This easy Serbian ground beef potato moussaka is a nourishing casserole you’ll learn love from the first try. This dish is truly a uniting meal, and it’s made the same way in Bosnia, Croatia, and Macedonia too.
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Quick Background
I bet when you hear moussaka it takes you to Greece. However, this amazing casserole is made all over the Balkans also (and Egypt, Lebanon, and Turkey too!).
Think of today’s recipe as a slimming version of the Greek moussaka. For example, Balkan moussaka usually skips eggplant and almost never uses bechamel as a topping. (I told you this moussaka is easy peasy!)
Instead, potato rounds and seasoned ground beef are layered, baked, and finished off with an egg plus sour cream topping. (Milk, yogurt, and heavy cream work too!)
However, this isn’t to say you’ll never find a Balkan moussaka with eggplant along with potatoes and minced beef. However, this is usually the exception more than the rule.
If you were wondering what moussaka looks like, think of it like lasagna, if you exchanged lasagna sheets with potatoes. While they taste differently, the preparation process is similar. Except this moussaka is much quicker to make.
Ground beef and potato moussaka holds a special place in my heart. It was one of the very first meals I learned how to make. Nailing this dish made me feel I was finally grasping this cooking thing. 🙂
(By the way, Balkan pronunciation of moussaka is “moo-suck-ah.”)
Why this recipe works?
Many, many, MANY versions of moussaka exist! You’re probably wondering what makes this recipe special. Well, it’s two things!
- The ease - two layers, repeated a couple of times, then topped. Does it get easier than that?
- The taste - soft, comforting potatoes mixed with perfectly seasoned meat and a hitting-the-spot refreshing topping is a comforting combination of flavors.
Ingredients
Ingredient Notes
Oil: Sub with butter.
Beef: For a different taste sub ½ or all the meat with ground pork turkey or veal.
Seasonings: This recipe suggests the most used seasonings. Adjust to your own taste.
Topping: Sub milk and sour cream with heavy cream and/ or yogurt.
Potatoes: Older potatoes are better for this recipe.
Lightning-fast Instructions
(Our lightning-fast instructions are here to give you an idea of how to make this dish. For more detailed information look at the recipe card below!)
- Heat oil. Cook onion and garlic until translucent.
- Add ground beef and seasonings. Brown the meat, and take off heat.
- Heat oven. Oil potato rounds.
- Layer potato in pan. Top with meat. Repeat few times. Bake.
5. Mix egg, milk, sour cream.
6. Pour topping over the moussaka.
7. Return to oven for another 15-20 min.
8. Rest a bit, then serve.
Expert Tips
Browning meat: Remove meat off heat as soon as the pink turns to brown. If you brown it too much the meat will be hard after baking.
Potato thickness: Potato rounds should be thickness of about 8mm or ⅓ of an inch. This is an approximation with a little wiggle room. However, if you go too thick the potatoes will not be done. On the other hand, if you slice them too thin they’ll shrivel up and become more like potato chips and less like a nourishing layer of potatoes.
Serving: Allow moussaka to rest for 15-20 minutes after taking it out of the oven.
Storing: Store leftovers in the fridge no later than 2 hours after moussaka has been baked. Simply wrap in saran wrap and store in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. If you don’t eat after this time, discard it.
Freezing: Freezing is not recommended for this dish.
Recipe FAQs
Both are layered dishes. However, while the lasagna is layered with pasta, moussaka is layered with potatoes and/ or eggplant. Moussaka is most closely associated with Greece, Middle East, and the Balkans, while the lasagna is, of course, Italian.
Similar to lasagna, pasticcio is also a pasta dish. Meanwhile, moussaka layers consist of eggplant and/ or potatoes.
Moussaka is a perfectly fine dish to serve by itself. However, it goes well with homemade bread, a side salad, and a lighter soup. Some like a dollop of sour cream on top also.
We recommend you keep moussaka in the fridge for up to 24 hours. After that, it's best to discard it, due to potatoes.
Yes and no. Some moussaka recipes contain potatoes, some contain eggplant (aubergine), while some contain both. (This particular recipe does contain potatoes.)
More One-Pan Goodness
- Chicken and Rice Bake
- Cheese Pie
- Spinach Pie with Phyllo
- Mushroom Lasagna with Bechamel
- Oven Lemon Chicken
Would You Do Me a Favor?
