Authentic Thai Ground Chicken Salad (Laab Gai)

Name: Authentic Thai Ground Chicken Salad (Laab Gai)
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Thai
Ingredients: 1 pound ground chicken; 3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced; 2 tablespoons vegetable oil; 2/3 cup shallot or substitute red onions, chopped in long and thin slices; 1/3 cup cilantro, chopped into chunky pieces; 1/3 cup mint leaves, torn into large pieces; 1/3 cup green onions cut 1/2 inch in length; 1-3 Thai bird's eye chilis (adjust your spiciness level here); 1/2-2 teaspoon dried chilies, ground or flakes. Adjust the spiciness level here as needed.; 2 1/2 tablespoons fish sauce, divided. 1 tablespoon for the meat and the rest for the salad; 3 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice; 2 tablespoons toasted rice. I usually toast 1/2 cup or more each time for leftovers, as the rice will expand and get soggy.; 2-3 tablespoons stock or water. If the meat is too dried while cooking.

Learn how to make one of the most popular Thai salads with this Authentic Thai Ground Chicken Salad (Laab Gai) recipe. The tangy, umami, and salty flavors sprinkled with roasted rice add bold and fresh flavors to this light chicken salad. Easy and quick to make. Ready to eat in 15 minutes!

Larb Gai salad on a tray with sticky rice and sliced cucumbers.

What is Laab and the Origin of it?

Laab is a delicious cold salad made with ground meat. Laab originates from Lao cuisine, and it's been adopted by Thai cuisine. It's now considered a traditional dish of Isaan, the Northeastern part of Thailand. A region closest to Laos.

Northern Thailand has different versions of laab, but Isaan and Laotian larb are closest to each other in flavors. The central Thai version and the version in your favorite Thai restaurant are slightly toned down with spices and herbs.

Why you'll love Laab Gai

Laab Gai is healthy! It's one of the healthiest dishes in the Thai cuisine.
Flavor explosions! It's a simple dish full of bold and fresh flavours.
Customize your protein. Use chicken mince, pork mince
Perfect for a meal prep dish. Double or triple the amount in this recipe and have several healthy meals ready!
It's great party food! Use this Thai minced chicken salad as the main course, or turn it into a Thai lettuce wrap appetizer at your next gatherings.

Key Ingredients for Thai Larb Gai Recipe

These are the fresh ingredients for this easy Larb Gai Thai Chicken Salad. Another bonus that makes this Thai salad a favorite is that you can grab most, if not all, of the ingredients at your local grocery stores to make an Authentic Larb Gai at home! Save yourself a trip to the Asian markets for another recipe!

Ground chicken: In most Laab recipes, ground meat is typically used. Ground pork, or Larb Moo, is a popular protein in Thailand. Using ground beef, ground duck, and ground turkey will all work. Chicken thighs are excellent for Laab since there's a little fat there.
Fish sauce: Fish sauce is an essential ingredient in Thai cuisine. Fish sauce is an important ingredient, especially for seasoning Laab recipes.
Lime juice: The sour flavor for laab recipes. Lemon juice is ok, but if you want the true Thai flavor, use lime juice.
Chilies: Use fresh Thai bird's eye chilies, long chilies, or Serranos. Chop fresh chilies into small pieces. Chili flakes are also used to add more heat at the end. Adjust the amount used to your taste buds.
Garlic. For added flavors and fragrance. Only use fresh garlic.
Shallots: Use red onion as a substitute.
Green onions. They are also called spring onions or scallions.
Cilantro. Another essential fresh herb in Thai Laab recipes.
Mint leaves. Never skip fresh mint leaves for your Laab. It gives fresh, minty flavors to your chicken larb gai recipe.
Sugar: Different types of sugar can be used. White, palm, coconut, or brown sugar can be used. I need a little bit to round out the salty and sour flavors.
Toasted rice powder or Khoa Kuah It adds a nutty flavor to Laab. It's super easy to make. Check out my 1 ingredient recipe here.
Stock or water. (Not pictured) Sometimes, the stir-fried ground meat gets too dry. Add up to ¼ cup of chicken stock or water to give it some moisture.
Oil. Use high-smoking oil for browning the meat. Avocado, vegetable, or canola oil works.

Garnishing options for Laab Gai

Garnish your larb with fresh mint leaves, lime wedges, thinly chopped Thai chilies, chili flakes, sliced cucumbers, and cabbage slices.

How to Make Authentic Thai Ground Chicken Salad (Laab Gai)

Step 1. Make the toasted rice. Use how to make toasted rice powder recipe or see the instructions below.

Toasted rice Khao Khua on a skillet on the stove.

