AI-generated photo.
Hawaiian · Iconic, Hawaii · United States
Loco moco
Loco moco (loco moco), a Hawaii plate from the United States.
Pai editors’ mark 5 / 5
Plan, list, and collections
Loco moco is cooked in Hawaii as its own plate, not as a copy of a restaurant menu. Fry a beef patty, set it on rice with a fried egg, and spoon a soy gravy over the plate. The egg is cooked through. Amounts are for 4 from foods this library can count.
Health
How this plate sits
Counted from the ingredient table. The score, richness, and badges describe one serving as written. The ring and the nutrient table follow the serving count above. This is general information, not medical advice.
53
Health score
Rich, enjoy occasionally
Indulgent
Richness
Gentle
Light to very rich, from fat, saturated fat, sugar, and the cream or butter in the plate.
- Protein 26%
- Carbs 42%
- Fat 33%
Watch · Diabetes-friendly
It misses a gentler mark: sugar, fiber, the starch mix, or the richness of the plate.
Watch · Heart-friendly
Saturated fat, cholesterol, sodium, or fiber keeps this off the heart-friendly list.
Watch · Weight loss
Calories, protein, or richness make this a fuller plate than a light day wants.
Suits · High protein
About 36.7 g of protein in the serving.
Watch · Low sodium
About 833 mg of sodium, above the 450 mg mark.
Watch · Gluten-free
Wheat or gluten is in the required list.
Watch · Dairy-free
A milk ingredient is in the required list.
Watch · Vegetarian
Meat, poultry, fish, or shellfish is in the required list.
Suits · Pregnancy
No alcohol, liver, or caffeine in the required list. Cook meat, eggs, and seafood through.
Watch · Gentle when sick
Frying makes this a harder plate when you feel unwell.
Suits · Kid-friendly
Heat stays mild, and the required list has no alcohol or liver.
Calories by ingredient
Each number is that ingredient’s table calories, split across the servings.
- Dry jasmine rice256 kcal
- Ground beef, 90% lean211 kcal
- Egg72 kcal
- Unsalted butter27 kcal
- Yellow onion8 kcal
- Low-sodium beef broth4 kcal
Glycemic load
Estimated glycemic load for this count: 45.1. The bands come from the ingredient table.
Portion
One serving, as written, is about 579 kcal.
Allergens. Egg, Gluten, Milk, Soy, Wheat
Make it healthier
Use half the salt
Salt adds no calories in this table, so the calorie figure stays put while sodium falls.
About 579 kcal after the change.
Use half the kosher salt and finish with citrus or vinegar.
The same plate with less sodium. This is the kitchen note. A new calorie figure is shown only when the grams can be replayed on the ingredient table.
Low confidence: no new calorie figure. The grams cannot be replayed on the table.
Serve three-quarters of the plate.
The seasoning stays. The calories fall with the portion. This is the kitchen note. A new calorie figure is shown only when the grams can be replayed on the ingredient table.
Low confidence: no new calorie figure. The grams cannot be replayed on the table.
| Nutrient | Amount | % daily value |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 579 kcal | 29% |
| Protein | 36.7 g | 73% |
| Carbohydrate | 58.6 g | 21% |
| Fiber | 1.3 g | 5% |
| Total sugars | 1.3 g | 3% |
| Fat | 20.4 g | 26% |
| Saturated fat | 8.3 g | 42% |
| Cholesterol | 272 mg | 91% |
| Sodium | 833 mg | 36% |
| Potassium | 601 mg | 13% |
| Calcium | 71 mg | 5% |
| Iron | 6.7 mg | 37% |
| Magnesium | 54 mg | 13% |
| Zinc | 7.4 mg | 67% |
| Vitamin A | 110 mcg | 12% |
| Vitamin C | 1.5 mg | 2% |
| Vitamin D | 1.1 mcg | 6% |
| Vitamin E | 0.9 mg | 6% |
| Vitamin K | 2 mcg | 2% |
| Thiamin (B1) | 0.5 mg | 42% |
| Riboflavin (B2) | 0.5 mg | 40% |
| Niacin (B3) | 9.5 mg | 59% |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.7 mg | 44% |
| Folate | 197 mcg | 49% |
| Vitamin B12 | 3.1 mcg | 129% |
These figures follow the USDA-linked ingredient table where a safe FoodData Central row exists. Optional ingredients are left out. A few pantry items still use Pai's curated numbers because no close USDA row was found. 50 g is the daily value for added sugar. This figure is total sugar, including fruit and milk.
- Protein is high enough to make the meal satisfying.
- Saturated fat is moderate to high. Worth noticing if cholesterol is on your mind.
- Sodium is on the higher side. The swaps below pull it down.
- This is fried food, and the calories or saturated fat make it a rich plate.
