Are you ready to create the ultimate Greek comfort food masterpiece? A show-stopping, layered casserole so rich, so aromatic, and so unbelievably delicious, it will transport you straight to a sun-drenched Mediterranean kitchen? This incredible, from-scratch Eggplant and Ground Turkey Moussaka is that perfect meal. We’re talking tender layers of baked eggplant, a savory and warmly spiced meat sauce, and a luscious, creamy, golden-brown béchamel topping.
This isn’t just another casserole recipe; it’s a guide to your new favorite “special occasion” dinner that is surprisingly easy to make. While a true moussaka is a labor of love, we’ll show you the simple but crucial secrets to each component, from a non-watery eggplant layer to a perfectly smooth and creamy béchamel. This is a satisfying, soulful, and deeply comforting meal that is worth every single step.
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Recipe Overview: The Ultimate Greek Comfort Food
What makes this Moussaka so spectacularly delicious is its incredible depth of flavor and its beautiful, distinct layers. This recipe is a masterpiece of classic, rustic Mediterranean cooking, made a little lighter and healthier. The dish features layers of silky, tender baked eggplant, which replaces the traditional fried version. The filling is a rich, from-scratch meat sauce, made with lean ground turkey instead of the traditional lamb, and slowly simmered with tomatoes and the classic, warm Greek spices of cinnamon and bay leaf. The entire casserole is then crowned with a thick, luscious, and from-scratch béchamel sauce, which is enriched with egg yolks and Parmesan and baked to a stunning, golden-brown perfection.
| Metric | Time / Level |
| Total Time | 2 hours 30 minutes |
| Active Prep Time | 45 minutes |
| Difficulty Level | Intermediate |
| Servings | 8-10 |
The Essential Ingredients for This Greek Classic
This iconic dish uses a handful of high-quality ingredients to create its signature rich and aromatic flavor.
- The Eggplant: The signature vegetable layer of any great moussaka. The number one secret to a perfect, non-watery, and non-bitter moussaka is to take the time to salt your eggplant slices first. This simple step draws out the excess moisture and any bitter compounds through osmosis.
- The Aromatic Meat Sauce:
- Ground Turkey: Using a lean ground turkey is a fantastic, healthy swap for the more traditional (and fattier) ground lamb or beef. A 93/7 ground turkey is a great choice.
- The Spices: The classic, warm, and slightly sweet Greek spice combination of a cinnamon stick and a bay leaf is the secret that gives the meat sauce its authentic, aromatic, and unforgettable flavor.
- The Creamy Béchamel Sauce:
- The Roux: A classic béchamel is built on a “roux,” which is a cooked paste of butter and flour. This is the key that thickens the milk into a rich and creamy sauce.
- The Egg Yolks: The secret to an extra-rich, custard-like, and beautifully golden béchamel topping is to enrich it with egg yolks. It is crucial to temper the egg yolks before adding them to the hot sauce to prevent them from scrambling.
Step-by-Step to the Best Ground Turkey Moussaka
This delicious, layered casserole is a joy to prepare.
Part 1: Prepare the Eggplant
Step 1: Cut the ends off your 5 large eggplants and slice them lengthwise into 1/4-inch thick slices.
Step 2 (The Most Important Step!): Season the eggplant slices generously with salt and place them in a colander in your sink for at least 30 minutes. This will draw out their excess moisture.
Step 3: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Add a baking grate or a wire rack to your sheet pan.
Step 4: Rinse the eggplant slices with plenty of water and then squeeze them with your hands or press them between two clean kitchen towels to get rid of the excess water. Pat them very dry.
Step 5: Bake the eggplant slices on the prepared grate for about 20 minutes. Set them aside when they are done.
