Lamb Moussaka

  • 20MINS
  • 1HR 20MINS
  • Serves 6
  • 295KCAL

This Lamb Moussaka recipe is a rich, delicious slimming friendly meal for anyone counting calories or following plans like Weight Watchers!

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NutritionPer Serving

  • Calories295
  • Carbs18g
  • Protein28g
  • Fat8g
  • Saturates3g
  • Sugars8g

Lamb Moussaka - Pinch of Nom Slimming Recipes

For the full list of ingredients and comprehensive instructions, please see the recipe card below. Before you scroll, there’s important stuff in the blurb!

Our Lamb Moussaka is a deliciously rich, slimming friendly meal that’s perfect for anybody counting calories or following a plan like Weight Watchers.

The traditional version of this classic, Greek dish contains minced lamb, but our recipe uses diced lamb instead – and there’s a good reason!  Lamb mince is fairly high in calories and Points as it’s difficult to find lamb mince with a low fat content.

This Lamb Moussaka may take a little bit of time to prepare, but we promise that it’s well worth the effort!  We love this dish served with salad or a slice of fresh bread to soak up all of the delicious juices.

What diets is this Lamb Moussaka suitable for?

This Lamb Moussaka recipe is suitable for gluten free diets.

It can be made dairy free as long as you swap out the following ingredients for dairy free versions; 

  • Fat free natural yoghurt
  • Low fat cheddar

You can also make this recipe vegetarian by swapping out the following ingredients for vegetarian alternatives;

  • Diced lamb

Please make sure to double or triple check all of your ingredients if you’re cooking for people with allergies.

Do you need any special ingredients to make Lamb Moussaka?

We’ve used red wine vinegar for an extra depth of flavour: it works really well in lamb dishes and you can find it alongside the regular vinegars in the supermarket.

Hints & Tips

Below we added some of our communities most common hints and tips. We hope you find them useful.

NEW TIP
Lamb Moussaka
I used lamb mince instead of diced lamb cooked mince first and drained off the fat
NEW TIP
A delicious, lighter version of a classic!
I used mince as I couldn’t get diced lamb but cooked separately and drained off the fat before adding into the mixture. Love the quick cheat for the topping- so much lighter! I added some nutmeg with the seasoning. Delicious!
Tasty & light a taste of Greece
Didn’t do multiple layers as used a big dish , had no red wine vinegar so replaced with red wine stock & Worcestershire sauce , added reduced fat cream cheese to sauce.

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‘So creamy and lovely flavours layer by layer’

Marie Holmes

This post contains affiliate links: what this means

You’ll need an oven proof dish similar to this one. So if you haven’t already got one lurking in the cupboard then you can pick one up from Amazon.

Keep your knives super sharp to make light work of cutting vegetables. You can use sharpeners like this one from Amazon.

How many calories are in this Lamb Moussaka?

There are 295 calories per portion in this Lamb Moussaka, which means it falls into our Everyday Light category. 

This Lamb Moussaka is perfect if you’re following a calorie controlled diet and fits well with any one of the major diet plans such as Weight Watchers. 

As a guide, an average man needs around 2,500kcal (10,500kJ) a day to maintain a healthy body weight. For an average woman, that figure is around 2,000kcal (8,400kJ) a day. Obviously, if your goal is to lose weight then you might want to adjust these slightly! You can read more about these recommendations on the NHS website.

Step 1

Spray aubergine slices with low calorie cooking spray and grill on both sides.

Step 1 pinchofnom.com

Step 2

Mist a decent sized pan with low calorie cooking spray then add onions and sauté until they start to soften and colour.

Step 2 pinchofnom.com

Step 3

Stir in the garlic, tomato puree and the lamb. Cook for a minute or two.

Step 3 pinchofnom.com

Step 4

Add the red wine vinegar and allow it to reduce slightly.

Step 4 pinchofnom.com

Step 5

Add the tinned tomatoes, courgettes, sweetener, a pinch of cinnamon, oregano, bay leaf and a good pinch of salt and pepper. Bring to the boil, turn the heat down, cover and simmer with the lid on for about 30-40 minutes, until most of the juices have evaporated and the lamb is tender.

