Loco Moco Recipe
Here’s an easy way to make a quick and yummy loco moco, the classic Hawaiian soulfood consisting of 4 components: hamburger patty, rice, egg, and brown gravy.
Ingredients for 2 big servings:
- Hamburger Patties
- 1lb Hamburger (not lean)
- 1/4 cup grated onions (optional)
- salt/pepper to taste
- Gravy
- 1 can good beef broth
- flour for thickening
- 1 tb butter
- couple dashes of Worcestershire sauce
- 4 eggs
- hot cooked white rice
Burgers:
1. Gently mix the hamburger, grated onions and salt/pepper. Form either 2 big patties or 4 smaller size patties.
2. Heat frying pan until very hot.
3. Place hamburger patties on the pan/grill and let sear just until juices start appearing on the top. Flip over and cook for a couple more minutes. You will want the burger slightly charred but still tender on the inside.
4. Place burgers on the side.
Gravy:
1. Pour a little broth into the same pan and incorporate the yumyums, then pour in the rest of the broth.
2. Bring to a boil and let reduce for about 3-5 minutes or so, depending on taste, for a more potent gravy.
3. Turn down heat to a simmer.
4. Add couple dashes of worcestershire sauce.
5. In a seperate bowl, mix flour with some water.
6. Using a whisk, slowly whisk in the flour/water mixture until gravy is nicely thick & smooth.
7. Turn off heat and mix in the butter until well blended.
Eggs:
Traditionally, the eggs should be sunny-side up. The secret to a good fried egg is to fry the egg slowly on low heat until it’s cooked… just don’t overcook it! It also helps to have the eggs thawed to room temperature before cooking them.
Rice:
Use regular medium grain white rice… like 3 scoops worth per plate.
Assembly (bottom -> top):
Rice -> Burger -> Egg -> Gravy all over
Optional condiments:
Shoyu, ketchup, tabasco
Enjoy!
September 23rd, 2006 at 4:13 am
ohhh…looks good, but sunny side up? Ick. James, you do great pictures
September 25th, 2006 at 6:08 am
howzit James- you forgot to give us your Loco Moco scale rating on this recipe. If it was made to your taste did it get 100%?
Good job!
September 25th, 2006 at 8:47 am
Reggie,
Great shot!!!!! Talk about “broke da mouth” ono looking loco moco.
September 29th, 2006 at 6:33 am
Looks ono brah! Da picture no look like get plenny rice thought……brah…moa bettah make da gravy in da pan, so u deglaze da buggah an get all da good drippins!…..looks winnas brah!
October 1st, 2006 at 10:36 am
jodi, how you like your eggs? i tink sunny side up is de besses coz da yolk is moa yolky dat way!
Dean, haha.. no loco moco scale for dis one. I would be pretty biased… plus whenever i cook, it never tastes as good as if i didn’t cook it. What’s up wit dat?
kelly, das right! you get um
October 1st, 2006 at 2:40 pm
man, it’s gotta be hard cooked and smushed down in the pan. Sunny side up is pretty, but your right–it’s yolky.
LOL
January 12th, 2007 at 11:26 pm
Chili Loco
Have you heard of this item now being served at Zippy’s?
It’s chili on rice topped with eggs.
??????????????????????????
Being from Hilo. I take offense to Zippy’s loosely using the loco term for their dish.
How is this related to a loco moco?
I think it should be called Chili and rice with eggs.
I like Zippy’s and eat there often. And I may even try this item, but this is just wrong.
Your thoughts?
I was also in Hilo for Thanksgiving and was disappointed that Pizza Hawaii, Hilo lunch Shop, and Kawamoto were all closed through the weekend.
The malasadas at Tex were kind of a let down too. Not as I remember. A little too airey, not cooked long enough.
January 19th, 2007 at 4:25 pm
Eh Kent! Thanks for posting.
You know what? When I first seen the commercial on TV, I thought the exactly the same thing! It’s great to know that I wasn’t the only one who felt that way.
No respect for the loco moco. They really should just call it chili with rice and eggs… *sigh*
Sorry about everywhere being closed. Dat’s how hilo is… we love our vacation days. I like Tex’s malasadas, but I really like Leonards on Oahu better. Tex’s tastes more dry and bready, where Leonards is moist and doughy, melt in the mouth kine.
January 25th, 2007 at 1:05 pm
hey good recipe im making this tonight for my memaw and sister..it looks yummy!
February 15th, 2007 at 12:50 am
[...] gravy from big island grinds [...]
June 11th, 2007 at 5:01 pm
love your site, I need to get some malasadas from Leonards been a long time since.
June 27th, 2007 at 9:46 am
Thanks for this site!
hifue.info
August 29th, 2007 at 5:01 pm
Found this recipe when Googling loco moco. Man this stuff is the best! My wife and 7yr son love it. We make a few times a month. I would eat it everyday if I had the time to make it. Thanks for posting the recipe and you sure eat well on the islands. Take out up here in Canada is da crap
September 20th, 2007 at 11:27 am
I really enjoyed this recipe…almost how my mom used to make it!
March 23rd, 2008 at 5:40 pm
I never had the guts to try this when living in Hawaii, however, I watched ‘Have Fork, Will Travel’ on Food Network today..and WOOWEE, did it appeal!! I will have to make it within the week. I think not trying it, was just not knowing what was in it. The name turned me off. Can’t wait!!!
March 24th, 2008 at 5:21 pm
I too found this recipe when Googling loco moco. It tasted great! Thanks for posting the recipe. You should try the loco moco from Pahu’ia at the Four Seasons…it’s sooo good.
October 2nd, 2008 at 3:21 pm
Great recipe! Try cheese between the burger and egg!
