk room temperature
  • 1.25 tsp stock powder or salt
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
For the Topping
  • 1/3 cup panko breadcrumbs

Method
 

  1. Step 1: Salt eggplant slices in a colander for 30 minutes, then pat dry. Preheat oven to 240°C / 450°F. Brush with olive oil and bake 15–20 minutes until softened and lightly golden. Set aside.
  2. Step 2: Heat olive oil in a skillet. Sauté onion and garlic until softened. Add ground meat, cook until browned. Stir in wine (if using), tomatoes, paste, broth, bouillon, herbs, cinnamon, sugar, and salt. Simmer 15 minutes until thickened. Remove bay leaves.
  3. Step 3: For béchamel, melt butter in saucepan. Whisk in flour and cook 1 minute. Slowly whisk in milk, cooking until thickened. Stir in Parmesan, nutmeg, stock powder, and pepper. Cool slightly, then whisk in egg and yolk.
  4. Step 4: Lower oven to 180°C / 350°F. In a baking dish, layer half the eggplant, all the meat filling, then remaining eggplant. Pour béchamel evenly, sprinkle breadcrumbs. Bake 30–40 minutes until golden and bubbling. Rest 10 minutes before serving.

Notes

For a lighter version, grill the eggplant instead of baking. Kefalotiri is traditional but Parmesan works well. Prepare meat sauce a day ahead for deeper flavor. Always let moussaka rest before slicing for neat layers.