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Greek

Moussaka

Non-vegetarian

Μουσακάς · Mousakás

Greece's famous baked dish of golden aubergine slices layered with a cinnamon-scented lamb and tomato sauce under a thick, custardy béchamel topping.

Moussaka is a Greek bake from Greece, ready in about 2 hours 40 minutes and made with eggplant, ground lamb and milk. It serves 8 and is rated intermediate to cook.

Start cooking
Moussaka with aubergine and potatoes
Photo: Robert Kindermann aka RobertK / Wikimedia Commons · CC-BY-SA-2.5
Prep
30 min
Cook
1 h 40 min
Rest
30 min
Total
2 h 40 min
Serves
8
Level
Intermediate
Calories
552

Ingredients

8 servings

For the aubergine

For the meat sauce

For the béchamel

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Heat the oven (opens in a new tab) to 220 °C. Brush the aubergine (opens in a new tab) slices with about 4 tablespoons of oil, sprinkle with salt and roast on trays until soft and golden, turning once.

    Roasting uses far less oil than the traditional frying.

    A tray of food roasting in the oven
    How it looks · Photo: locrifa on Pexels

  2. Step 2

    Meanwhile soften the onion (opens in a new tab) and garlic (opens in a new tab) in the remaining oil, add the lamb and brown well. Add the wine and let it bubble, then stir in the tomatoes, tomato paste (opens in a new tab), cinnamon (opens in a new tab), allspice (opens in a new tab), salt and pepper (opens in a new tab). Simmer until thick.

    Onions frying golden in a pan
    How it looks · Photo: Magda Ehlers on Pexels

  3. Step 3

    Make the béchamel: melt the butter (opens in a new tab), whisk (opens in a new tab) in the flour, then gradually whisk in the milk (opens in a new tab) and simmer until thick. Off the heat, whisk in the yolks, nutmeg (opens in a new tab), salt and half the cheese.

    Eggs being whisked in a bowl
    How it looks · Photo: Kampus Production on Pexels

  4. Step 4

    Lower the oven (opens in a new tab) to 180 °C. Layer half the aubergine (opens in a new tab) in a deep baking dish (opens in a new tab), then the meat sauce, then the remaining aubergine. Pour over the béchamel and scatter with the rest of the cheese.

  5. Step 5

    Bake until the top is puffed and deep golden, then rest for at least 30 minutes before cutting.

About this dish

Origin
Greece · Commonly attributedDishes called moussaka exist across the Balkans and Middle East; the layered béchamel version is Greek and popularised in the early 20th century.Also popular in United KingdomMore food from Greece
Dish
Lunch · Dinner · Casseroles & bakes · Main courses
Cooking method
Roasted, Simmered, Oven-baked
Taste
rich, aromatic / warmly spiced, savoury, creamy
Diet
No nut ingredients · Low-carb · High-protein
All labelsNon-vegetarian · No nut ingredients · No added sugar · Pork-free · Beef-free · Low-carb · High-protein · Carb-conscious
Worked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for
Make-ahead · Freezer-friendly · Festive & celebration
Cook more with
Eggplant · Ground lamb · Milk · Onion · Garlic · Dry red wine
Techniques
Roasting · Baking · Simmering · Roux thickening

Allergens

  • Contains: Milkfrom butter, milk, parmesan
  • Contains: Eggsfrom egg yolk
  • Contains: Wheatfrom all-purpose flour
  • Contains: Glutenfrom all-purpose flour
  • Contains: Sulphitesfrom dry red wine

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

552 kcal per serving

Calculated

1 serving ≈ 454 g · recipe makes 8

Where the energy comes from

  • Protein 16%
  • Carbohydrate 18%
  • Fat 66%
Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
Energy552 kcal122 kcal
Protein21.8 g4.8 g
Carbohydrate24.8 g5.5 g
Net carbohydrate18.1 g4 g
Sugars12.8 g2.8 g
Added sugars0 g0 g
Fibre6.7 g1.5 g
Fat40.2 g8.9 g
Saturated fat16.2 g3.6 g
Trans fat——
Cholesterol131 mg29 mg
Sodium722 mg159 mg
Salt equivalent1.8 g0.4 g
Vitamins & minerals per serving
Potassium
855 mg
Calcium
253 mg
Iron
2.7 mg
Magnesium
63 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)
138 µg
Vitamin C
12 mg
Vitamin D
1.5 µg
Vitamin B12
2.3 µg
Folate (DFE)
91 µg

How these numbers were made

  • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
  • *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
  • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
  • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Tips

  • A layer of thinly sliced fried or roasted potato on the base is a common addition that helps it hold together.

Common mistakes

  • Cutting it hot — it needs to rest to set into neat slices.

Serve with

  • Serve with a Greek salad and bread.

Food safety

  • Brown the minced lamb until no pink remains (71 °C).
  • Cool leftovers within 2 hours and refrigerate.

Storage

  • Keeps 3 days in the fridge or 3 months frozen.

Reheating

  • Reheat covered at 180 °C for 25–30 minutes, until piping hot (75 °C) in the centre.

Variations

  • Vegetarian moussaka: Replace the lamb with brown lentils cooked in the same spiced tomato sauce.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

Sauces, chutneys & dips for this dish

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

Built from the recipe’s own sections. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

What the dish is built around

Main ingredient

  • Eggplant, sliced 1 cm thick3 piece · 1350 g
Used in step 1

Reviews & corrections

Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.

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