Thai Chicken Larb recipe aka Thai Larb Gai is a flavorful and easy to make Thai salad made with ground chicken, red onion and fresh herbs. Seasoned with a tangy fresh lime juice dressing, Thai Larb is served with crunchy fresh veggies over lettuce leaves.
Chicken Larb Recipe
When it comes to Thai food, Larb is one of my favorite dishes. This fresh and healthy meat salad is savory, tangy and a bit spicy with a light touch of sweetness. This intensely flavored dish is often served as a salad in Thai restaurants although at home I often serve it as a main course for lunch or dinner.
Similar to lettuce wraps, this chicken larb recipe features ground meat stir-fried with fresh ingredients like green onions, Thai basil, garlic, onion, fresh mint leaves and fresh chiles. The flavorful tender chicken mixture bursts with Thai flavor and is served with crunchy raw vegetables like cucumbers, carrots, green beans and jicama over lettuce cups.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe?
- Customizable: This recipe is totally customizable! Instead of ground chicken, you can use other proteins like ground pork, ground beef or ground turkey. As for the veggies, serve this salad with your favorite seasonal vegetables.
- One-Pan: This is one of those quick and easy Thai recipes made in one-skillet, on the stovetop so clean up is a breeze!
- Healthy: Packed with protein and fresh vegetables and herbs, this recipe is low-carb, low in fat. low in calories and gluten-free!
- Shortcut: We share with you a shortcut that cuts on time but not on flavor!
What’s Larb?
Laotian Larb is a type of meat salad popular in Laos and the Isaan region of Northern Thailand. Known as the “unofficial National dish of Laos” this traditional dish is also a very popular street vendor food.
This refreshing and flavorful salad can be made with different types of minced or ground meat. Larb Gai also spelled Laab Gai and Laap Gai, is made with chicken (Gai means chicken). Larb Moo is made with ground pork and Laab Neua or beef larb is made with ground beef.
Larb Salad Ingredients and Substitutions
Be sure to check the printable recipe card below for the complete ingredient’s list and their exact quantities.
- Ground Meat: For this Larb Gai recipe I use ground chicken. Minced chicken thighs can be used also. Proteins like ground pork, lean ground beef, ground turkey, ground bison and even ground duck can be used. For a vegetarian version firm tofu or plant protein can be used.
- Fish Sauce: Stinky, pungent and full of flavor fish sauce is an essential ingredient in Thai cuisine. Don’t worry the salad won’t taste fishy.
- Lime Juice: Nothing compares to the taste of fresh lime juice.
- Brown Sugar: The sweetness of brown sugar balances the saltiness of the fish sauce and the sour notes of the lime juice. Palm sugar or granulated sugar can be used. If preferred use honey.
- Fresh Chilies: Thai chiles or birdseye chiles. If you cannot find them, serrano peppers, hili powder or chili flakes are good substitutes.
- Oil: Any mild cooking oil can be used.
- Shallots: Peeled and sliced.
- Garlic: I use fresh garlic. In a pinch, use garlic paste.
- Scallions: Green onions aka scallions thinly sliced.
- Onions: I love red onions but you can use brown or white onions also.
- Fresh Herbs: Thai Basil, fresh mint and fresh cilantro. If you don’t like cilantro, you can skip it.
- Serving Ideas: This popular dish can be served with sticky rice, romaine lettuce, cabbage, cucumbers, green beans, carrot sticks, jicama sticks sliced radishes, lime wedges.
Recipe Shortcut / Time Saver
Authentic Thai Larb recipes include grounded toasted sticky rice powder known as khao kua, the glutinous rice powder thickens the sauce a little bit. I often skip this step with amazing results. Yes, some days toasting and grinding rice seems like a lot of work! However, this step is included in the recipe card below if you want to add it!
How To Make This Chicken Larb Recipe
Make sure to check the printable recipe card below for detailed instructions.
- First, in a small bowl mix the sauce ingredients, lime juice, fish sauce, and sugar. Set aside.
- In a little bit of oil, in a wok or large skillet, stir-fry the chiles, shallots, and garlic.
- Add the ground meat and stir-fry until cooked through.
- Stir in the onions and scallions and cook for about 1-2 minutes.
- Stir in the sauce and toss to combine. If using sticky rice powder this is when you add it.
- Remove the mixture from the heat and add the fresh herbs, Taste and serve warm or at room temperature with sticky rice and veggies.
How To Make Sticky Rice Powder
To make toasted rice powder, in a dry skillet over medium-low heat toast raw rice, stirring often until the rice is fragrant and medium golden brown in color. Place the rice in a food processor, blender or spice grinder and grind until a coarse powder is formed.
What Do You Eat Larb With?
- Traditionally, Larb salad is served over lettuce leaves, garnished with fresh herbs alongside a side of sticky rice. Thai Green Papaya Salad can also be served alongside this dish.
- Larb can also be served as an appetizer in lettuce cups or as Thai lettuce wraps using iceberg, Bib or Boston lettuce, topped with torn fresh herbs.
- I love serving Thai Larb salad with plenty of crunchy veggies like cucumbers, carrots and radishes and lots of fresh herbs. This is a great healthy and delicious lunch option.
- A bed of steamed rice topped with chicken Larb is also absolutely delicious.
What Type of Food is Larb?
