Home / Main Dishes / Loco Moco – Hawaiian Version of Fast Food
May 28, 2017 (Last Updated: July 10, 2017)
Quick and easy to make, comforting, and filling, Loco Moco is one of the most famous Hawaiian dishes. It features a bed of white rice topped with a flavorful hamburger patty, a fried egg, and mindblowing brown gravy. A perfect lunch or dinner!
Pastaand casseroles are greatbut sometimes you want to have something different for dinner. To break the routine with a new but at the same time familiar to your taste buds dish. I mean, grilled oysters sound great but… You get what I mean, right? Easy to make, simple, filling, comforting, that’s what I’m aiming for.
Yesterday I spent a whole hour browsing through thousands of recipes until I found exactly what I needed (I guess I am a picky girl). Meet Loco Moco! The famous Hawaiian dish consisting of white rice topped with a juicy hamburger patty, which is then topped with a fried egg, and, finally, with brown gravy! You should be sold by now, my dear friend.
Loco Moco is only like 50 years old but it’s already a classic. I have never been to Hawaii (adding to my list of places to visit) but from what I’ve read, you could find this dish in every single restaurant of this beautiful island. I can understand why. A perfect combo of Asian (rice and gravy) and Western cuisines (hamburger and egg) is irresistible!
I only needed one look at this goodness and I immediately knew I would love it. Asuccess with Hawaiian cuisine I had before (check out my Lomi Lomi salmon recipe) only strengthened that feeling. What’s not to love about meat, rice, egg, and gravy in your plate?
A few more facts about this interesting dish. Many call it a Hawaiian version of fast food because it’s really quick to make and it comforts you like you need! Loco Moco burger is also said to be a great hangover cure. Keep that in mind next time you’ll have a rough morning.
Hawaiian love this dish so much that they evenput it into the world record book. Yup. A few years ago a few chefs and volunteers assembled a bowl of Loco Mocothat weighed 1,126 pounds. How about that?600 pounds of rice, 200 pounds of ground beef, 300 pounds of eggs and 200 pounds of gravy. Impressive!
Oh, and one more thing. The authentic Loco Moco should feature runny sunny-side-up eggs. I don’t have any problem with that because I always have my eggs runny but if you are not a fan, you can scramble them. Just don’t tell any Hawaiian about it. Shhh… It will stay between me and you.
Loco Moco - Hawaiian Version of Fast Food
Loco Moco is one of the most famous Hawaiian dishes. A bed of rice topped with a juicy burger, a fried egg, and drowned in delicious brown gravy!
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Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes minutes
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 595kcal
Author: Yummy Addiction
Ingredients
The burgers:
- 1 lb (450g) ground beef
- 1/2 cup panko (Asian bread crumbs)
- 1/2 cup onion , minced (I used sweet onions)
- 1 egg , beaten
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- oil , for frying
The gravy:
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cup beef broth
- 2 dashes Worcestershire sauce
- salt and pepper , to taste
Instructions
Cook the rice according to package instructions.
Meanwhile, combine the ground beef, panko, onion, egg,Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper together and form 4 patties. In a large skillet, heat the oil and cook for about 4 minutes per side until done. Transfer to a plate and keep warm.
In the same skillet, scrape up the browned bits of the meat and melt the butter. Add the flour and whisk until a light-brown paste forms. Whisk in the broth. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer.Add the Worcestershire sauce and simmer 5 minutes more. Season to taste.
Finally, fry the eggs runny sunny side up or as you prefer. Serve the burgers over the cooked rice and top each with the fried egg and some gravy. Enjoy!
Nutrition
Calories: 595kcal | Carbohydrates: 38.2g | Protein: 31.6g | Fat: 34.1g | Cholesterol: 295.7mg | Sodium: 941.4mg | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 750IU | Vitamin C: 2.5mg
FAQs
Loco moco is a dish featured in contemporary Hawaii cuisine. The traditional loco moco consists of white rice, topped with a hamburger patty, a sunny-side up fried egg, and finally topped with brown gravy.