If you make today's ground beef potato moussaka and like them, please consider leaving a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (5-star) rating. This will help others find the recipe more easily!
You can also leave a comment, I read EVERY one! Finally, if IG is more your thing, consider tagging us @balkanlunchbox.
Prijatno and bon appetit!
EASY Serbian Ground Beef Potato Moussaka
Ingredients
Meat layer:
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 1 yellow onion medium, diced
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 pound ground beef pork, veal and turkey also work
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 teaspoon paprika
Potato layer:
- 2 pounds potatoes peeled and cut into ⅓-inch rounds
- 2-4 tablespoons oil or vegetable or coconut
- Salt to taste
Topping:
- 3 eggs
- 14 ounces sour cream
- 3 ounces milk
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley minced
Instructions
- Heat oil in a deep pan over medium. Add onion and garlic. Cook until translucent occasionally stirring.
- Add ground beef and seasonings. Frequently stirring brown the meat lightly. Remove from heat.
- Heat oven to 450°f/ 230°c. In a larger bowl mix potatoes, oil and salt. Mix well with your hands until all potatoes are covered.
- Evenly layer roughly ⅓ of potato rounds into an 8x8 inch pan covering the bottom of the pan. Top potatoes with roughly ½ of the meat filling and spread evenly. Repeat. Top it off with one more layer of potatoes. (In total you’ll have 3 potato layers and two meat layers in between.) Place in oven and bake for 40 minutes.
- In a large bowl, whisk topping ingredients until integrated.
- Take the pan out of the oven and pour the topping evenly over moussaka.
- Return moussaka to the oven for additional 20 minutes or until the top gets a golden color.
- Rest for 15-20 minutes before serving.
Branka says
Beautifully written recipe, and very authentic as well, this is EXACTLY how my mother taught me to make moussaka!
Thank you for posting this wonderful recipe, you reminded me of this dish, guess what we're having for dinner tomorrow!
Aida says
Branka,
Thank you for your lovely comment! That's the biggest compliment we can get - that the recipe is just how someone's mom made it. Moms know best.
I hope you enjoyed your dinner.
Cheers!
Valerie Lugonja says
WELL! Thanks for the reminder my dear Aida and sister! I think I need to make it this week! It's been tooooo long.
BIG HUGS
Valerie
Aida says
Valerie,
Hope you and your lovely family are doing well!
Yes, moussaka is always a good idea.
Big hugs to you as well from the both of us.
Aida and Aleksandra
Mary Ann says
Twenty years ago I lived in Switzerland and befriended a woman and her sister from Belgrade. They taught me how to make Moussaka. However, their version always included 2 breaks for Turkish coffee! 😂
I made their recipe this evening, it has been years since I last had it. I was curious to compare their recipe with what I might find on the Internet. I came across this recipe which is almost identical! I’m so glad to have learned to make such an authentic recipe.
Aida says
Mary Ann,
So glad the recipe could bring back some beautiful memories.
Thanks for stopping by.
ashok says
Thanks For Sharing this amazing recipe. My family loved it. I will be sharing this recipe with my friends. Hope the will like it.
Marie says
I made this yesterday for my partner. He is from Bulgaria and he LOVED it! I am looking forward to trying more recipes for him.
Aida says
Marie,
That's great to hear! Happy cooking!
Aleksandar Krasich says
Aida, I made moussaka and it was remarkably delicious. I am so happy that I have found your site. I did make a small modification though. I added some fresh spinach on the meat layers and also some Colby jack cheese to the top. Thank you so much for the recipes you have shared with everyone.
Sincerely,
Aleksandar
Aida says
Aleksandar,
thanks for your note! It's the best kind - you liked the recipe, adjusted it AND wrote it down for our other readers to see. (We love Colby jack too!)
We're glad that the site is of help.
Kind regards,
Aida and Aleksandra
Sarah Amena says
Ok- I made a big mess with this but it tasted delicious!! I used ground beef - well when it was cooking in the oven - it was overflowing - like the oil was overflowing from the top and falling down to the bottom of the oven creating tons of smoke and drama - my husband ran in opened the oven door - made some comments about my cooking - then dumped some of the oil out of the casserole dish by tipping it to the side - it was a lot of oil - I think it was from the meat and maybe I added too much in the potato mixture- well while it was cooking and my husband was vigorously cleaning the oven - I put foil over the casserole- when he was all done - I put it back in for another 40 minutes - I tried it before I went to bed last night and it’s delicious!!!
