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Loco Moco is a signature Hawaiian dish that’s extraordinarily fashionable on the mainland and in Japan. I grew up consuming this Japanese-influenced dish as a toddler, and I really like making it for my household right now. I’ll train you make this soul-satisfying recipe for a fast and hearty meal any time of day!
Should you’re on the lookout for extra iconic Hawaii consolation meals, attempt my Tuna Poke, Poke Bowl, or Furikake Chex Combine subsequent!

What’s Loco Moco?
Loco moco (ロコモコ) is a staple Hawaiian plate lunch that’s additionally fashionable in Japan, the place it’s loved in informal household eating places (ファミレス) and at residence. The phrase loco interprets to “loopy” in Spanish, whereas moco interprets to “burger.” There are lots of variations, however the conventional dish has steamed Japanese white rice topped with a juicy hamburger steak, flavorful brown gravy, and a fried egg. The egg is normally cooked sunny facet up, so the runny egg yolk provides a yummy richness.
Components for Loco Moco
- Japanese short-grain white rice – cooked; see my recipe The best way to Prepare dinner Japanese Rice
- Floor beef and floor pork
- Onion
- Giant eggs
- Panko breadcrumbs
- Milk
- Worcestershire sauce, nutmeg, butter, kosher salt, and black pepper
- Gravy:
- White button mushrooms
- Beef inventory
- Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, salt, and black pepper
- Olive oil – to cook dinner the mushrooms
- Potato starch or cornstarch – for the slurry
- Parsley – for garnish
Discover the printable recipe with measurements under.
Substitutions
- Floor meat: I discover the mixture of two-thirds beef and one-third pork provides a richer taste and enhances juiciness. You should use only one or the opposite, although the flavour won’t be as balanced. Should you’re brief on time, you should use pre-made floor beef patties, though a selfmade hamburger combination offers a superior taste.
- Onion: I want candy onions because the sweetness provides complexity. Should you don’t have them, common white onions or yellow onions will work.
- Mushrooms: White button mushrooms are my most popular selection since they’re straightforward to seek out and caramelize nicely. Should you don’t have them, brown crimini mushrooms will work.
- Beef inventory: Beef inventory is extra flavorful than beef broth, and it makes for a richer gravy. Should you use beef broth, add extra salt and/or Worcestershire sauce to realize the identical complexity.
- Starch: That is for the roux that may thicken the gravy. I want the impartial taste of cornstarch or potato starch, however in case you don’t have both, you should use all-purpose flour as a substitute.

The best way to Make Loco Moco
Make the Patties
- Mince and sauté the onions. Add them to a sizzling, well-oiled pan over medium-high warmth and sauté till translucent. Flip off the warmth.


- Combine the meat and form the patties. Mix the meat, panko, egg, milk, Worcestershire sauce, nutmeg, salt, pepper, and half the onions. Combine till sticky and pale, then divide into parts. Form into patties and chill for half-hour.


- Prepare dinner. Add the patties to a sizzling, well-oiled skillet and cook dinner for about 5 minutes. Flip them and proceed cooking for an additional 5 minutes. Make the fried eggs.


Make the Gravy
- Prepare dinner the mushrooms and gravy substances. Slice the mushrooms and sauté them in a saucepan over medium warmth. Add the remaining onions. Stir within the inventory and gravy seasonings. Make a starch slurry, whisk it into the gravy, and simmer to thicken.


Assemble
- Portion and serve. Divide the rice into 4 bowls, high with the patties, gravy, and fried egg. Garnish with parsley and luxuriate in!


Nami’s Recipe Suggestions
- Combine the meat till sticky and pale. – That’s the way you’ll know the 2 meats and the seasonings are nicely mixed.
- Toss the meat from one hand to the opposite – Do that a few occasions to drive out the air pockets inside. Should you skip it, the hambagu will crack whereas cooking.
- Chill the patties for half-hour – Relaxation the meat within the fridge so the substances meld and the fats solidifies.
- Indent the patties when frying – After you place the meat within the pan, make a melancholy within the patty’s middle with 2–3 fingers. It will preserve the steaks from exploding or crumbling because the meat expands from the warmth. The indentation will disappear as soon as cooked.

Variations and Customizations
- Use different varieties of floor meat. For a leaner possibility, you should use floor rooster or floor turkey as a substitute.
- Don’t take pleasure in runny yolks? Whereas I want sunny-side-up eggs, you possibly can cook dinner them to fit your private choice. I’ll typically make scrambled eggs for these in my household who don’t like runny eggs.
- Season the pork and beef patties. Add 1 Tbsp of minced garlic (or 1 tsp garlic powder) for an additional layer of taste.
What to Serve with Loco Moco
It is a nice all-in-one dish, although you possibly can simply spice it up with extra programs and sides. Listed below are a few of my favorites.




