The Hawaiian Loco Moco Burger puts a beef patty, onion gravy, and a fried egg on a toasted bun with a scoop of jasmine rice tucked underneath — all the components of the classic Hawaiian plate lunch, just stacked into something you can eat with your hands. It sounds like a lot, but the whole thing comes together in 45 minutes with one skillet and one egg pan. That’s the real reason to make it on a Tuesday night.
About the ingredients
- Jasmine rice: Use day-old rice if you have it — it’s drier and holds its shape better as a base inside the bun. Freshly cooked rice works fine, just let it steam off for a few minutes so it isn’t waterlogged.
- Beef stock: Carton stock from the store is perfectly fine here. The soy sauce and caramelized onions do most of the flavor work in the gravy, so the stock mainly provides body and liquid.
- Cornstarch: This is what thickens the gravy quickly. Don’t swap it for flour without adjusting — flour needs longer cooking to lose its raw taste and won’t thicken as fast.
- Ground beef: 80/20 is the practical choice. Leaner beef dries out faster in a hot skillet, and you need those drippings in the pan for the gravy to pick up flavor.
The short version of why this works
Two things carry this recipe. First, you cook the patties and the gravy in the same skillet — the browned bits left behind from the beef go straight into the onions and stock, which is where most of the gravy’s flavor actually comes from. Don’t wipe the pan between steps. Second, the cornstarch goes onto the onions dry before the liquid is added, which coats everything evenly and prevents lumps. Add the stock slowly and keep stirring; if you dump it all in at once the cornstarch clumps before it can hydrate. Those two steps — same pan, dry cornstarch first — are what make the gravy taste like it took longer than it did.
If something goes sideways
- Gravy seized up into a thick paste: Add beef stock or water a splash at a time over low heat and stir continuously. Cornstarch-thickened sauces can be thinned back out easily as long as you haven’t scorched the bottom.
- Patties fell apart in the pan: The beef was probably overworked or the pan wasn’t hot enough before they went in. Let the skillet get fully up to temperature before adding butter, and don’t press or move the patties for the first 3 minutes.
- Rice is sliding out of the bun: Pack the rice scoop firmly onto the bottom bun and let it sit for 30 seconds before stacking — it compresses slightly and grips better. A slightly smaller scoop also helps.
- Egg yolk broke before serving: Cook the egg in a cold pan that you bring up to medium heat gradually rather than dropping it into a screaming hot pan. Lower heat gives you more control over when the white sets.
- Burger is way too tall to eat: Skip the top bun and serve it open-faced on a plate with a fork. The rice base makes this genuinely tall, and open-faced is actually how the original plate lunch is eaten anyway.
Storage and reheating
Store the components separately if you can — patties, gravy, and rice each in their own airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. The gravy thickens considerably when cold; reheat it in a small saucepan over low heat with a splash of water or stock and stir until it loosens. Patties reheat well in a covered skillet on medium-low for about 3 minutes per side. Don’t try to store or reheat the fried eggs — they turn rubbery. Just fry a fresh one, which takes 2 minutes. For freezing, the patties and gravy freeze fine for up to 2 months; the rice also freezes well in a zip bag. The buns should always be fresh.
Hawaiian Loco Moco Burger
Ingredients
- 500 grams ground beef preferably grass-fed
- 4 large eggs
- 2 cups jasmine rice cooked
- 1 cup beef stock preferably homemade
- 4 teaspoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 4 medium burger buns toasted
- 1 medium onion thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon salt to taste
Instructions
- For the Beef Patties: In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Mix gently to combine, ensuring not to overwork the meat. Form into four even patties.
- In a skillet over medium-high heat, add a tablespoon of butter. Once melted and bubbling, place the beef patties in the pan. Cook for about 4-5 minutes per side, or until cooked to your desired level of doneness. Remove from the skillet and set aside.
- For the Gravy: In the same skillet, add the remaining tablespoon of butter. Sauté the onions until they turn golden brown, fragrant, and slightly caramelized, about 3-4 minutes. Sprinkle cornstarch over the onions and stir.
- Slowly add the beef stock and soy sauce, stirring continuously until the mixture thickens into a rich gravy. If it becomes too thick, add a bit more stock or water to achieve the desired consistency. Season to taste.
- For the Eggs: In a separate pan, fry the eggs sunny-side up until the whites are firm but the yolks remain runny, about 2-3 minutes. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper.
- Assembly: To assemble the Loco Moco Burger, place a scoop of jasmine rice on the bottom half of each burger bun. Top with a beef patty, then spoon a generous amount of onion gravy over it. Place a fried egg on each patty and finish with the top half of the bun.
Notes
Nutrition
FAQ
What internal temperature should the beef patties reach?
Cook ground beef patties to 160°F (71°C) internal temperature. Ground beef is not the same as a whole-muscle steak — the grinding process distributes any surface bacteria throughout, so it needs to hit 160°F all the way through, not just on the outside.
Can I make the gravy ahead of time?
Yes — the onion gravy keeps in the fridge for up to 3 days and actually tastes better the next day. Reheat it gently on the stovetop with a small splash of stock or water to bring it back to a pourable consistency.
Do I have to use jasmine rice, or will any rice work?
Any cooked white rice works. Jasmine has a slightly floral aroma that fits the dish, but long-grain white rice or even leftover takeout rice is completely fine and won’t change the structure of the burger.
My gravy has lumps in it. Can I fix it?
Yes — pour it through a fine mesh strainer and press the onions through, or hit it briefly with an immersion blender. Lumps usually mean the cornstarch wasn’t fully incorporated before the stock was added; next time, stir the dry cornstarch into the onions for a full 30 seconds before adding any liquid.
Can I skip the egg on top?
You can, but the runny yolk acts as a second sauce that loosens the gravy and ties the whole stack together — without it the burger is noticeably drier. If you don’t want a runny yolk, a soft-scrambled egg spooned on top is a reasonable middle ground.
Is there a way to make this with ingredients I already have without a special trip to the store?
Almost certainly yes. The only item that might not be in a typical pantry is jasmine rice, and regular long-grain white rice substitutes directly. Everything else — ground beef, eggs, onion, butter, cornstarch, soy sauce, beef stock — is standard pantry and fridge stock for most households.
What to cook next
- Hawaiian Teriyaki Burger
- Korean Rice Bulgogi Burger
- Teriyaki Whopper Jr Recipe
- Mushroom Swiss King Copycat