Chicken Larb

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Chicken Larb is what you order off the Thai restaurant menu when you know a little something about Thai food. It’s an insider favorite for a reason: it’s packed with bright, satisfying flavors and a prime example of how Southeast Asian cuisine really shines. 

The flavor profile of larb leans into fresh herbs, bright citrus, a touch of spice and a rich, umami flavor. If this dish is new to you, no worries. It’s surprisingly easy to recreate at home, especially if you have access to a well stocked Asian grocery store.

Feel Good Vibes

• Protein-rich chicken helps support lean muscle, steady energy and satiety.
• Cabbage and carrots bring fiber, which supports digestion, gut health and blood sugar balance.
• Primal blend adds nutrient-dense organ meat, including liver and heart, which are rich in iron, B vitamins, vitamin A and CoQ10.

Ingredient Substitutions

• No basmati rice? Sub jasmine.
• No coconut sugar? Turbinado, muscavado or light brown sugar
• No lime leaf? Sub a small amount of lime zest or lemongrass.
• No cilantro? Omit or sub culantro.
• No Thai basil? Sub regular basil.
• No tapioca starch? Sub arrowroot or cornstarch.
• No shallots? Sub yellow, white or red onion.
• No primal ground chicken blend? Sub regular ground chicken, turkey or pork.
• No cabbage? Sub shredded brussels sprouts.

Recipe Tips & FAQs

• When you pronounce “larb,” the “r” is silent. Rhymes with “bob,” sounds like “lahb.”
• A little larb history: Larb is often associated with Thai restaurants in the U.S., but its roots actually run through Laos and the Isan region of northeastern Thailand. 
• Toasted rice: think of this as more of a seasoning than a starch. It is meant to give a deep, nutty flavor and aroma to the dish as well as a crunchy texture.
• Anatomy of lemongrass: Lemongrass has 3 parts.
  • A very fibrous green top that’s best for infusions such as tea or stock.
  • A white, slightly less fibrous middle with colorful rings inside that’s best for chopping up and cooking.
  • A root end that is very hard to cut through and best used for stocks and infusions.
• Make sure to slice your shallots paper thin. That and coating them in starch will help get them nice and crispy.
• “Primal blend” refers to meat that has the liver and heart blended into it before grinding. It’s extremely nutritious and a great way to sneak some organ meat into your diet. I love the depth of flavor it brings.
• Fish sauce is like olive oil, not all are created equal. In my opinion, you have 2 real choices: Red Boat and Three Crabs. This dish relies heavily on fish sauce for its flavor, so make sure to reach for the good stuff.
• Specialty ingredients: If you’re in Atlanta, you can find most of the specialty ingredients for this recipe at Buford Highway Farmers Market, H Mart, Your DeKalb Farmers Market or other well-stocked Asian grocery stores.

Chicken Larb Serving Suggestions

• If you’re feeding a crowd, this Thai Steak Salad would pair really well.
• Vietnamese Spring Rolls would make a great appetizer.
• For dessert, I recommend keeping it simple with some fresh fruit tossed with honey, chopped mint and basil.

Storage and Shelf Life

Make Ahead: The toasted rice and the sauce can be made up to 2 days in advance. Store the sauce in the refrigerator. If you make the larb in advance, wait to add the dressing and herbs until you serve it.

Refrigerate: Can be refrigerated for up to 3 days in an airtight container.

Freezer: nope!

Reheat Instructions

Gently warm the ground chicken and veggies in a pan on low heat. It’s best served slightly warm to room temperature. Wait to add the sauce and herbs until you’re ready to serve the larb.

Final Thoughts

One of the great things about being a chef is getting to visit other restaurant kitchens to see how they work. It’s a great way to broaden your perspective and learn new techniques. 

Whenever I spend time in a Southeast Asian restaurant kitchen, I usually walk out thinking two things: 

1. I’ve got to start using more fresh herbs in my cooking.
2. I need to remember what a tiny touch of sweetness can do. It doesn’t make the dish taste sweet. It rounds out the acidity, umami and spice so everything feels more balanced. That little pinch of coconut sugar in this recipe is doing real work. There’s some serious alchemy going on there.

This Chicken Larb recipe is a great example of those two lessons, and an easy way for you to get more comfortable working with Southeast Asian flavors at home. 

Have you tried this recipe yet? If so, tell us how it turned out in the comments below. I hear that leaving positive comments on recipe websites is an easy way to bank some good karma. And don’t forget to sign up for the Everyday Alchemy newsletter here.