Easy and Delicious Loco Moco Recipe
Discover how to make the classic Hawaiian comfort dish, Loco Moco, with this simple and mouthwatering recipe that combines juicy patties, savory gravy, and perfectly cooked rice.
Introduction To Loco Moco And Its Origins
A few years ago, our middle son went to Hawaii with a group of friends. While there he had a classic dish called a “Loco Moco.” Last week he asked me if I could make it for dinner. I’m always happy to try new recipes, especially those that are native to certain areas of our country.
In researching the recipe, I discovered that Loco Moco originated in 1949 at the Lincoln Grill in Hilo, Hawaii, created by owners Nancy and Richard Inouye for a group of local teenagers, often called the “Lincoln Wreckers.” The group was seeking a cheap, quick, and filling meal that was different from a sandwich and wouldn’t cost more than fifty-cents. Back then it cost a whopping thirty-cents!(I can’t even imagine a meal of this caliber for thirty cents! Can you?)
Where did Loco Moco get its name? One of the boys in the group was nick-named “loco” (meaning “crazy” in Spanish) for his amazing athletic abilities. “Moco” just rhymed and the name stuck!
All I know…is that Loco Moco is an AMAZING dish that every single member of my nest enjoyed! The reviews are in. My son said it tasted just like it did on the Islands. My husband has asked that it be added to our regular monthly dinner rotation! It’s THAT good! Grab your apron and let’s get cooking!
Ingredients Needed For The Recipe
- 1 pound ground beef, extra lean or 80/20
- ½ finely chopped onion
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 egg
- ½ cup panko bread crumbs
- 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- Salt and Pepper, to taste
Mushroom Gravy
- ¼ cup butter
- ½ cup finely chopped mushrooms (optional, but highly recommended)
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 cups beef broth
- 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 Tablespoon Soy Sauce
- Salt and Pepper to taste
Rice and Eggs
- 2 cups Jasmine Rice, rinsed
- 3 cups water
- 4 large eggs
- Green Onions for garnish
Preparing The Juicy Hamburger Patties
In a large bowl, combine 1 pound ground beef, chopped onion, garlic powder, egg, panko bread crumbs, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper in a mixing bowl. Mix well until all the ingredients are thoroughly combined.
Divide the meat into four equal servings. Shape the beef mixture into 4 patties, about ½ to ¾ inch thick. I went thicker because I know the meat eater at my Nest!
Heat a large skillet over medium heat and cook the beef patties for 4–5 minutes per side, or until they reach your desired level of doneness. Remove the cooked patties from the skillet and set them aside. Cover with foil to keep them warm.
Cooking The Perfect White Rice
The recipe calls for 4 cups of cooked Jasmine rice. There’s a secret to making the perfect white rice! Rinse, rinse, rinse! That’s right, place your measured rice into a fine strainer and rinse it repeatedly with cold water until the water runs fairly clear.
TIP: Rice has a large amount of “rice flour” that coats each grain during packaging. That extra starch makes your rice heavy and clumpy during cooking. However, if you rinse your rice beforehand, it will produce a light fluffy rice perfect for a dish like Loco Moco!
I like to use Jasmine rice for this dish. Jasmine is slightly sweeter and absorbs liquids more easily. However, you can use regular long grain white rice or even brown rice. It’s all about personal preference.
In a sauce pan, bring 3 cups of water to a boil. Stir in 2 cups of rinsed jasmine rice. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes or until all the water is absorbed. This will make more than four cups of rice, but I like to have extra when making this dish!
TIP: I strongly recommend you follow the cooking instructions on the back of the bag.
Making The Savory Brown Gravy
The gravy makes this dish swoon worthy! I made a chopped mushroom brown gravy. Even my mushroom haters love this gravy!! You can make it without mushrooms if you are adverse to them.
In the same cleaned skillet as you cooked the hamburger patties, melt half a stick of butter over medium-high heat.
Add the chopped mushrooms to the skillet and sauté for about 5–6 minutes until they become tender.
Sprinkle the flour over the mushrooms and butter. Stir well to combine and cook for 1–2 minutes, allowing the flour to cook slightly. The mixture should resemble a blond roux.
Gradually pour the beef broth while stirring continuously to avoid lumps. Add the Worcestershire sauce and soy sauce to the skillet and mix well.
Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook for about 5 minutes, or until the gravy thickens. Stir occasionally. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
The “Fried Egg”
The egg was added to Loco Moco at a later date, and in my humble opinion, MAKES the dish! Originally, the recipe called for a “sunny side up” egg. I’m the kind of egg lover that needs a little white covering that yolk! Thank you very much!
Allow me to share how to make the perfect “over-easy” fried egg! (It’s taken me years to develop this method!)
In a small skillet that has a lid, over medium-low heat…LOW heat is crucial to the perfect “lace free” fried egg…melt 2 Tablespoons of butter. Make sure the pan is completely coated with the melted butter.
Crack the eggs over the skillet, one egg per serving, being careful not to break the yolk. Salt and pepper to taste. When the egg whites begin to turn white, cover the skillet with the lid. Reduce the heat to low. The steam in the pan will cause the egg white on top of the yolk to cook. Once the egg turns white over the yolk, they are ready! Easy-Peasy perfect fried eggs every time.
