Chicken Larb Gai
There’s something truly magical about Southeast Asian food, and even beyond the Vietnamese food I grew up with, I would say that region produces my favorite type of food. The flavors are bold, vibrant, and unapologetically layered—sweet, salty, sour, spicy, and everything in between. Now, one of my absolute favorite dishes from this part of
- Prep time
- 20 min
- Cook time
- 10 min
- Yield
- 4 servings
- Difficulty
- MEDIUM
Ingredients
Quantities are shown as originally provided.
- 1 lb Ground Chicken, Dark Meat
- 1 tbsp Oil
- 1/4 cup Water
- 1/8 tsp Salt
- 2 tbsp Fish Sauce
- 2 Limes, Juice
- 1 tsp Sugar
- 1 tbsp Minced Garlic
- 1 tbsp Crushed Dried Chili
- 2 tbsp Sticky Rice
- 3 Kaffir Lime Leaves
- 2 tbsp Toasted Rice Powder
- 2 Small Shallots
- Mint
- Cilantro
- Green Onion
- Lettuce
- Cabbage
- Cucumbers
- Sticky Rice
Instructions
- 1
Prep work:
- 2
Thinly cut shallots along the grain into thin strips. (Optionally, soak the shallots in cold water for 5 minutes, then drain to reduce the raw bite)
- 3
Remove mint leaves from the stems. Finely chop up green onions and cilantro
- 4
Make the Toasted Rice Powder:
- 5
In a dry pan over medium heat, toast two tablespoons of sticky rice with 2–3 kaffir lime leaves. Stir frequently and toast until the rice is golden brown and fragrant (about 5–7 minutes)
- 6
Remove from heat, discard the lime leaves, and grind the toasted rice into a coarse powder using a mortar and pestle or spice grinder. Set aside
- 7
Cook the Ground Chicken:
- 8
Heat one tablespoon of oil in a skillet over medium heat
- 9
Add a pound of ground chicken and cook gently. Break up the chicken, then add water and season with a pinch of salt. Cook until fully cooked through and no longer pink, about 5–7 minutes. Allow any excess liquid to reduce and evaporate; otherwise, discard it. Remove the chicken from the heat to let cool
- 10
Prepare the Sauce:
- 11
In a small bowl, mix together two tablespoons of fish sauce, the juice of two limes, a teaspoon of sugar, a tablespoon of minced garlic, and a tablespoon of crushed dried chili
- 12
Stir until the sugar is dissolved
- 13
Put it all together:
- 14
Add cooked ground chicken to a mixing bowl. Add in thinly sliced shallots, green onions, cilantro, and mint
- 15
Pour over sauce and mix well. Then add in toasted rice powder and gently toss to combine
- 16
Serve:
- 17
Plate the larb with fresh lettuce, cabbage leaves, cucumber slices, and sticky rice on the side
- 18
Serve at room temperature and enjoy!