Chef-tested recipe
A bright Lao minced-chicken salad seasoned with lime, fish sauce, chilli, toasted rice powder and abundant fresh herbs.
Larb is central to Lao food culture and is prized for its balance of savory, sour, spicy and aromatic flavors. Khao khua—toasted sticky-rice powder—gives the dish its distinctive nutty fragrance and gentle texture.
Recipe at a glance
- Servings
- 4 servings
- Prep Time
- 25 minutes
- Cook Time
- 10 minutes
- Total Time
- 35 minutes
- Cuisine
- Lao
- Course
- Main Dish, Salad
- Best Served With
- Serve with warm sticky rice, crisp lettuce, cucumber, herbs and lime. Use the vegetables as cool contrast to the spicy larb.
Before you begin
Ingredients & equipment
Gather what you need first, then cook through the method with confidence.
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Equipment
- Skilletpaid link
- Small dry frying panpaid link
- Mortar and pestle or spice grinderpaid link
- Mixing bowlpaid link
- Photographpaid link: Sodanie Chea, CC BY 2.0. Plate and background edited.
Ingredients
- 500 g chicken mince
- 30 ml water
- 30 ml fish sauce Shop paid link
- 45 ml fresh lime juice
- 15 g toasted glutinous-rice powderpaid link
- 60 g shallots or red onion, thinly sliced
- 20 g spring onion, sliced
- 25 g coriander, chopped
- 25 g mint leaves
- 3–5 g dried chilli flakes, to tastepaid link
- 1 g ground black pepper
- Lettuce leaves, cucumber, lime and sticky rice, to serve
Preparation Overview
Cook the chicken gently without browning, season it while still warm, then fold in the toasted rice powder and fresh herbs just before serving.
Method
-
Toast uncooked glutinous rice in a dry pan over medium-low heat until golden and fragrant. Cool and grind to a coarse powder; measure 15 g.
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Place chicken and water in a skillet over medium heat. Break up the meat and cook gently for 7 to 9 minutes until fully cooked but still juicy.
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Remove from the heat. While warm, mix in fish sauce, lime juice, chilli flakes and black pepper.
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Fold in shallots, spring onion and toasted rice powder.
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Add coriander and mint last, tossing lightly so the herbs stay fresh.
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Taste for the Lao balance of salty, sour and spicy. Serve immediately with lettuce, cucumber, lime and sticky rice.
Beginner Technique Notes
- Do not brown the chicken heavily; larb should remain moist.
- Grind toasted rice coarsely enough to retain a little texture.
- Add herbs off the heat so they do not wilt excessively.
Tips and Variations
- Adjust lime and fish sauce together rather than adding extra salt first.
- For stronger heat, add finely sliced fresh bird’s-eye chilli.
- Pork, beef, duck and fish versions of larb are also found across Laos and neighboring regions.
Storage
Cooked larb can be refrigerated for up to 2 days, but the herbs are best added fresh. Bring chilled larb closer to room temperature before serving for fuller flavor.
Nutritional Value
Approximately 250 kcal, 30 g protein, 10 g carbohydrate and 9 g fat per serving, excluding sticky rice.
Allergen Notes
Contains fish through fish sauce. The larb itself is naturally free of dairy and gluten when all seasonings are verified gluten-free.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is khao khua?
It is toasted glutinous rice ground into a fragrant powder and is essential to the aroma and texture of Lao larb.
Should larb be served hot?
It is commonly served warm or at room temperature rather than piping hot.