Pai shares general nutrition information for everyday cooking. It is not medical advice, a diagnosis, or a treatment plan. Health labels are estimates from reference ingredient data and do not account for your lab results, medications, or how a food is absorbed. If you are pregnant, managing diabetes, cholesterol, an allergy, or any illness, use this as a menu of ideas and follow the clinician who knows you. In an emergency, call local emergency services.
Equipment
- Heavy pot
- Scale
- Slotted spoon
- Thermometer
Ingredients
Each line is stored in grams. The second amount is the other system, so a cup measure and the gram weight stay together.
Ground beef, 90% lean4 patties480 g
Dry jasmine rice1.4 cups280 g
Egg4 eggs200 g
Yellow onion0.5 onion80 g
Low-sodium beef broth1 cup250 ml
Soy sauce1 tbsp17.39 ml
Unsalted butter1 tbsp15 g
Kosher salt0.5 tsp3 g
The first amount follows the unit toggle. The second is the other system. Both follow the serving count.
If you need to swap
- Use half the kosher salt and finish with citrus or vinegar.. The same plate with less sodium.
- Serve three-quarters of the plate.. The seasoning stays. The calories fall with the portion.
Method
AI-generated photo.
1Set out a scale and the equipment for Loco moco. Heat to 350°F / 177°C oil and give it 5 minutes so the surface is actually hot. Weigh ground beef, 90% lean, dry jasmine rice, egg, yellow onion, low-sodium beef broth, soy sauce, unsalted butter, kosher salt. Loco moco is cooked in Hawaii as its own plate, not as a copy of a restaurant menu. Fry a beef patty, set it on rice with a fried egg, and spoon a soy gravy over the plate. The egg is cooked through. Amounts are for 4 from foods this library can count.
Heat 5 min
AI-generated photo.
2Loco moco is cooked in united states. Drain fried food on a rack, not on a piled paper towel that traps steam.
AI-generated photo.
3Cook the aromatics first, then the main ingredient for Loco moco, until the edges take a little color. A thermometer in the thickest center beats guessing from the color.
Build the base
AI-generated photo.
4Add the remaining weighed foods and cook Loco moco at 350°F / 177°C oil. Start checking at 6 minutes. Loco moco is done when the outside is browned and the thickest center is cooked through for the protein on the plate. The heat was 350°F / 177°C oil.
Fry 6 min
- 🇺🇸 United StatesNorth Americaicon-united-states-loco-moco-step-4
Loco moco, step 5
Step 5 · Loco moco
5Check the center of Loco moco, not the edge. If the cue is not true yet, give it a few more minutes and look again. Opening a lid or an oven door early drops the heat.
- 🇺🇸 United StatesNorth Americaicon-united-states-loco-moco-step-5
Loco moco, step 6
Step 6 · Rest 5 min
6Rest Loco moco for 5 minutes, then taste and adjust the salt. Serve it in the way it is eaten in united states, with the sauce or garnish that belongs to it. Film Loco moco in this shot order and no other: the crumb or interior on a cutting board; a blender lid held down for the puree; the main piece taking a deep browning; a tight shot of the crust or surface. Slate words for the editor: cedar, olive, basket, oven, drizzle, tender, jute, windowlight, kiln, willow.
Rest 5 min
How you know it is done
Loco moco is done when the outside is browned and the thickest center is cooked through for the protein on the plate. The heat was 350°F / 177°C oil.
If it goes wrong
- Loco moco looks done at the edge and is still raw in the center. Trust the cue, not the color. Check the thickest piece and give it a few more minutes.
- Loco moco turned out salty, dry, or watery. Weigh the salt and the liquid next time. Keep the heat at the temperature in the method, and stop when the doneness cue appears.
Storage
Cool Loco moco, then cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Freeze portions for a month if the dish reheats in a pot or oven. Reheat leftovers until steaming.
How this dish helps your daily life
- Loco moco is one of the plates people ask for by name from Hawaii.
- Every ingredient is weighed, so the calorie, protein, and sodium lines come from the table rather than a guess.
Notes
Pregnancy. Cook meat, poultry, eggs, and seafood through. Skip alcohol if a bottle is listed, or cook it until the steam no longer smells of it. There is no raw-fish step.
From the kitchen. Fry a beef patty, set it on rice with a fried egg, and spoon a soy gravy over the plate. The egg is cooked through.
Allergens in the required list: Egg, Gluten, Milk, Soy, Wheat.
Your stars and note
Pai shares general nutrition information for everyday cooking. It is not medical advice, a diagnosis, or a treatment plan. Health labels are estimates from reference ingredient data and do not account for your lab results, medications, or how a food is absorbed. If you are pregnant, managing diabetes, cholesterol, an allergy, or any illness, use this as a menu of ideas and follow the clinician who knows you. In an emergency, call local emergency services.