Loco Moco Recipe

Close up of a bowl with Loco Moco topped with green onion.

5 from 3 votes

Loco Moco is a classic Hawaiian comfort food made with rice, a juicy hamburger patty, rich mushroom gravy, and a sunny-side-up egg. It is hearty, savory, and easy to make at home.

Prep Time5

Cook Time30

Total Time35

Course: Breakfast, Dinner, Lunch

Cuisine: Hawaiian

Keyword: Loco Moco

Servings: servings

Calories: 711kcal

Author: Erica Walker

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-low sodium is fine)
2 cups beef broth (low sodium is fine)
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 1/2 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 Moco! 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.

Video

Notes

Rice: Calrose or medium-grain white rice works best because it is slightly sticky and catches the gravy well. Sushi rice is a good substitute.
Beef patties: Don’t overwork the ground beef when forming the patties. A light touch keeps them tender.
Gravy: Whisk cornstarch with cold water before adding it to the hot pan to prevent lumps.
Gravy thickness: Add more broth if the gravy is too thick, or add a little more cornstarch slurry if it is too thin.
Eggs: Sunny-side up is classic, but over-easy, fried, or scrambled eggs can be used.
Mushrooms: Mushrooms add flavor to the gravy, but they can be left out if preferred.
Make ahead: The patties and gravy can be made ahead, but the eggs are best cooked fresh.

Nutrition