Loco moco on plates to serve to two people.

The first time I ever tried Loco Moco was in Hawaii. I was on vacation with my family and we were ordering breakfast. I had never heard of Loco Moco, but the name made me smile and all the components sounded delicious. Little did I know I was about to enjoy one of the biggest breakfasts of my life!

I instantly became a huge fan – the rich and juicy burger patty, fried egg, and creamy gravy were balanced nicely with the bed of white rice. It was definitely the type of meal that made me want to take a nap, but it was also so delicious and memorable. Our version is based off the first one I ever had which came with a mushroom gravy!

What is Loco Moco?

Loco Moco is a local Hawaiian comfort food dish consisting of steamed rice topped with a hamburger patty, fried egg and finished with gravy.

Origins of the Dish

The origins of the dish is up for debate, but most can agree that it was invented in 1949 at either the Lincoln Grill restaurant, or Cafe 100, both in Hilo, Hawaii. The story goes that the dish was created for local teens that had come in for breakfast. They requested something unique from a typical sandwich and not as time consuming as asian food to prepare.

Why is it called ‘Loco Moco’?

Another question asked a lot is “What does Loco Moco mean?” The name of the dish came from the nickname of one of the teens ‘Loco’ and ‘Moco’ was simply added because it sounded good together. It became a popular staple of the restaurant and slowly spread throughout the islands.

How to Make Our Loco Moco Recipe

Mushroom Gravy Ingredients

Mushroom Gravy Process

Add 2 tablespoons butter to a saucepan and place over medium-high heat. Add garlic and mushrooms and sauté for about 3 minutes or until mushrooms are lightly caramelized. Season with salt and pepper.
Melt remaining butter into the mixture. Sprinkle with flour and whisk together.

Lower heat to medium and stir in stock. Continue to stir until no lumps remain and gravy has thickened enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and set aside while preparing the rest of the loco moco dish.

Gravy being simmered in a pot with a wooden spoon.

Hamburger Patties Ingredients

Hamburger Patties Process

Place ground beef, salt, garlic powder, and black pepper into a mixing bowl.
Mix together.

Hamburger meat with spices poured on top in a glass bowl.

Form 2 even (4 ounce) patties.
Pour oil into a large skillet and place over medium-high heat. Once skillet is hot, add burger patties and sear for 3 to 4 minutes on each side. Reduce heat to medium and continue to cook burgers until medium doneness, an additional 3 to 4 minutes.

Hamburger patties formed and placed on a plate.

Hamburger patties being cooked in a skillet with oil.

Fried Eggs and Assembly Ingredients

Fried Eggs Process

Melt butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Crack eggs over melted butter. Fry eggs until edges are crisp, whites have set, but the yolk is runny.

Assembly Process

Divide rice between two plates.
Top each with a burger patty, followed by a ladle of gravy.

Rice on a plate, the base for Loco Moco.

A hamburger patty with mushroom gravy on top.

Top with a fried egg, and another ladle of gravy.
Finish each dish with a sprinkle of furikake seasoning and sliced chives. Serve.

Building a plate of Loco Moco with a fried egg on top.

Loco Moco on a plate with chives and furikake on top.

Variations

Ground turkey can be used in place of the ground beef to make turkey patties.
Slices of spam can be fried up and served in place of the hamburger patties as well!
We use shiitake mushrooms for our gravy, but you can use any mushrooms of your choice, based on personal preference!
Caramelized onions can take the place of the mushrooms for a caramelized onion gravy.
Brown rice can be swapped in for the white rice.
Green onions can be used to garnish the dish, instead of chives.

Is This a Traditional Version of the Dish?

Our recipe has all the components of a traditional loco moco (like rice, hamburger patties, sunny-side up eggs, and gravy), but the specifics are a little bit different.

The traditional dish uses short grain white rice, but we use basmati rice, because I just love the fragrance and flavor! The traditional dish also has a much richer brown gravy, primarily consisting of beef broth, beef patty drippings, flour, and a teaspoon or two of soy sauce (and/or a teaspoon Worcestershire sauce). We make a mushroom gravy with chicken stock and no burger patty juices, for a lighter gravy overall.

Loco Moco is traditionally garnished with sliced green onions or no garnish at all. We added a sprinkle of furikake seasoning and sliced chives to finish our dish off!

Tips and Tricks for Success

Prep ingredients ahead of time to save on time when cooking. I always try to prep as much ahead of time as I can, when I cook. For this recipe you can slice the mushrooms and mince the garlic up to 2 days ahead of time and form the burger patties up to 12 hours ahead of time.
Use beef stock instead of chicken stock if you want a richer, more traditional gravy.
Add the egg to a hot pan to get a nice, crispy crust around the edge and to set the whites while maintaining a runny yolk.