This 4-Ingredient Hawai‘i-Style Breakfast Is My Ultimate Comfort Meal

I fell into a good habit back in 2022. Every Monday morning before work, I stopped into a local restaurant near my house that served American and regional Hawai‘i-style cuisines. They offered a dish I often craved, which always arrived like a mountain of food.

The meal does not dazzle. It’s quite simple, in fact, using only four main ingredients to pull together a savory, nourishing breakfast. And while I can’t make it to the restaurant every week these days, I still crave this Hawai‘i-style comfort meal—and there’s one recipe I rely on to cook it at home.

This meal is none other than loco moco, a simple breakfast made with rice, a hamburger patty, a fried egg, and gravy. While it’s typically eaten for breakfast, I turn to this recipe for any meal of the day because it’s easy, filling, and cost-effective.

What Is Loco Moco?

There is some debate over who served the first loco moco, but all stories point to the town of Hilo, on the island of Hawai‘i. According to lore, a group of regulars at the now-defunct Lincoln Grill requested an inexpensive item with more substance than a hamburger. The result was a bed of rice with a hamburger patty and gravy. Later, the egg was added to the dish, and the loco moco was born. 

Today, loco moco is a beloved meal found across the Hawaiian Islands, as well as the continental United States. While additional ingredients can be added, the base of loco moco remains the same: rice, meat, egg, and gravy.

How to Make Loco Moco

Combine rice and water in a saucepan and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes. While your rice is cooking, melt some butter in a hot skillet and cook your hamburger patty until brown and tender.

If you’re heating up store-bought gravy, follow the directions as stated. If you’re making your own gravy, combine the ingredients in the same skillet you used to cook the patties, allowing you to enjoy all the delicious brown bits left from the meat to flavor the gravy.

Finish by frying an egg until it is set but the yolk is still runny. Lay rice on a plate, then top with the patty, gravy, and fried egg. Garnish with green onions if desired.

Tips to Improve the Recipe

• Make fried rice. If you want to make one change to the dish, I recommend it be this one. While white rice is the easiest way to make this recipe, fried rice brings a little more substance and savory flavor to the recipe.
• Change up the protein. While I always enjoy loco moco with a hamburger patty, you could always opt for Spam, fish, or even shrimp. Either way, whichever protein you choose will turn your meal into an umami-rich comfort meal.
• Make your own gravy. If you want to go the extra mile, making your own gravy is a surefire way to elevate this recipe. If I’m at my laziest, I normally don’t, but when I have a Saturday with free time, I’ll whip one up. In Chef John’s Loco Moco recipe, he includes a gravy made from beef stock, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, cornstarch, ketchup, sugar, and sesame oil—and the process takes hardly any extra time.

Praise From the Allrecipes Community

• “This recipe is amazing and my kids absolutely loved it,” says reviewer JollyStove4322. “They request that I make it for them all the time!! And it’s definitely worth noting that it’s a great recipe as-is.”
• “This is great ‘comfort food’ that does not take all day to make,” says reviewer Monica. “I usually make this with a seasoned hamburger patty instead of Spam…but love the Spam version just the same.”
• “This has always been a favorite of my husband, who grew up on the islands, and now my sons,” says reviewer LDSFoodie. “It is quick, easy, and inexpensive. Not to mention [it] tastes so good.. It has become a comfort food in our home.”

More Loco Moco Recipes: