Laos's national dish — minced chicken tossed with toasted rice powder, fish sauce, lime, chilies, mint, and fresh herbs, eaten with sticky rice.
Larb (laap) is Laos's national dish and one of mainland Southeast Asia's most addictive plates. Minced chicken is cooked briefly with a splash of stock, then tossed off-heat with toasted-rice powder (khao khua), fish sauce, lime juice, dried chili flakes, sliced shallots, spring onions, and a handful of mint and coriander leaves. The toasted rice gives the salad its signature nutty crunch and absorbs the dressing so the meat stays loose rather than soupy. Laap is traditionally served at room temperature alongside compact balls of sticky rice and a plate of raw cabbage, long beans, and basil leaves, all of which become vehicles for scooping up the meat. Across Vientiane and Luang Prabang it is everyday food; in Isan northeastern Thailand the same dish (larb gai) is a near-identical sibling.
Serves 4
Heat a dry pan over medium-low. Add uncooked rice and toast, swirling constantly, until deep golden brown and intensely fragrant — about 6 minutes. Cool slightly.
Pulse the toasted rice in a spice grinder or pound in a mortar to a coarse sand-like powder. This is khao khua — the soul of larb.
Heat a wok or wide pan over medium-high (no oil — chicken's own fat is enough). Add chicken stock or water and bring to a fast simmer.
Add ground chicken. Break it up with a wooden spoon — the goal is small, separate crumbles, not big lumps. Cook until just no longer pink, about 5 minutes. The mixture should be moist but not soupy.
Scrape chicken into a large mixing bowl. Let it cool for 3 minutes — dressing applied to scalding chicken loses its brightness.
Add fish sauce, lime juice, sugar, chili flakes, lemongrass, and galangal. Toss thoroughly. Taste — the dressing should hit salty, sour, hot, and barely sweet, in that order.
Sprinkle in 2 heaped tbsp of the toasted rice powder. Toss again. The rice absorbs excess juice and gives essential crunch.
Add shallots, spring onions, mint, and both corianders. Fold gently — overworking bruises the herbs.
Save a small handful of herbs and rice powder for topping the finished bowl.
Pile larb on a plate. Surround with balls of sticky rice and a heap of raw cabbage, cucumber, and long beans. Eat with the hands, scooping larb with rice or vegetables.
Use thigh meat ground at home or by a butcher — pre-ground breast is too dry and gives a chalky larb.
Toast the rice deep and dark — pale rice powder tastes raw and adds no character.
Taste and adjust seasoning after the herbs go in; lime and fish sauce often need a final tweak.
Save toasted rice powder in an airtight jar for up to 2 weeks; it's a Lao pantry essential.
Larb moo: same dish with ground pork.
Larb pla: with finely chopped fresh fish, like a Lao ceviche.
Vegetarian: substitute crumbled firm tofu or finely chopped mushrooms.
Northern Lao 'blood larb' adds a splash of raw blood for traditional richness — rarely made at home outside Laos.
Best eaten the same day. The herbs wilt in the fridge but the meat keeps 2 days; refresh leftover larb with new herbs, a squeeze of lime, and a sprinkle of fresh rice powder.
Larb is documented as Laotian royal cuisine since at least the 14th-century Lan Xang Kingdom and traveled with Lao migration into northeastern Thailand (Isan), where it became inseparable from Isan identity. Toasted rice powder (khao khua) appears in Lao recipes long before it spread into broader Thai cooking.
Lao larb is slightly drier and uses more bitter herbs like dill or sawtooth coriander; Isan-Thai larb is similar but often a touch sweeter and saucier. Outside Laos, the two are largely interchangeable in restaurants.
Yes — ground duck, pork, beef, and turkey all work. Adjust fat content: very lean meat (turkey breast) needs an extra tbsp of stock or a drizzle of oil at the end.
Traditionally yes — Lao cooks use 2–3 teaspoons of dried chili flakes. Start with 1 tsp and add more; the heat builds as the salad sits.
Per serving (240g) · 4 servings total
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