thailarbchickenpaleosaladquickherbs

Larb Gai

Name: Larb Gai
Prep time: 7 min
Cook time: 7 min
Total time: 15 min
Yield: 2
Cuisine: Thai
Ingredients: 15 g uncooked glutinous rice; 250 g ground chicken; 40 g shallot, thinly sliced; 20 g spring onion, thinly sliced; 15 g fresh mint leaves, roughly torn; 10 g fresh coriander leaves, roughly chopped; 1-2 small bird's eye chilli, finely sliced; 25 ml fish sauce; 30 ml fresh lime juice; 45 ml water; 8 leaves little gem lettuce leaves; 5 g extra mint leaves; 2 wedges lime wedges

Larb Gai is a bright, savoury minced chicken salad packed with lime, fish sauce, fresh herbs, and the nutty crunch of toasted rice powder. Served in crisp lettuce leaves, it is light, fragrant, and intensely refreshing with just enough heat.

15 min

2 servings

243 kcal

Thai

Ingredients

Toasted rice powder

15 guncooked glutinous rice

Chicken and herbs

250 gground chicken
40 gshallot, thinly sliced
20 gspring onion, thinly sliced
15 gfresh mint leaves, roughly torn
10 gfresh coriander leaves, roughly chopped
1-2 smallbird's eye chilli, finely sliced

Dressing

25 mlfish sauce
30 mlfresh lime juice
45 mlwater

To serve

8 leaveslittle gem lettuce leaves
5 gextra mint leaves
2 wedgeslime wedges

Instructions

1
Toast the rice in a dry small pan over medium heat for 3-4 minutes, stirring often, until deep golden and fragrant. Transfer to a mortar or spice grinder and grind to a fairly fine powder. Set aside. This should smell nutty, not burnt.
2
In a bowl, stir together the fish sauce, lime juice, and water until combined. Taste: it should be punchy, salty, and sharp, as the chicken and herbs will mellow it.
3
Place the ground chicken in a small pan with 2 tablespoons of the dressing. Cook over medium heat for 4-5 minutes, breaking it up continuously, until just cooked through and no pink remains. Add a splash more dressing or water if needed to keep it moist rather than browned.
4
Turn off the heat. While the chicken is still hot, add the shallot, spring onion, chilli, toasted rice powder, mint, coriander, and the remaining dressing. Toss thoroughly so the warm chicken lightly softens the shallot and absorbs the seasoning. Let it sit for 1 minute to hydrate the rice powder.
5
Spoon the larb into lettuce leaves or onto a plate. Garnish with extra mint and serve immediately with lime wedges for squeezing over.

Nutrition per serving

243 kcal

Calories

30g

Protein

10g

Carbs

Fat

Fiber

Notes

•For a beginner-friendly version within 15 minutes, use pre-ground chicken and grind the toasted rice in a spice grinder rather than a mortar.
•Larb should be juicy, not wet; if it looks dry, add a teaspoon or two of water or lime juice just before serving.
•Adjust chilli to taste. Authentic larb can be quite hot, but it is still delicious when made milder.
•This paleo version is served with lettuce instead of rice.

Background

Larb is a classic dish of Laos and northeastern Thailand, where it is deeply tied to everyday meals and celebrations. Larb gai, made with chicken, is one of the most widely known versions, seasoned with lime, fish sauce, herbs, chilli, and toasted rice powder for its distinctive nutty finish.

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