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Thai Chicken Larb (laab gai) is a fresh and zesty meat salad from the Isaan region of Thailand (near Laos). Juicy ground chicken, tons of fresh herbs, toasted rice powder, fried shallots, and a bold lime-chili dressing make for a mouthwatering meal ready in just 30 minutes.
My Lao-style recipe uses accessible ingredients and loads of fresh vegetables. You’ll learn how to make authentic larb, with tips for prepping ahead and serving it like a local. Try my ground pork Thai larb (larb moo), beef larb, and mushroom larb, too!
Table of Contents
Inside this recipe with ChihYu
Every time I visit Thailand, I make it a mission to try larb from different regions. Not just because I love it, but because I want to bring back the most authentic flavors to share with you.
I’ve tasted larb everywhere—from high-end hotels to street food vendors, from Chiang Mai to Bangkok. But the most unforgettable experience was during a special collaboration with PBS.
I had the chance to interview Chef Soulayphet “Phet” Schwade, former owner of Khe-Yo in NYC, and watching him make authentic Laotian Laab right in front of me was eye-opening.
And today, this Thai chicken larb recipe is as close to what you’d find in a Thai home—bold, fresh, and packed with authentic flavors.
Main Ingredient Notes
While this dish is bursting with exotic Thai flavors, larb ingredients are quite simple and accessible. Don’t be intimidated by toasted sticky rice powder—it’s incredibly easy to make and essential for authentic laab!
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Toasted rice powder
This is a must-have ingredient for real Thai larb. It adds a toasty, nutty flavor, a light crunch, and helps absorb the dressing for extra flavor in every bite. Buy raw, uncooked glutinous rice and toast it yourself for the best taste. You can sometimes find pre-ground versions at Thai or Asian grocery stores, but fresh homemade khao khua is always better!
Ground chicken
For the best texture and flavor, use all dark meat or a 50/50 mix of white and dark meat. All breast meat will be too dry. Before cooking, we season the chicken with lime juice, a dash of ground white pepper, and coarse sea salt to enhance its flavor.
Herbs and Seasonings
This salad is loaded with fresh herbs like shallots, green scallions, mint leaves, and cilantro. It’s seasoned with a simple dressing of fresh lime juice, fish sauce, and Thai bird’s eye chili powder for classic Thai spice. Substitutions: In Thailand, they use culantro in place of cilantro, but that is usually hard to find in the West. If you can’t have fish sauce, use vegan fish sauce instead.
Serving
Garnish your salad with fried shallots for added crunch and flavor. Larb is typically served with sticky rice, which is used to scoop up the larb with your hands and soak up excess sauce. Lettuce leaves are commonly served on the side so you can make Thai lettuce wraps—so fun and delicious!
Tip
Notes on the chicken mince: In authentic Thai larb gai, the chicken is hand-minced for a coarser texture and a bit more chew. If you want to try it at home, use skinless, boneless chicken thighs.
How to make chicken larb
This larb salad recipe is ready in 30 minutes and requires very little cooking—making it ideal for the summer months. Dry roasting the khao khua takes about 15 minutes. Let that cool while you chop your herbs and quickly pan-fry the chicken. Assembly is a breeze!
- Toasted Rice Powder (Khao Khua): It’s so easy to make! Dry roast the raw rice powder in a hot pan until it turns golden brown. Set aside to let cool and then pulse it in a spice grinder or coffee grinder (or grind with a mortar and pestle) until it’s a coarse powder.
- Prepare the Herbs: The fresh, aromatic flavors and textures from the herbs are what make this dish—don’t skip them! Dice them all raw and set aside while you season and cook the chicken.
- Cook the Chicken: After seasoning with lime juice, salt, and white pepper, we will pan-fry the chicken. For this recipe, we are not trying to brown or crisp up the chicken too much—cook it over a medium-high heat just until cooked through, so it maintains its moisture. Keep the extra juices in the pan—this adds so much flavor to the salad and helps bind it all together.
- Combine and Season: Add the shallots to the chicken while the skillet is still hot so they become fragrant. Season the meat with fish sauce, lime juice, and chilli. Turn off the heat and then add the fresh herbs, tossing to combine. Be sure to taste and adjust the seasonings!
- To Serve: Larb is generally served at room temperature, so let it cool down for a few minutes before serving. Garnish with crispy shallots and the toasted rice powder and serve with lettuce leaves and sticky rice on the side.
How to serve and eat Chicken larb salad
To enjoy your minced chicken laab like a local, serve it up with some sticky rice, fresh veggies, and a light soup on the side—extra points if you have Thai spicy sauce on the table!
- Rice Options: Keep things quick and easy with some microwave sticky rice, or check out my post on how to cook sticky rice in a rice cooker. Shirataki rice is a great low-carb alternative.
- Sauce on the Side: If you’ve been to Thailand or eaten in a Thai restaurant, you know there’s always Thai dipping sauce (nam jim jaew) on the table to spice things up to your liking!
- Light Soups: According to Chef Phet, light soups are a common and perfect pairing for this refreshing salad. Try it with my daikon soup or this Chinese pork rib soup with daikon.
ChihYu’s helpful tips
- Don’t Skip the Toasted Rice Powder! It’s so easy to make and adds a signature crunch and flavor to this dish. Add them with the fried shallots right before serving so they don’t get soggy.
- Use Dark Meat Chicken or a 50/50 mix of white meat and dark meat. For a truly Thai cooking experience, you can buy whole thighs and try mincing it yourself!
- Adjust to Your Tastes: Thai cooking is less about measurements and more about bringing bold flavors into balance. Use the recipe as a guide, but have fun Like it more tangy? Add extra lime. Spice it up “Thai style” with added chilli powder if you like heat. Make it your own!
- Make-ahead: Prep the rice powder and veggies ahead of time. It’s best to combine the larb salad right before you serve it. This keeps the herbs fresh and the garnishes crunchy for a perfect bite.
- Storage & Serving Again: Store the toasted rice powder separately from the salad for the best texture. Refrigerate for up to 3 days, and enjoy it at room temperature—no reheating needed!
More Thai recipes you might like
I hope you loved the bold, fresh flavors of this chicken larb salad recipe! For more easy and delicious Thai cuisine at home, give these popular Thai food recipes a try!
- Thai beef salad (Nam tok neua)—spicy, low-carb, and ready in minutes!
- Thai basil chicken—A classic Thai stir-fry with ground chicken.
- Thai basil beef—With tender beef and crisp bell peppers.
- Pad woon sen—A true glass noodle stir-fry with chicken, shrimp, and veggies.
Thai chicken larb recipe
Ingredients
Thai toasted rice powder:
- 0.5 cup Thai glutinous white rice sticky rice, raw and uncooked
Larb gai:
- 1 lb. ground chicken 50% breast; 50% dark meat
- 1 tbsp lime juice
- ⅛ tsp ground white pepper or black pepper
- ½ tsp coarse sea salt
- 1.5 tbsp avocado oil
Other:
- 2.5 oz. chopped shallots about 1-2 large shallots
- 1.5 tbsp fish sauce
- Half one whole lime juice plus more for serving
- 0.5 to 1 tsp Thai bird’s eye chili powder or dry chili flakes
- ½ cup chopped cilantro
- 20 sprig mint leaves roughly chopped
- 3-4 bulb green onions chopped
To serve:
- Sticky rice
- Crispy fried shallot optional
- Butter lettuce wraps or salad greens of choice
Instructions
- Toasted rice powder: In a medium size cast iron or stainless steel pan, add the rice grains and dry roast them over medium heat until the grains turn into golden brown color, about 15 minutes, shaking the pan occasionally for even toasting. Let the toasted grains cool to room temperature. Transfer the cooled grains into a spice or coffee grinder and pulse a few times until coarsely ground.
- Prepare herbs: Prepare shallots, cilantro, mint leaves, and scallions. Set each ingredient aside separately over a large plate and ready to use. In a large bowl, season the ground chicken with lime juice, pepper, and salt.
- Cook: Heat oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add the meat and cook for 8-10 minutes, breaking it into fine bits as it cooks. As the meat releases moisture, avoid evaporating all of it to keep the meat moist, ensuring a bit of liquid remains in the pan. Once cooked and with some moisture still in the pan, turn off the heat
- Season: While the skillet is still hot, add shallots, stir and use the remaining warmth to bring out the fragrance. Season the meat with fish sauce, lime juice, and chili powder, and lastly add cilantro, mint leaves, and scallions. Toss and taste to adjust the dish to your personal preference (more lime, fish sauce, or chili powder).
- Serve: Transfer the laab to a large serving plate. Let it sit at room temperature for 5 minutes to allow the flavor to develop then sprinkle in the toasted sticky rice, 1-2 tbsp a time until your desired level, and crispy shallots (if using). Serve with sticky rice and lettuce wraps on the side. Serve at room temperature.
Notes
- Use ground chicken. Mix 50% breast meat with 50% thigh meat to keep the dish from getting too dry.
- Fish sauce substitute: If you can’t have fish sauce (made from anchovy + sea salt), try vegan fish sauce. Soy sauce is not recommended as it changes the original flavor of Thai larb.
- Make-ahead: Make the toasted sticky rice ahead. Rinse and chop the herbs, then store them separately.
- Storage & Serving Again: Keep the toasted sticky rice powder separate from the meat salad. Store in the fridge for up to 3 days. Serve at room temperature—no need to reheat!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This is delicious! Made it 3 times recently, and DH is asking for more. It’s also quick and easy. Thanks, ChihYu!
Thank you, Kathleen!