Thai Larb Gai

when i say i’m craving thai food, i want larb gai salad as my appetizer 🌿🌶️ ground chicken tossed in fish sauce and lime dressing, loaded with fresh herbs, shallot, chili, and toasted rice powder. serve it with lettuce cups and a side of rice for a full weeknight meal. 🫶

Ingredients

Toasted rice powder

• 2 tbsp uncooked jasmine rice

• 1 makrut lime leaf, optional but highly recommended

Larb gai

• 1/2lb ground chicken, preferably dark meat

• 2 tbsp chicken stock

• 1 tbsp + 2 tsp fish sauce

• 1 shallot, thinly sliced

• 2 tbsp fresh lime juice

• 1–2 birds eye chili, thinly sliced

• 2–3 tbsp toasted rice powder (from above)

• 1 green onion, chopped

• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro

• 1/3 cup fresh mint leaves, roughly torn

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Serves 2-3

Prep time ~15mins

Cook time ~15mins

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Cooking Instructions

WASH YOUR VEGGIES

• Wash and prep your cilantro, mint, and green onions!

Make the toasted rice powder

• In a dry skillet, add the jasmine rice and makrut lime leaf. Toast over high heat, stirring constantly, until the rice turns a deep dark brown — not golden, you want it properly dark.

• Transfer to a mortar and pestle or spice grinder and grind to a coarse powder. Don't over-grind — you still want a little grit, not flour. Set aside.

Prep and cook the chicken

• In a food processor, mince chicken thighs to make dark meat ground chicken — you can totally skip this and buy ground chicken from the store.

• In a wide pan or skillet, add the chicken stock and bring to a simmer. Add ground chicken and 1 tsp of the fish sauce.

• Cook, stirring constantly and breaking up any lumps, just until the chicken is cooked through. Remove from heat.

Season and toss

• While still warm, add the sliced shallot and stir to wilt slightly.

• Add the remaining fish sauce, lime juice, birds eye chili, and 2 tbsp of the toasted rice powder. Stir well to combine.

• Taste and adjust — more lime for brightness, more fish sauce for salt, more rice powder to mellow the acidity.

• Add green onion and cilantro and toss to combine.

Plate and serve

• Transfer to a serving bowl and scatter fresh mint on top — don't stir it in or it will turn black from the heat.

• Serve with lettuce cups as a app or with a side of rice for a full meal.

Tips & Notes

• Dark meat ground chicken keeps it juicy — lean ground chicken works as well.

• If you don’t have chicken stock — sub with water.

• Don't add the mint to the pan — always sprinkle it on top right before serving so it stays bright green.

• If making ahead, don't add the rice powder or fresh herbs until just before serving — the rice powder will absorb the dressing and the herbs will wilt.

• Makrut lime leaf can be found at any Asian grocery store — however i didn’t have it, next time!

• Adjust chili flakes to your heat tolerance 🌶️