Last time we visited Hawaii, I ordered one at the Big Island Steakhouse in Waikoloa, and my wife gave me ’stink eye’ . . . “wat, you want one heart attack?” I could care less! It was heaven on a plate!!! Just isn’t the same when I try to make ‘em here on the Mainland. Can’t wait to get back and have some more!
October 16th, 2008 at 2:21 pm
WHAT! No TAQUITOS?
October 26th, 2008 at 3:40 pm
I just made this morning, but cheated, using gravy from a jar…
And folks, don’t be offended by the chili moco; just take it as a sign of the versatility of the dish. My son (who went University Hilo and married one local girl) turns nearly everything into a “dakine moko.” Put stuff on top of sticky rice, pour gravy over and top with egg. He calls the chili one a Colorado Moko.
November 12th, 2008 at 5:49 pm
shootz cuzz deez grindz plenty ono’s i when try um today mahalo’s brah!
February 7th, 2009 at 1:56 pm
I lived on Oahu 1984 – 1990. Went to Barber School near Hotel Street. One block over (I think it was King St.?, not sure) there was a little hole in the wall restaurant (can’t even remember the name – darn it). They served the best Loco Moco. Tried it all over the Island, but none better than that little restaurant. We make it here in Wyoming often. Yum.
Does anyone out there know which restaurant I mean?
March 14th, 2009 at 9:17 am
why people call steamed rice sticky rice?????
June 25th, 2009 at 7:17 am
We travel to the great island of Kauai every year or so and love the loco moco. I am a chef and I make it all the time here on the mainland but yeah it just isnt the same. We love the Mocos at Seokos Market in Koloa on Kauai. There is this little window next to the markets doors. They make the greatest Loco Moco ever. We have a place at Poipu and make our way down to Koloa for Mocos almost every morning.
July 3rd, 2009 at 2:39 am
Thank you guys so much I used to work at the Da Kitchen in Maui and moved to Florida now and I miss the food so much. I have really big craving dreams for this food and i’m so happy to see the recipe here and from big island grinds Thanks Shootz
August 31st, 2009 at 10:49 am
ho bra wat u tink u can da kine oh wat gimme lilly bit shoyu on dat faka cuz cheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee faken ting was meeeeeeeaaaan cuz!!
September 16th, 2009 at 3:38 pm
Hukilau cafe? They make a killer Loco Moco. Saw it on Man vs Food.
September 26th, 2009 at 5:45 pm
[...] don’t have to visit Hawaii to have a loco moco, below is a recipe courtesy of Big Island Grinds: Ingredients for 2 big [...]
October 15th, 2009 at 6:44 am
Linda Jessen…that place you can’t remember is called Rainbows,
it’s been there since 1961. I’ve only been there twice in the
last 12 years BUT will never forget it. It’s the bomb-dig!!!
February 7th, 2010 at 5:25 am
Tom – sure wish Waikoloa Steak House is still open
But the fish place next store is awesome! Island Fish! Yummie – remember the size of the macadamia nut pancakes there? OMG!
March 28th, 2010 at 9:26 am
Sounds yummy. I’m going to try making this dish, may be add a few twists to it. Thanks for sharing!
April 1st, 2010 at 6:15 am
We’re a food blog in Colorado and I’m a huge Hawaiian food freak. The Colorado version of this would be to use Buffalo burgers and put some Green Chilies in the gravy. I think the Sapnish translation of Loco Moco is Crazy Booger
April 1st, 2010 at 11:01 am
I visited Oahu in 2008 along with 12 others and I was the only one brave enough to try it! I loved it!! I keep sayin that I want to make it but never do…I’ll have to try it this weekend maybe.
May 5th, 2010 at 12:24 pm
omg … I try it for the first time in my life … so yummmmmmi
all my family liked it =) thnx a lot for the recipe
greetings from Jordan,
Noor
May 16th, 2010 at 9:02 pm
Ono grinds! Mahalo for sharing!
June 2nd, 2010 at 1:58 am
I just want to say how impressed I am that people are still posting on here almost four years after the blog entry. That’s almost as cool as the recipe itself.
June 10th, 2010 at 4:16 pm
I googled to find this as well. Honestly, I’m playing Cafe World on Facebook and this is a dish I am cooking up to serve my virtual customers in the game and I just had to know what it is, LOL…. Now I think I’ll have to try making it because it looks and sounds yummy!
June 14th, 2010 at 1:35 pm
lol hey sharon im doing the same thing on facebook lol, and i was watching the travel channel one day and they showed this, and man it looks sooooo good
June 16th, 2010 at 2:39 pm
Great recipe! My boyfriend saw this on the tv show “Man v Food” and has wanted to try it ever since! I made it tonight for his 21st birthday and it was a huge hit! Definitely going to be making this again
July 9th, 2010 at 5:17 pm
the bugga was onolicious. Hawaiian fundamentals. Can’t hula without it.
July 11th, 2010 at 11:20 am
Ono!! We now live in Florida and were homesick for some good grinds. We googled loco moco and got your recipe (even though we kinda knew) Made me think of Cafe 100 in Hilo! We havent eaten red meat for awhile, so we made it with a boca burger.. Loco Boca… Yum!
July 12th, 2010 at 4:24 pm
Googled Loco Moko – winter here in Melbourne, Australia and I’m lusting for this. Remember it when living on the big island – need a bit of aloha! Mmmmmm
July 14th, 2010 at 5:11 am
[...] away, I often miss it. So, I decided to fix my own loco moco. I’ve found the recipe from Big Island Grinds that I [...]
July 26th, 2010 at 8:36 am
yummmy i just tried for my lunch…and was awesome