Part 2: Make the Aromatic Meat Sauce
Step 1: In a large sauté pan, heat the 1 tablespoon of avocado oil over a medium-high heat. Add your 1 cup of diced red onion and cook for about 2 minutes. Step 2: Stir in the 1 pound of ground turkey, breaking it up into a crumble. Cook for about 10 minutes, until it is just beginning to brown. Step 3: Add the 2 tablespoons of minced garlic and the 2 tablespoons of tomato paste and continue to cook until the garlic has softened. Step 4: Add the 1/4 cup of beef bone broth to deglaze the pan. Let it simmer until the liquid has evaporated. Step 5: Add the 1 can of diced tomatoes, the 1 teaspoon of sugar, the 1 cinnamon stick, the 1 bay leaf, and a generous pinch of salt and pepper. Step 6: Bring the sauce to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover the pan with a lid, and let it simmer for about 30 minutes, until most of the juices have evaporated and the sauce is very thick. Remove the cinnamon stick and the bay leaf.
Part 3: Create the Luscious Béchamel Sauce
Step 1: In a large saucepan, melt the 1/2 cup of butter over a low-medium heat. Add the 1/2 cup of all-purpose flour, whisking it continuously, to make a paste (a roux). Step 2: Gently warm your 4 cups of milk in the microwave. Step 3: Gradually add the warm milk to the saucepan, about one cup at a time, whisking constantly to prevent your sauce from getting lumpy. Step 4: Turn the heat up to medium-high and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring constantly, until the sauce has thickened. Step 5 (The Secret to a Smooth Sauce!): Remove the pan from the heat and let it cool for 5 minutes. In a separate small bowl, whisk your 2 large egg yolks. Very slowly, whisk about 1/2 cup of the warm béchamel sauce into your egg yolks. Then, pour this tempered egg yolk mixture back into the main saucepan, whisking constantly. Step 6: Stir in the pinch of nutmeg, the 1 teaspoon of salt, the 1/2 teaspoon of pepper, and the 1/2 cup of grated Parmesan cheese. Stir one spoonful of this finished béchamel into your meat sauce.
Part 4: Assemble and Bake
Step 1: Coat a large, 9×13-inch baking dish with 1 tablespoon of avocado oil. Arrange half of your baked eggplant slices in a layer on the bottom. Step 2: Cover the eggplant with all of your prepared meat sauce and spread it out evenly. Step 3: Add a second layer of your remaining eggplant slices. Step 4: Pour all of your prepared béchamel sauce over the top and smooth it out with a spatula. Step 5: Sprinkle with the final 1/4 to 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese. Step 6: Bake at 350°F for 60 minutes, until the moussaka is hot all the way through and the top is a beautiful, light golden brown. Step 7 (The Final, Crucial Step!): Let the baked moussaka cool and rest for at least 30 minutes before you cut it into pieces. This will prevent the luscious sauces from running out and will allow you to get beautiful, clean slices.
Ground Turkey Moussaka (Easy Recipe!)
A comforting recipe for a classic Greek Moussaka made with ground turkey for a lighter twist. This layered casserole features slices of baked eggplant instead of the traditional fried version. A savory meat sauce is made with ground turkey, onions, garlic, and tomatoes, slow-simmered with warm spices like cinnamon. The dish is topped with a rich and creamy homemade béchamel sauce, enriched with Parmesan cheese and egg yolks. The entire casserole is baked for an hour until it is golden brown and bubbly.
Ingredients
- For the Eggplant and Meat Sauce:
- 5 large eggplants
- 1 pound ground turkey
- 1 cup diced red onion
- 2 Tablespoons minced garlic
- 1 (14-ounce) can diced tomatoes
- 2 Tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1/4 cup beef bone broth
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 Tablespoon avocado oil
- Sea salt and ground black pepper
- For the Béchamel Sauce:
- 4 cups unsweetened almond milk (or regular 2% milk)
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- Pinch of nutmeg
- 2 large egg yolks
- 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- For the Topping:
- 1/4 to 1/2 cup shredded parmesan
Instructions
- Prepare the Eggplant: Slice the eggplants into 1/4-inch thick rounds, season generously with salt, and place them in a colander for 30 minutes to extract moisture. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Rinse the eggplant slices, pat them very dry, and bake on an oiled baking grate for 20 minutes.
