This Moussaka Recipe features delicious layers of flavorful ground lamb, fried eggplants, and a deliciously cheesy bechamel sauce. If you want a taste of Greek food or Cypriot food, this is a great recipe to try!
Recipe Origins
Moussaka, at least in my brain, is the epitome of delicious Mediterranean food. Similar to loukoumades (honey-soaked donuts), I first had Moussaka when on a trip to Greece.
However, Greece and Cyprus share quite a few influences in terms of food, so many of the recipes are shared across the two countries! This means that Cyprus enjoys moussaka just like Greece. And boy, are they lucky.
Moussaka reminds me of a pasta-less version of lasagna in a way. Layers of eggplant are topped with a delicious lamb mixture (flavored with cinnamon and nutmeg). The entire thing is then covered in a bechamel sauce and parmesan cheese and then baked until it can be eaten in slices.
If you haven’t tried this Moussaka recipe yet, you’re in for a treat. And I promise that the semi time-intensive process is worth every minute.
Why Make this Recipe
- A Taste of Greece and Cyprus: If you want to travel to Greece or Cyprus but haven’t gotten the chance (or you have and you’re missing it) this recipe is a great way to transport you right there!
- Comfort Food: This recipe is comfort food to the max! Warm and slightly cinnamon-y with thick bechamel on top. MMMM… (Want another great Greek comfort food? Check out this Spinach Pie Recipe!)
What Do I Need to Make this Recipe
Ingredients
- Lamb: Ground lamb can be found in your grocery store or butcher shop. Mine is always in the organic section.
- Red Wine: Any red wine will work, but I recommend
- Parmesan Cheese: I will always advocate for high quality parmesan cheese if it is available to you! It makes all the difference.
How to Make this Recipe
Step 1: Prepare the Eggplant
Slice the eggplants. Place a few layers of paper towel on a cookie sheet. Lay your eggplant slices down in a single layer and sprinkle generously with salt.
In 15 minutes, dab up the water droplets that formed. Flip the eggplant over and repeat. Allow for at least a 30 minute rest time total, as this will keep your moussaka from being soggy.
Step 2: Make the Meat Filling
Pour your olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic and saute for about 5 minutes or until soft. Add the tomato paste and mix to combine.
Add the ground lamb into the skillet and use your utensil to break up the meat. Continue stirring over medium-high heat until the lamb is completely cooked through.
Pour your lamb and onion mixer into a fine colander to drain the oil. Press the mixture with your spoon to make sure to get as much grease out as possible. Wash the skillet and return it to the oven.
Add the meat and onion mixture back into the skillet, then add the spices. Allow to cook for about one minute.
Pour in the wine, and allow it to cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes until the wine is mostly dissolved.
Add the diced tomatoes to the mixture and stir to combine. Leave the meat and tomato mixture on the stove for about 30 minutes over medium heat, stirring occasionally. You want to keep stirring this mixture until most of the liquid is gone from it and it almost resembles ground lamb again without extra moisture.
Step 3: Fry the Eggplant
In a separate skillet, heat the oil for frying. To know your oil is ready to fry, dip a chopstick into the oil parallel to the bottom of the skillet. If it starts to bubble around the chopstick, your oil is hot enough.
Dab the water off of the eggplant again and add the slices into the oil. Cook for about 3-5 minutes on each side, or until they begin to brown. Remove from the oil and drain on a paper towel.
Use another paper towel to press down on the fried eggplant slices, soaking up most of the excess oil. It is important to try removing most of the excess oil from the slices as it will prevent an oily moussaka.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Step 4: Make the Béchamel
In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt 2 tbsp butter. Add the flour to it and mix until a paste forms. Allow the paste to cook for about 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.
In a separate saucepan, whisk the milk on medium heat until it begins to boil.
One the milk is boiling, remove the paste saucepan from the heat. Pour the boiling milk into it. Then use the whisk to mix until all lumps are gone. Put the milk back on the burner and whisk for another minute or two, or until the milk mixture thickens.
Once the mixture has thickened, add ¾ cup parmesan cheese, ¼ cup at a time. Stir between each addition.