Storage and Reheating Suggestions
To retailer: Retailer the cooled leftovers in separate hermetic containers within the fridge for 3 days or within the freezer for a month (I don’t advocate freezing the fried eggs).
To reheat: Reheat the patties and gravy on the stovetop over medium warmth, or microwave in 30-second intervals till heat. The eggs ought to at all times be made to order.
Continuously Requested Questions
You can also make the pork and beef patties and gravy as much as 3 days upfront and preserve within the fridge till you’re able to serve. I extremely advocate making the eggs and rice contemporary so they’re heat and have the perfect texture. Rice saved within the fridge will get dry and laborious, and fried eggs will get rubbery if chilled. Should you’re brief on time, you possibly can reheat frozen, cooked rice for this dish; find out how in my put up The best way to Retailer Cooked Rice.
For a vegetarian model, you possibly can substitute the meat inventory for mushroom inventory and the bottom meat for a plant-based various.
Stop your display screen from going darkish
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Please word that the hamburger patties require half-hour of chilling time earlier than cooking. For the steamed rice, 1½ cups (2 rice cooker cups, 300 g) of raw Japanese short-grain rice yield roughly 4 servings (4⅓ cups, 660 g) of cooked rice. See cook dinner it with a rice cooker, pot over the range, On the spot Pot, or donabe. Now, collect all of the substances.
To Sauté the Onion
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Mince 1 onion finely. I take advantage of the mijingiri reducing method.
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Warmth 1 Tbsp further virgin olive oil in a big pan on medium-high warmth and sauté the onion till translucent.
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Flip off the warmth. Divide the sautéed onion to make use of for the gravy and the hamburger patties.
To Make the Gravy
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Minimize 6 button mushrooms into skinny slices. Warmth a small saucepan on medium warmth. Then, add ½ Tbsp further virgin olive oil and the mushrooms and sauté till tender. Add half of the sautéed onion and stir collectively.
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Add 1½ cups beef inventory/broth, 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce, and 1 tsp soy sauce.
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Skim off the scum and foam from the floor with a fine-mesh skimmer. Then, season with Diamond Crystal kosher salt to style and ⅛ tsp freshly floor black pepper.
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Make a slurry with 1 Tbsp potato starch or cornstarch and 1 Tbsp water in a small bowl and whisk nicely to mix. Pour it into the gravy and totally combine collectively. Simmer till the gravy thickens, then flip off the warmth and put aside.
To Make the Patties
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Add ½ lb floor beef, ¼ lb floor pork, and the opposite half of the sautéed onion to a big bowl. Add ⅓ cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs), 1 giant egg (50 g every w/o shell), 2 Tbsp milk, 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce, ½ tsp nutmeg, 1 tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt, and ⅛ tsp freshly floor black pepper.
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Knead collectively nicely utilizing your hand till the combination turns into sticky and pale. Then, divide into 4 parts for big patties or 6 parts for medium patties.
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Toss a portion from one hand to the opposite about 5 occasions; this releases the air inside and prevents cracking throughout cooking. Then, make an oval-shaped patty with a barely rounded high. Place on a plate or tray. Repeat with the opposite parts. Cowl with plastic wrap and relaxation them within the fridge for not less than half-hour in order that the meat melds and the fats solidifies.
To Prepare dinner the Hamburger Steaks
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Warmth a big pan over medium warmth, then add ½ Tbsp further virgin olive oil. Place the patties gently within the pan. (Fry in batches in case you‘re doubling the recipe.) Indent the middle of every patty with 2 fingers as a result of the meat will rise with the warmth. Fry them for about 5 minutes or till browned on the underside. Flip over, then cowl with a lid and fry till totally cooked inside, about 5 minutes (relying on the thickness of the patties). Presently, reheat the gravy and make the fried eggs with 4 giant eggs (50 g every w/o shell) and ½ Tbsp further virgin olive oil.
To Serve
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Divide 4 servings cooked Japanese short-grain rice on particular person plates. Switch the patties to the plates, pour the gravy on high, and high every with a fried egg. Chop 1 sprig parsley and sprinkle on high for garnish. Serve instantly.
Energy: 571kcal, Carbohydrates: 39g, Protein: 29g, Fats: 33g, Saturated Fats: 10g, Trans Fats: 1g, Ldl cholesterol: 294mg, Sodium: 614mg, Potassium: 707mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 4g, Vitamin A: 375IU, Vitamin C: 4mg, Calcium: 90mg, Iron: 5mg
Did you make this recipe?
Tag @justonecookbook on Instagram so we will see your scrumptious creation!
Editor’s Notice: This put up was initially printed on June 4, 2015, and republished on August 14, 2025.
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