The first time I had Chicken Larb (Larb Gai) was in Vang Vieng , a small town in Laos. Laos is a really gorgeous and green country, full of mountains, rivers, temples and tons of natural beauty. I was backpacking with my then partner now husband and we had spent the day Tubing.
Tubing is an activity where you get taken to the top of a river in a truck and then float all the way down on a rubber tube. Along the way there are different bars built along the banks of the river and when you fancy a break from your gentle floating, you simply raise up an arm and a worker from a bar will hold out a long thin stick that you can grab onto. They will then pull you in from the river so you can have a beer in the sun.
Tubing can take half an hour or an entire day depending on how thirsty you get along the way. It took us an entire day😉and was a truly magnificent experience I would recommend to anyone travelling to the gorgeous country of Laos.
Anyway back to Larb! I hadn’t heard of larb before I got to Laos, it is apparently popular in Thailand as well but I never saw it on my travels there. It is the perfect dish to eat in a hot and humid climate. Light, refreshing, spicy and full of aromatic herbs, plus its also really good for you and light on the calories so you don’t need to feel any guilt when you are enjoying this delicious dish.
Ingredients in a Chicken Larb Recipe
There are not many ingredients that go into this healthy chicken larb recipe. I have kept it quite traditional aside from the use of cornflour. In a traditional chicken larb recipe (larb gai) instead of corn flour you would use a rice powder. This is made by dry roasting glutenous rice and then pounding it into a powder usually in a mortar and pestle. I have made this the traditional way before however as I usually make this as a mid week meal when I don’t have a lot of time, I tend to not bother with the rice powder. Instead I substitute the traditional rice powder for corn flour as the purpose of the rice powder is to thicken the sauce and I find that corn flour is quick, easy and does just as good a job.
Ingredients you need to make a Chicken Larb
- Chicken mince
- Palm sugar (or brown sugar)
- Fish sauce
- Lime juice
- Corn flour
- Peanut oil
- Shallot
- Lemongrass (fresh or paste)
- Garlic
- Ginger
- Birdseye chilli
- Green Onion (scallions)
- Coriander (cilantro)
- Mint
- Crunchy vegetables to serve (we have used cucumber, cabbage and carrot)
Variations
The reason I love this dish so much aside from the fact that it’s easy, quick, nutritious and super yummy is that it is also very flexible. As long as you keep the herbs, spices and seasonings the same you can experiment with many different varieties and substitute different proteins and vegetables.
Substitutes for chicken mince
- Turkey mince
- Beef mince
- Crumbled Tofu
- Duck
- Fish
- Prawns
Substitutes for crunchy vegetables
- Cos or iceberg lettuce
- Sugar snap peas
- Capsicum (bell peppers)
- Thinly sliced radish
- Celery
Final Thoughts
If you are after an easy dish, that is quick to prepare and really good for you, look no further. Chicken Larb is bursting with vibrant flavours! This dish is a tantalizing blend of minced chicken, fresh herbs, zesty lime juice, and fiery chilli. If you’re craving something bold and flavourful, you’re in for a treat! Give this savoury and aromatic salad a try at home and bring the distinct flavours of South East Asia to your own dinner table in under 15 minutes.
Happy Cooking!
Chicken Larb (Larb Gai)
Equipment
- 1 wok or large fry pan (skillet)
Ingredients
Sauce/ Dressing
- 1 tbsp palm sugar
- 3 tbsp fish sauce
- 3 tbsp lime juice (fresh)
- 1 tbsp corn flour
Chicken Larb
- 1 tbsp peanut oil
- 1 shallot (finely sliced)
- 1 tbsp lemongrass paste
- 3 garlic cloves (minced)
- 1 tbsp ginger (minced)
- 800 grams chicken mince
- 2 birds eye chilli
- 2 tbsp green onion (finely sliced)
- ½ cup coriander (cilantro) (leaves picked)
- ⅓ mint (leaves picked)
Crunchy vegetables for serving
- ¼ purple cabbage (finely shredded)
- 1 carrot (julienne)
- 1 cucumber (core removed and then cut into thin slices)
Instructions
- Combine all sauce ingredients in a small bowl and stir until corn flour has dissolved then set aside.
- Heat peanut oil in a wok over medium/high heat then add shallot and stir fry for 1 minute. Add lemongrass, ginger and garlic and fry for 30 seconds.
- Next add the chicken mince to the wok and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, use a wooden spoon to break up the mince ensuring there are no big lumps.
- Once the mince is cooked through and starting to brown, add the sauce/ dressing, half the green onions and the chilli and cook for 1 minute to let the flavours of the sauce develop.
- Turn the heat off, then add the mint and coriander and stir through to combine.
- Serve on a plate, sprinkled with remaining green onions (scallions), crunchy vegetables on the side and a lime wedge.
Video
Nutrition
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Made this one last night, so fresh and delicious