Step 5: Assemble
When the lamb mixture has finished cooking: In the bottom of an 8×8 glass pan, layer half of the eggplant slices and then spread half of the meat mixture on top. Then lay the rest of the eggplant slices, then the rest of the lamb mixture.
Top with the béchamel and even it out with a spatula. Top everything with another ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese.
Place in the oven for about 45 minutes or until browned on top. Let rest for 30 minutes before serving.
Enjoy! Leave a comment on this post letting me know what you thought.
Expert Tips
- If you don’t like lamb, you can also make this recipe with beef
- It’s important to follow the tips below about preventing an oily moussaka. I learned that lesson the hard way!
- If you’d prefer to cut the eggplant into vertical slices instead of rounds, you can do that as well.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, you can make your moussaka in advance! If you would like to cook the Moussaka Recipe in advance, you can certainly do that. I find that the Moussaka stores really nicely in the fridge and heats up well.
If you want to prep your Moussaka ahead of time, you can also do that! I would recommend, however, layering the eggplant and meat layers ahead of time and storing in the fridge, but not preparing the béchamel until the day of.
You can then make the béchamel sauce on the stovetop before baking and have fresh béchamel for your dish!
Both are absolutely delicious recipes, but they are slightly different. Many components of these recipes are the same. However, Moussaka contains fried eggplants at the base of the dish, whereas pasticcio has large pasta noodles inside!
The meat and bechamel layers of Moussaka and Pasticcio are almost identical. The main difference is in the choice of the base for the recipe.
Moussaka is served in a few different countries. It is served in Greece (in fact, the best Moussaka I ever had was in Athens, Greece), but it is also served in other mediterranean countries like Cyprus!
Specifically in the Greek Cypriot portion of Cyprus, you can find Moussaka very easily.
Many people wonder if they can grill the eggplant in this recipe instead of fry it. You can certainly do that if you’d like!
I’ve never grilled the eggplant in my Moussaka Recipe before, but I know it can be done! Just keep in mind that your moussaka might have a little bit of a different texture if you choose to prepare the eggplant this way.
If you want to grill the eggplant, simply place the eggplant on the grill until grill lines appear and the eggplant begins to tenderize a bit. Then proceed with the instructions as written.
You can also bake the eggplant if you prefer!
When first experimenting with my Moussaka Recipe, I had a hard time with the recipe coming out too greasy. If you’re experiencing similar problems, here are a few suggestions to correct the issue.
1. Did you drain your lamb meat before adding the spices and wine? Lamb is a very fatty meat and therefore produces a lot of grease. If you don’t drain the meat before continuing on with the steps, you will end up with a greasy mess.
2. Did you soak the oil out of the fried eggplants? This isn’t a step in many moussaka recipes but I found that it has really made a difference in my moussaka. Of course, I’ll never be able to get all the grease out. But just filling up a paper towel sheet with grease goes to show that there is definitely some oil hiding in those fried eggplant slices.
3. Is your bechamel thick enough? If your bechamel sauce is not thick enough, you can have problems with it holding itself together. Try whisking your milk and flour mixture for longer before using it to top your moussaka. If that doesn’t succeed in making it thicker, add another ¼ cup of grated parmesan cheese.
And if you liked this recipe, make sure to check out the other recipes I’ve picked out just for you:
If you make this recipe at home, leave a review/comment on this post letting us know what you thought!
And don’t forget to share a photo of your finished product on Facebook and Instagram and tag @TheForeignFork and hashtag #TheForeignFork.
Moussaka Recipe
Equipment
- Cutting Board
- Knives
- Cookie Sheet
- Large Skillet
- Spatula/Wooden Spoon
- Colander
- Medium Skillet
- Tongs
- Paper Towel
- 2 Medium Saucepans
- Whisk
- 8×8 Glass Dish
Ingredients
Eggplant Ingredients
- 2 Eggplants, sliced into ¾” thick slices
- Oil for Frying, Vegetable or sunflower oil
Meat Ingredients
- 3 Tbsp Olive Oil
- 1 Yellow Onion, chopped
- 2 tsp Garlic, minced
- 2 Tbsp Tomato Paste
- 1 lb Ground Lamb
- 2 tsp Ground Cinnamon
- 1 tsp Ground Ginger
- 1 tsp Nutmeg
- 1 tsp Ground Oregano
- 1 tsp Salt
- ¼ cup Red Wine
- 1 14.5 oz can Diced Tomatoes
Bechamel Sauce Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp Butter, Unsalted
- 3 Tbsp All-purpose Flour
- ¼ tsp Salt
- 2 Cups Milk, 2% or whole
- 1 cup Parmesan Cheese, Grated
Instructions
Prepare the Eggplant
- Slice 2 eggplants about 1/4" thick.
