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plated Thai chicken larb salad

Thai Chicken Larb Salad (Larb Gai)

This Thai Chicken Larb Salad recipe is fresh with ground chicken mixed with mint and cilantro leaves, tossed with toasted pounded rice, and an easy zesty dressing for an authentic Thai dish experience. Serve with lettuce leaves or sticky rice.
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Course: brunch, Dinner, Entree, lunch, Main Course, Salad, Side Dish, Ulam
Cuisine: Thai
Keyword: chicken recipes, ground chicken, laab, laarb, larb, mint, toasted rice
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Servings: 3 servings
Calories: 349kcal

Equipment

Ingredients

Thai Chicken Larb Salad

  • 1¼ lbs ground chicken Ground turkey works great for a leaner option
  • ½ cup Mint leaves chopped
  • ½ cup Cilantro leaves chopped
  • 2 Shallots thinly sliced
  • ¼ cup Chives or green onions thinly sliced
  • 3 Garlic cloves minced
  • 1 tbsp Avocado oil
  • Sea salt to taste
  • Romaine lettuce leaves separated for wraps

Toasted Rice Powder

  • ⅓ cup toasted Sweet glutinous rice toasted and pounded/sand texture

Larb Dressing

  • 4 tbsp Lime juice
  • 1 tbsp Fish sauce
  • ½ tbsp Brown sugar
  • 1 tsp Thai chili flakes

Garnish

  • Bird's Eye Red chilies or Fresno chili thin sliced
  • Extra toasted rice powder

Instructions

Toast the Rice

  • Add the sweet glutinous rice to a dry pan over medium heat. Toast until deeply golden brown, stirring often so it doesn’t burn. Transfer in small batches to a mortar and pestle and pound into a sand-like consistency. Set aside.
    ⅓ cup toasted Sweet glutinous rice
    pound toasted rice into sand like texture with mortar and pestle

Prep the Herbs

  • Chop the mint leaves. Chop the cilantro. Thinly slice the shallots. Thinly slice the chives or green onions. Set everything aside.
    mint cilantro shallots chives

Make the Larb Dressing

  • In a small bowl combine: lime juice, fish sauce, brown sugar, Thai chili flakes
    Whisk until the sugar dissolves. Set aside.
    4 tbsp Lime juice, 1 tbsp Fish sauce, ½ tbsp Brown sugar, 1 tsp Thai chili flakes
    Thai red chili flakes

Cook the Ground Chicken

  • Heat avocado oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and sauté until fragrant.
    1 tbsp Avocado oil, 3 Garlic cloves
  • Add the ground chicken and use a spatula to break the meat into very small crumbles. Season lightly with sea salt. Add a touch of water or oil to help cook the ground chicken if needed. Cook until fully cooked through and lightly browned.
    1¼ lbs ground chicken, Sea salt
    saute garlic then add ground chicken and cook

Assemble the Chicken Larb Salad

  • Transfer the hot cooked chicken into a large mixing bowl.
  • Immediately add the sliced shallots and toss gently. The heat from the chicken softens the shallots naturally while keeping their flavor fresh and slightly crisp.
    2 Shallots
    ground chicken saute in pan
  • Add the mint, cilantro, chives or green onions. Toss gently.
    ½ cup Mint leaves, ½ cup Cilantro leaves, ¼ cup Chives or green onions
    mixing larb in bowl
  • Pour the Thai larb dressing over the meat mixture and toss thoroughly.
    Thai fish sauce lime dressing
  • Sprinkle in the toasted rice powder and gently toss again. The toasted rice gives authentic Thai larb its signature nutty flavor and subtle texture.
    adding toasted pounded rice to larb salad

Plate and Serve

  • Transfer to a serving bowl or platter. Top with extra toasted rice powder and sliced red chilies.
    Bird's Eye Red chilies or Fresno chili , Extra toasted rice powder
    Thai chicken larb salad recipe by rice life foodie
  • Serve immediately with separated romaine lettuce leaves for lettuce wraps. Scoop the larb into the lettuce leaves and enjoy.
    Romaine lettuce leaves
    larb lettuce wraps

Notes

  • Add shallots while the meat is warm so they soften naturally
  • Use fresh lime juice, not bottled
  • Chop herbs right before serving for maximum freshness
  • Taste and balance the dressing before mixing

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts
Thai Chicken Larb Salad (Larb Gai)
Amount per Serving
Calories
349
% Daily Value*
Fat
 
20
g
31
%
Saturated Fat
 
5
g
31
%
Trans Fat
 
0.1
g
Polyunsaturated Fat
 
4
g
Monounsaturated Fat
 
10
g
Cholesterol
 
163
mg
54
%
Sodium
 
591
mg
26
%
Potassium
 
1154
mg
33
%
Carbohydrates
 
9
g
3
%
Fiber
 
1
g
4
%
Sugar
 
4
g
4
%
Protein
 
34
g
68
%
Vitamin A
 
510
IU
10
%
Vitamin C
 
11
mg
13
%
Calcium
 
50
mg
5
%
Iron
 
2
mg
11
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.