Larb is a fresh and flavorful Thai salad made with ground meat (chicken, turkey, beef or pork are the most common). This light, savory, tangy and somewhat spicy salad (although you can adjust the spiciness of the dish) is a healthy lunch alternative and can be served as an appetizer over lettuce cups.
Is Larb Served Cold or Warm?
Traditionally Larb is served hot right after is made. This popular and healthy Thai dish is also served at room temperature or cold in lettuce wraps.
What’s the Difference Between Larb and Nam Sod?
These two Thai recipes are very similar. If they were people, they would definitely be first degree cousins! Some of the ingredients are different, Nam Sod uses ginger for example and it is usually made with minced pork. Although both are from the Asaan region, Nam Sod is from the Southern area while Laab or Larb Gai is from the Northern area.
What Does Larb Gai Mean?
Larb Gai is a ground chicken Thai salad popular in Laos and the Isaan region of Northern Thailand. It’s known as the “unofficial National dish of Laos”. This healthy salad is light, savory, tangy and a bit spicy.
Is Larb Healthy?
Yes! Thai Larb is a very healthy salad packed with lean protein, vegetables and lots of fresh herbs. This guilt-free salad is low-carb, low in fat and gluten-free.
Make Ahead and Storing
- The simple tangy lime dressing can be made 4-5 days in advanced. Keep the dressing stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
- Leftover Larb salad can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. If the salad (tossed with the dressing) is served over lettuce leaves, it’s best to remove the lettuce before storing. The lime in the salad dressing wilts the lettuce quickly.
Thai Larb Chicken Recipe Tips and Notes
- In the recipe below you will find instructions to make this recipe with and without rice powder.
- Rice powder is used as thickener in this recipe. Although I have made this recipe without ANY thickener with great success, a quick slurry made with cornstarch and water can also be used as thickener.
- Make this a more filling salad by adding some of your favorite veggies.
- Adjust the spiciness of the dish to your taste by adding more or less chiles or chili flakes.
Skip the take-out and check some of our favorite Thai recipes:
Chicken Larb Recipe (Thai Larb Gai)
Ingredients
Larb Sauce
- 1/4 cup fish sauce
- 6 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
Larb Gai Mixture
- 1 tablespoon vegetable, canola or coconut oil (or any mild oil)
- 1 Thai chiles or serrano chiles, thinly sliced (or 1/4-1/2 teaspoon Thai chili powder or chili flakes)
- 1 shallot, finely chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, ninced
- 1 1/2 pounds ground chicken
- 2 scallions (green onions), thinly sliced
- 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
- 3 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
- 1/4 cup fresh mint, chopped
- 2 tablespoons Thai basil, chopped (optional)
To Serve, Pick Your Favorites:
- Sticky rice, lettuce leaves, cabbage leaves, sliced cucumbers, carrot sticks, green beans, lime wedges,
If you would like to add rice powder to this recipe please read the notes.
Rice Powder (optional)
- 1/4 to 1/2 cup white rice or jasmine rice, raw (short grain)
Instructions
- In a small bowl mix together the fish sauce, lime juice and sugar. Mix until well combined.
- Heat a wok or large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the oil. When the oil is hot, add the chiles, shallots and garlic and cook stirring constantly for about 1 – 2 minutes or until the shallots become translucent. Don’t let the garlic get brown.
- Add the ground chicken and cook, breaking it apart into smaller pieces with a wooden spoon for about 4 to 5 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and no longer pink.
- Add the onions and scallions and toss for about 1-2 minutes. In this dish the onions and scallions get warmed up but don’t get cooked until completely softened. If preferred cook them for about 4 minutes or until soft.
- Stir in the sauce. Toss to combine. NOTE: If using rice powder, sprinkle about a spoonful and toss. Add more if you prefer the mixture a bit thicker.
- Remove from the heat and add the fresh cilantro, mint and basil. Toss and taste. Add additional chilies(or chili flakes) for extra spiciness, additional fish sauce if you want the salad a bit saltier, additional sugar if its a bit too sour for your taste or extra lime juice if you feel you need more tartness.
- Serve warm or at room temperature with sticky rice and your choice fresh vegetables and additional fresh herbs (optional).
To Make Rice Powder (optional)
- In a dry pan over medium-low heat, toast the rice, stirring often until the rice is fragrant and medium golden brown in color (this may take 10 minutes). Next, place the rice in a food processor or blender and grind until a coarse powder is formed.
Recipe Notes
- Rice powder is used as thickener in this recipe. Although I have made this recipe without ANY thickener with great success, a quick slurry made with cornstarch and water can also be used as thickener.
- Adjust the spiciness of the dish to your taste by adding more or less chiles or chili flakes.
Nutrition
This Larb recipe post was first published in 2018 and has been updated to provide the reader with additional information. The recipe remains the same.
This recipe is part of Food Blogger’s Winter Games Series! If you want to see the delicious recipes my friends are making this week, the links are below!
China – Cashew Chicken
Germany –Pork & Sauerkraut Cabbage Rolls
Greece – Greek Style Grilled Lamb Chops
Italy –Fettuccini Alfredo
Korea – Oven Baked Korean BBQ Chicken Wings
Sweden –Easy Swedish Cucumber Salad
USA – Instant Pot Bourbon BBQ Ribs
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