Larb Gai

Larb Gai is a Northeastern Thai (Isaan) minced chicken salad tossed with toasted rice powder, fresh herbs, and a punchy lime-fish sauce dressing that hits sour, salty, and spicy all at once. It's served warm or at room temperature with sticky rice and raw vegetables for scooping.

By YumYum Editorial · Thai

Prep: 20 min · Cook: 10 min · Total: 30 min · Serves 4

Ingredients

• 1 lb ground chicken thigh
• 1/4 cup chicken stock or water
• 1/4 cup lime juice
• 3 tbsp fish sauce
• 1 tbsp palm sugar
• 2 tbsp toasted rice powder (khao khua)
• 1/2 tsp dried Thai chile flakes (or to taste)
• 4 shallots, thinly sliced
• 3 scallions, thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup mint leaves, torn
• 1/4 cup cilantro leaves, chopped
• to taste lettuce leaves and raw green beans, for serving
• to taste sticky rice, to serve

Instructions

1. Heat chicken stock in a skillet or pot over medium heat until simmering.
2. Add ground chicken and cook, breaking it into small crumbles with a spatula, until just cooked through, about 5-6 minutes — do not brown.
3. Remove from heat and let cool slightly for 2-3 minutes so the herbs won't wilt instantly.
4. Whisk together lime juice, fish sauce, and palm sugar in a large bowl until the sugar dissolves.
5. Add the warm chicken and any cooking liquid to the dressing, tossing to coat.
6. Stir in toasted rice powder and chile flakes, mixing thoroughly.
7. Fold in shallots, scallions, mint, and cilantro just before serving to keep them bright and fresh.
8. Taste and adjust with more lime for sourness, fish sauce for salt, or chile for heat.
9. Serve warm alongside lettuce leaves, raw green beans, and sticky rice.