This vibrant Thai-Laotian minced meat salad delivers explosive flavors with a perfect balance of spicy, sour, and savory notes. Served with crisp lettuce leaves and fresh herbs, larb is an irresistible appetizer or light main course that's authentically aromatic and incredibly easy to prepare.
⏱️40 min
📊Easy
👥4 servings
🍽️Main
meatspicyquickbudget-friendly
Ingredients
500 gground pork or chicken
4 tablespoonsfresh lime juice
3 tablespoonsfish sauce
2 piecesThai bird's eye chilies
3 piecesshallots
1 cupfresh cilantro
0.75 cupfresh mint leaves
3 tablespoonstoasted sticky rice powder
3 piecesgreen onions
8 leavesbutter lettuce or romaine leaves
Instructions
1TOAST THE RICE POWDER: In a dry skillet over medium heat, toast 3 tablespoons of sticky rice (glutinous rice) for 3-4 minutes, stirring constantly until golden brown and fragrant. Transfer to a mortar and grind coarsely into a powder using a pestle, creating a textured mixture rather than a fine flour. This step adds authentic flavor and a subtle nutty aroma that's essential to traditional larb. Set aside and allow to cool slightly.
2PREPARE THE AROMATICS: Mince 3 shallots and 2 Thai bird's eye chilies into very fine pieces, removing some seeds from the chilies if you prefer less heat. Finely chop 3 green onions, separating the white and green parts. Roughly chop 1 cup of fresh cilantro and 0.75 cup of fresh mint leaves, keeping them separate as they'll be added at different stages. The finer you mince these aromatics, the better they'll distribute their flavors throughout the dish.
3COOK THE MEAT: Heat a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat without adding oil. Add 500g of ground pork or chicken and cook for 8-10 minutes, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon or spatula as it cooks, until it's completely cooked through with no pink remaining and begins to lightly brown. The meat should be finely separated into small pieces rather than large chunks. Drain off excess fat if necessary, leaving just a light coating in the pan.
4COMBINE WITH AROMATICS: Add the minced shallots and white parts of green onions to the cooked meat, stirring continuously for 1-2 minutes until fragrant and slightly softened. The residual heat from the meat will gently cook these aromatics while releasing their essential oils. Add the minced chilies and stir well to distribute evenly throughout the meat mixture, creating a cohesive blend of flavors.
5SEASON THE LARB: Remove the skillet from heat and immediately add 4 tablespoons fresh lime juice and 3 tablespoons fish sauce, stirring thoroughly to combine. The heat will help distribute these flavors, and the lime juice's acidity will balance the umami from the fish sauce. Add the toasted sticky rice powder and stir for 1-2 minutes until evenly incorporated, giving the larb its characteristic texture and helping to absorb excess moisture. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
6FINISH AND SERVE: Gently fold in most of the fresh cilantro and mint leaves (reserving some for garnish) and the green parts of the green onions, mixing gently to combine while keeping the herbs vibrant and fresh-looking. Transfer the larb to a serving platter and arrange the crisp butter lettuce or romaine leaves around the edges. Garnish with remaining fresh herbs and a few sliced red chilies for color. Serve immediately while still warm, allowing guests to create their own wraps by placing spoonfuls of larb onto lettuce leaves.