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.

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."

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; 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced; 2 tablespoons oil, vegetable, avocado, canola, any neutral oil; 2/3 cup shallot or substitute red onions, chopped into 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; 1-10 Thai bird's eye chilis, chopped small (adjust to your spiciness level); 1/2-2 teaspoons 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; 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar, white, brown, palm, or coconut sugar, will work.; 2 tablespoons toasted rice.; 2-3 tablespoons stock or water. Use as needed if the meat is too dry while cooking.

Description

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!

Ingredients

Scale

1 pound ground chicken
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons oil, vegetable, avocado, canola, any neutral oil
2/3 cup shallot or substitute red onions, chopped into 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
1-10 Thai bird's eye chilis, chopped small (adjust to your spiciness level)
1/2-2 teaspoons 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
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar, white, brown, palm, or coconut sugar, will work.
2 tablespoons toasted rice.
2-3 tablespoons stock or water. Use as needed if the meat is too dry while cooking.

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Instructions

Make the toasted rice. Use this detailed recipe or see the quick instructions below.
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 minutes. Let the meat brown a bit. Add stock or water and 1 tbsp fish sauce to season the meat. Remove from the heat and let cool.
In a large bowl, add all the chopped herbs and aromatics. Stir well with a wooden spoon or spatula.
Add the ground chicken and stir well. Season the salad with fish sauce, lime juice, chilies, and sugar. Adjust as needed for your taste buds.
Finish the salad with a sprinkling of toasted rice powder. That's it! Done! Serve right away.

How to make Khao Khua, Toasted rice powder

In a dry skillet over medium-low heat, toast 1/2 cup of rice until it turns golden brown. Let cool to room temperature. (You'll only need 2 tbsp for the salad, but the extra will be used for leftovers for the fresh crispy garnish)
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 Khua tips

Always use raw rice for Khao Kua. Thai sticky rice and Jasmine rice are ideal, but in a pinch, any white rice will work.
Use low to medium heat—anything higher can burn the rice fast.
Grind to a fine powder if you like, but I prefer a little crunch for texture.

Notes

I usually toast at least ½ cup of toasted rice—more than I need—because once mixed into the salad, the toasted rice absorbs moisture and softens. Having a little extra on hand means you can sprinkle some on leftovers for that fresh, crispy crunch.
Jalapeños aren’t traditional in Thai cooking, but they work well as a spicy substitute in laab if Thai chilies aren’t available.
Fresh herbs to look for include culantro (also called sawtooth or saw blade herb), kaffir lime leaves, and lemongrass.
You can toast the rice after cooking the meat, but I usually do both at the same time to save time. While the rice and meat cool, chop the herbs, mix in the sauces, and toss everything together.

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Prep Time: 15
Cook Time: 15
Category: Salads
Method: Stovetop
Cuisine: Thai