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Loco Moco

Loco Moco is an amazing Hawaiian dish that consists of rice topped with hamburgers and served with brown or mushroom gravy. It tastes amazing, is truly the epitome of comfort food and you wouldn’t expect you can make it so easily at home.

Closeup on a serving of Loco Moco, garnished with sesame seeds.

What does Loco Moco taste like?

Think of it as a total comfort food. It has rice, burger patties and gravy. Burger patties and gravy is what you can imagine the flavor to be like from Country Fried Steak or Hamburger Steaks. There are two differences that you will taste:

  1. it isn’t creamy
  2. it has no onions

Loco Moco gravy

Typically Loco Moco is served with brown gravy which is totally fine, yet I find that a umami flavor is what makes this dish over the top delicious.

A mushroom gravy is where the magic truly sits and happens.

Ingredients needed to make Loco Moco are collected on a board.

Reasons to love this Loco Moco

This recipe is so satisfying and delicious. For real you can eat it up for lunch, dinner or even breakfast. Tastes amazing also wonderful cold.

I really like the simple flavors, but the result is so impressive.

See my step and step pictures and you know this Loco Moco recipe is a winner and I can say I’ve never met someone that doesn’t like this dish.

Umami flavor from mushrooms and soy sauce in each and every bite is what makes the final result so unmistakably delicious.

Step by step pictures showing how hamburgers are fried in a pan.

What you need for this Loco Moco recipe

I use white rice, but basmati or brown rice will work as well.

Vegan burger patties: there is absolutely no need to make them yourself. Just use your favorite, it will always turned out delicious. You can fry or bake them according to the directions.

Olive oil and dairy free butter add savory and buttery flavors to our gravy and hamburgers – so good. I use oil and butter to cook my burgers and make my gravy, because it adds up a rich layering of flavor in no time.

Gravy for Loco Moco: I use vegetable broth along with mushrooms, garlic, ketchup and soy sauce and that makes the result so bold and flavorful.

Scallions are here to sprinkle and serve some with the final result. It really adds up another layering of freshness and a mild onion flavor at the same time.

Side by side photos of a pot with cooked rice and a frying pan with sliced mushrooms and spices.

How to make Loco Moco

Start with cooking your rice according to package directions. Leftover rice will work as well and you go straight up next.

Preheat oven 160F. This is enough to keep the burger patties warm after cooking until serving with gravy and rice. Prepare baking sheet with parchment paper.

Now, to cook your burger patties, heat butter and olive oil in a pan. Cook patties according to the directions.

When done, remove them from the pan and transfer them to the prepared baking sheet. Keep them in the oven so they can hold the temperature and won’t get cold.

Side by side view of a pan with fried mushrooms and mushroom gravy.

Making the gravy

To the same pan, add oil and butter. When hot give sliced mushrooms with garlic to it and cook them for around 5 minutes.

Follow this with soy sauce, ketchup, vegetable broth and flour. Cook until everything is thickening up.

Finally to serve on a plate, start with rice, followed by hamburger patties, gravy and sprinkled with some scallions.

Step by step instructions showing how Loco Moco is assembled, starting with rice, followed by mushroom gravy and hamburgers.

Tips and tricks

Leftovers are great for around 4 days. As I said above Loco Moco even tastes amazing cold.

To freeze: I would suggest to freeze the gravy, patties and rice separately so nothing gets soggy.

You have each and every component apart from that. Of course that taste so much better in the final result from the freezer. You can reheat on the stove or microwave.

Top view on a large portion of Loco Moco.

Other recipes to try

Collage of two photos showing Loco Moco with recipe title text.

For remakes of Loco Moco, tag on Instagram or Facebook.

Enjoy, Florian.

Closeup on a serving of Loco Moco, garnished with sesame seeds.

Loco Moco

Yield: 4
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes

Loco Moco is an amazing Hawaiian dish that consists of rice topped with hamburgers and served with brown or mushroom gravy. It tastes amazing, is truly the epitome of comfort food and you wouldn't expect you can make it so easily at home.

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup rice, uncooked
  • 4 vegan burger patties
  • 3 cloves garlic, pressed
  • 1 cup mushrooms, sliced
  • 2 Tbs Olive oil, divided
  • 2 Tbs dairy free butter, divided
  • 2 Tbs Soy sauce
  • 1 Tbs ketchup
  • 1 cup vegetable broth
  • 1 Tbs flour
  • 4 scallions
  • salt, pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. Cook rice according to package directions. Ingredients needed to make Loco Moco are collected on a board.
  2. Preheat oven to 160F to keep the burger patties warm. Set a baking sheet with parchment paper aside.
  3. To prepare the burger patties, heat butter and olive oil in a pan and cook patties according to the directions. When done, remove them from the pan and transfer them to the baking sheet and place it in the oven.Step by step pictures showing how hamburgers are fried in a pan.
  4. For making the gravy, to the same pan add oil and butter. When hot also mushrooms and garlic. Cook them for around 5 minutes. Now whisk in by soy sauce, ketchup, vegetable broth and flour. Let everything simmer until it thickens. Side by side view of a pan with fried mushrooms and mushroom gravy.
  5. For serving use a plate and start with rice, followed by hamburger patties, gravy and sprinkle with some scallions. Top view on a large portion of Loco Moco.

Notes

  • Leftovers are delicious for 4 days.
  • To freeze: Keep in mind to freeze the gravy, patties and rice separately so nothing gets soggy.
  • Reheat on the stove or in the microwave.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1 patty
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 487Total Fat: 10gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 567mgCarbohydrates: 58gFiber: 7gSugar: 3gProtein: 20g
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