Thai Larb Chicken Lettuce Wraps

About This Recipe

Larb (or laab) is a minced meat salad from Northeastern Thailand and Laos, built on a base of toasted rice powder (khao khua) that gives it a distinctive nutty crunch and slightly thickened texture unlike anything achieved with breadcrumbs or flour. Chicken thigh, cooked quickly and kept slightly loose rather than compacted, is tossed hot with fish sauce, lime juice, and a generous amount of dried chili flake so the seasoning soaks in while the meat is still warm. Toasting the raw rice in a dry pan until it's deep golden brown, then grinding it coarsely, is the one step you cannot skip — it's what separates larb from a generic ground-meat salad. Fresh herbs go in last and off the heat, since even a minute in a hot pan would wilt the mint and cilantro past the point of adding brightness. Served spooned into cold, crisp lettuce leaves with extra herbs and rice on the side, larb is meant to be eaten with your hands, folding the wrap closed just before each bite so the crunch stays intact.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 3 tbspraw jasmine rice
• 500 gground chicken thigh
• 3 tbspfish sauce
• 3 tbsplime juice
• 1 tbspdried chili flakes
• 2 tbspwater
• 4 wholeshallots, thinly sliced
• 3 stalkscallions, sliced
• 0.5 cupmint leaves
• 0.5 cupcilantro leaves
• 1 headbutter lettuce, leaves separated
• 1 tspsugar

Instructions

1. 1

   Toast the rice powder

   Toast raw rice in a dry skillet over medium heat, shaking often, until deep golden, 5-6 minutes. Cool, then grind coarsely in a spice grinder or mortar.

2. 2

   Cook the chicken

   Add ground chicken and water to a skillet over medium heat. Cook, breaking it into small pieces, until just cooked through, about 6-7 minutes.

3. 3

   Season while hot

   Off heat, immediately stir in fish sauce, lime juice, chili flakes, and sugar so the seasoning absorbs into the warm meat.

4. 4

   Add aromatics

   Stir in shallots and scallions, then let cool for 2-3 minutes so the fresh herbs won't wilt.

5. 5

   Finish and toss

   Fold in mint, cilantro, and toasted rice powder just before serving.

6. 6

   Wrap and serve

   Spoon into lettuce leaves and serve immediately with extra lime wedges.

Variations

• •

  Use ground pork or beef instead of chicken for larb moo or larb neua.

• •

  Make it vegetarian with finely chopped mushrooms sautéed until dry, seasoned the same way.

• •

  Serve over steamed sticky rice instead of lettuce for a heartier plate.

Storage

Refrigerate in an airtight container up to 2 days; the toasted rice powder softens over time, so add a fresh sprinkle before serving leftovers.

Frequently Asked Questions