Description
This authentic Thai beef larb recipe is a super tasty and popular dish from Isaan (Northeastern )Thailand. It's a flavorful salad made with near-raw, thinly sliced beef. This authentic Thai larb has a wonderful assortment of fresh herbs that bring out the bold, addictive flavors. It's an easy recipe, and it's extra healthy!
Ingredients
- 1 pound grilling beef. This is an important ingredient for this recipe. Choose thick-cut beef with some fat in it for this recipe. I used top London broil and ribeye.
- 3 tablespoons fish sauce, divided. Use 2 tablespoons for marinating beef and 1 tablespoon for the salad.
- 3-4 tablespoons lime juice, divided. Use 2 tablespoons for marinating beef and 1-2 tablespoons for the salad.
- 2 teaspoon sugar, divided. 1 teaspoon for the marinade of the beef and 1 teaspoon for the salad.
- 1/2 cup shallot, finely chopped
- 1/4 cup green onions, chopped
- 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
- 1/4 cup mint leaves
- 2 tablespoons toasted rice powder
- 1-2 fresh chilies (adjust to your spice preference)
- 1 tablespoon oil. If pan-frying the meat.
Instructions
- Make Khao Kua. Toast uncooked rice, preferably Thai glutinous rice, in a small pan on medium heat until lightly golden brown. Transfer to a spice grinder or use a small mortar and pestle and grind until you get a coarse powder.
- Marinate the beef lightly and quickly. Mix 2 tablespoons of fish sauce, 2 tablespoons of lime juice, and 1 teaspoon of sugar in a large bowl. Whisk until the sugar is dissolved. Add the beef and turn to get the sauce to cover all sides.
- Step 3: Cook the Beef. Heat a sauté pan over medium-high heat. Drizzly just a small amount of oil on the pan. No need for oil if using the grill. Add the marinated beef and cook for a couple of minutes on each side of the beef. Use more or less time as per your preference for rawness. Let the meat rest for 8-10 minutes before cutting it for extra juice and tenderness.
- Prepare the salad. Mix the herbs and the rest of the sauces in a large bowl.
- Add the beef. Thinly slice your beef, including the fat, into small, thin pieces, around 1/8 inch to 1-inch. Add the beef to the salad bowl and mix gently.
- Flavor with Toasted Rice Powder. Sprinkle the toasted rice powder over the meat mixture. This gives your larb a wonderful crunch and nutty flavor. Stir the salad with a wooden spoon and adjust the flavors to taste with more Thai chili, fish sauce, lime juice, or sugar.
* For a traditional Thai larb recipe, the meat is sometimes cooked and eaten close to raw with a ton of lime juice and fish sauce added to it. I can't do meat quite that raw, but if you prefer it, go all out like a local!
Enjoy your delicious and authentic Thai Beef Larb!
Notes
- Be sure to add plenty of lime juice and fish sauce to help further cook the near-raw meat.
- You can find toasted rice powder at Asian markets or make it at home by dry roasting raw rice until golden brown and grinding it into a fine powder. Find my Khao Khua recipe here.
- Use fresh Thai herbs like green onion, shallot, cilantro, and mint for the best result. If you can find culantro, use those! Learn more about the different types of Thai herbs here.
- Feel free to adjust the spice level by adding more or fewer chilies and dry ground chili flakes.
- Let the larb sit at room temperature for a short time (5 minutes) to allow the flavors to meld together before serving to enhance the flavors.
- Serve your Thai beef larb as an appetizer by making lettuce wraps. Making it even more healthy with added leafy greens.
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- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 10
- Category: salads
- Method: stovetop
- Cuisine: Thai