What is the history of the loco moco? ›
The Loco Moco is considered one of the most popular dishes in Hawaii and is even served in several Hawaiian restaurants on the mainland. This dish has many variations, but the original Loco Moco was reportedly created at a restaurant in the town of Hilo, on the island of Hawaii in 1949.
What does loco moco mean in english? ›
The Tiki Terrace proudly serves one of Hawaii's most classic dishes- loco moco. To those who speak Spanish, this seems super funny..... loco meaning crazy, and moco meaning buger. Yup, that's right....Hawaii serves up one mean dish of crazy burgers.
What is a traditional Hawaiian breakfast? ›
"Loco Moco is Hawaii's original homemade fast food and can be found at just about any fast food joint, roadside diner, mom and pop restaurant or lunch wagon in the Islands. There are many different versions of Loco Moco but they have 4 basic ingredients. Rice, a beef patty, sunny-side up egg and gravy.
Why is loco moco so good? ›
Hawaiian comfort food at its best
Loco Moco is a favorite go to for locals on the island. The combination of gravy poured over sticky rice and an egg yolk broken into the dish adds to the creamy and mouth watering dish. But beware, loco moco's are cholesterol heavy as most comfort dishes are.
Why is loco moco called that? ›
It's reported that the teenagers dubbed it Loco Moco after one of their Lincoln Wreckers Athletic Club team members named Loco (the first teen that requested the meal was nicknamed Crazy by his friends) and added “Moco” simply because it rhymed!
How long has loco moco been around? ›
SAN LEANDRO — Loco moco — the iconic, popular Hawaiian comfort food and cholesterol bomb — has East Bay roots. A group of about 15 teenage boys in Hilo, Hawaii, called the Lincoln Wreckers was credited with inventing loco moco in a diner in 1949.
Did Cafe 100 invent the loco moco? ›
There are many people who claim to have invented Loco Moco, but it is generally agreed that around 1949, either the Cafe 100 or the Lincoln Grill (both in Hilo, Hawaii) originated the first dish of Loco Moco.
What is traditional Hawaiian food? ›
A great traditional native Hawaiian meal (using the Hawaiian name first), would consist of kalua pig, lomilomi salmon, pipikaula, chicken long rice, opihi, laulau, poke, kulolo, poi (taro root smashed into a paste), haupia and fruits such as pineapple, guava and or lilikoi (passion fruit).
What does moco mean in slang? ›
(slang) A booger.
If you've never had one before, a Loco Moco is a traditional Hawaiian breakfast that is also really popular in southern California.
What do Hawaiians call dinner? ›
The Hawaiian word pā'ina is a small party, potluck, or dinner. The Hawaiian word ho'olaulea is a large party or celebration. No blog about Hawaii would be complete without a discussion on food.
What is the most traditional Hawaiian food? ›
Kalua Pork
Food is an essential part of Hawaiian culture. Kalua pork is one of the most traditional dishes. Pork butt is cooked in underground ovens called “imu” for hours until the meat is so tender that it falls apart. If you attend a luau, odds are you'll encounter this smoky pork.
What is the most common food in Hawaii? ›
Here are 10 popular Hawaiian food and drink options you really must try on your next Hawaiian cruise.
- Poke. Perennially beloved by locals and visitors alike, poke is a rich dish full of flavorful, simple ingredients. ...
- Poi. ...
- Lomi Lomi Salmon. ...
- Kalua Pua'a. ...
- Lau Lau. ...
- Haupia. ...
- Pipi Kalua. ...
- Loco Moco.
A Hawaiian classic, Loco Moco is a mouth full of yumminess. Tender ground beef patties topped with savory brown gravy and a fried egg all perched on a pile of fluffy white rice.
How do you eat loco moco? ›
Unlike a SPAM Musubi which you can eat with your hands, a loco moco is not hands food! Using either a spoon or disposable pair of chopsticks, grab a bite and savor the deliciousness. Take in all the glory up close and personal!
What food is at a Hawaiian luau? ›
Lū'au—young taro leaves cooked with coconut milk and often squid or chicken—was a dish commonly served at festive events long ago. Other traditional lū'au staples include poi, fish, kālua pig, laulau, 'opihi, limu, breadfruit, sweet potatoes, fresh fruits and haupia.
