Easy Onion Gravy Loco Moco Recipe

Loco moco is, quite possibly, one of the most underrated meals of all time. This dish consists of delicious brown gravy with onions and mushrooms surrounding a bed of rice that's topped with a perfectly cooked juicy beef patty and a runny yolked egg. Underrated or not, pleasant smells and satisfied cravings are on the horizon!

Although this onion gravy loco moco recipe might seem as though it requires an all-star chef to make it, chef and recipe developer Eric Ngo describes it as a "beginner-level recipe." All you have to do is follow the steps to bring a taste of Hawaiian comfort food to your dinner plate, no matter where you live in the world.

And because it comes together in no time, this easy loco moco recipe very well could become a weekly staple in your household. Just keep in mind that you'll be doing all this glorious presentation for yourself because the recipe makes just one serving. But you can always multiply the ingredients depending on how many servings you want.

To make this recipe, you'll need mushrooms, half an onion, cornstarch, beef stock, a store-bought beef patty (preferably 15% fat), an egg, soy sauce, ketchup, green onions, and cooked white rice. "I recommend cooking one cup of uncooked rice," Ngo said. "This would roughly yield to three bowls of cooked rice." That's more than you'll need, but there are plenty of ways to use it for leftovers (you should even be ordering extra rice with your takeout).

If you haven't already, you'll also want to take this time to chop the half onion and cut the mushrooms.

First, you'll mix the cornstarch with a little of the beef stock to create a slurry. This slurry will be used for the gravy in a few steps.

Once the slurry is ready and set aside, you'll then bring your attention to the beef patty (look for a 15% fat beef patty for the best flavor). All it needs is one minute per side in a hot pan, and there's no oil required! Once the patty is finished, you'll remove it from the pan and set it aside. 

On a lightly fried oil pan, you'll cook the egg sunny-side up, adding some freshly ground black pepper if you want. You can use an egg ring to create a uniform size (you can also use the egg ring to reduce the beef patty to the same size, if you're really a perfectionist). 

A sunny-side-up egg should take no longer than two to three minutes total to make. Once finished, set the egg aside with the patty.

If you don't want to use more than one pan, you don't need to, as long as the cooking order is respected. "Egg, beef patty, and gravy," says Ngo. "Cooking it in this order will avoid more dishes. One can also make the gravy ahead of time and reheat it once the egg and beef patty are cooked. This will retain the maximum amount of heat and make your dish hot for a longer period of time." It will make for more dishes, though. 

Next, you'll heat a pan on medium heat and add some oil, followed by the onions and mushrooms. 

After the onions and mushrooms are lightly caramelized, you'll turn the heat to low, gently add the remaining beef stock, soy sauce, and ketchup, and then stir it all together. 

Turn the heat up to medium and after boiling the stock for one minute, you'll decrease the heat to low again, add the slurry, and stir for 30 seconds.

Feasting is near, since it's time to put all the cooked ingredients together. First, you'll add a bed of rice to a plate. Next, you'll top the rice with the beef patty. Then, you'll place the sunny-side-up egg on top of the patty. Surround the rice with the gravy, sprinkle your work with green onions, serve, and enjoy!

If you want your delicious creation to look like the picture, you can also use the egg ring for the rice, "but that is optional," Ngo said. You could also use a small round bowl to shape the bed of rice," he adds.