Entrée: Thailand – ลาบ ▶ Larb (Spicy Minced Meat Salad)

Serving Size: 4

Approximate Time

Prep 15 min

Cook 7 min

Additional 5 min

Total 25 min

Ingredients

1 lb (500 g) ground meat (pork, chicken, turkey, or beef)
2 tbsp (30 ml) uncooked jasmine rice (for toasted rice powder, khao khua)
1–2 tbsp (15–30 ml) neutral oil (vegetable or peanut)
3 shallots, thinly sliced
2–4 fresh Thai bird’s-eye chilies, finely chopped (or 1–2 tsp dried chili flakes to taste)
3 tbsp (45 ml) fish sauce (nam pla), adjust to taste
3 tbsp (45 ml) fresh lime juice (about 1–2 limes), plus extra to finish if desired
1–2 tsp palm sugar or brown sugar, to taste
3 tbsp (about 9 g) roughly chopped fresh mint leaves
3 tbsp (about 9 g) roughly chopped cilantro (coriander leaves)
2–3 green onions (scallions), thinly sliced
1–2 tbsp (about 6–12 g) toasted rice powder (see preparation), plus extra if desired
Lettuce leaves or cabbage leaves for serving
Steamed sticky rice or jasmine rice (optional)
Optional: cucumber slices, sliced red onion, or roasted ground chili (phrik nam dip) for garnish

Instructions

Toast the rice for khao khua: Heat a dry skillet over medium heat. Add the jasmine rice and toast, stirring constantly, until the rice turns golden brown and smells nutty, 5–8 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool slightly, then grind to a coarse powder using a mortar and pestle or spice grinder. Set aside. (You need about 1–2 tablespoons finished powder; extra can be stored.)
Prepare herbs and aromatics: Thinly slice the shallots and green onions, finely chop the chilies, and roughly chop mint and cilantro. Have fish sauce, lime juice and sugar measured and ready.
Cook the meat: Heat oil in a skillet over medium–high heat. Add sliced shallots and stir for 30–60 seconds until soft and fragrant. Add the ground meat and break it up with a spatula. Cook, stirring, until the meat is fully cooked through and any liquid has evaporated, about 5–7 minutes.
Season while cooking: When the meat is nearly done, add 2–3 tablespoons fish sauce, 1–2 teaspoons sugar, and 1 tablespoon of the toasted rice powder. Stir to combine and allow flavors to meld for 1–2 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning — add more fish sauce for saltiness, lime juice for acidity, or sugar if needed.
Finish off heat: Remove the skillet from the heat and immediately add the fresh lime juice (this preserves its bright flavor). Stir in the chopped mint, cilantro, green onions and the remaining toasted rice powder (start with 1 tablespoon and add more if you like a drier, nuttier texture). If using dried chili flakes instead of fresh chilies, add them now to taste.
Rest and balance flavors: Let the laab rest for 3–5 minutes to allow the herbs to soften and the flavors to marry. Taste and adjust one last time — more lime for tang, fish sauce for salt, toasted rice powder for texture, or chili for heat.
Serve: Transfer laab to a serving bowl. Garnish with extra mint leaves and a sprinkle of toasted rice powder or roasted chili if desired. Serve immediately with lettuce or cabbage leaves for wrapping and with sticky rice or jasmine rice on the side.
Notes and variations: For a milder version, reduce or omit fresh chilies. For a more authentic northeastern (Isan) style, use lime and fish sauce prominently and add quite a bit of toasted rice powder for texture. You can substitute ground pork with ground chicken, turkey, beef or a mix. If you prefer a raw-style larb (larb dip) historically eaten with cooked meat or liver, do not attempt raw meat unless you trust the source and follow safe raw‑meat handling practices.