Chicken Larb
Whip up Thai Chicken Larb in under 30 minutes! Chicken, garlic, ginger, lime, and fresh herbs come together for a flavor-packed dish. Serve over coconut lime rice or in lettuce wraps for a family favorite!
Servings: 4 servings
Cost: $12.37
Equipment
Ingredients
Chicken Larb
- 1-1/2 tablespoons coconut oil can use olive oil
- 2 teaspoons finely minced garlic 2 cloves
- 1 tablespoon minced ginger 1-inch piece
- 1 cup thinly sliced green onions white and green parts; 4 to 6 onions
- 1 pound ground chicken darker meat will be more tender and flavorful
Quick Sauce
Toppings
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh mint see note 2
- 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
- 1/4 cup chopped basil
- 3 Persian cucumbers or 1 English cucumber
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 lime
Coconut Lime Rice (optional)
- 1 cup basmati rice
- 1-1/2 cups coconut milk
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 large lime plus more optional lime wedges for serving
- Lettuce leaves optional, for serving
Instructions
- Cook rice first (if making): Combine basmati rice, full-fat coconut milk, 1/2 cup water, and 1/2 teaspoon salt (or to taste). Stir and place over high heat. Once boiling, reduce heat to low and cover the rice. Allow to simmer 13–18 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat, keep covered, and let stand 10–15 minutes; don’t rush or it will be sticky! Fluff the rice with a fork, then zest and juice lime to get 1 teaspoon zest and 2 tablespoons juice; add in. Stir and evenly divide onto plates.
- In a small bowl, whip together the sauce ingredients: add soy sauce, 1 teaspoon lime zest, 2 tablespoons lime juice, Sambal Oelek (see note 1), brown sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon salt (or to taste; it will depend on the saltiness of the soy sauce, but ground chicken needs a good amount of seasoning). Stir to combine.
- Prep toppings: Thinly slice Persian cucumbers and place in a medium bowl. Add rice vinegar, olive oil, 1 tablespoon lime juice, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Stir and give the mixture a few more stirs while cooking the chicken. Give the herbs a quick coarse chop and place in a bowl (see note 2).
- Prepare the meat portion: Add coconut oil to a large, cast-iron pan and melt over medium-high heat. Once shimmering, add minced garlic, minced ginger, and thinly sliced green onions. Sauté 3–4 minutes or until fragrant and tender. Add ground chicken. Break up the ground chicken with a wooden spoon so there are no large clumps. Sauté 7–9 minutes (breaking up/stirring almost constantly) or until mostly cooked through and white all over. Drain any accumulated liquid and return to medium-high heat. Pour the prepared sauce over the chicken and cook another 2–3 minutes or until chicken is fully cooked (no pink remains) and the sauce coats everything. Remove from heat.
- Serve appetizer style with lettuce leaves, larb meat, coconut lime rice, a bowl with the herbs, and cucumbers. Either layer everything (coconut lime rice, larb meat, chopped herbs, cucumbers) or fill up lettuce wraps. Enjoy immediately.
Notes
Note 1: The Sambal Oelek adds a lot of flavor and is fairly spicy. If you're sensitive to heat, start with 1 teaspoon and increase from there. You can also try Sriracha sauce in place of the chili sauce. (Note that a lot of the flavor in this dish does come from the Sambal Oelek, so if you leave it out, the flavor will reflect that.)
Note 2: The mint, cilantro, and basil add so much to this dish, but if you prefer, use a combination of 2 of the herbs instead. I like serving the herbs on the side so everyone can add as much as they want.
Note 3: Recipe adapted from “Cooking without Recipes” from BonAppetit.
Storage: Store all the components in separate containers for 3-4 days.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 230kcal | Carbohydrates: 11.3g | Protein: 27.3g | Fat: 8.2g | Cholesterol: 82.7mg | Sodium: 355.2mg | Fiber: 1.2g | Sugar: 6.5g