When I made hamburger steaks without onions or breadcrumbs, they turned out incredibly delicious — my meat-loving husband was absolutely thrilled!
In Japan, hamburger steaks usually include breadcrumbs and onions, but when I lived abroad, my friends made hamburger patties without them. The flavor of the meat was so juicy and rich — it really amazed me! After looking it up, I found that traditional Hawaiian loco moco patties also don’t include onions or breadcrumbs.
So this time, I made a Hawaiian-style Loco Moco recipe.
Ingredients
| ground beef (or beef-heavy ground meat mix) | 500g |
| Eggs | 2 |
| Salt & black pepper | about 10 shakes each |
| Milk | 2 tbsp |
| Olive oil | 1 tbsp |
| For the Gravy Sauce: | |
| Butter | 5g |
| Flour | 1 tbsp |
| Water | 150ml |
| Beef bouillon | 1 tsp |
| Soy sauce | 1 tsp |
| Worcestershire sauce | 1 tsp |
Instructions
1⃣ Make the patties:
In a bowl, combine ground beef, eggs, milk, salt, and black pepper. Mix well by hand (wear gloves if you like) for about 5 minutes until the mixture becomes sticky.
2⃣ Form into palm-sized patties and press the center slightly. Heat olive oil in a frying pan and place the patties in.
Tip: Lightly toss the patties back and forth between your hands to remove air, then smooth the surface so they cook evenly.
3⃣ Cook over medium heat for about 3 minutes on one side until nicely browned.
4⃣ Flip the patties, cover with a lid, and reduce to low heat. Steam for about 5 minutes.
Tip: If the pan looks too dry, add a little water to prevent burning.
5⃣ Pierce the center with a chopstick or fork. If the juices are still red, cook a bit longer. When the juices run clear, it’s done!
6⃣ Make the gravy sauce:
In a separate pan, melt butter over low heat. Sprinkle in flour and stir until slightly golden.
7⃣ Gradually pour in water, beef bouillon, soy sauce, and Worcestershire sauce. Stir continuously until smooth.
Tip: If small lumps form, you can simply remove them — it’s no big deal!
In English, gravy originally refers to the juices from cooked meat. It’s often thickened into a sauce made from those drippings.
Japanese Wikipedia
In this recipe, since my hamburger steaks didn’t release much meat juice, I made the gravy using butter instead. My husband, who loves gravy, said it was delicious!
This gravy is light and not too thick — more like a smooth sauce. The flavor is quite rich, so instead of pouring it all over the hamburger steak, I recommend serving it in a small cup and dipping each bite. It’s really tasty that way!
If this looks yummy, please share it on Twitter/X!
And if you try making it, tag me — I’d love to see your version!
