Laotian Larb Gai

Name: Laotian Larb Gai
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Laos
Ingredients: 1 lb ground chicken; 3 tbsp lime juice; 3 tbsp fish sauce; 1 tbsp toasted rice powder (khao khua); 1 tbsp dried chili flakes; 3 shallots, thinly sliced; 3 scallions, sliced; 1/4 cup mint leaves; 1/4 cup cilantro; 2 tbsp galangal, minced; Sticky rice and lettuce leaves, for serving

4 servings15 min prep10 min cookEasy Laos

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The Story Behind It

The Tale of Laotian Larb Gai

Story updated September 17, 2026

Larb is widely regarded as Laos's national dish, a salad of minced meat tossed with toasted rice powder, herbs, lime, and fish sauce, believed to have ancient roots in Lao food culture. It holds deep symbolic weight at Lao celebrations, and the closely related version found in northeastern Thailand reflects the two regions' shared Lao-Isan heritage.

Ingredients

Scale:· 4 servings

1 lb ground chicken
3 tbsp lime juice
3 tbsp fish sauce
1 tbsp toasted rice powder (khao khua)
1 tbsp dried chili flakes
3 shallots, thinly sliced
3 scallions, sliced
1/4 cup mint leaves
1/4 cup cilantro
2 tbsp galangal, minced
Sticky rice and lettuce leaves, for serving

Instructions

1Cook ground chicken in a dry pan or with a splash of water, breaking it up, until just cooked through.
2Remove from heat and drain any excess liquid.
3Toss the warm chicken with lime juice, fish sauce, toasted rice powder, and chili flakes.
4Fold in shallots, scallions, and galangal.
5Add mint and cilantro just before serving and toss gently to preserve their freshness.
6Serve with sticky rice and lettuce leaves for wrapping.

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