Larb Gai is a vibrant Thai dish made with ground chicken tossed in a bold dressing of lime juice, fish sauce, chili, and fresh herbs. The result is a bright, savory, and slightly spicy mixture that’s traditionally served warm or at room temperature.
Often enjoyed as part of Thai and Lao cuisine, Larb is known for its balance of salty, sour, spicy, and herbal flavors. Served in crisp lettuce cups, chicken larb makes a light yet satisfying meal that’s fresh, flavorful, and perfect for quick weeknight dinners.
Table of Contents
I’ve been building my collection of Thai recipes that are easy to make at home and taste great. Some of my favorites are this Thai Beef Salad, Thai Curry Meatballs and Thai Beef Stir Fry.
Next up? Thai Larb Lettuce Wraps!
This Thai-inspired meal is healthy, quick to make, and totally tasty. And while it may not be truly authentic, it’s on regular repeat for weekday cooking at our house, and the leftovers make a great lunch the next day too.
Ingredients needed
- Ground Chicken – You can also use ground turkey, ground pork or ground beef. Or, see my suggestions below for a vegetarian larb.
- Fish Sauce – Look for fish sauce in the asian foods aisle.
- Honey – You can also use brown or white sugar.
- Fresh Lemon & Lime Juice
- Olive Oil
- Red Onion & Shallots
- Lemongrass – Lemongrass can be a bit difficult to find, but I have found it at many grocery stores packaged alongside the fresh herbs. And, while there’s no true substitute for the distinct flavor of lemongrass, you could try swapping in some lemon zest in its place, to taste.
- Serrano Pepper – Or, swap in some jalapenos. They’ll have a bit less heat.
- Fresh Mint Leaves – You can also use fresh cilantro, thai basil or green onions.
- Salt & Pepper
- Lettuce Leaves – For serving. You can use butter lettuce, romaine lettuce, or iceberg lettuce. Cabbage leaves are also delicious.
How to make it
Step 1
Make the sauce
- In a small bowl, whisk together the lime juice, lemon juice, fish sauce and honey. Set aside.
Step 2
Saute the aromatics
- In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat.
- Add the onion, shallots, lemongrass, chilies, and salt, to taste.
- Cook until the vegetables begin to soften.
Step 3
Add chicken
- Add the chicken. Cook, stirring frequently, until the meat and vegetables are cooked through.
Step 4
Add the sauce
- Add the dressing to the pan and cook for a couple minutes to allow the flavors to meld.
Step 5
Season + serve
- Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the mint. Season with additional fish sauce, salt and pepper, to taste.
- Spoon the meat salad onto the lettuce leaves.
- Serve with rice and lime wedges, if desired.
Variations
- Beef Larb Recipe: Swap in ground beef for the ground chicken.
- Pork Larb Recipe (Larb Moo): Swap in ground pork for the chicken.
- Vegetarian Larb: Swap in diced tofu or tempeh and soy sauce or vegan fish sauce.
- Want to add a bit of crunch to your recipe? Try sprinkling on some toasted rice powder (khao khua) or sprinkle on some of this crying tiger sauce.
FAQs
Larb translates to “salad” in Thai. Larb gai is a dish of browned ground chicken, mint, basil and red onions dressed with lime juice and ground red chiles that’s popular in Laos and Isan, neighboring rural sections of Thailand. (The dish is sometimes spelled laab, lob or lop.) – NY Times Cooking
Most often, larb gai is served warm. However, it can also be served cold or at room temperature.
If you have leftovers, you can definitely freeze Thai larb. It will keep in the freezer for up to three months.
What to serve with larb gai lettuce wraps
- Rice or Sticky Rice
- MORE → 35+ Sides for Lettuce Wraps
Erin’s wine pairings
- Try a dry Riesling or Gewurztraminer a try with this this dish – Both great go-to wines with spicy dishes.
More Thai food recipes
Can’t get enough lettuce wrap recipes? Be sure to try my Taco Lettuce Wraps with Turkey & Quinoa and PF Chang’s Lettuce Wraps Recipe too!
Did you try this Larb Gai recipe?
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More → 30+ Ground Chicken Recipes to try for dinner this week!
Full Recipe
Larb Gai (Thai Lettuce Wraps)
Ingredients
- 3 Tablespoons fish sauce
- 2 Tablespoons honey
- 1/3 cup fresh lime juice (from 2-3 limes)
- 3 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice (from 1 large lemon)
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil (extra virgin )
- 1/2 red onion (minced)
- 3 shallots (thinly sliced)
- 1 stalk lemongrass (tough outer leaves removed and minced, about 1/4 cup)
- 1 serrano chile (thinly sliced)
- 1 1/2 pounds ground chicken
- 1/2 cup mint leaves (chopped)
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 head butter lettuce (leaves separated)
- Cooked rice (for serving, optional)
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk together the 1/3 cup fresh lime juice, 3 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice, 3 Tablespoons fish sauce and 2 Tablespoons honey. Set aside.
- In a large skillet, heat the 1 Tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Add the 1/2 red onion, 3 shallots, 1 stalk lemongrass, 1 serrano chile, and salt, to taste. Cook until the vegetables begin to soften, about 5 minutes.
- Add the 1 1/2 pounds ground chicken. Cook, stirring frequently, until the meat and vegetables are cooked through, about 5 minutes.
- Add the dressing to the pan and cook for 2 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the 1/2 cup mint leaves. Season with additional fish sauce, salt and pepper, to taste.
- Spoon the chicken mixture onto the lettuce leaves.
- Serve with rice.
Notes
- Beef Larb Recipe: Swap in ground beef for the ground chicken.
- Pork Larb Recipe (Larb Moo): Swap in ground pork for the chicken.
- Vegetarian Larb: Swap in diced tofu or tempeh and soy sauce or vegan fish sauce.
- Want to add a bit of crunch to your recipe? Try sprinkling on some toasted rice powder (khao khua).
Nutrition
This chicken larb recipe was originally published in 2014. It was updated in 2021 to update the pictures, and again in 2025 to update the content. The larb gai recipe remains the same. Enjoy!
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