Loco Moco
Enjoy the best Hawaiian comfort food without ever leaving your home when you make this insanely good Loco Moco! Deliciously seasoned ground beef patties are sizzled to perfection and served in a rich, savory gravy. Pair those gravy covered patties with fluffy white rice and a fried egg, and you’ve got yourself an island original!
Loco Moco
I love Loco Moco but I have to book a flight to Hawaii for this classic dish. Luckily, I don’t need to spend an arm and a leg to travel across the country to enjoy one of my favorite comfort recipes ever, Loco Moco! This tried and true Hawaiian dinner recipe is easy to make with simple ingredients. It features white rice, ground beef, a fried egg, and a few bold ingredients that whisk together to create the signature savory gravy.
There are plenty of variations of Loco Moco, but I like to stick with the traditional recipe. After all, why mess it up if it’s perfect, right? It’s very much like our favorite Salisbury steak or Hamburger Steak but has its roots in Hawaii!
What is Loco Moco?
This recipe was first developed way back in 1949 by the owners of a Hawaiian restaurant. Some teenagers came in asking for something cheap that wasn’t a plain old sandwich, and thus, Loco Moco was born! The fun part is that “Loco” was just what they named it because that was the nickname of one of the teens, and “Moco” rhymed.
When it comes to the best part of this recipe, it’s pretty hard to narrow it down. There’s a whole lot to love about Loco Moco! The fluffy white rice serves as the best base because it soaks up the gravy and runny egg yolk, both of which you don’t want going to waste. Speaking of, the gravy is SO rich in savory flavors and perfectly pairs with the beef patties. From top to bottom, you’re going to love every last bite of this Hawaiian staple.
How to Make Loco Loco
- Create the patties. Add the ground beef to a large bowl and carefully break into small pieces with your hands. Add 1/2 cup onion, garlic, 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, salt and pepper. Mix the beef together with the other ingredients using your hands and shape into four patties of equal size. Do not over mix.
- Sauté the onions. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to a large skillet over medium heat. Add the remaining onion and saute until translucent, approximately 4-5 minutes. Turn the heat to low and continue to cook until slightly caramelized, approximately 8-10 minutes.
- Cook the patties. Push the onions to the side making room for the beef patties. Arrange the patties to the pan and cook until browned, approximately 4-5 minutes. Flip and cook on the other side and additional 4-5 minutes or until cooked to your liking (145˚F is medium rare). Transfer the patties to a platter and keep warm.
- Make the gravy. Add the remaining oil to the pan, if necessary. Note that there may be residual fat from the beef patties. This adds more flavor than oil but feel free to drain it off and add the oil if you prefer. Add the mushrooms to the pan and cook with the onions until browned and caramelized. Add the beef stock to the pan and bring to a boil.
- Thicken the gravy. In a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce and cornstarch until smooth. Stir in the remaining Worcestershire sauce and garlic powder. Slowly add the soy sauce mixture to the pan and reduce the heat to low. Simmer until slightly thickened. Keep warm.
- Cook the eggs. In a separate skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Cook the eggs in the skillet, fried or sunny side up.
- Assemble and serve. Place 1 cup steamed rice on each plate and top each serving with a beef patty. Spoon the gravy over the beef patty and top each with an egg. Sprinkle with the scallions and season with salt/pepper, to taste.
How long will Loco Moco stay fresh?
Once it’s been assembled, it’s best to enjoy your Loco Moco immediately! If you have any leftovers, it’ll all stay fresh (except for the eggs) in an airtight container in the fridge for about 2 days. The eggs need to be eaten right after they’re cooked.
What kind of meat should I use for Loco Moco?
Traditionally, Loco Moco is made with ground beef, and I’ve found that 80/20 works best. However, you can experiment with really any other type of meat! There are some versions of Loco Moco that use fish, chicken, and pork.
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Get the Recipe: Loco Moco Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 pound lean ground beef, 80/20 is best
- 1 cup diced sweet onion
- 1 tablespoons minced garlic
- 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 8 ounces sliced white mushrooms
- 3 cups beef stock
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 4 cups cooked white rice
- 4 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 3 scallions, sliced
Equipment
- skillet
Instructions
- Add the ground beef to a large bowl and carefully break into small pieces with your hands.
- Add 1/2 cup onion, garlic, 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, salt and pepper.
- Mix the beef together with the other ingredients using your hands and shape into four patties of equal size. (Do not over mix.)
- Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to a large skillet over medium heat.
- Add the remaining onion and saute until translucent, approximately 4-5 minutes.
- Turn the heat to low and continue to cook until slightly caramelized, approximately 8-10 minutes.
- Push the onions to the side making room for the beef patties.
- Arrange the patties to the pan and cook until browned, approximately 4-5 minutes. Flip and cook on the other side and additional 4-5 minutes or until cooked to your liking (145˚F is medium rare.)
- Transfer the patties to a platter and keep warm.
- Add the remaining oil to the pan, if necessary. (There may be residual fat from the beef patties. This adds more flavor than oil but feel free to drain it off and add the oil if you prefer.)
- Add the mushrooms to the pan and cook with the onions until browned and caramelized.
- Add the beef stock to the pan and bring to a boil.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce and cornstarch until smooth.
- Stir in the remaining Worcestershire sauce and garlic powder.
- Slowly add the soy sauce mixture to the pan and reduce the heat to low. Simmer until slightly thickened.
- Keep warm.
- In a separate skillet, melt the butter over medium heat.
- Cook the eggs in the skillet, fried or sunny side up.
- Place 1 cup steamed rice on each plate and top each serving with a beef patty.
- Spoon the gravy over the beef patty and top each with an egg.
- Sprinkle with the scallions and season with salt/pepper, to taste.