Aida says
Sarah Amena,
Sometimes the beef can be quite greasy, so definitely adjust your oil level.
Glad it all worked out in the end. 🙂
Sarah Amena says
Aida I’m back! I’ve made this a few times and you are so right about it being forgiving! Last time I didn’t have any sour cream and used Ricotta cheese and it still turned out pretty well! It’s in the oven right now and this time I had heavy whipping cream instead of milk- it will probably be richer but still edible! And no more smoky oven! Well maybe I spoke too soon because I just put the sauce layer on and it’s might overflow 😂
Sarah amena says
Hey - don’t use heavy whipping cream! It didn’t turn out like the other two times!
Aida says
Thanks for letting us know!
Sarah Amena says
Aida I followed your recipe to a T except that I added Colby Jack cheese ( I’m a cheese addict- I like to shove a handful into my mouth as I sprinkle it in the dish and then another handful as my 3 year old watches and judges me) and your recipes are written perfectly! It was the best and the family loved it! I read the explanation and you are so right I remember having moussaka at our Egyptian friends house when I was growing up! It’s kinda like a universal dish! I’m going to start trying to follow directions better when it comes to recipes 😆
Aida says
Sarah, we too looooove cheese. I mean, not sure if love is a strong enough word. You're doing wonderfully, glad that you are enjoying the recipes!
Brielle Morrow says
First time trying this. Added beef bullion and a dash of smoked paprika, it was amazing!!! Even my picky child raved about it, will definitely be adding this into our dinner rotations!!! Ty so much 💜💜💜
Aida says
Brielle, so glad to hear that! 💙💙💙
Shoshonna says
This has become a staple in my house. I'm able to switch ingredients easily to one's I'm not allergic to. Sometimes I add zucchini/squash since eggplant is not common around our house. I'm going to be making this for a family get together for the first time this weekend, I'll let you know how it goes.
Thank you for this recipe!
Aida says
Shoshonna,
That's great to hear! Hope the family enjoys it as well.
We'd love to hear how it goes.
Aida
Shoshonna says
The ones that tried it liked it! We had a particularly picky eater and this was the food he chose to eat.
Shoshonna says
The ones that tried it liked it! We had a particularly picky eater and this was the food he chose to eat.
Aida says
😂
fantastic!!!
Phylicia says
I have never made any Serbian dishes in my life, but I was looking for recipes to use up a lot of potatoes and landed on this one. My dad happened to be over for dinner and he is quite picky and so is my son. If I told them we were having Moussaka for dinner, they probably wouldn’t have even wanted to try it so I told them it was a beef hash. The entire family loved it. In fact, I’m back to make it for the second time because my dad has been asking for “Siberian Who Hash” for 2 months and calling me the Grinch every time I told him we didn’t have the ingredients. So thank you for sharing this delicious recipe and for helping us make a pretty cute family memory.
Aida says
Phylicia,
This has to be the funniest comment on the entire blog! Thanks for sharing that cute story. We're glad that moussaka made it to your kitchen, and more importantly that family members like it. It's hard to find dishes everyone will like.
Happy New Year!
Nicole says
This recipe worked great for us. I was trying to replicate the recipe of my Serbian mother in law (from Mostar, but moved to Belgrade during WWII). It turned out even better than hers (at least according to her son)! The difference was cooking at higher heat, uncovered, and then not adding the topping till the end. That made for a nicer texture. My mother in law also just uses milk and eggs, but the fermented dairy and parsley is a great addition.
I’ll double the herbs and paprika next time (just personal preference, love those flavors).
We subbed a thick homemade yogurt for the sour cream and it turned out well.
Thank you!
Aida says
Nicole,
thanks for the thorough comment, our readers will find it helpful!
Glad we could help you recreate some of the tastes your family cherishes.
Happy cooking!
Cynthia says
Delicious recipe, I used lamb mince instead of beef and greek yoghurt instead of cream. Also baked at higher temp as suggested above! Yum!
Aida says
Cynthia, so glad you liked it! Bon appetit!