Step 5 pinchofnom.com

Step 6

While this is cooking, make the white sauce.

Step 7

In a bowl, mix together the yogurt, eggs, mustard powder and a pinch of salt and pepper.

Step 7 pinchofnom.com

Step 8

Pre heat the oven to 180°C.

Step 9

Place a layer of the lamb mix on the bottom of an oven proof dish.

Step 9 pinchofnom.com

Step 10

Top with a layer of grilled aubergine then another layer of the lamb mixture.

Step 10 pinchofnom.com

Step 11

Top with a final layer of aubergine.

Step 12

Pour the white sauce over the top, making sure there are no gaps.

Step 12 pinchofnom.com

Step 13

Sprinkle the grated cheese evenly over the top, then cook for 30 – 40 minutes, or until the cheese is golden brown.

Step 13 pinchofnom.com

Step 14

Remove from the oven and allow to stand for a few minutes before serving.

Lamb Moussaka - Pinch of Nom Slimming Recipes

What could I serve with this Lamb Moussaka?

This Lamb Moussaka is such a beautifully indulgent meal and we love it served with the following dishes:

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How do you know when this Lamb Moussaka is cooked?

You should cook your Lamb Moussaka for around 30-40 minutes or until the cheese is is golden brown and crisp.

Standard advice here in the UK is to cook food until it has reached 70°C and stayed at that temperature for 2 minutes. This is to keep your family safe. 

How long can you keep this Lamb Moussaka in the fridge?

Once you’ve put it out, ideally you should eat it within 4 hours.

If you allow any leftovers to cool, make sure to refrigerate in a container with a lid and chill.  You can keep leftovers of Lamb Moussaka in the fridge for approximately 3 days or so. 

Can I freeze this Lamb Moussaka?

Yes you can! This recipe can be frozen, but please remember to do the following;

  • Freeze it as soon as it is cold enough.
  • Use a container or bag that is suitable for freezing.

Don’t forget to add a label with what it is, and on what date you put it in the freezer! 

How do I reheat this Lamb Moussaka?

From chilled: Place in a microwave proof container with loosely fitting lid and heat until piping hot.

From frozen: Allow to defrost, and then as above.

You can also reheat this Lamb Moussaka in the oven if you’d prefer.  Whichever method you choose, make sure it’s piping hot before tucking in!

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Lamb Moussaka

This Lamb Moussaka recipe is a rich, delicious slimming friendly meal for anyone counting calories or following plans like Weight Watchers!
  • Prep Time
    20 MINS
  • Cook Time
    1 HR 20
  • KCals 295
  • Carbs 18G

Ingredients

  • 500 g diced lamb all visible fat removed and diced quite small
  • 3 aubergines sliced lengthways
  • 1 large courgettes diced
  • 1 large onion chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic chopped
  • 1 tin chopped tomatoes 400g tin
  • 3 tbsp tomato puree
  • 1 tsp granulated sweetener
  • 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 tsp oregano
  • 1 pinch cinnamon
  • low calorie cooking spray
  • sea salt
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • 500 g fat free natural yoghurt
  • 2 eggs
  • ½ tsp mustard powder
  • 120 g reduced fat Cheddar grated

We use a fan assisted oven for all of our recipes. Check out our oven temperature conversion guide.

