Thai Chicken Larb
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.
Servings 4
Calories 266kcal
Ingredients
- 1 1 /2 tablespoons cooking oil
- 1 pound ground chicken breast (I prefer thighs)
- 1 4 ounce can water chestnuts chopped
- 2 tablespoon shallots diced
- ¼ tablespoon red onion diced
- 1 clove garlic very finely minced
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh chiles Jalapeño or Fresno (amount is up to your level of spiciness)
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- ½ tablespoon lime juice
- 1 teaspoon low-sodium soy sauce
- 1 head butter lettuce leaves separated into cups
- 1 handful of cilantro and/or mint chiffonade-cut
- roasted Marcona almonds or peanuts finely chopped, for serving (optional)
- scallions chopped, for serving (optional)
- lime wedges for serving (optional)
Instructions
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
Notes
If you just can't get on board with the fish sauce, substitute it with 2 parts regular sodium soy sauce and 1 part lime juice, which would make a great vegetarian option if you subbed the chicken for extra firm tofu.