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Loco Moco

Hawaii's favorite plate lunch: a bed of white rice, a seared hamburger steak, a rich brown onion and mushroom gravy made in the same pan, and a runny fried egg on top.

Prep
15 min
Cook
25 min
Makes
Serves 4
Jump to the recipe
A hamburger patty topped with a fried egg in brown gravy
Photo: PublicDomainPictures / Pixabay

Loco moco comes from Hilo, on Hawaii's Big Island, where the story goes that it was first made in the late 1940s for teenagers who wanted something cheap, filling and quick. It has since become one of the defining dishes of Hawaiian plate lunch: white rice, a hamburger patty, brown gravy poured over everything, and a fried egg on top. It is unapologetically hearty, and every part of it is simple. The one thing that makes it good rather than ordinary is the gravy, and the gravy depends on the patties.

The hamburger steaks are seasoned more than an ordinary burger, with a little soy sauce, garlic and onion mixed into the beef, and a beaten egg and panko to keep them tender. Use 80/20 ground beef. Leaner beef dries out and leaves too little fat in the pan to build the gravy. Shape the patties slightly larger and thinner than you want them to end up, since they shrink, and press a shallow dent into the center of each so they cook flat instead of doming.

Sear them in a hot skillet until a deep brown crust forms on both sides. That crust, and the browned bits it leaves stuck to the pan, are the foundation of the gravy. Do not clean the pan after cooking the patties; set them aside and pour off only the excess fat.

The gravy starts with sliced onions and mushrooms cooked in that fat until soft and golden, picking up the browned bits as they release their moisture. Then a little flour, cooked for a minute, and beef broth whisked in gradually. Soy sauce and Worcestershire sauce add the savory depth that defines loco moco gravy, slightly different from a plain American brown gravy. Simmer until it is thick and glossy, then return the patties to the pan to finish cooking in the gravy and absorb some of its flavor.

The egg goes on last, fried sunny side up or over easy, with the yolk still runny. When it is broken, the yolk mixes with the gravy and rice, and that is the point. Fry the eggs in a separate pan with a little butter while the patties simmer, so everything is ready at the same time.

The rice should be plain, short-grain or medium-grain white rice, slightly sticky, as it is served in Hawaii. It needs to be hot, and there should be plenty of it to absorb the gravy.

Serve with a scoop of macaroni salad for an authentic plate lunch. For a party-sized dish from the same island kitchens, sushi bake is scooped onto seaweed straight from the pan.

For another saucy beef-over-rice dinner, crockpot beef and broccoli is a good weeknight dinner. Creamy mushroom sauce uses the same pan-sauce technique with cream, and a big breakfast plate covers the morning version.

A bowl of rice, beef and a soft egg held in two hands
Photo: Luana Ribeiro / Pexels

Loco moco, plate by plate

Hawaii's favorite plate lunch: a bed of white rice, a seared hamburger steak, a rich brown onion and mushroom gravy made in the same pan, and a runny fried egg on top.

Hamburger steaks, pan gravy and the plate

For the hamburger steaks

  • 1½ lb (680 g) 80/20 ground beef
  • ½ small yellow onion, finely grated
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 large egg
  • ⅓ cup (20 g) panko breadcrumbs
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce
  • ½ tsp fine salt
  • ½ tsp black pepper
  • 1 tbsp vegetable oil

For the gravy

  • 1 tbsp (15 g) unsalted butter
  • 1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
  • 6 oz (170 g) cremini mushrooms, sliced
  • 3 tbsp (25 g) all-purpose flour
  • 2 cups (475 ml) low-sodium beef broth
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  • ¼ tsp black pepper

To serve

  • 4 cups (750 g) hot cooked short-grain or medium-grain white rice
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1 tbsp (15 g) unsalted butter
  • 2 green onions, sliced

Sear, gravy in the same pan, egg on top

  1. 1 Mix the beef, grated onion, garlic, egg, panko, soy sauce, salt and pepper gently with your hands until just combined. Shape into 4 patties about ¾ in (2 cm) thick and press a shallow dent in the center of each.
  2. 2 Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the patties until deeply browned, 4 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate. Pour off all but 1 tbsp fat.
  3. 3 Lower the heat to medium. Add the butter, sliced onion and mushrooms, and cook until soft and golden, scraping up the browned bits, 6–7 minutes.
  4. 4 Sprinkle in the flour and stir for 1 minute. Slowly whisk in the broth, then add the soy sauce, Worcestershire and pepper. Simmer, stirring, until thick and glossy, 3–4 minutes.
  5. 5 Return the patties and their juices to the pan. Spoon gravy over them, cover and simmer gently for 5 minutes, until the patties reach 160°F (71°C) in the center.
  6. 6 Meanwhile, melt the butter in a nonstick skillet over medium heat and fry the eggs sunny side up or over easy, until the whites are set and the yolks still runny.
  7. 7 Divide the rice among 4 bowls. Top each with a patty, plenty of gravy and a fried egg. Sprinkle with green onions and serve.

Plate lunch, Spam and leftovers

  • Macaroni salad: serve with Hawaiian-style macaroni salad for a traditional plate lunch.
  • Spam loco moco: replace the hamburger steaks with sliced Spam, seared until crisp, and make the gravy in the same pan with 1 tbsp butter.
  • Leftovers: store the patties in the gravy for up to 3 days. Reheat gently and fry fresh eggs.
  • Gravy without mushrooms: leave them out and use 2 onions instead.
  • Make ahead: shape the patties and refrigerate up to 1 day before cooking.

The name, the rice and tough patties

The name is generally said to come from the nickname of one of the teenagers it was first made for in Hilo, combined with a rhyme. It has no deeper meaning.

Short-grain or medium-grain white rice, slightly sticky, the kind used in most Hawaiian plate lunches.

The meat was overmixed, too lean, or overcooked. Mix gently, use 80/20 beef, and stop at 160°F (71°C).

You can, but the pan gravy uses the browned bits from the patties, which is where most of the flavor is. It only takes 10 minutes.