Step 2. In a large skillet over medium heat, add oil. Once hot, add the garlic and fry for 15 seconds or until light golden brown. Add ground chicken and cook for 5-7 minutes. Let the meat brown a bit.

Add stock or water and 1 tablespoon fish sauce to season the meat. (My personal secret to tasty meat!). Remove from the heat and let cool.

Step 3. In a large bowl, add all the chopped herbs and aromatics. Stir well with a wooden spoon or spatula.

Fresh herbs in a glass bowl for making larb gai salad.

Step 4. Add in the ground chicken, and stir well. Season the salad with fish sauce, lime juice, chilies, and sugar. Adjust as needed for your taste buds.

Step 5. Finish the salad with sprinkling toasted rice powder. That's it! Done! Serve right away.

Thai larb gai salad on a platter with herbs garnishes.

How to make Khoa Kua or sticky rice powder

Khao Kua is toasted rice powder used in many Thai dishes. Use this easy recipe to make your Khao Kua recipe. But if you don't want to navigate to another blog post while making this Laab Gai, here's a quick tutorial!

In a dry skillet on low heat, toast ½ cup of rice until the rice turns golden brown. Let cool to room temperature.
Grind your toasted rice to a coarse powder in a spice grinder, a clean coffee grinder, or a small food processor. Done. Store the leftover rice in a glass jar in the freezer for your next Thai salad.

Khao Kua Tips

Always use raw rice for Khao Kua. Thai sticky rice and Jasmine rice are ideal, but white rice will do in a pinch.
Low to medium heat is best. Medium-high heat or higher will burn your rice quickly.
Grind your rice to a fine powder if preferred. I like some nutty crunch for added texture.

Recipes using Khao Kua

Helpful kitchen notes and pro tip

Jalapenos are not a Thai ingredient but will work as a spicy pepper for this Thai larb recipe.
Fresh herbs to use, if you can find them, are Culantro or saw blades herb, Chinese parsley, fresh dill, some laab version, add julienned kaffir lime leaves and lemon grass. These herbs add fresh flavors, so play around with what's available. Thai basil is never used in Laab.
After the meat, you can toast the uncooked rice, but I prefer to work on both simultaneously.
While the rice and meat are cooling, chop the herbs into a bowl, add the sauces, and mix well.

Serving Suggestions

This flavorful salad is commonly served with sticky rice, sliced cucumbers, cabbage, and long green beans.
Use the leafy parts of Napa cabbage, regular cabbage,e or romaine lettuce to make Laab lettuce cups for a low-carb meal.

Larb gai on a plate with sticky rice and herbs on the side.

Variations

Use fish or tofu for a vegetarian and vegan version. Cook the protein, then grind it into ¼-inch pieces before mixing it with the herbs.
You could use thinly sliced chicken breast as another version of Laab if you are out of ground meat. The thinner the slices, the better.

Substitutions

Soy sauce is not recommended as a substitute for an authentic Thai larb salad.
Never use basil in Thai larbs. Basil is never used in traditional Laab recipes.

Storage

Laab Gai works great as a leftover meal. Store laab in the refrigerator for up to 3 days and in the freezer for up to 2 months. The herbs could get a little mushy. Freshen up the salad with a few pieces of fresh herbs to add to the salad before the next meal.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Type of Food is Larb?

Larb is a National dish of Laos that Thailand adopted and turned into a megastar of a dish that's become known and loved worldwide. It's a fresh salad typically made with ground meat, flavored with fresh herbs, and seasoned with fish sauce, lime juice, and spicy chili peppers.

Is Larb Served Cold or Warm?

Larb is typically served at room temperature. Never too cold, hot, or too warm.

What Do You Eat Larb With?

Larb is best eaten with sticky rice. Sometimes Jasmine rice, too. Side garnishes to go with Thai Laabs are typically long green beans, cucumber slices, or cabbage. Laab, like most Thai food, is typically served alongside other Thai dishes like papaya salads, grilled meat, or another light dish.

Is Larb Healthy?

Yes! Thai larb is very healthy! It's low in carbs, low in fat, and it's gluten-free! This delicious salad is the perfect dish to enjoy without worrying about the extra calories.

What Does Larb Gai Mean?

Larb Gai (ลาบไก่)) in Thai means a salad that's been made with chicken. Larb means salads, and Gai means chicken in Thai.

How do you pronounce Laab?

This is a sensitive issue for many Thai and Lao cooks, myself included! It's like someone saying your name wrong repeatedly, and they don't even care to correct it. Let's go over the correct pronunciation now.

First, the "R" in the Larb is silence. So it's Laab, not LARB. Also, it's a quick choppy "Laab," not slow drawn, out "LAARRB."

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