Larb Gai
Zesty minced chicken salad with toasted rice powder, lime, mint, and chili.
Meat
⚠ Contains: Fish. Always check your own ingredients — this isn't a guarantee for severe allergies.
How this varies: Traditional Lao larb often incorporates offal (liver, tripe) or a splash of raw blood (larb leuad) for a richer, more savory version eaten at celebrations — the boneless-chicken-only version here is a legitimate, milder everyday variant. It's also distinct from Thai/Isaan larb, which typically skips the funky, fermented padaek in favor of plain fish sauce and often adds a touch of sugar.
Ingredients
- 500g ground chicken (or chicken thigh, hand-minced)
- 2 tbsp raw sticky rice, toasted and ground to a coarse powder (khao khua)
- 2 tbsp padaek (Lao fermented fish sauce), or fish sauce as a fallback substitute if padaek is unavailable
- 1 tbsp fish sauce (to round out seasoning alongside the padaek)
- 3 tbsp lime juice
- 1 tsp dried bird's eye chili, toasted and ground (or chili flakes)
- 1 tbsp galangal, finely minced
- 1 tsp kaffir lime leaf, finely chopped
- 2 shallots, thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup mint leaves
- 1/4 cup cilantro or Vietnamese coriander (rau ram), chopped
- 2 scallions, sliced
- Lettuce leaves, cucumber slices, and sticky rice, to serve
Steps
- Toast raw sticky rice in a dry pan over medium heat, stirring often, until deep golden and fragrant, then grind to a coarse powder (khao khua).
- Cook ground chicken in a dry pan (or with a splash of water) over medium heat until just done, breaking it up finely.
- Remove from heat and immediately toss with padaek, fish sauce, lime juice, galangal, and ground chili while still warm so the flavors absorb.
- Fold in shallots, kaffir lime leaf, mint, cilantro, and scallions.
- Sprinkle with toasted rice powder just before serving so it stays crisp rather than turning gummy.
- Serve with lettuce and cucumber for wrapping, and sticky rice on the side.