Larb Gai — Isaan Minced Chicken Salad with Toasted Rice
This Thai chicken larb recipe cooks minced chicken until just done, then tosses it while still warm with lime juice, fish sauce, chilli and toasted rice powder, and folds in shallots, mint, coriander and spring onion. It is a salad, not a stir-fry and not a curry: there is no coconut milk, no curry paste and no long simmer, which is what sets it apart from the Thai curries and pad kra pao already on this site. One serving is about 230 g.
Larb comes from Isaan, the Lao-speaking north-east of Thailand, and it is also the national dish of Laos, across the Mekong. It began as a way to stretch a little minced meat with herbs, lime and toasted rice — the rice powder, called khao khua, is the dish's signature, adding a nutty crunch no other Thai salad has. Chicken larb, or larb gai, is the most common home version, served with sticky rice and eaten by hand.
Pairs well with: Sticky rice, lettuce leaves and cucumber
Provenance
Thailand
Isaan Minced Salad
East & South Asia
Time Dedication
30m
20m prep • 10m cook
Batch Yield
4 Servings
250 kcal per serving
1 serving ≈ 230 g
Technical Skill
Easy
Easy (One Pan)
Meal Timing & Digestive Fit
Breakfast
Not Advised
Lunch
Prime Metabolic Fit
Dinner
Ideal Hearty Main
Snack & Tea
Inappropriate
Isaan Minced Salad
Photo: Alpha, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
The Heritage Formulary
Estimated cost: Low — about $3–4 per serving at home (USD)
Real larb is minced meat dressed off the heat with lime, fish sauce and coarse toasted rice powder — never a stir-fry sauce, and never made with curry paste.
Execution Methodology & Culinary Technique
Prep Stage: Toast the Rice, Chop the Herbs
20 Mins • Toasting Rice & Chopping Herbs
Toast the glutinous rice first: dry-toast it in a pan over medium heat, shaking often, until it turns pale golden and smells nutty, then grind it coarse in a mortar. While it cools, squeeze the limes, slice the shallots, tear the mint, chop the coriander and spring onions, and measure the fish sauce, chilli and sugar. Keep the chicken chilled until the pan is hot.
Maestro Tip: Grind the toasted rice coarse — fine powder disappears into the dressing, while coarse grains give larb its signature crunch.
5 Mins Medium heat, about 160°C (320°F)
Put the glutinous rice in a dry pan over medium heat and toast, shaking the pan often, for 4–5 minutes until pale golden and nutty-smelling. Tip into a mortar and grind coarse — you want sandy grains, not flour. Set aside.
Shake the pan constantly: the rice goes from golden to burnt in seconds if it sits still.
Done when: The rice is evenly golden and smells nutty, with a coarse, sandy texture.
8 Mins Medium-high heat; chicken cooked to 74°C (165°F)
Heat a dry wok or wide pan over medium-high heat. Add the chicken mince and cook, breaking it into small crumbs with a wooden spoon, for 6–8 minutes until every crumb is white through and steaming. Add a splash of water if the pan dries out. Take the pan off the heat.
Keep breaking the mince apart as it cooks — big lumps stay pink in the middle while the outside dries out.
Done when: Every crumb of chicken is white through with no pink left, and the pan is steaming hot.
2 Mins Off the heat
While the chicken is still warm, pour the lime juice and fish sauce over it, add the sugar and chilli flakes, and toss well. The warm chicken drinks up the dressing in seconds.
Taste now and adjust: larb should be sharp first, salty second, sweet last — add lime or fish sauce a teaspoon at a time.
Done when: The chicken glistens with dressing and tastes salty, sour and a little sweet all at once.
2 Mins Serve warm
Add the toasted rice powder and toss again, then fold in the shallots, mint, coriander and spring onions. Pile onto a plate with the lettuce leaves and cucumber on the side and serve warm.
Fold the herbs in last and serve at once — they wilt fast in the warm chicken.
Done when: The herbs are bright and fresh, the rice powder is scattered through the chicken, and the salad smells of lime and mint.
Finishing Touches & Plating
Serve larb warm, not hot, with sticky rice and crisp vegetables — eat it with your hands, scooping the chicken into lettuce leaves, the way it is eaten in Isaan.
Nutritional Physiology & Benefits
Energy
250
kcal / serving
Protein
24g
Complete AA
Carbs
16g
Complex
Fats
11g
Healthy
| Energy | 250 kcal |
| Protein | 24 g |
| Carbohydrates | 16 g |
| Fat | 11 g |
| Fibre | 2.0 g |
| Sugar | 4.5 g |
| Sodium | 809 mg |
| Energy | 108.5 kcal |
| Protein | 10.6 g |
| Carbohydrates | 6.7 g |
| Fat | 4.6 g |
| Fibre | 0.9 g |
| Sugar | 1.9 g |
| Sodium | 352 mg |
Nutrition values are estimated — calculated from USDA FoodData Central values for the listed ingredients.
Vitamins & minerals: Vitamin C and folate (herbs, lime, shallot), vitamin B6 and niacin (chicken), potassium (shallot, cucumber).
High in Protein
About 24 g of protein per serving from the chicken, which helps keep you full long after a light, salad-like lunch.
Fresh Herbs and Vitamin C
Fresh mint, coriander and shallots add vitamin C and folate, and the lime juice helps the body absorb iron from the chicken.
Light but Filling
Light, warm and brightly flavoured, larb is the kind of lunch that leaves you satisfied without feeling heavy.
Food Pairings
To optimize nutrient absorption and elevate the sensory depth, pair with these authentic accompaniments:
Sides
Sticky Rice
Sticky rice is the classic larb partner — its mild, chewy sweetness soaks up the sharp lime and fish-sauce dressing and tames the chilli.
Vegetables
Lettuce Leaves
Crisp lettuce leaves are the spoon: scoop the warm chicken into a leaf and eat it by hand, the cool crunch balancing the warm, spicy mince.
Cucumber
Cool cucumber rounds refresh the palate between bites of chilli and lime, and add crunch to a salad that is otherwise soft.
Drinks
Thai Iced Tea
Sweet, milky Thai iced tea cools the chilli heat and matches the salad's bright, sharp flavours.
Full Menus
As an Isaan Table
Serve the larb as part of an Isaan table with sticky rice, som tam and a clear soup — a spread of small, sharp, fresh dishes to share.
Complete menu
Serve the larb with sticky rice, cucumber and lettuce leaves, with a cold Thai iced tea to drink.
Digestive Guardrails
To prevent digestive distress, sluggishness, or palate clash, avoid pairing the dish with these elements:
Undercooked Minced Chicken
Raw or undercooked minced chicken carries a real risk of food poisoning, because grinding spreads bacteria through the meat. Cook it until every crumb is white through and steaming hot, to 74°C (165°F). This is general guidance, not medical advice.
Boiling the Lime and Herbs
Larb is dressed off the heat, after the chicken is cooked — boiling the lime juice and herbs in the pan dulls their fresh flavour and turns the herbs dark. Add them after the pan comes off the heat.
General information only, not medical advice — consult a doctor for personal dietary decisions.
Who Should Eat It
Health Conditions — Adjust or Avoid
If you have a medical condition, consult your doctor before changing your diet.
Storage & Use
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