Greek Lamb Moussaka with Potato and Bechamel

Eleni Georgiou @eleni.g.cooksOct 4, 2026

21 ingredients

15 steps

What you need

1.2 kg (2 1/2 lb) eggplants, 3 large, sliced 1 cm (1/2 in) thick
700 g (1 1/2 lb) potatoes, 4 medium, peeled and sliced 1 cm (1/2 in) thick
6 tbsp olive oil, divided
1 onion, large, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
800 g (1 3/4 lb) ground lamb, or ground beef
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 cinnamon stick
2 bay leaves
1 tsp dried oregano
150 ml (2/3 cup) dry red wine
500 g (2 cups) tomato passata
1 handful flat-leaf parsley, chopped
salt, to taste
black pepper, to taste
90 g (6 tbsp) butter
90 g (2/3 cup) plain flour
900 ml (3 3/4 cups) whole milk, warm
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
100 g (1 cup) kefalotyri, finely grated, or parmesan
2 eggs, lightly beaten

Method

Restated from the original video

1
Heat the oven to 180 °C (350 °F) and line three large trays with parchment.
2
Lay the eggplant slices on two trays and the potatoes on the third. Brush both sides with 3 tbsp of the olive oil in total and season with salt.
3
Bake until the eggplant is soft and lightly golden and the potatoes are just tender, 25-30 min. Leave the oven on.
4
Meanwhile, heat the remaining olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Cook the onion with a pinch of salt until soft, 5-7 min, then add the garlic for 1 min.
5
Raise the heat, add the lamb and cook, breaking it up, until no pink remains and the liquid has cooked off, 8-10 min.
6
Stir in the tomato paste, cinnamon stick, bay leaves and oregano for 1 min. Pour in the red wine and let it bubble until mostly reduced, 2-3 min.
7
Add the passata, season with salt and black pepper, partly cover and simmer on low, stirring now and then, until thick, about 30 min.
8
Lift out the cinnamon stick and bay leaves and stir in the parsley.
9
For the bechamel, melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and stir constantly for 2 min, without letting it brown.
10
Pour in the milk a little at a time, whisking constantly, and keep whisking until the sauce is smooth, thick and bubbling, 6-8 min.
11
Off the heat, stir in the nutmeg and two thirds of the kefalotyri and season with salt. Let it cool for 5 min, then whisk in the eggs.
12
Arrange the potatoes over the base of a 23 x 33 cm (9 x 13 in) baking dish and cover with half the eggplant.
13
Spread the meat sauce on top, then lay over the rest of the eggplant. Pour on the bechamel and smooth it to the edges.
14
Scatter over the remaining kefalotyri and bake at 180 °C (350 °F) until deep golden and bubbling, 45-50 min.
15
Let it rest for at least 30 min before cutting so the layers hold.

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About moussaka

Layers of fried eggplant, spiced ground lamb with tomato, and a baked bechamel top, cut into squares like a casserole once cooled.

What cooks argue about

Frying the eggplant in oil is traditional and gives the most flavor, but makes the dish heavier than salting and pressing the slices dry first or roasting them instead, a swap purists resist.

What usually goes in