Assembling The Loco Moco: Rice, Patty, Gravy, And Fried Egg
There is an order to the layering of Loco Moco that must be adhered to too! (Okay, maybe not “MUST BE” but it is kind of thing!)
Divide the cooked jasmine rice among 4 plates. You will have extra rice. That is my gift to the rice lovers of the world. Place a beef patty on each bed of rice. Spoon that rich savory mushroom gravy over each of the beef patties.
Top with a sunny side or over easy egg. Garnish with chopped green onions.
Tips For Customization And Variations
One of my favorite things about Loco Moco is that it happily goes along with whatever you decide to serve! Swap the traditional beef patty for ground turkey, chicken, or even a juicy plant-based burger if that’s what your family prefers. Sometimes the beef patty is swapped out for Spam. Want to kick things up a notch? Add a grilled slice of pineapple.
While classic white rice or jasmine rice is the traditional choice, brown rice, or even cauliflower rice work beautifully. Feeling extra hungry? Add a second egg on top. Feeling extra adventurous? A drizzle of sriracha or a spoonful of pineapple salsa can transform this humble comfort food into something that feels straight off a Hawaiian food truck menu. The beauty of Loco Moco is that there are no food police standing in your kitchen—make it your own and enjoy every delicious bite!
Serving Suggestions And Accompaniments
Loco Moco is already a complete meal piled high with rice, a juicy burger patty, rich gravy, and a perfectly cooked egg, but that doesn’t mean you can’t invite a few tasty friends to the party! A simple green salad with a light vinaigrette helps balance all that savory goodness, while fresh pineapple, mango, or a fruit salad adds a sweet tropical touch that feels right at home alongside this Hawaiian favorite.
If you’re feeding a hungry crowd, serve it with my Hawaiian macaroni salad, roasted vegetables, or a side of steamed broccoli. And don’t forget the extra gravy! In my house, someone is always looking for “just a little more” to drizzle over their rice. Pair it all with a tall glass of fresh lemonade, and you’ve got a meal that’s hearty, comforting, and guaranteed to earn a few happy sighs around the dinner table.
Enjoying This Classic Hawaiian Comfort Food
There’s a reason Loco Moco has been a beloved Hawaiian comfort food for generations. With its layers of fluffy rice, savory burger patty, rich gravy, and perfectly cooked egg, every bite is pure comfort-food magic. It’s the kind of meal that doesn’t require fancy ingredients or complicated techniques…just simple, satisfying flavors that bring everyone running to the dinner table.
Whether you’re introducing your family to this island favorite for the first time or recreating memories of a Hawaiian vacation, Loco Moco is sure to become a regular on your menu. Like I mentioned above, this dish has already been added to our regular dinner rotation.
Other Favorite Ground Beef Recipes
- Spaghetti Meat Sauce Recipe
- Best Easy Ground Beef Stroganoff
- Easy Ground Beef Enchiladas
- Easy Ground Beef Taco Casserole
- Country Hamburger Skillet
Grab a fork, break that golden yolk, and dig in! Just be warned…you may find yourself scraping the plate clean and wondering when you can make it again.
Thanks for stopping by my Nest today! I hope you’ll stop by again soon!
Happy Nesting!
Printable Recipe Card
Easy and Delicious Loco Moco Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef
- ½ cup Onion Finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 large egg
- ½ cup panko bread crumbs
- 1 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 pinch salt to taste
- 1 pinch black pepper to taste
- ¼ cup butter
- ½ cup mushrooms finely chopped
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 cups beef broth
- 1 Tablespoons Worchestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 to taste Salt and Pepper
- 4 cups Jasmine Rice cooked
- 4 large eggs fried, sunny side up or over easy
- ½ cup green onions chopped
Instructions
- I recommend cooking the rice before beginning to make the beef patties. Follow the package directions.To make the patties, combine the ground beef, chopped onion, garlic powder, egg, panko bread crumbs, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper in a mixing bowl. Mix until well combined.
- Shape the beef mixture into 4 patties, about ½ to ¾ inch thick.
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat and cook the beef patties for 4–5 minutes per side, or until they reach your desired level of doneness. Remove the patties from the skillet and set them aside. Cover with foil to keep them warm. Clean the skillet to make the gravy.
- For the gravy, melt the half stick of butter in the skillet (cleaned) over medium heat. Add the chopped mushrooms to the skillet and sauté for about 5–6 minutes until they become tender.
- Sprinkle the flour over the mushrooms and butter. Stir well to combine and cook for 1–2 minutes, allowing the flour to cook slightly. The mixture should look like a blond roux.
- Gradually pour the beef broth while stirring continuously to avoid lumps. Add the Worcestershire sauce and soy sauce to the skillet and mix well.
- Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook for about 5 minutes, or until the gravy thickens. Stir occasionally. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- To assemble, divide the cooked jasmine rice among 4 plates. Place one beef patty on each bed of rice. Spoon the mushroom gravy over the beef patties, top with a sunny-side-up egg (see my instructions in the post for cooking tips). Garnish with chopped green onions if desired.
Nutrition
Meet the Author
Hi! I’m Norine, the cook, baker, and recipe creator behind Norine’s Nest. I love sharing and creating recipes that invite family, friends, and neighbors to gather around the dinner table. Sharing good food and creating memories with those we love brings me happiness. Thanks for stopping by my Nest!
