Thai Chicken Larb

About this recipe

Thai larb is the kind of dish that tastes like it should be complicated but is actually a confident eight-minute stir. Ground chicken transforms in a hot wok into lean, crunchy-edged pieces that absorb a bracing dressing of lime juice, fish sauce, and toasted rice powder. This is Issan cooking at its essence—bright, spicy, herbaceous, alive. Families throughout northeastern Thailand make larb for everyday meals, not just special occasions; it's the kind of dish that appears at lunch counters and family tables with equal frequency. Toasted rice powder is the non-negotiable that sets larb apart from other ground meat dishes—it creates texture, adds a subtle grain flavor, and absorbs the moisture from the chicken without becoming mealy or bland. Fish sauce is equally essential; its fermented depth cannot be replicated, though you can adjust quantities to your tolerance level. Lime juice must go in after cooking when everything is warm, so the acidity remains bright rather than becoming sharp and one-dimensional through prolonged cooking. The technique is unflinching simplicity: cook the mince until the moisture evaporates and the edges crisp, then finish with seasoning off heat. Cooking the chicken first ensures it stays lean and doesn't stew in its own juices. The shallots, spring onions, and herbs go in at the very end, so they remain fresh and aromatic rather than wilting into insignificance. The mince must be coarse enough to develop texture but fine enough to cook quickly and evenly. Serve larb in lettuce cups for a light, grain-free meal, or alongside jasmine rice. The leftovers taste excellent cold or at room temperature the next day, making it ideal for lunch boxes. It's best eaten the same day it's made—the herbs will fade and the rice powder may absorb moisture, dulling the texture, but it remains delicious.