This Thai chicken larb is light but filling, loaded with zingy fresh flavor, and takes only 20 minutes to make, for an appetizer or served with rice as a main meal.
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After two trips to Thailand, I am a devout Thai food lover and I crave these bright, bold flavors all of the time. That’s why you’ll find a treasure trove of beloved Thai recipes on my blog, like my Thai turkey meatballs in coconut red curry sauce, Pad Thai, and my Thai garlic and black pepper tofu with mushrooms. But it’s chicken larb that’s one of my all-time favorite Thai dishes. Because of its fresh flavors and simple ingredients, this classic Thai dish is light, bright, and totally satisfying. Minced chicken gets the Thai zing with onion, garlic, chiles, fish sauce, soy, and fresh lime—the key to this larb’s amazing flavor. The dish is brightened up with plenty of fresh chopped cilantro and mint with the crunch of chopped peanuts. Don’t be timid about the fish sauce—the salty umami it imparts helps make the dish. Serve it the Thai way with spoonfuls wrapped in lettuce leaves or with fresh steamed rice. Even more, this recipe is incredibly easy and comes together in just 20 minutes, and is one of the best things you’ll ever put into your mouth.
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What’s In This Thai Chicken Larb Recipe
This authentic Thai larb recipe comes from Jaden Hair of Steamy Kitchen and her cookbook Steamy Kitchen’s Healthy Asian Favorites. I made just a couple of tweaks to Jaden’s original recipe, like swapping ground chicken thighs (more fat, more flavor) for ground chicken breast. But you can use either. Jaden’s original recipe also calls for iceberg lettuce leaves, but I prefer the smoother envelope that butter lettuce provides.
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Here’s what you’ll need to make this larb recipe:
- Cooking oil (neutral flavored—you could use canola or avocado oil)
- Ground chicken breast (I prefer thighs for more flavor)
- Canned water chestnuts
- Shallots
- Red onion
- Garlic
- Fresh chiles (jalapeños or Fresno)
- Fish sauce—(if you don’t want to use fish sauce, substitute it with 2 parts regular sodium soy sauce and 1 part lime juice)
- Lime (you’ll use the juice in the larb, but I also like serving these wraps with lime wedges)
- Low-sodium soy sauce
- Butter lettuce
- Fresh herbs—cilantro and mint are a winning combo here, but Thai basil would also be delish
- Ground peanuts or Marcona almonds (optional), but they’re a great sprinkle to the individual wraps if you’re into adding a little crunch
- Scallions (I added these as a garnish)
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How to Make Thai Larb
ThisThai chicken larb couldn’t be easier to make. After washing and prepping your veggies, all you have to do is cook in a skillet for about 5 minutes. Here’s how to make them:
- Brown the chicken. Heat a wok or large sauté pan over high heat. When hot, swirl in 1 tablespoon of the oil and add the chicken. Use your spatula to break up the meat and spread it out over the surface of the pan. cook until browned, about 3 minutes.
- Add the aromatics. Push the ground chicken to one side of the pan and swirl in the remaining ½ tablespoon of oil. To the oil, add the shallots, red onion, garlic, and fresh chiles and sauté the aromatics until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the fish sauce, lime juice, and soy sauce.
- Serve it up: Spoon the larb filling into your lettuce cups and top with herbs, chopped nuts (if using), and scallions (if using), and serve with lime wedges.
- Tip: Should find yourself with any leftovers, the chicken larb filling is also crazy good in scrambled eggs the next morning, (just trust).
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What Kind of Lettuce is Good for Lettuce Wraps
I prefer butter lettuce because it’s smoother and helps cup the filling well. I recommend doubling up on your leaves to better support the filling. You could also use romaine or iceberg lettuce for more crunch.
