Chicken Moussaka

This Chicken Moussaka is a lighter variation of the classic Greek casserole you know and love, built with layers of roasted eggplant, a ground chicken-based tomato sauce, and toasty béchamel topped with grated cheese. It’s not the traditional moussaka of Greek grandmothers, but you’ll feel a little less guilty about eating it for Sunday dinner.

So read on to learn all about moussaka and the detailed tips and tricks for making this all-from-scratch recipe – but only if you want to. Otherwise, grab your eggplant, hit that purple Jump to Recipe button, and let’s make a chicken and eggplant moussaka!

What is moussaka?

Moussaka is a layered baked dish popular across the Mediterranean. I’ve most commonly eaten the Greek version which has eggplant, a lamb-based meat sauce laced with cinnamon, and a béchamel topping. But other variations include potatoes or skip the layering altogether.

I like the layering.

Ingredients

My chicken moussaka recipe stays closest to that Greek style, holding onto the eggplant, a cinnamon-spiced ground meat layer, and the béchamel baked on top.

I’ve used both Italian globe eggplants and purple Asian eggplants in this chicken moussaka. Whichever you prefer, buy eggplants with smooth, shiny skin that feel heavy for its size.

Ground chicken subs in for the lamb typically found in moussaka. My kid can’t taste the difference.

But don’t skimp on the canned tomatoes – go for canned whole tomatoes instead of chopped or sauce. Unless you’re doing something super quick, whole tomatoes are better quality tomatoes.

Grated cheese is added to a standard béchamel made with butter, flour, and milk to make what the French would call a Mournay sauce. The traditional cheese for moussaka is kefalotyri, a hard, salty Greek cheese, but I use Pecorino romano because it’s a close salty cousin, and you’ll probably have as hard a time finding kefalotyri as I have.

How to riff on this chicken moussaka recipe

• Like a meatier sauce? Use twice the amount of ground meat.
• Sub ground lamb or even ground beef for the chicken.
• Switch out the eggplant for zucchini or another summer squash.

Recipe tips and tricks

There’s nothing difficult about this recipe. It’s just takes time to make the three layers and bake the casserole until bubbly.

Roasted eggplant layer

I start with the eggplant to get it out of the way. Roasting eggplant instead of frying is hands off and keeps the dish lighter. It also means you don’t need to take additional time to salt it like in my one pan eggplant lasagna or baked penne pasta.

If you’ve bought a globe eggplant, cut it into cubes, or cut slices of your Chinese or Japanese eggplants. Toss the eggplant with olive oil, salt and pepper, and roast at 450 degrees Fahrenheit on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper until the eggplant is very soft and lightly browned. The parchment prevents sticking and makes for easier clean-up!

Set aside until you’re ready to assemble your chicken moussaka. Reduce your oven temperature to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

Meat sauce layer

The method for making this ground chicken tomato sauce is similar to how I make my sausage ragu and other meat sauces. It’s a foundational recipe that everyone should know.

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. When it’s hot, add the chopped onion and cook until softened and just starting to brown, about 7 to 10 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook for another minute.

Stir in the ground chicken, breaking it up with your spatula, and cook until it’s no longer pink. Add the white wine, bring it to a boil, and then reduce the heat until it’s barely simmering. Scrape up any bits that have stuck to the bottom of the pan and cook until the pan is nearly dry.

Add the spices and tomato paste and stir them in. When you add the tomatoes, crush them carefully with your hand in the can before dropping them into the pan – crushing them slowly in the can prevents them from spurting onto your nice shirt or kitchen ceiling!

Season with salt and pepper. Simmer for 20 to 30 minutes with the lid off to thicken the sauce while you make the béchamel. You may need to stir occasionally and break up any large chunks of tomato.

Béchamel layer

In a saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook for one to two minutes, stirring constantly, until it starts to smell toasty.

Gradually whisk in the milk and cook until thickened. It should take about five minutes, and the classic sign of doneness is when you can draw a fat line with your finger on the back of a spoon.

Remove the béchamel from the heat and stir in the salt, pepper, and nutmeg and half of the grated cheese.

Assemble the chicken moussaka

Layer the roasted eggplant in a square glass baking dish. Spread the chicken sauce evenly over the eggplant.

Pour the béchamel evenly over the top and smooth, being careful not to dip into the meat sauce layer. Finally, sprinkle the remaining shredded cheese evenly on top.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the top is golden and the edges are bubbling. Just like with my taco meatloaf, your chicken moussaka will hold together best if you let it rest for 10 to 15 minutes before serving.

But I like my meals hot, even if that means messy and imperfect, so I give you the choice to serve when you want. But do add a sprinkle of chopped parsley for color on the plate.

What to serve with this chicken moussaka

You don’t need much else, but I always serve my moussaka with:

• a Greek salad or a green salad like my feta kale salad.
• homemade pita or a slice of sourdough to sop up the sauce.

Recipe FAQs

Related recipes

Looking for other ground chicken recipes? Checkout my BBQ chicken meatballs, mole chicken chili, Parmesan chicken muffins and ground chicken empanadas. Otherwise get big bites of the Mediterranean with: