Nourishing Hawaiian Loco Moco Recipe
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Experience a savory Hawaiian classic breakfast with my nourishing Hawaiian Loco Moco recipe—a protein-packed, hearty breakfast perfect for kickstarting your day or refueling after a workout. This island-inspired dish consists of seasoned beef patties, rich gravy, and perfectly cooked eggs over a bed of fluffy rice for a delicious, nutritious, and satisfying meal.
Aloha, friends! I have recently returned from a fantastic trip to Maui. This was the trip of a lifetime for me! It was incredible. I fell in love with everything about the island, including the spectacular people, culture, landscape, rustic beauty–everything!
Most notably, I completely fell in love with Hawaiian food–especially the Loco Moco!
The loco moco was one of my favorite Hawaiian meals. I first had this Hawaiian dish at a tiny hole-in-the-wall coffee shop in Kula called Grandma’s Coffee House.
On our first morning of our Hawaiian vacation, we drove to the top of Mt. Haleakala (which was also incredible!) to watch the sunrise. Shortly after, we made our way into nearby Kula for breakfast.
I had read about a great coffee shop called Grandma’s Coffee House and decided we would head there for breakfast. We arrived before the coffee shop opened so we just walked up and down the street a bit.
Hawaiian Breakfast Perfection
I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. The restaurant had good reviews online, but it was super tiny when we pulled up. No one was there yet, and we didn’t really see any people around–just a few feral chickens.
Soon enough, more and more people were pulling up and before I knew it, there was a small crowd outside waiting for the doors to open.
We went inside and everyone chose something to eat. I chose the loco moco.
We grabbed a table in their outdoor seating area and the kids ran around looking for the roosters they could hear.
When our food came, everyone at the table ended up coveting my meal. The hamburger patties were cooked to perfection, with a lightly charred and crispy outside and a tender, juicy interior.
The eggs were cooked to perfection with a delicious runny egg yolk, and the brown gravy was the perfect touch!
I just knew that this would be a meal we would end up recreating at home and enjoying on the regular. Being the avid gym-goer that I am, I can’t turn down a burger, fried egg, and fluffy rice for breakfast. 😉 That blend of protein, fats, and carbs–perfection!
Please note that I have done my best to recreate a truly authentic Hawaiian classic with this recipe. It is beautifully nourishing on its own and does not require much modification to turn into a healthy, high-protein meal!
However, I am not Hawaiian myself, nor do I live there–I’m just a girl who loves a good Loco Moco and is happy that I could recreate this treasure of a dish in my own home.
Hawaiian Loco Moco Recipe Ingredients
Lean ground beef – I recommend 90% or 93% lean to keep this meal macro-friendly. Grassfed & finished beef, if you can swing it, is also a great choice for more omega-3 fatty acids.
Seasonings for the burger patties – dried minced onion, garlic powder, black pepper, salt, and smoked paprika.
Onion – Use one small white or yellow onion for the gravy.
Grassfed Butter – You need a couple of tablespoons for the gravy, but you can also small amounts for cooking the eggs, rice, or burger patties if desired (olive oil can also be used).
Beef Bouillon Paste dissolved into water. You can also use beef stock, but I like the flavor and convenience of the bouillon paste.
Soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and a small amount of all-purpose flour to finish out the gravy.
Eggs – Each burger patty will get topped with a sunny-side-up egg. Pasture-raised eggs offer the most nutrition, but use whatever you have!
Cooked rice for serving – use your favorite kind.
How to Make a Traditional Loco Moco
1. Prep Burger Patties
Add the ground beef, dried minced onion, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and smoked paprika to a mixing bowl. Mix with clean hands to evenly mix the meat and spices.
Divide into 4 even balls and press them into thin patties about 1/2 inch thick.
2. Cook Burgers
Add 1-2 tsp oil or butter to a cast iron skillet or large frying pan over medium heat. When hot, add the burger patties to cook.
Cook for about 5 minutes per side for medium doneness, or until the interior of the burgers is at least 140°F per a meat thermometer. Cook to 150°F for medium-well.
Remove the burgers from the skillet to a plate. While the burgers are cooking, you can be working on step 3.
3. Prep Gravy Ingredients
While the burgers are cooking on the skillet, prep your concentrated beef stock. Add 1 2/3 cup hot water to a bowl with the bouillon paste and whisk together until combined.
Add the soy sauce and Worcestershire sauce to the broth.
Peel and slice the onion into thin slices. You can dice the onion if you prefer.
4. Cook Gravy
After removing the burgers from the skillet, add 2 tbsp butter to the skillet followed by the onion slices. Cook the onions for 3-5 minutes until softened.
Sprinkle the 2 tbsp flour over the onions and stir it in, cooking for about 1 minute. Slowly pour the broth into the skillet with the onions. Scrape the bottom of the skillet with your spatula to deglaze the pan.
Stir the gravy mixture and bring it to a boil. Boil for 2-3 minutes, or until the gravy reaches your desired thickness.
Remove from heat.
5. Fry Eggs
While the gravy thickens, place another skillet on the stove & heat to medium-low.
Add butter to the skillet and fry two eggs over-easy following your preferred method. (Alternatively, follow my favorite method outlined in the next section).
6. Assemble Loco Moco
Add a scoop of cooked rice to a plate. Place a burger patty on top of the rice, and place one fried egg on top of the burger patty.
Spoon the loco moco gravy over the top and serve immediately!
If desired, garnish with sliced green onions or chives.
How to Make Fool-Proof Fried Eggs
- When the skillet is heated to medium-low (use medium if your stove doesn’t run as hot), add the butter and let it melt.
- Crack the eggs into the skillet and sprinkle with desired amount of salt and pepper. Pour a splash of water next to the eggs on one side of the pan–about 2 tbsp.
- Put the lid on the skillet and let the eggs cook for about 2 minutes. The water in the skillet will steam the tops to cook them, and you’ll have a perfectly runny yolk.
- Cook a little longer for over-medium or over-hard yolks.
Recipe Notes & Storage
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Eat leftovers within 3-4 days.
The Hawaiian Loco Moco is great for meal prep to have a hearty breakfast pre-made all week! If you choose to turn this into a meal prep, make sure you follow safe food handling practices.
Eating improperly handled leftover rice can cause something called Reheated Rice syndrome. While this syndrome is rare, here are some steps for safely reheating rice:
- Cook rice as directed. Once it is cooked, keep the rice hotter than 140°F for serving.
- Refrigerate immediately after you finish serving. Make sure your refrigerator is below 40°F.
- Store the rice in shallow airtight containers no more than 3-inches deep. This will ensure the rice cools down as fast as possible, minimizing time in that “danger zone” of temperature between 40° and 140°.
- Reheat leftovers to at least 165°F.
- Discard remaining leftovers after 3-4 days.
Recipe Variations
Feel free to use your favorite ground meat for the burgers. You can use bison, turkey, chicken, venison, etc. Just make sure you cook any alternative meat to the proper internal temperature for that animal because it may vary from beef.
While rice is the traditional carbohydrate served with this dish, feel free to change it up if needed. Quinoa or diced breakfast potatoes would also be incredibly delicious.
Serving Suggestions
I recommend serving this Hawaiian loco moco recipe with some blistered tomatoes and sliced avocado on the side. Berries or other chopped fruit would also be a great side dish!
A slice of 100% whole-grain sourdough would also be a nice touch.
Related Recipes
For some more protein-packed breakfast recipes, try the following:
- Protein Blueberry Crumble – Sweet, crunchy, buttery, and delicious! Perfect for a bowl of Greek yogurt.
- Protein French Toast Casserole – Get more protein into your french toast craving with this high-protein casserole recipe!
- Hihi Waffles – This recipe uses the Kodiak Cake mix but gets even more protein into it so you can easily meet your protein goals for the day.
- Kodiak Protein Pancakes – This pancake base uses Kodiak Cakes Pancake mix with added protein, plus a macadamia-nut flair!