Please do not screenshot this. Recipes are updated often

Instructions

  1. Spray aubergine slices with low calorie cooking spray and grill on both sides.
  2. Mist a decent sized pan with low calorie cooking spray then add onions and sauté until they start to soften and colour.
  3. Stir in the garlic, tomato puree and the lamb. Cook for a minute or two.
  4. Add the red wine vinegar and allow it to reduce slightly.
  5. Add the tinned tomatoes, courgettes, sweetener, a pinch of cinnamon, oregano, bay leaf and a good pinch of salt and pepper. Bring to the boil, turn the heat down, cover and simmer with the lid on for about 30 - 40 minutes, until most of the juices have evaporated and the lamb is tender.
  6. While this is cooking, make the white sauce.
  7. In a bowl, mix together the yogurt, eggs, mustard powder and a pinch of salt and pepper.
  8. Pre-heat the oven to 180°C.
  9. Place a layer of the lamb mix on the bottom of an oven proof dish.
  10. Top with a layer of grilled aubergine then another layer of the lamb mixture.
  11. Top with a final layer of aubergine.
  12. Pour the white sauce over the top, making sure there are no gaps.
  13. Sprinkle the grated cheese evenly over the top, then cook for 30-40 minutes, or until the cheese is golden brown
  14. Remove from the oven and allow to stand for a few minutes before serving.

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With ever-changing plans and point calculations, we have made the decision to remove WW Points from the website - referring to your individual plan or advice from your consultant is always going to give the most accurate results.



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38 comments

See what others have to say

KatieTuesday 8th June 2021

I loved this recipe although it seemed to overcook. Is it different when cooking on a gas hob? Thanks!

Reply

    HollyWednesday 9th June 2021

    Hey Katie, It could be that you had your pan bubbling a little too hot or your oven is on the hot side. In step 3 ensure the heat is turned down and just simmer the pan with the lid for about 30 – 40 minutes until most of the juices have evaporated and the lamb is tender. Then when it goes into the oven make sure that your oven isn’t too hot and cook for 30-40 minutes. Hope that helps!

    Reply

N smithThursday 18th March 2021

Could you use minced beef? Would you still use red wine vinegar?

Reply

    HollyWednesday 31st March 2021

    Hey, beef mince would change the flavours slightly but will still taste great and stick with the red wine vinegar, hope that helps!

    Reply

OliviaWednesday 10th March 2021

Just made this and wow it’s amazing. So easy I used diced lamb and minced and added a bit more oregano as I love to season things! Can’t believe how easy the cheese sauce is as well! Feel like this will work well for lasagne as well to make it low cals.

Reply

    HollyFriday 12th March 2021

    Hey Olivia, thanks so much for your message, we are so glad to hear you enjoyed this Lamb Moussaka!

    Reply

Karen FitzpatrickTuesday 12th May 2020

What can you use instead of aubergine as my husband doesn’t like them?

Reply

    Sharon FitzpatrickWednesday 13th May 2020

    Hi Karen, you could try using slices of cooked potato or cooked sweet potato in place of the aubergine. Another idea is that you could use thin slices of raw courgette, cut along the length of the courgette. We would be interested to hear how you get on. Thanks for getting in touch.

    Reply

      Helen RewajMonday 29th July 2024

      My Mum used to make her own version of moussaka using rice instead of aubergine. This is what I’m going to do

      HollyFriday 9th August 2024

      Hey Helen, that sounds like a lovely alternative hope you enjoyed this recipe!

Sue EFriday 10th April 2020

Made this yesterday and was absolutely lovely. I lived in Greece for many years and the flavours were so authentic. I used lamb mince and didnt use courgettes.I added bit of extra cinnamon and extra bay leaf as we like stronger flavours.Red wine vinegar gave it a lovely flavour.

Reply

    Sharon FitzpatrickThursday 7th May 2020

    Hi Sue, thanks for your lovely comment. We’re so pleased to hear that you enjoyed this dish and thought it tasted so authentic.

    Reply

AmiWednesday 15th January 2020

What cut of lamb should I use? Would leg be ok?

Reply

    Sharon FitzpatrickMonday 11th May 2020

    Hi Ami, yes, diced leg of lamb would be perfect for this recipe, hope you enjoy making this dish!

    Reply

LauraSunday 5th January 2020

One of my favourite recipes, we use thinly sliced potatoes instead of aubergines as we don’t like them as it still tastes delicious ? served with broccoli.

Reply

    Holly LevellFriday 15th May 2020

    Hi Laura, so glad you enjoyed the Lamb Moussaka recipe!

