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Featured image of Turkish moussaka baked in a casserole dish with roasted tomato slices and fresh parsley on top.
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Turkish Moussaka (Musakka)

By Zerrin & Yusuf
Turkish moussaka (musakka) is made with roasted eggplants topped with a tomato-rich ground beef sauce, then baked until perfectly soft. A true Turkish home-style dinner.
Yields: 6 servings
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PREP 10 minutes
COOK 1 hour 10 minutes
TOTAL 1 hour 20 minutes

INGREDIENTS
  

For the Eggplants

  • 4 medium eggplants aubergines (about 900g / 2 lb)
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil

For the Ground Beef Mixture

  • 500 g 1.1 lb ground beef
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 large onion finely chopped
  • 1 green pepper finely chopped (Turkish green pepper such as çarliston, if available)
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1 tablespoon red pepper paste
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 teaspoons paprika
  • ½ teaspoon Turkish red pepper flakes pul biber or Aleppo pepper or other red pepper flakes
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 4 cloves garlic chopped
  • 400 g 14 oz / about 1½ cups peeled and chopped tomatoes (canned is fine)
  • 400 ml 1⅔ cups hot water
  • 2 tablespoons fresh parsley chopped

For Assembling

  • 4 medium tomatoes thickly sliced
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil

INSTRUCTIONS
 

Prepare the Eggplants

  • Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F). Lightly grease a large baking dish. We used a 32x25 cm (13x10 inch) baking dish.
  • Peel the eggplants in stripes, leaving some skin on. Cut them in half lengthwise, then slice into half-moons.
  • Place them in the baking dish. Sprinkle with salt and drizzle with olive oil. Toss well to coat evenly.
  • Bake on the middle rack for a total of 30 minutes, stirring halfway through.

Prepare the Meat Sauce

  • While the eggplants are baking, place the ground beef in a large pan over medium-high heat.
  • Add a small splash of water and cook, breaking it up with a spatula. Continue cooking until the released juices evaporate.
  • Reduce the heat to medium. Add olive oil, onion, and green pepper. Cook until softened.
  • Stir in salt, black pepper, paprika, red pepper flakes, oregano, tomato paste, red pepper paste, and garlic. Cook for 1–2 minutes.
  • Add the chopped tomatoes and simmer for 5 minutes over low heat.
  • Pour in the 400ml (1⅔ cups) hot water, cover, and simmer for another 5 minutes.
  • Turn off the heat and stir in the chopped parsley.

Assemble and Bake

  • Spoon the meat sauce over the roasted eggplant slices and spread evenly.
  • Arrange tomato slices on top. Drizzle with olive oil and lightly sprinkle with salt, black pepper, and oregano.
  • Bake on the lower rack for 35-40 minutes, or until the eggplants are fully tender.
  • For a slightly more golden top, move to the middle rack for the last 5-10 minutes.

Serving

  • Serve hot with Turkish rice pilaf and cacık or plain yogurt.

NUTRITION

Calories: 164kcalCarbohydrates: 9gProtein: 2gFat: 14gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 10gSodium: 828mgPotassium: 360mgFiber: 2gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 1340IUVitamin C: 33mgCalcium: 31mgIron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

ADDITIONAL INFO

Course Dinner
Cuisine Turkish
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