Thai chicken larb recipe
Healthy Thai chicken larb with fresh herbs and juicy ground chicken. Quick, easy, and packed with flavor—perfect for busy weeknights.
Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients
Thai toasted rice powder:
- 0.5 cup Thai glutinous white rice sticky rice, raw and uncooked
Larb gai:
- 1 lb. ground chicken 50% breast; 50% dark meat
- 1 tbsp lime juice
- ⅛ tsp ground white pepper or black pepper
- ½ tsp coarse sea salt
- 1.5 tbsp avocado oil
Other:
- 2.5 oz. chopped shallots about 1-2 large shallots
- 1.5 tbsp fish sauce
- Half one whole lime juice plus more for serving
- 0.5 to 1 tsp Thai bird's eye chili powder or dry chili flakes
- ½ cup chopped cilantro
- 20 sprig mint leaves roughly chopped
- 3-4 bulb green onions chopped
To serve:
- Sticky rice
- Crispy fried shallot optional
- Butter lettuce wraps or salad greens of choice
Instructions
- Toasted rice powder: In a medium size cast iron or stainless steel pan, add the rice grains and dry roast them over medium heat until the grains turn into golden brown color, about 15 minutes, shaking the pan occasionally for even toasting. Let the toasted grains cool to room temperature. Transfer the cooled grains into a spice or coffee grinder and pulse a few times until coarsely ground.
- Prepare herbs: Prepare shallots, cilantro, mint leaves, and scallions. Set each ingredient aside separately over a large plate and ready to use. In a large bowl, season the ground chicken with lime juice, pepper, and salt.
- Cook: Heat oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add the meat and cook for 8-10 minutes, breaking it into fine bits as it cooks. As the meat releases moisture, avoid evaporating all of it to keep the meat moist, ensuring a bit of liquid remains in the pan. Once cooked and with some moisture still in the pan, turn off the heat
- Season: While the skillet is still hot, add shallots, stir and use the remaining warmth to bring out the fragrance. Season the meat with fish sauce, lime juice, and chili powder, and lastly add cilantro, mint leaves, and scallions. Toss and taste to adjust the dish to your personal preference (more lime, fish sauce, or chili powder).
- Serve: Transfer the laab to a large serving plate. Let it sit at room temperature for 5 minutes to allow the flavor to develop then sprinkle in the toasted sticky rice, 1-2 tbsp a time until your desired level, and crispy shallots (if using). Serve with sticky rice and lettuce wraps on the side. Serve at room temperature.
Video
Notes
- Use ground chicken. Mix 50% breast meat with 50% thigh meat to keep the dish from getting too dry.
- Fish sauce substitute: If you can’t have fish sauce (made from anchovy + sea salt), try vegan fish sauce. Soy sauce is not recommended as it changes the original flavor of Thai larb.
- Make-ahead: Make the toasted sticky rice ahead. Rinse and chop the herbs, then store them separately.
- Storage & Serving Again: Keep the toasted sticky rice powder separate from the meat salad. Store in the fridge for up to 3 days. Serve at room temperature—no need to reheat!
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 257kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 21g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 98mg | Sodium: 898mg | Potassium: 727mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 432IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 33mg | Iron: 2mg