When we first heard about this Hawaiian comfort dish, we were so curious. Beef patties with rich gravy served over rice and topped with a fried egg? Oh heck yes we were hungry! After making our loco moco recipe for family, it has now become a staple for family dinners.

loco moco on plate with cucumber salad
cutting into egg on loco moco

What is Loco Moco?

This is a classic and iconic Hawaiian comfort meal that is hard to resist. If you take hamburger patties that are cooked with mushroom gravy, then top it with some rice and sunny side up egg, you egg one of the best comfort foods ever. It was originally created for hungry teenagers but it’s now become a worldwide sensation. If you have family members that love any of these elements, then you have to make this. Here’s a great discussion on the origins of loco moco.

Video: Loco Moco Recipe: Hamburger patties with gravy and fried egg

Inspiration from our Salisbury Steak Recipe

While researching and tasting, we realized that our salisbury steak recipe is essentially the exact same concept for the loco moco hamburger patties. So it wasn’t rocket science for us to know that using our salisbury steak patties for the loco moco was perfect. Topping the hamburger patties with mushroom and onion gravy over rice is ……AMAZING. If you can visualize this, then you can taste all the layers of delicious wonders.

loco moco on plate with cucumber salad

Loco Moco: Hawaiian Beef Patties with Gravy, Fried Egg

For the ground beef, we prefer a meat/fat ratio of about 80-85%. It gives the best juiciness without being overly greasy or shrinking too much. When forming the patties, try not to over-handle them too much and compress them a lot. A looser packed meat will make a more tender patty.
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Ingredients

For The Beef Patties

  • 1 pound (454 g) ground beef
  • 1/4 cup (27 g) breadcrumbs
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 Tablespoon (15 ml) Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 teaspoon (5 ml) onion powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon (2.5 ml) garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon (2.5 ml) kosher salt
  • lots of fresh ground black pepper , to taste
  • 1 Tablespoon (15 ml) cooking oil , for searing beef patties

For The Mushroom Gravy

  • 8 ounces (227 g) mushrooms , sliced
  • 1 medium onion , sliced
  • 3 Tablespoons (42 g) butter
  • 2 cloves garlic , minced or crushed
  • 1/4-1/2 cup (30 g) flour , depending on how thick you like your gravy
  • 3 cups (710 ml) broth (beef, chicken or vegetable)
  • kosher salt , to taste
  • black pepper , to taste

For Serving and Topping

  • cooked white rice or brown rice
  • 5 large eggs , fried to your liking
  • optional , chili crunch or chili crisp, side of vegetables

Instructions 

Make the Hamburger Beef Patties

  • In large bowl mix together all the beef patty ingredients (1 pound ground beef, 1/4 cup breadcrumbs, 1 egg, 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, 1 teaspoon onion powder, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and black pepper to taste).
    Salisbury steak meat mix
  • Shape into about 5 patties. Try not to over-handle them too much and compress them a lot. A looser packed meat will make a more tender patty.
    Meat shaped into patties
  • Heat large pan over medium-high heat and then add oil. Add the patties and if they are a little thick, smash them to your preference. Brown both sides of patties (about 1-2 minutes per side) and then remove from the pan (they shouldn’t be fully cooked yet, you’ll cook them in the gravy for 5-10 minutes later).
    Browned beef patties

Make the Loco Moco Gravy

  • Keeping the same pan and beef juices over medium-high heat, add the sliced mushrooms and onion.
    Onions and mushrooms in pan
  • Cook the mushrooms and onions, stirring occasionally, until onions are golden and excess mushroom liquid evaporates, about 10 minutes.
    Cooked mushrooms and onions
  • Spread the mushrooms and onions so there is an empty circle in the middle of the pan. Add the 3 Tablespoons of butter and minced garlic to the empty circle in the middle of the mushrooms and onions. Cook for about 1 minute.
    Adding butter and garlic to pan
  • Whisk in the 1/4 – 1/2 cup of flour (depending on how thick you like your gravy), cooking and whisking to remove lumps. Add about 1 cup of beef broth, whisking until incorporated. Stir everything all together.
    Whisking in flour and some broth
  • Increase heat to High. Slowly pour in the remaining 2 cups of broth and whisk until well combined. Season with salt and pepper, to taste (the saltiness and flavors will concentrate some when it reduces down).
    Whisking in remaining broth
  • Once gravy starts to boil, reduce heat to low.  Stirring often, simmer until the gravy starts to thicken, about 5-10 minutes.  
    Simmering gravy
  • Add seared beef patties back into the gravy and cook until the patties are cooked to your preferred doneness (usually about 5-10 minutes), stirring the gravy occasionally around the steaks. Taste for seasoning and add more salt & pepper, if desired.
    Browned patties added to gravy

Fry Your Eggs

  • Add oil to a heated pan and fry to your to your liking
    frying egg for loco moco

Assemble the Loco Moco

  • Add rice to a bowl, top with a hamburger patty and big spoonful of gravy.
    serving hamburger patty and gravy over rice
  • Top with fried Egg and enjoy! Serve with a side of vegetables if you like.
    fried egg on top of loco moco meat

Video

Nutrition Information per Serving

Calories: 405kcal, Carbohydrates: 16g, Protein: 20g, Fat: 29g, Saturated Fat: 12g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 12g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 115mg, Sodium: 1012mg, Potassium: 492mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 4g, Vitamin A: 561IU, Vitamin C: 3mg, Calcium: 48mg, Iron: 3mg
loco moco on plate with cucumbers

Different Side Dishes to Serve with Loco Moco

Now we love adding some vegetables to our meals so serving up a side of veggies might not be traditionally correct. It’s not wrong but it sure is nice to balance out the comfort and richness of the loco moco dish. So we love serving a quick cucumber salad with our popular chili crunch recipe. The fresh bites of cucumber and spice over the loco moco was great. Or if you want to steam some veggies or sautee a vegetable side dish then go for it. We totally recommend the addition of veggies. We can all eat more veggies!

Freezing Leftover Loco Moco

Freezing is great as long as you use a freezer safe container. You want to make sure no moisture gets into the gravy because freezer burn will make the gravy taste odd. This recipe is so delicious, why would you have any leftovers anyways?? Just kidding, well kinda.