This homemade Loco Moco recipe will make you feel like you've just come off the beach at Waikiki. With sticky rice, hearty ground beef, a generous amount of gravy and a perfectly fried egg, it's so ono.
I grew up studying Hawaiian dance, language, and culture from the age of 4 until I was 17, but all of this happened in the desert of Eastern Washington. Even with my white hair and pale skin, my Hawaiian heritage has always been a huge part of my life. We visited the islands many times when I was a child, but it wasn't until I was in my early 30s that I finally got to live in Hawaii.
Like many places with heavy colonialism, Hawaiian culture has been inseparably mixed with other cultures. In fact, it's one of the most ethnically diverse places on the planet. The warm and inviting nature of Polynesian culture means that much of what is uniquely Hawaiian is hard to identify. But I think there is still so much to be proud of in modern Hawaii. The way the people have adapted and absorbed other cultures is beautiful in its own way.
What makes this Loco Moco recipe so awesome?
Loco Moco is clearly a post-colonial, and probably a post-war creation. There's clearly an influence of American and Japanese cultures here, but they way it all comes together so indulgently is pure Hawaiian awesomeness. This dish is a bit ridiculous. It's the antithesis of fresh and healthy, but it's so freakin' good. There's just something about being in the ocean that makes me so hungry, and food like this is made to fill you up. It's also made to be cheap.
It's starts with a bed of sticky rice. You can't walk into a home in Hawaii where the rice cooker isn't in constant use. Up next is basically a hamburger patty, the greasier the better. Then the whole thing gets slathered in a pool of brown gravy. In a diner of drive-in, they'll have a whole vat of it. When you're making it at home, you might not get as much. But the best part is the perfectly fried egg. When the oozing yolk mixes with the gravy and the rice, it's pure heaven. It's an indulgence, I know, but you've gotta try it.
Make it magical
As a Sagittarius, I don't get to travel as much as I would like, but food can help me connect with other cultures. And when it can also help me connect with my ancestors, the magick goes even deeper. Next time you're making a dish from another culture, consider giving an offering to the gods of that culture or simply paying homage to the people of that land. Do a bit of research about their spiritual practices, and share their stories and culture at the dinner table. This is a beautiful way to keep the energy of other cultures alive.
For details on the magical properties of the ingredients in this recipe, check the Kitchen Magick page.
Ingredients
Here's everything you'll need to make this dish. The full details are in the recipe card below.
- White rice - short grain sticky rice, sold in the UK as sushi rice
- Ground beef - 15-20% fat is fine, remember this dish was designed to be cheap
- Salt and pepper
- Garlic granules
- Soy sauce
- Green onions
- Flour - all-purpose or plain
- Beef stock - from a stock cube is fine
- Eggs
- Oil or butter - something to fry your eggs in
Tips for making Loco Moco
There are a few different components to this that all have to be cooked separately. It's going to make a big mess, but it's going to be delicious. And let's face it, you definitely shouldn't eat this on a regular basis.
Cook your rice in your favorite way. A rice cooker is easiest, but if you don't have one, just follow the instructions on the bag to cook it in a pot. Rice takes a long time to cook, but it will also stay warm for ages, so definitely start this first.
For the hamburger steaks, you're basically making hamburger patties. We're gonna flavor them with garlic granules, soy sauce, and the white parts of your green onion. Divide your seasoned meat into four big balls, and them smash them into a hot skillet and cook to your desired doneness. Set those aside to let some of the grease drain off, or put them right onto a plateful of rice and let that absorb the grease. There's a lot of flavor in there.
To make the gravy, you'll sprinkle some flour over the fat left behind from your hamburger steaks until you have a thick paste. Then slowly whisk in your beef stock until you have a dark, rich gravy. You'll end up needing to add quite a lot of liquid, so just keep adding and whisking until you have a thick but pourable consistency. Pour plenty of that over each of your rice embedded hamburger steaks.
Lastly, you'll fry an egg. I like mine over easy so that the yolk is nice and runny, but you can obviously make yours to your liking. Pop that on top, then sprinkle the whole thing with the green tops of your green onions and dig in.
Until I can get myself back to Hawaii, I'll just have to keep making this ridiculously awesome Loco Moco at home. It's still a pretty sweet life.
Looking for more awesome Hawaiian-inspired recipes? Try this Spam Mac & Cheese or some Hawaiian Bread Pudding.
PrintLoco Moco
This homemade Loco Moco recipe will make you feel like you've just come off the beach at Waikiki. With sticky rice, hearty ground beef, a generous amount of gravy and a perfectly fried egg, it's so ono.
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 30
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Hawaiian
Ingredients
- 4 servings cooked white rice
For the hamburger patties:
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons green onions, the white parts only, finely sliced (or scissored)
- 1 tablespoon oil
For the gravy:
- 1 to 2 tablespoons flour
- 1 to 1-½ cups beef stock
- Salt and pepper to taste
For the fried eggs:
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 4 eggs
- Green onions, the green parts, thinly sliced (or scissored)
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl, combine beef, seasonings, soy sauce, and onions. Work quickly with your hands and try not to handle it excessively.
- Form into four patties.
- Add oil to a large skillet and heat to medium high. Cook patties about 3 minutes a side or to desired doneness. Just make sure you get some good browning on the outside.
- As your meat is cooking up, make sure your rice is ready to go. Divide your rice between four plates or bowls.
- Place a hamburger patty atop each mound of rice so that the juices will soak into the rice. Don't waste the flavor.
- Reduce heat to medium low on the remaining fat and delicious bits in your skillet. Sprinkle flour over the fat, just enough to absorb the fat and create a paste. Cook for a few minutes until the flour mixture turns brown.
- Add stock about a quarter cup at a time, stirring well to remove lumps. Also make sure you scrape up any bits off the bottom of the pan. They are full of flavor. Keep adding liquid until you get your favorite consistency and season to taste.
- Spoon your gravy generously over your hamburger steaks and rice.
- Add butter to a nonstick skillet and melt over medium low heat.
- Crack you eggs into the pan and season with salt and pepper if desired. Cook slowly until whites are just set for sunny side up eggs, or give them a quick flip, just 15 seconds on the other side, for over easy eggs.
- Place one egg with its gorgeously runny yolk, on top of each gravy covered hamburger patty, sprinkle with the green parts of your green onions, and dig in.
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