One of the most loved Hawaiian dishes has to be the loco moco. This ultimate comfort food consists of white rice, hamburger, a fried egg, and a heaping amount of rich brown gravy. Every home and restaurant has their own special secret ingredients, but those are the four components you’ll always see in a great loco moco recipe.
The history of this famous Hawaiian lunch staple is quite interesting. The loco moco was allegedly created at the Lincoln Grill restaurant in Hilo, Hawaii in 1949. The story goes that some teenagers at a local athletic club came in one day and asked the proprietor to put a grilled hamburger and brown gravy on top of white rice. The fried egg came later.
These days there are plenty of variations of the loco moco. From teriyaki chicken to fried mahi mahi, it seems that every Hawaiian ‘plate lunch’ style restaurant has their own version. Of course, this recipe sticks to the most traditional version – but feel free to switch it up to suit your preferences!
How To Make The Classic Hawaiian Loco Moco
While many locals and tourists might buy some fresh made poke at the local grocery store, there is something comforting about sitting down at a family owned diner and getting a heaping plate of meat, gravy, egg, and rice. While there are quite a few ingredients in my loco moco recipe, you can leave some out if you want.
Loco Moco Ingredients (for four servings)
Burger
- 500 grams Ground Beef (I use a standard 80/20 but you can go leaner if you prefer since the gravy has tons of fat in it anyways).
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1/2 tsp MSG
- 1 tsp Garlic Powder
- 1 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
- 1/2 tsp Black Pepper (freshly cracked)
Brown Gravy
- 500 ml Chicken Stock (if salted, you shouldn’t need to add extra salt. If unsalted adjust salt to taste)
- 250 grams Mushrooms (I use King Oyster mushrooms, but you can use whichever ones you prefer)
- 1 Yellow Onion (diced)
- 2 tsp Soy Sauce
- 1 tbsp Ketchup
- 3 Anchovy Fillets
- 1 tbsp Corn Starch (or more if needed)
- 3 tbsp Butter
- Black Pepper (freshly cracked, to taste)
- Oil (as needed. I use sunflower oil but you can use any neutral oil you prefer)
Other
- White Rice (as needed)
- Green Onion (chopped, for garnish)
- Red Chili Pepper (thinly sliced, for garnish)
- Fried Eggs
Instructions
In a large bowl add the burger ingredients. Mash everything together with your hands until you have a sticky-tacky homogenous mixture. Cover and place in the fridge while you make the gravy.
Set a pan on medium heat and add the oil. When melted add in your sliced mushrooms and let fry in the oil until browned. Add more oil if the mushrooms absorb your original amount.
When the mushrooms begin to brown add in your diced onion. Give everything a stir and continue to cook until the onions become translucent or even browned.
Add in the chicken stock, soy sauce, ketchup, anchovy fillets, and some black pepper. Bring to a simmer. Once everything looks nice and infused, mix the corn starch with about a quarter or half cup of water to make a slurry. Pour the slurry into the gravy and stir to combine. Continue cooking at a simmer until it thickens to your liking.
Add in the butter and turn off the heat. Stir the butter in until you have a shiny, glossy gravy. Use a rubber spatula to move everything from the pan to a bowl. Set aside.
Add some more oil to the pan and bring up to medium-high heat. Turn your hamburger mix into patties and set them in the pan. You can start with a ball and make smash burger style patties, or just preshape them and cook a couple minutes a side until done.
Once the meat is cooked you can plate the delicious loco moco. Scoop some rice onto a plate or bowl, and top with the burger patty and gravy. Finally you can quickly fry up a sunny-side up egg and lay that right atop the pile. I like to add some scallions and thinly sliced chili peppers to mine, but the garnishes are entirely up to you. Enjoy!
More Recommended Hawaiian Recipes
Loco Moco (Hawaiian Dish)
Equipment
- 1 Pan | steel preferably
- 2 Bowls
Ingredients
Burger
- 500 grams Ground Beef I use a standard 80/20 but you can go leaner if you prefer since the gravy has tons of fat in it anyways.
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1/2 tsp MSG
- 1 tsp Garlic Powder
- 1 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
- 1/2 tsp Black Pepper freshly cracked
Brown Gravy
- 500 ml Chicken Stock if salted, you shouldn’t need to add extra salt. If unsalted adjust salt to taste
- 250 grams Mushrooms Sliced. I use King Oyster mushrooms, but you can use whichever ones you prefer
- 1 Yellow Onion diced
- 2 tsp Soy Sauce
- 1 tbsp Ketchup
- 3 Anchovy Fillets
- 1 tbsp Corn Starch or more if needed
- 3 tbsp Butter
- Black Pepper freshly cracked, to taste
- Oil as needed. I use sunflower oil but you can use any neutral oil you prefer
Other
- White Rice as needed
- Green Onion chopped, for garnish
- Red Chili Pepper thinly sliced, for garnish
- Fried Eggs
Instructions
- You can make your rice ahead of time, and the eggs and garnishes at the end.White Rice
- Add all the burger ingredients to a large bowl and mash everything together with your hands until you have a nice homogenous mix. Cover bowl and place in fridge.500 grams Ground Beef, 1 tsp Salt, 1/2 tsp MSG, 1 tsp Garlic Powder, 1 tsp Worcestershire Sauce, 1/2 tsp Black Pepper
- Place your pan on medium-high heat and add a good amount of oil. Add in your sliced mushrooms and let fry until slightly browned. Add in the diced onion and stir until the onion is translucent or browned.250 grams Mushrooms, Oil, 1 Yellow Onion
- Add in the chicken stock, ketchup, soy sauce, and anchovy fillets and bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and let simmer until slightly thickened, about 10 minutes.500 ml Chicken Stock, 2 tsp Soy Sauce, 1 tbsp Ketchup, 3 Anchovy Fillets
- Mix the corn starch with a quarter or half cup of water and add the slurry into the gravy. Stir it around and let thicken for just a couple minutes, Take off the heat and move the gravy to another bowl. Add in the butter and stir it around until the butter is melted and incorporated. Add freshly cracked black pepper to taste.1 tbsp Corn Starch, 3 tbsp Butter, Black Pepper
- Take the hamburger mix out of the fridge and form it into balls or patties.
- Get your pan back up to medium-high heat and place down the meat. Cook until done and then turn off the heat.
- While the meat is cooking you can prepare the loco moco bowls. Lay down some rice as a base, then when the hamburger is done place that on top. Spoon over the brown gravy. Finally quickly fry an egg sunny side up and place that right on top. You can add more brown gravy on top of the egg if you like, otherwise you can sprinkle with chopped scallions and chili peppers, or whatever other garnishes you prefer.Green Onion, Red Chili Pepper, Fried Eggs