Angelina but I am known as Gina. says
My parents crossed the Iron Curtain in 1978 from Bulgaria it was a dangerous time back then not even close to where it is now. My mom considers herself Macedonian and my Dad is no longer with us but he always stated to be Bulgarian/Albanian. I grew up with all these dishes and I want to thank you for step by step for preparing them. Your recipes take me back to my childhood home and town where it was 90% Macedonians and even if we were not related all adult female and males were cousins and everyone was Teta so put any female name after that. So Teta I love your recipes and your easy to understand guides. Thank you!
Aida says
Angelina, known as Gina,
thank you for stopping by to share your story with us. It's evident you had a lively upbringing in a warm, closeknit community. I hope you've been able to replicate that same community in your adult life as well.
This Teta sends you a huge hug!
Kristina says
Hi! Can’t wait to make it! Have you ever tried it with lactose free yogurt? Maybe such as coconut yogurt? Thank you!
Aida says
Kristina,
We haven't, but please report back, we bet a lot of other readers have a similar question.
Bon appetit!
Leon says
Hey, made this dish and it turned out great! Though I have a question, what baking dish do you use? The 9x13 I used was rectangular while the one on the pictures seems to be like a square, thank you!
Aida says
Leon,
glad you liked the dish! As far as the baking dish, 9x13 is perfect. We sometimes use different types/sizes of dishes for the photoshoots.
Cheers!
Mia says
How long will this recipe keep in fridge after cooking?
Aida says
Mia,
Store leftovers in the fridge no later than 2 hours after moussaka has been baked. Wrap in saran wrap, or foil and store in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. After this time discard it. (Potatoes don't do well in the fridge.)
A.
Vanessa Vlaski says
Hvala ♡
My mum use to make this when I was little. I was having a browse for dinner ideas and came across this.
Now I'm making it again for dinner for my hubby and little man. Instead of sour cream I am using Greek yoghurt so it's not as salty (he's 18m).
Thank you for the great memories.
Aida says
Vanessa,
so glad we get to be a part of your journey to introduce this cuisine to your hubby and your little man! Thanks for including adjustments, we're sure some of our readers will find it helpful.
Happy cooking!
Susan Palmer says
This recipe was easy to follow and the result delicious, but the pan size listed (9x13) is wrong. These ingredients fit in a square pan (8x8), and the baking dish image in the photo looks square.
Aida says
Susan,
Thanks. Fixed!
Tom says
Made this morning after working all night. I only made a couple of changes. I increased the amount of paprika to 2 teaspoons and used half sweet paprika and half smoked paprika. I added the paprika along with about 2 tablespoons of tomato paste and the garlic after the onion had softened. i bloomed the paprika and sauted until the tomato paste had darkened. I was trying to achieve and darker richer flavor in the ground meat to balance the amount of potatoes....not that I don't love potatoes more than life itself. I weighed my potatoes and used a mandolin to get an even thickness for the potatoes. Hmmm...i expected it to have a much different consistency. i was prepared for the topping to seep through the layers of potatoes and meat and for it to be creamy throughout. Instead, the milk/egg/sourcream stayed on the top and baked like an omelet. It was still very good, but just not what I expected. Did I miss something or do something wrong?
Aida says
Tom,
You did it exactly right! Balkan moussaka isn't like lasagna, where the topping(s) kind of seep through everywhere for that creaminess.
Instead, moussaka is more textured, and the layers are more defined, but nevertheless it's extremely tasty.
By the way, we love reading your comments, and hearing how you adjusted the recipes to your taste.
Bon appetit!
lepa grujicic says
my go to recipe. better than my moms recipe 🙂 pozdrav is south carolina -lepa grujicic
Aida says
We are so glad you like it! And send our regards to your dear mom, who we are sure, makes an outstanding moussaka! ☺️💕
lepa grujičić says
i wish i could share pictures. ovaj i onaj sa patlidžanom i mozarelom su tako ukusni i izgledaju preljepo iz rerne. hvala najviše i puno pozdrava iz
columbia, south carolina
-lepa grujičić
Aida says
Lepa,
Tako nam je drago kada pročitamo komentar kao sto je Vaš, a još više da je recept uspio i da ste sretni.
Puno pozdrava i Vama!
- Aida
Linda Miller says
Remembering eating this as a child and no longer having any senior relations to ask I searched the internet for this recipe....thank you for posting this!!! Love it!!
Aida says
Linda,
so glad we could be of help. Happy cooking!