    Reply

kate smithTuesday 23rd July 2019

With the aubergines, do they need to be sliced before cooked? Just says 3 aubergines. Or are they put on the grill whole?

Thank you

Reply

    Emma TWednesday 25th September 2019

    Hi Kate,

    They should be sliced lengthways – I’ve updated the recipe to make this clearer ????

    Reply

AimsTuesday 16th July 2019

Can you replace the aubergine with courgette? if so do you still treat the same as the aubergine in the recipe? thanks!

Reply

    SharonMonday 1st June 2020

    Hi Aimee, yes, using courgette instead of aubergine should work well. Try cutting thin strips of courgette using a vegetable peeler, cutting along the length of the courgettes. You wouldn’t need to grill the courgettes first, just put them in the moussaka raw. They should cook through when the assembled moussaka is cooked in the oven. Hope you enjoy making this.

    Reply

SamiSaturday 18th May 2019

How would you freeze this in portions please and also do you defrost before reheating?

Reply

    Emma TMonday 3rd June 2019

    Hi Sami,

    If you leave this to cool completely, you’ll be able to cut and freeze into portions. We would recommend defrosting before reheating ????

    Reply

Louise HallWednesday 3rd April 2019

Just made this for dinner, didn’t use courgettes as I didn’t have any. Replaced meat with green lentils and added mushrooms, lovely recipe thanks!

Reply

    Emma TSunday 7th April 2019

    Hi Louise,

    Sounds delish! So glad you enjoyed it!

    Reply

TammyFriday 25th May 2018

Amazing !! A family favourite now – not a really quick meal, but worth that little bit extra time. Thank you so much even my kids loved it, going to use that cheese sauce/ topping on everything I can – so so good

Reply

SusanMonday 23rd April 2018

Very tasty and I’d say well enough to serve 8 served with a jacket potato and salad. I salted the aubergines too. There was quite a lot of watery juice at the bottom of the dish though which I will have to drain off before I freeze.

Reply

ChristineThursday 17th August 2017

Onions mentioned in method but not list of ingredients! Presume it’s one.

Reply

    Emma TMonday 11th September 2017

    Hi Christine,

    Well spotted – I’ve updated the recipe to include an onion!

    Reply

MarzaFriday 19th May 2017

Hi! I have made it and was really good apart of my cheese sauce – didn’t turn out well. Came as a separate layer on the top of the dish. Should that be runny sauce ? What did I do wrong ? Thank you

Reply

    Emma TTuesday 12th September 2017

    Hi Marza,

    The sauce on top sets rather than being a runny sauce ????

    Reply

KelleyTuesday 2nd May 2017

Would you be able to freeze this?

Reply

    KateWednesday 3rd May 2017

    Hi Kelley
    Yes it freezes quite well

    Reply

ClaireFriday 17th March 2017

I’ve just made this for dinner. Astonishingly good! The only changes I made were to salt the aubergines first for 10mins, rinse, then griddle both aubergines and courgettes, rather than grill them, to bring out the natural sugar content and apply a pretty lined appearance from my pan. I was surprised at the yogurt and egg mix which I sprinkled with Parmesan. It turned into a lovely cheesy, slightly crunchy top and I’ll try it on cauliflower next time.

Reply

    KateFriday 17th March 2017

    Hi Claire
    Glad you like it!

    Reply

JennyTuesday 1st November 2016

I can’t see onions in the ingredients list but they’re in the method – is it me?! Cannot WAIT to eat this!!

Reply

    Emma TTuesday 12th September 2017

    Hi Jenny,

    It’s in step 2 ????

    Reply

Kate lavenderSaturday 29th October 2016

This looks lovely – going to try it with quorn mince. Have you tried freezing it? Would you freeze it once it’s all cooked just as a quick re-heat meal or before the final bake? I’m the only one in the family who eats aubergine!!

Reply

    Emma TTuesday 12th September 2017

    Hi Kate,

    I’m sure it would be fine to freeze ????

    Reply

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