Thai Larb is a flavorful authentic Thai salad made with minced chicken, lime juice and fresh herbs. This Larb recipe is easy to make and can be ready in less than 20 minutes!
This is one of my favorite Thai foods to order at a restaurant. This simple Larb salad is light, refreshing and served with lots of veggies. Now, why should you make this Thai recipe at home?
- This is a quick an easy recipe made in one skillet in about 20 minutes!
- This Thai recipe is low-carb, low in calories and healthy.
- It can be served as a salad, appetizer or a dinner meal if served with rice or quinoa.
- This recipe uses simple ingredients that you can find in the Asian isle of any supermarket.
What is Larb?
Larb Gai, also spelled Laab Gai, Laap Gai, Lahb or Larp is a type of Lao meat salad popular in Laos and the Northern Isaan region of Thailand. It is the “unofficial National dish of Laos” and a popular street vendor food.
Larb is made with different types of minced or ground meat like minced pork (Larb Moo), ground beef (Laab Neua), ground duck (Larb Ped) and minced chicken (Larb Gai or Larb Kai).
Chicken Larb Ingredients
Authentic Thai Larb recipes include grounded toasted sticky rice known as khao khua, which thickens the sauce a little bit.
To make this recipe even easier and much quicker, I often skip this step with amazing results. Yes, some days toasting and grinding rice seems like a lot of work – however, I include this step in the recipe card below in case you feel you must add it!
- Ground Chicken: You can use ground pork, lean ground beef, ground turkey, ground bison and even ground duck.
- Fish Sauce: This is a must ingredient in Thai cuisine. Stinky, pungent and full of flavor.
- Lime Juice: Fresh is best!
- Brown Sugar: Caster sugar or granulated sugar can be used.
- Thai Chili Pepper: Serrano peppers can be used. Chili powder or chili flakes are also a good option.
- Oil: Any mild oil can be used.
- Shallots: Peeled and sliced.
- Garlic: I use fresh garlic. In a pinch, use garlic paste.
- Scallions: Green onions thinly sliced.
- Red Onions: I love red onions but you can use brown or white onions also.
- Cilantro and Mint: I love using fresh herbs. They are a must!
- For Serving: Choose your favorite – lettuce, cabbage, cucumbers, green beans, carrot sticks, sticky rice.
How To Make This Chicken Larb Recipe
Thai Chicken Larb or Laab is made in a single wok or skillet. Have all the vegetables you will be serving ready because the cooking process goes fast!
- First, mix the sauce ingredients. Lime juice, fish sauce, and sugar. Set aside.
- In a little bit of oil, stir fry the chiles, shallots, and garlic.
- Add the meat and stir fry until cooked through.
- Remove the mixture from the heat and add the scallions, onions, and the sauce. Toss to combine.
- Add the herbs (if using, rice powder would be added at this time), toss. and serve.
How To Make Toasted Rice Powder
To make rice powder, roast 1/2 cup of white rice in a dry pan over medium-high heat, stirring often until the rice is fragrant and medium brown in color. Place the rice in a food processor or blender and grind until a coarse powder is formed.
What Do You Eat Larb With?
Larb is often served with crispy lettuce leaves and fresh herbs and wrapped just like lettuce wraps. Larb is also served with steamed rice with all the dressing poured over the rice. So good!
You have questions? We have answers!
How Do You Eat Larb?
Thai Larp can be served as a salad or as a healthy appetizer. You can turn this tasty Laab salad into a crunchy Thai Lettuce Wrap! Larb is often served as a meal with white sticky rice and Thai Green Papaya Salad (Tom Sam)
Do You Eat Larb Cold?
The minced meat mixture can be served hot or warm with fresh vegetables. However, I can say with confidence that Thai Larb Gai is also delicious served cold.
What Does Larb Gai Mean?
Larb is a Thai salad made with ground meats like ground beef and ground chicken. Larb is one of the most popular dishes of Laos.
What is 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.
Is Larb Gai Healthy?
This dish is high in protein, low fat, low carb, dairy-free and gluten free. Enjoy the authentic flavors of Thai cuisine with this guilt free easy Laab recipe.
Larb Thai Recipe Tips and Notes
- Ground Thai chili (Prik Pon) can be used instead of the fresh chiles.
- If you want to make Thai Beef Laab, I recommend you use lean ground beef.
- This Thai salad is full of umami. It has the perfect balance of sour, spicy, salty, sweet and overall deliciousness!
- Use honey instead of sugar, if you prefer.
- If you are planning on adding the toasted rice powder, make sure to read the notes section in the recipe card below.
