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Home » Recipes » Chicken

Larb Lettuce Cups | ลาบไก่ห่อผักสลัด

Written by: Rachel. Published: Jun 6, 2012 · Modified: Aug 25, 2022· This post may contain affiliate links · 10 Comments

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Larb Lettuce Cups | ลาบไก่ห่อผักสลัด

When the boyfriend thinks of larb, he envisions eating it with a handful of warm sticky rice.  This is, after all, how it is generally eaten in Thailand.

When I first learned about larb, I'll be honest, I didn't really associate it with anything.  But as I learned more about this wonderful Thai salad, I definitely agree that it goes quite well with sticky rice.  This belly-filling carbohydrate helps to transform the light and fresh salad into more of a meal.  And when served with other components of a Thai meal like grilled chicken (gai yang) and green papaya salad (som tam), it works really well.

But as I've recently learned, larb also goes really well with a simple leaf of lettuce.  It works in completely the opposite way as sticky rice, by playing up the lightness of the salad and turning it into a refreshing little bite-sized appetizer.  The crispiness of the lettuce leaf balances the soft texture of the ground meat; the coolness of the lettuce counteracts the heat of the roasted chili flakes.  It makes for a perfect little starting bite at parties and other gatherings.

Larb Lettuce Cups | ลาบไก่ห่อผักสลัด

Around here, I have to admit, larb generally ends up being served with a container of warm sticky rice as well as a plate of cool, crisp lettuce leaves.  And somehow, this works too.  

Recipe

Larb Lettuce Cups

Larb Lettuce Cups | ลาบไก่ห่อผักสลัด

Whether eaten with sticky rice or in a lettuce wrap, the Thai ground chicken salad known as larb is sure to please.
5 from 4 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: Thai
Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes minutes
Servings: 4
Calories: 89kcal
Author: Rachel

Ingredients

  • 1 cup ground chicken
  • 2 Tablespoons water
  • 2 Tablespoons shallot thinly sliced
  • ¼ cup mint coarsely chopped
  • ¼ cup cilantro coarsely chopped
  • 1 Tablespoon fish sauce
  • 1 Tablespoon lime juice
  • 1 Tablespoon toasted rice
  • ¼-1/2 teaspoon chili flakes
  • 1 head of butter leaf lettuce

Instructions

  • Chop your chicken finely with a sharp knife or food processor until it's ground.
  • Prepare your herbs by slicing the shallots and chopping the cilantro and mint.
  • Prepare your toasted rice by heating uncooked sticky rice on medium heat until it turns golden brown. Take off of heat and grind with mortar and pestle, or better yet, a coffee grinder until the rice particles are medium to fine in texture.
  • Heat a pan to high heat. Add 2 Tablespoons of water (it should sizzle immediately) and then add the ground chicken. Cook until it's done and then transfer to a serving dish.
  • Add the fish sauce and lime juice to the cooked chicken, starting with 1 Tablespoon of each and adjusting as needed according to your tastes. Then add the herbs, toasted rice, and chili flakes and mix everything together.
  • Place a spoonful of the warm larb in a piece of cool butter leaf lettuce and enjoy!

Nutrition

Calories: 89kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.04g | Cholesterol: 48mg | Sodium: 391mg | Potassium: 351mg | Fiber: 0.5g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 227IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 16mg | Iron: 1mg
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Reader Interactions

Comments

    5 from 4 votes (4 ratings without comment)

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    Recipe Rating




  1. Jay

    March 20, 2014 at 9:30 am

    For me it's got to be pork and the liver is crucial too. Larb without toasted rice? NO WAY. lol

    Reply
  2. Leanne

    October 01, 2012 at 4:00 am

    is it okay if i exclude the toasted rice?

    Reply
    • Rachel

      October 01, 2012 at 4:06 am

      Sure, Leanne. You won't get quite the same effect, but it should still be good 🙂

      Reply
  3. Sandi

    August 10, 2012 at 4:07 am

    I made this for dinner tonight and everyone loved it. Thank you for sharing your delicious and easy recipes.

    Reply
  4. Rachel

    July 21, 2012 at 10:31 am

    Thanks Terry! Glad you're surviving the heat!

    Reply
  5. Terry Harikul

    July 21, 2012 at 7:59 am

    I made this yesterday. It was perfect appertize before dinner after 102 F afternoon. Thanks Rachel.

    Reply
  6. LP @dishclips

    June 08, 2012 at 11:09 pm

    I love lettuce cups. No need for utensils.

    Reply
  7. Ally

    June 07, 2012 at 4:19 pm

    Wow thanks for sharing - this looks absolutely awesome!
    xo
    http://allykayler.blogspot.co.uk/

    Reply
  8. Alyssa (Everyday Maven)

    June 06, 2012 at 8:40 pm

    This sounds so delicious and perfect for a warm summer night! Bookmarking 🙂

    Reply
  9. Merryn Galluccio

    June 06, 2012 at 4:52 pm

    I love your simple twist on chicken larb. What a brilliant idea to serve it in lettuce cups - a perfect san choy bau version cooked without oil, even better and wholesome. Thank you for sharing, I can already envision this for Friday evening's starter course 😀

    Reply

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