- Make the Meat Sauce: While the eggplant bakes, heat avocado oil in a large sauté pan. Cook the onions until they begin to color, then add the ground turkey and cook until browned, about 10 minutes. Stir in the garlic and tomato paste. Deglaze the pan with the bone broth, then add the canned tomatoes, sugar, cinnamon stick, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, covered, for about 30 minutes. Remove the cinnamon stick and bay leaf.
- Make the Béchamel Sauce: In a large saucepan, melt the butter over low-medium heat. Whisk in the flour to make a paste (roux). Warm the milk, then slowly add it to the pan while whisking continuously until smooth. Increase the heat and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring constantly, until the sauce thickens. Let the sauce cool for 5 minutes, then quickly whisk in the egg yolks, nutmeg, salt, pepper, and Parmesan cheese. Stir a spoonful of the béchamel into the meat sauce.
- Assemble and Bake: Grease a large 9×13-inch baking dish. Arrange half of the baked eggplant slices in the bottom. Cover with all of the meat sauce. Add a second layer with the remaining eggplant slices. Pour all of the béchamel sauce over the top and smooth it out. Sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan cheese.
- Bake at 350°F for 60 minutes, or until the top is light golden brown. Let the moussaka cool before slicing to allow the layers to set.
Notes
- Salting and draining the eggplant before baking is a crucial step to remove excess moisture and bitterness, preventing the casserole from becoming watery.
- Letting the finished moussaka rest and cool before slicing is very important, as it allows the béchamel sauce and other layers to set properly.
- This is a great make-ahead dish, as the flavors often improve the next day.
Storage and Make-Ahead Tips
Moussaka is the ultimate make-ahead meal, as the flavors actually become even deeper and more delicious on the second day!
- Make-Ahead: You can prepare and fully assemble the entire, unbaked moussaka up to 2 days in advance. Simply cover it tightly with foil and store it in the refrigerator.
- Storage: Store any leftovers, well-covered, in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Freezing: This casserole freezes beautifully! You can freeze it either before or after baking. Let it cool completely, then wrap the pan very well in a double layer of plastic wrap and then a layer of foil. It will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q1: What is the absolute, number one secret to a moussaka that is not watery?
The secret is to take the time to salt your eggplant! By generously salting your eggplant slices and letting them sit in a colander for at least 30 minutes, you are using the power of osmosis to draw out all the excess moisture and any bitter compounds. Rinsing and patting them dry before you bake them is the key to perfectly tender, not soggy, eggplant layers.
Q2: Can I make moussaka ahead of time for a party?
Yes, this is a perfect make-ahead centerpiece! In fact, it is often even more delicious when it is made a day in advance. You can fully assemble and even bake the entire casserole a day or two ahead of time. When you are ready to serve, you can simply reheat it, covered with foil, in a 350°F oven.
Q3: How do you make a rich and creamy béchamel sauce that isn’t lumpy?
The key to a lump-free sauce is to add your warm milk to your roux very gradually, about one cup at a time, and to whisk constantly as you pour. This will allow the roux to smoothly absorb the liquid without creating any lumps.
Q4: What is the best way to slice moussaka to get those beautiful, clean layers?
The most important secret is to let the finished moussaka rest for at least 30 minutes (or even longer!) after it comes out of the oven. This crucial resting period allows the hot, molten layers of the meat sauce and the béchamel to cool down and to fully set up, which is the key that will allow you to get beautiful, clean, and impressive slices that don’t fall apart.
Q5: Can I make this recipe vegetarian?
Of course! To make a delicious and hearty vegetarian moussaka, you can simply substitute the 1 pound of ground turkey with about 1 1/2 pounds of finely chopped cremini mushrooms and about 1 to 1 1/2 cups of cooked brown or green lentils. Be sure to also use a savory vegetable broth instead of the beef broth.