SKIP THE TAKE-OUT – INSTEAD CHECK OUT THESE OTHER FAVORITE RECIPES:
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.
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Chicken Larb Thai Recipe
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 1/2 teaspoon Thai chili powder
- 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
- 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
- 1/4 cup fresh mint, chopped
To Serve Pick Your Favorites:
- Lettuce leaves, sliced cucumbers, carrot sticks, green beans, lime wedges, mint and cilantro,
If you would like to add rice powder to this recipe please read the notes.
Rice Powder (optional)
- 1/2 cup white rice (short grain)
Instructions
- In a small bowl mix together the fish sauce, lime juice and sugar. Mix until well combined.
- Heat a wok or medium size skillet over high heat. Add the oil. When the oil is hot, add the chiles, shallots and garlic and cook stirring for about 1 – 2 minutes or until the shallots become translucent.
- Add the ground chicken and cook for about 4 – 5 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and no longer pink.
- Remove from the heat and add the scallions, onions and the Larb sauce. Toss to combine. Stir in the cilantro and mint.
- Serve with your choice of lettuce leaves, carrots sticks, cucumber slices, green beans and more fresh herbs (optional).
To Make Rice Powder
- Toast 1/2 cup of white rice in a dry pan over medium-high heat, stirring often until the rice is fragrant and medium brown in color. Place the rice in a food processor or blender and grind until a coarse powder is formed.
Video
Chef’s Tips
- If you want to add toasted rice powder to this recipe, add it right after you stir in the Larb sauce. Mix to combine and then add the herbs.
- Make it spicier by adding extra chiles or chili powder.
- Adjust the fish sauce to your taste!
Nutrition
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
Italy – Wild Mushroom Risotto
Korea – Oven Baked Korean BBQ Chicken Wings
Sweden –Easy Swedish Cucumber Salad
USA – Instant Pot Bourbon BBQ Ribs
Sherry says
Making this for the 3rd time in 2 weeks. This is the best of the laap gai recipes. I was surprised that culantro tasted almost the same as cilantro so, I won’t make another trip to my Thai market for more. I plan on tripling the recipe this time. I could eat this for breakfast. I did eat this for breakfast.
Kathy says
Hi Sherry, Thank you. I could definitely eat this for breakfast too!! Glad you enjoyed it.
April says
Perfect!! Closest I’ve ever tasted to the authentic Thai I remember.
Kathy says
Hi April! Thank you! what a compliment. You made my day.
M. g. says
Why does the recipe say to finely chop the shallots, but pics show them sliced?
Kathy says
You can chopped or slice the shallot thinly.
Jennifer Heath says
I loved your Thai Chicken Larb salad recipe. Very refreshing and no carb! Thank you for sharing!
Kathy says
Hi Jennifer. I am so happy to hear that. Thank you xo
Sharon says
This really is the best Larb salad!!! Usually when I order it in restaurants I need to doctor it up. This recipe was perfect!!!
Kathy says
Awww thank you! You made my day. I do the same thing at restaurants lol Try my Tom Yum Soup and Coconut curry soup. They are both delicious!
Renee says
This was just like eating Larb in a Thai restaurant! Thank you for this recipe. ????
Kathy says
Thank you!! It tastes very authentic.
Bc says
This dish was fantastic. Took me 30 minutes start to finish. It is an A+. Served in lettuce wraps with cucumbers and shredded multi covered carrots.
Kathy says
I am so happy to hear that you liked the dish. Thank you xo
Pam says
I’m working on my cooking skills and work best with specific quantities. Would you happen to have the measurements for the shallot and red onion?
Thank you!
Be Well and Be Safe.
Kathy says
Hi Pam! 2 tablespoons of shallot and about 1/3 to 1/2 cup of onions (not packed).
On my blog homepage there is a link for signing up for my newsletter (only once a week) and you can get a Free Cooking Guide that is printable – it has everything you may need from measurements to substitutions. You can either sign up OR you can e-mail me and I will happily send you the pdf file free of charge! Unfortunately I cannot send it through this comment. xo
Sam Harris says
Delicious and authentic! Love it!
Jessica says
I made this recipe and it was so good. So light and refreshing. Better than at my local Thai restaurant for sure.
Michele Hall says
I love Larb– its so healthy and it tastes so good! I cant wait to make it at home using your recipe… I just know it will become a regular in our rotation!
Kathy says
Thank you!!
Amy Nash says
This looks so delicious and is taking me right back to our trip to Thailand two years ago! I really adore boldly flavored minced meat dishes like this.
Kathy says
Thank you Amy! It is one of my favorite Thai dishes.