- Place a few layers of paper towel on a cookie sheet. Lay your eggplant slices down in a single layer and sprinkle generously with salt.
- In 15 minutes, dab up the water droplets that formed. Flip the eggplant over and repeat. Allow for at least a 30 minute rest time total, as this will keep your moussaka from being soggy.
Make the Meat Filling
- Pour 3 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add 1 chopped yellow onion and 2 tsp garlic and saute for about 5 minutes or until soft. Add 2 tbsp tomato paste and mix to combine.
- Add 1 lb ground lamb into the skillet and use your utensil to break up the meat. Continue stirring over medium-high heat until the lamb is completely cooked through.
- Pour your lamb and onion mixer into a fine colander to drain the oil. Press the mixture with your spoon to make sure to get as much grease out as possible. Wash the skillet and return it to the oven.
- Add the meat and onion mixture back into the skillet, then add all spices (1 tsp ground ginger, 1 tsp nutmeg, 1 tsp ground oregano, 1 tsp salt). Allow to cook for about one minute.
- Pour in 1/4 cup red wine, and allow to cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes until the wine is mostly dissolved.
- Add a 14.5 oz can of diced tomatoes to the mixture and stir to combine. Leave the meat and tomato mixture on the stove for about 30 minutes over medium heat, stirring occasionally. You want to keep stirring this mixture until most of the liquid is gone from it and it almost resembles ground lamb again without extra moisture.
Fry the Eggplant
- In a separate skillet, heat about 1/4 inch of oil for frying. To know your oil is ready to fry, dip a chopstick into the oil parallel to the bottom of the skillet. If it starts to bubble around the chopstick, your oil is hot enough.
- Dab the water off of the eggplant again and add the slices into the oil. Cook for about 3-5 minutes on each side, or until they begin to brown. Remove from the oil and drain on paper towel.
- Use another paper towel to press down on the fried eggplant slices, soaking up most of the excess oil. It is important to try removing most of the excess oil from the slices as it will prevent an oily moussaka.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Make the Béchamel
- In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt 2 tbsp butter. Add 3 tbsp all purpose flour to it and mix until a paste forms. Allow the paste to cook for about 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- In a separate saucepan, whisk 2 cups milk on medium heat until it begins to boil.
- Once the milk is boiling, remove the paste saucepan from the heat. Pour the boiling milk into it. Then use the whisk to mix until all lumps are gone. Put the milk back on the burner and whisk for another minute or two, or until the milk mixture thickens.
- Once the mixture has thickened, add 1/4 tsp salt and ¾ cup parmesan cheese, ¼ cup at a time. Stir between each addition.
Assemble
- When the lamb mixture has finished cooking: In the bottom of an 8×8 glass pan, layer half of the eggplant slices and then spread half of the meat mixture on top. Then lay the rest of the eggplant slices, then the rest of the meat mixture.
- Top with the béchamel and even it out with a spatula. Top everything with another ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese.
- Place in the oven for about 45 minutes or until browned on top. Let rest for 30 minutes before serving.
- Enjoy! Leave a comment on this post letting me know what you thought.
Notes
- Lamb: Ground lamb can be found in your grocery store or butcher shop. Mine is always in the organic section.
- Red Wine: Any red wine will work, but I recommend
- Parmesan Cheese: I will always advocate for high quality parmesan cheese if it is available to you! It makes all the difference.
- If you don’t like lamb, you can also make this recipe with beef
- It’s important to follow the tips below about preventing an oily moussaka. I learned that lesson the hard way!
- If you’d prefer to cut the eggplant into vertical slices instead of rounds, you can do that as well.
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