Make this Loco Moco Recipe Today!
There you have it—a delicious and nourishing Loco Moco recipe that brings a piece of Maui to your table. This classic Hawaiian comfort food is not only satisfying but also packed with wholesome ingredients.
Mahalo for your support–I hope you give this recipe a try. If you do, make sure to leave a 5-star review and a comment– it means the world!
Hawaiian Loco Moco
Equipment
- 2 Skillets medium or large sizes preferred
- 1 Skillet Lid
- Instant Pot or rice cooker or pot for cooking rice
Ingredients
Burger Patties
- 1 pound ground beef - 90% or 93% lean, grassfed recommended
- 2 teaspoon dried minced onion
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1-2 teaspoon oil - olive or avocado oil, or butter okay
Gravy
- 1 small white or yellow onion - sliced
- 2 tablespoon butter - grassfed butter recommended
- 1 2/3 cup water
- 2 teaspoon Beef Bouillon Paste - such as Better than Bouillon
- 2 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1/2 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 3 tablespoon all-purpose flour
Eggs
- 2 teaspoon butter
- 4 eggs
- splash of water
- salt & pepper to taste
For Serving
- 2 cups cooked rice of choice
Instructions
Burgers
- Add the ground beef, dried minced onion, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and smoked paprika to a mixing bowl. Mix with clean hands to evenly mix the meat and spices. Divide into 4 even balls and press them into thin patties about 1/2 inch thick.
- Add 1-2 tsp oil or butter to a skillet over medium heat. When hot, add the burger patties to cook. Cook about 5 minutes per side for medium doneness, or until the interior of the burgers are at least 140°F per a meat thermometer. Cook to 150°F for medium-well. Remove the burgers from the skillet to a plate while you prep the gravy.
Gravy
- While the burgers are cooking on the skillet, prep your concentrated beef stock. Add 1 2/3 cup hot water to a bowl with the bouillon paste and whisk together until combined. Add the soy sauce and Worcestershire sauce to the broth.
- After flipping the burger patties, prep the onion–peel and slice it into thin slices. You can dice the onion if you prefer.
- After removing the burgers from the skillet, add 2 tbsp butter to the skillet followed by the onion. Cook the onions for 3-5 minutes until starting to soften. Sprinkle the 3 tbsp flour over the onions and stir it in, cooking for about 1 minute.
- Slowly pour the broth into the skillet with the onions. Scrape the bottom of the skillet with your spatula to deglaze the pan. Stir the gravy mixture and bring it to a boil. Boil for 2-3 minutes, or until the gravy reaches your desired thickness. Remove from heat.
Eggs
- While the gravy thickens, place another skillet on the stove & heat to medium-low. Add butter to the skillet and fry two eggs over-easy following your preferred method. Alternatively, follow my favorite method outlined in the next step.
- When the skillet is heated to medium-low (use medium if your stove doesn't run as hot), add the butter and let it melt. Crack the eggs into the skillet and sprinkle with desired amount of salt and pepper. Pour a splash of water next to the eggs on one side of the pan–about 2 tbsp. Put the lid on the skillet and let the eggs cook for about 2 minutes. The water in the skillet will steam the tops to cook them, and you'll have a perfectly runny yolk. Cook a little longer for over-medium or over-hard yolks.
Assembly
- Add a scoop of cooked rice to a plate. Place a burger patty on top of the rice, and place one fried egg on top of the burger patty. Spoon gravy over the top and serve immediately!
Video
Notes
- Cook rice as directed. Once it is cooked, keep the rice hotter than 140°F for serving.
- Refrigerate immediately after you finish serving. Make sure your refrigerator is below 40°F.
- Store the rice in shallow airtight containers no more than 3-inches deep. This will ensure the rice cools down as fast as possible, minimizing time in that “danger zone” of temperature between 40° and 140°.
- Reheat leftovers to at least 165°F.
- Discard remaining leftovers after 3-4 days.
One of my favorite breakfast recipes yet! So savory, rich, indulgent, but super healthy packed with tons of protein and healthy fats!