Thai Chicken Larb

On days when you feel like a lighter meal option, Thai Chicken Larb is an ideal dish. Larb is a Thai mince-meat salad, made with lime juice, fish sauce and fresh herbs. Although regarded as the “unofficial” national dish of Laos, Larb is also enjoyed throughout Thailand. With this version I have used chicken mince but it can also be made with minced (ground) pork, beef, duck or fish.

I love to make Thai Chicken Larb. It is a dish which is light to eat, delicious at any time of year but especially suitable for the warmer months. It is fragrant and fresh tasting, with a perfect combination of hot, sour, salty and sweet flavours. 

This is a dish which is quickly and easily made. Once you have all the ingredients prepared, it takes minutes to assemble. For those interested in low-fat or low-carbohydrate dishes, this is the recipe for you. Many recipes for Larb stir fry the chicken in a little oil. However, this dish differs in that I poach/steam the chicken mince in a small amount of water. This results in tender, moist chicken. The cooked chicken is put into a bowl and the remaining ingredients added. It is that simple; there’s no complex cooking technique. If you are a novice cook, you will be successful with this recipe. I add flavour to the chicken with spring onion/scallion and fish sauce, the flavours heightened by the bright notes of lime juice, coriander and fragrant mint.

The recipe does contain chilli, however, you are able to customise the amount to your personal taste.

Toasted rice powder is also used in Thai Chicken Larb. If you’re unfamiliar with toasted rice powder it is an ingredient which is widely used throughout South-East Asia. It is not readily available but can be purchased from Asian grocers. However, it is very simple to make at home. It is just rice, frequently sticky/glutinous white rice, which is toasted in a wok or frying pan and then ground to a coarse powder. It adds a nutty flavour and absorbs liquids. But, other white rices will also work well and for this recipe I have used Jasmine rice.

There are several ways in which to serve this dish. I like to serve it on a platter with fresh, crisp lettuce leaves, slices of cucumber, wedges of lime and an assortment of fragrant herbs.

  My favourite lettuce for this purpose is the wonderfully crisp iceberg. However, leaves of cos/romaine lettuce are also suitable. Served in this manner this is a great dish for sharing, allowing guests to assemble their own lettuce cups.

It can also be served as an appetiser on crispy, fried wonton wrappers. Additionally, it is extremely portable, ideal for a picnic or a healthy work lunch. Or, serve it at room temperature with a bowl of freshly cooked Jasmine rice.

Thai Chicken Larb is such a great, healthy and flavourful meal. With this recipe you’ll be able to enjoy this popular and exotic Thai salad that you have made yourself.

Love Thai flavours as much as we do? Make sure to give our Thai Prawn Salad and Vermicelli Noodle Salad a try also!

Please let me know in the comments below if you try this recipe.

Alex and Faye xx

P.S. Prefer a vegetarian option? Try our Mushroom San Choy Bow!