Larb is a minced meat salad from northeastern Thailand, seasoned with fish sauce, lime juice, dried chili, and shallots, and finished with toasted rice powder and fresh herbs like mint and cilantro. It's an Isaan region dish, closely tied to Laotian cooking as well since the border area shares much of its food culture, and it's traditionally eaten with sticky rice and raw vegetables on the side rather than over steamed rice.
What separates larb from a generic minced meat salad is khao khua, toasted and ground sticky rice, which gets folded in at the end for a nutty, slightly gritty texture that soaks up the dressing. Most recipes written for a Western audience quietly drop this ingredient because it requires an extra step, but skipping it changes the dish meaningfully.
This version uses pork, the most common protein for larb, though chicken, beef, or mushroom versions are equally traditional depending on the region and cook.
What Actually Matters
Make the khao khua yourself: toast raw sticky rice in a dry pan until deep golden brown, then grind it coarsely in a mortar or spice grinder. Pre-ground rice powder from a jar tastes stale and lacks the toasted depth of rice you've just browned yourself, and that toasted flavor is a defining note of the dish, not a garnish. Also cook the pork only until just done; larb is meant to be tender, not tough from overcooking.
Thai Larb Recipe
Serves 4. Prep time: 20 minutes. Cook time: 10 minutes. Total time: 30 minutes.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons raw sticky rice
- 1 pound ground pork
- 1/3 cup chicken stock or water
- 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 3 tablespoons fish sauce
- 1 tablespoon dried chili flakes, plus more to taste
- 3 shallots, thinly sliced
- 3 scallions, thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup fresh mint leaves
- 1/4 cup cilantro leaves
- Lettuce leaves, cucumber spears, and green beans, for serving
- Sticky rice, for serving
Method
- Toast the raw sticky rice in a dry skillet over medium heat, stirring often, until deep golden brown, about 5 minutes. Cool slightly, then grind coarsely in a mortar and pestle or spice grinder. Set aside.
- Heat the chicken stock or water in a skillet over medium heat. Add the ground pork and cook, breaking it into small crumbles, until just cooked through, about 5 to 6 minutes. Do not brown or overcook.
- Remove the skillet from heat and immediately stir in the lime juice and fish sauce while the pork is still hot.
- Add the chili flakes and stir to combine, tasting for heat level.
- Fold in the shallots and scallions once the mixture has cooled slightly, so they stay crisp rather than wilting.
- Just before serving, fold in the toasted rice powder, mint, and cilantro.
- Serve warm or at room temperature with lettuce leaves, cucumber, green beans, and sticky rice alongside.
| Nutrient | Per Serving (estimated) |
|---|---|
| Calories | 310 |
| Protein | 22 g |
| Fat | 21 g |
| Carbohydrates | 7 g |
Estimate calculated from the ingredients above, not a lab verified value.
Tips and Variations
Ground chicken or turkey work as a lighter substitute; ground beef and even chopped mushrooms are traditional in some regional versions. Add the herbs at the very last moment so they stay bright rather than wilting into the warm meat. Larb is meant to be assertively sour, salty, and spicy all at once; taste and adjust each element before serving rather than following the measurements blindly.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is khao khua and can I skip it?
It's toasted, ground sticky rice, and while you technically can skip it, doing so removes the nutty crunch and toasted flavor that defines the dish. It's worth the extra five minutes.
Is larb served hot or cold?
Warm to room temperature, never hot off the stove and never chilled. Let it rest a few minutes after cooking before adding the herbs and rice powder.
What's the difference between larb and som tam?
Larb is a minced meat salad; som tam is a shredded green papaya salad. Both come from the same Isaan tradition and share a similar sour, salty, spicy profile, but the base ingredient is completely different.
Can I make larb vegetarian?
Yes, finely chopped mushrooms or a mix of mushrooms and crumbled tofu make a good substitute, with soy sauce standing in for fish sauce.
How spicy should larb be?
Traditionally quite spicy, but the chili flake amount is easy to scale down. Start lower and add more once you've tasted the balance of sour and salty first.
For more Thai cooking, see the Thailand recipes hub. For a good grinder or mortar and pestle, check kitchen essentials or browse pots, pans, and cookware.
I'm Chef Alan. I have spent 35 years in professional kitchens, I have formal culinary education in New Hampshire, and I have been honored as a 6-Time 4-Diamond Chef. More about me here.
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