Chicken Larb - Laotian Style

Chicken Larb (Laotian Chicken and Herb Salad)

Light, healthy, and full of flavor—nothing can beat chicken larb for a simple but elegant meal with friends on a warm summer evening. This version is easy to make and the ingredients can be found in almost any grocery store.

Use only fresh, blemish-free herbs. Chop and slice them by hand, because a food processor will bruise them. Loosely pack the herbs into the measuring cup. Although you can use ground chicken or turkey, chopping the meat yourself gives the dish a finer, more desirable texture.

If possible get the baby lettuce and stack it into the more sturdy romaine leaves.

Ingredients

2 whole boneless chicken breasts or 3 pounds ground chicken or turkey
Juice of 2 large limes, plus 1 lime for garnish
2 tablespoons rice wine
2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
1 stalk minced lemongrass, (tough outer leaves, root, and top several inches removed before mincing-optional)
3 teaspoons grated lemon peel
2 small hot chili peppers, minced, or 1 teaspoon crushed chili flakes
3 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
3 tablespoons Toasted Sticky Rice Flour
1 chicken bouillon cube
1 heaping cup chopped fresh mint
1 heaping cup chopped cilantro
Several additional stems of mint and cilantro, for garnish
1 bunch green onions, green part chopped, white part sliced diagonally
1/2 cup chopped Thai basil
1 large head romaine lettuce
3 heads baby lettuce, can be any variety
1/2 c chopped red onion

Instructions

On a large, clean chopping board, chop the chicken with a heavy knife or cleaver. As you chop the chicken, fold it over on itself. Continue to fold and chop until the meat is very finely chopped. Put the meat in a large bowl and squeeze the lime juice over it. Add the rice wine. Cook the chicken mixture in a nonstick skillet (don't use any oil) over medium-high heat, tossing and stirring constantly just until the meat turns white.
Return the mixture with any accumulated juice to the bowl and allow it to cool to room temperature. While the chicken cools, prepare the fresh herbs. Add the ginger (or galanga), lemongrass, lemon peel, chili peppers (or crushed chili flakes), garlic, fish sauce, salt, white pepper, and rice flour to the cooled mixture.
Break apart the chicken bouillon cube and sprinkle it on top. Toss the ingredients together until they are well mixed. Then add the mint, cilantro, green onions, and Thai basil. Gently toss everything together.
Break lettuce leaves away from the head, and wash and dry them.
Stack the a couple smaller more tender baby lettuce leaves onto a larger romaine leaf. Making several stacks at a time.
Scoop several spoon fulls larb onto each stack of lettuce leaf and arrange on a large platter.
Garnish with mint and cilantro sprigs and wedges of lime.
Serve with Sriracha, oyster sauce or sweet chili sauce as a condiment.
Pick up a lettuce leaf and roll it up to eat like a taco.

Adopted from Splendid Table

Urban Cowgill Sept 2016 (updated 2024)