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Loco Moco is a classic Hawaiian comfort food that features a hamburger patty and beef gravy over rice, topped with a sunny side up egg. This savory dish is as delicious to eat as it is fun to say!
I was first introduced to Loco Moco when I lived in Hawaii and it became an instant favorite. How could it not be? It was all foods I already loved, but all stacked together in a bowl. It tastes exactly how you might imagine. Savory (dare I say “umami”), creamy, and oh so delicious!
What is Loco Moco?
Traditional Loco Moco is white rice topped with a hamburger patty and brown gravy, and a sunny side up egg on top. This savory dish goes back to 1949, when a group of teenagers in Hilo, Hawaii requested a meal in a diner that was different from a sandwich, cheap, and quick to make. From there, Loco Moco was born and has only grown in popularity since.
Loco Moco Ingredients
The foundational ingredients are Calrose rice, ground beef, and eggs. The gravy is what brings it all together. To make the gravy, you will need vegetable oil, a yellow onion, sliced mushrooms, soy sauce, beef broth, cornstarch, water, and black pepper.
How to Make Loco Moco
- Begin by cooking rice, this is your base. Two cups makes two servings.
- Next, make your patties. Form the meat into two flat patties, like flat hamburgers, and sprinkle each side with salt.
- Oil a large skillet and cook the patties to desired ‘doneness’. You want a nice crust on there. Try to only flip them once. When they are done, remove from the pan and cover the patties in foil to keep them warm.
- In the same pan (you don’t need to wipe it off, you want the meaty bits) add vegetable oil, although if there is enough oil left from the beef to sauté, you don’t need to add additional oil. Add sliced onion and sauté for 2-3 minutes until the onions become slightly soft. Add mushrooms and sauté all together for another few minutes. Add soy sauce and continue sautéing until mushrooms become golden brown and onions are soft.
- Now to make the gravy, the highlight of loco moco! In the same skillet, add beef broth and soy sauce and bring to a simmer. Combine water and cornstarch to make a slurry. Add a little at a time to the broth while whisking constantly until you reach your desired gravy thickness. Add more broth to thin and more slurry to thicken. Add black pepper to taste. Reduce to warm and stir often until ready to serve.
- In a separate, non-stick skillet, cook two sunny side up eggs.
- Now you can assemble. Start with rice on the bottom, then add your patties, next is a nice spoon of gravy, and finally your egg.
Recipe Tips
Use leftovers: This is such an easy dish to make with leftovers. We almost always have leftover rice in our fridge. Leftover burgers from your last BBQ also work great for this meal!
Try it with Spam: Swap out the burger for some pan-fried Spam! This is a popular variation that is common in a lot of restaurants in Hawaii and it is SO good!
How do you like your eggs? I like using sunny-side-up eggs on my loco moco because I love the creaminess the yolk adds to the dish, plus it is the traditional choice. However, you can fry up your eggs any way you like! Use our easy fried egg guide to help you get the perfect egg for your loco moco.
Make it Low Carb: Use cauliflower rice to make this a very low-carb, high-protein dish.
Bulk up your Loco Moco: Add sides like Hawaiian Mac Salad or potato salad to add more fun flavor and to round out the meal. Although this changes the loco moco into being ‘non-traditional’ I think it makes this Hawaiian dish even more delicious!
Frequently Asked Questions
The best way to spice loco moco is with salt and pepper. A large part of the flavor is coming from the beef gravy which is seasoned with the cooked onion, mushrooms, soy sauce, and broth. Salt and pepper is really all you need to bring out the flavors already there.
It is just a flattened hamburger patty, well seasoned and cooked until crispy!
Loco Moco gravy is a pretty simple beef gravy. Usually it contains onions, sometimes mushrooms, as well.
More Hawaiian Recipes
We love Hawaiian food, but who doesn’t? Enjoy more of our Hawaiian favorites, from savory to sweet! You’ll love sampling the beautiful, pink Hawaiian Guava Cake, pink and delicate, and chowing down on the always delicious and so filling Hawaiian Plate Lunch. See what foods the Islands have waiting for you!
Hawaiian Macaroni Salad
Spam Musubi
Hawaiian Guava Cake
Chicken Long Rice
Haupia
Hawaiian Grilled Teriyaki Chicken
Pani Popo
Hawaiian Plate Lunch
Loco Moco
Ingredients
- 2 cups cooked Calrose rice
- 1/2 pound ground beef
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt (or to taste)
- 2 eggs
- chopped green onion (for garnish)
For the Loco Moco Gravy
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup yellow onion thinly sliced
- 1 cup sliced mushrooms
- 5 tablespoons soy sauce (divided)
- 2 cups beef broth
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1/4 cup water
- black pepper to taste
Instructions
- First, cook the rice according to package directions. You will need 2 cups of cooked rice for this recipe for 2 servings. Keep warm until ready to use.
- Form the meat into 2 flat patties, like a very thin hamburger. Sprinkle each side of the patty generously with ½ teaspoon salt, or to taste.
- Spray a large skillet with cooking spray and cook patties over medium-high heat to desired doneness. You want to have a nice, browned outer "crust" on the meat before flipping. Try to only flip once. When cooked, remove the patties from the pan and wrap in foil to keep warm.
- In the same pan (you don't need to wipe it off, keep those browned bits for the gravy) add 2 tablespoons vegetable oil. If there are enough drippings from the beef to sauté, you don't need to add additional oil. Add sliced onion and sauté for 2-3 minutes until the onions become slightly soft. Add mushrooms and sauté all together for another few minutes. Add 1 tablespoon soy sauce and continue sautéing until mushrooms become golden brown and onions are soft. Add more soy sauce if needed for flavor.
- Add 2 cups beef broth and 4 tablespoons soy sauce and bring to a simmer. Combine water and cornstarch to make a slurry. Add a little at a time to the broth while whisking constantly until you reach your desired gravy thickness. Add more broth to thin and more slurry to thicken. Add black pepper to taste. Reduce to warm and stir often until ready to serve.
- In a separate small, non-stick skillet. Cook eggs to sunny-side-up or over easy.
- Now it's time to assemble the loco loco! Separate the cooked rice into 2 bowls. Add the burger patty to the rice and pour gravy over the top, to taste. Top with an egg and garnish with green onion and black pepper. Serve hot.
