A Loco Moco Breakfast Bowl is the perfect way to start your weekend! Layers of flavor, that include lots of protein, will give you the fuel to get you going. Or will keep you full through your post-breakfast nap. Start your bowl with some delicious Cilantro Lime Rice. Next up is a perfectly seasoned, pan fried burger topped with an egg. Finish your breakfast bowl with spicy Sriracha sauce, sliced avocado and crunchy scallions and you are one happy camper.
If you’ve never had one before, a Loco Moco is a traditional Hawaiian breakfast that is also really popular in southern California. My husband says it’s the perfect post-surfing breakfast, but I’ll have to take his word for that (I may have an intense fear of being near things that live in the ocean). The story of the dish is that it was created at a restaurant in Hilo, Hawaii in the 1940’s for customers that wanted a burger for breakfast, but not on a bun. They put together ingredients that are readily available in Hawaiian restaurants, and the Loco Moco was born.
The traditional version is served with a brown gravy over the burger patty. I skip this step to not only make the dish healthier, but also because the gravy tends to overwhelm the rest of the dish and takes awhile to make. I like to be able to taste all the components of the dish! I also add some freshness and spiciness with Sriracha sauce, scallions and avocado. And once you cut into the egg yolk, it magically combines with the Sriracha to make a delicious “sauce” that we will consider our gravy.
Make the cilantro lime rice the day before so it’s ready to go in the morning. The next element, the burger patties come together really quickly. You don’t want to add too many things to the burgers or they will start to resemble meatloaf, but adding a few key ingredients will really up their flavor. I like to grate onion for the burgers because it blends into the ground beef and distributes the onion flavor so well. After that it’s just worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper. You want to make sure to mix gently and then form your patties. Lastly, you make a nice thumbprint in the middle of each burger so they don’t puff up when cooking (the same is true when you are grilling burgers). I like to use my cast iron pan to fry the burgers because they get such a nice crust this way. I also use the same pan to then fry my eggs!
After your burgers and eggs are done, then it’s just a matter of assembling your bowls. I like to use wider, shallow bowls for this dish. First add your rice, next the burger, then the egg. Top your bowl off with some spicy Sriracha sauce, sliced scallions, extra cilantro if you like, and sliced avocado on the side. Now this is a great start (or end) to any weekend (or weekday)!
Loco Moco Breakfast Bowl
- Yield: 4 1x
Description
Loco Moco Breakfast Bowls are a delicious way to start your weekend! Hearty, flavorful, fresh and spicy.
Ingredients
- 4 cups of cilantro lime rice, or any other rice that you like
Burgers
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1/2 cup grated onion
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
Other ingredients
- 4 eggs
- 2 ripe avocados, sliced
- sliced scallions (green onions)
- Sriracha sauce
Instructions
- Make your burger patties: gently combine all burger ingredients and divide into 4 even balls. Press between your palms and flatten until the patties are about 1/2 inch thick. Press your thumb into the middle of each patty to make an indentation. This will prevent the burger from puffing up as it cooks. Sprinkle the tops of the burgers with additional Kosher salt and pepper and set next to the stove on a plate.
- Place 4 shallow, wide bowls (or however many servings you are making) on the counter. Heat your rice in the microwave, then divide evenly between the bowls.
- Heat your cast iron or other non-stick pan over medium high heat. Once the pan is hot, add your burgers. Cook them two at a time if you think the pan will get too crowded with four. You want a nice griddled crust on the burger and if you crowd the pan you won’t get that. Let the burgers fry for 3 minutes or so, then flip over to cook for the same amount of time on the other side. If you think they are getting color too quickly, turn down the heat. Place a cooked burger on top of the rice in each of your serving bowls.
- Drain any excess fat from your frying pan. Turn the heat down to medium low. Crack your eggs into the pan and sprinkle them with Kosher salt and pepper. Cover the pan and let the eggs cook for 1-2 minutes, until the egg white is completely cooked, but the egg yolk is still runny. Place a fried egg on top of each burger patty in your serving bowls.
- Now you add your additional toppings. I like to squeeze Sriracha sauce over the top and sprinkle with the sliced green onions. Put half of an avocado, sliced, in each bowl as well. Get ready for a delicious, hearty meal!
Notes
If you are only making one or two breakfast bowls, freeze the other uncooked burger patties and then they will be ready to go the next time you get a hankering for a Loco Moco!
Both the rice and the uncooked burger patties can be made the day before.
