Larb
ลาบ
Isaan minced-meat salad — lime, fish sauce, toasted rice powder, herbs. Heat that wants sticky rice.
Recipe by I Want Some Food · Reviewed by the editorial kitchen. Native name preserved: ลาบ.
0 people cooked this in the public kitchen yet. Kitchen-tested by I Want Some Food. Not a purchased rating.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 10 min
- Rest
- None
- Total
- 25 min
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Spice
- Hot
- Cost
- Weeknight budget$8–16 USD · indicative, not a store price
About
Larb (laab) is minced meat tossed with lime, fish sauce, chilli and toasted rice powder so it smells nutty, not of raw mince. Mint and sawtooth if you have them. It is a salad. If you add coconut milk you have left Isaan. Toast the rice until it smells like popcorn, not until it is charcoal, then grind it coarse. Fine powder turns to paste in the lime. The mince should be just cooked and still juicy; a dry crumble will not carry the dressing. Dress while warm so it absorbs, then add herbs so they do not wilt into spinach. If you skip the toasted rice, add it before you add more chilli — heat without that nuttiness is just heat. Taste for fish sauce last. A watery salad is usually under-toasted rice and timid seasoning, not too much lime.
Ingredients
- Pork, mince300 g
- Lime2
- Fish sauce30 ml
- Fresh chilli, dried flakes or powder15 ml
- Rice, raw, toasted and ground30 ml
- Mixed herbs, mint, coriander, spring onion1 handful
- Sticky rice, to serve300 g
Scaling multiplies the written quantities. Baking still prefers a scale.
Steps
Step 1
Toast raw rice in a dry pan until nut-brown. Grind coarse.
5 minStep 2
Cook mince in a splash of water until just done — not fried dry. Cool slightly.
6 minStep 3
Toss with lime, fish sauce, chilli, shallot, rice powder and herbs. Taste: sour, salty, hot, nutty. Sticky rice.
Adapt this recipe
The canonical recipe stays intact. Personal versions are labelled. Serving changes are maths, not AI.
Adaptations · 0 / 15 used. Resets 10 October.
Substitutions
Pork → Chicken or mushrooms
Season a little harder. The lime still leads.
Tips
- Duck larb and mushroom larb exist. The dressing stays the same.
- Toasted rice powder (khao khua) is sold in bags if you do not want to grind.
History & culture
Isaan and Lao tables. Sticky rice, raw vegetables, and a lot of herbs. The spelling larb/laab is a transliteration fight. Northeastern Thai and Lao tables still eat this with sticky rice and raw vegetables as a full meal, not a 'starter salad' on a tasting menu. The heat is social: people adjust their own spoon. Spellings will keep fighting on the internet. At the table what matters is the roasted rice and the herbs in handfuls. A lettuce-cup restaurant version can be tasty. It is a translation. Serve more rice than you think. This is not a protein garnish on mixed leaves.
Minced meat with roasted rice is Mekong cooking. The tourist plate often skips the rice powder, which is how it becomes 'spicy mince'. Chopped meat tossed with toasted grain is a Mekong technique for stretching flavour without coconut richness. Border lines on maps did not invent it. Tourist kitchens that added sugar and oil were smoothing it for a different palate. The toasted rice is the historical tell: a pantry trick from places that grow glutinous rice and cook over charcoal. Instant chilli flakes from a jar are a later shortcut. Use them if you must, but toast the rice anyway.
Traditional
Provenance: Editorial adaptation.
Questions about this recipe
Answers taken from this dish's times, amounts, swaps and tips — not a chatbot.
How long does Larb take?
25 min all in — 15 min prep, 10 min cook. Cook and rest follow the method. Leftover storage and optional extra waits are not included.
How many does it serve?
The recipe is written for 3 plates. Scale the ingredient list on the page if you are cooking for a different number.
How hard is it?
Easy.
How spicy is it?
Hot.
What allergens should I watch?
This recipe is labelled for Fish. Labels are informational — check the packets in your kitchen. This is not medical advice.
Does it fit a diet?
The published recipe is labelled Gluten-free, Dairy-free, Nut-free.
What does it cost to cook?
Weeknight budget — about $8–16 USD, as a grocery budget for this recipe, not a restaurant price.
What equipment do I need?
Frying pan, Mixing bowl.
How much salt do I put in?
This recipe does not list salt as its own ingredient. Saltiness comes from Fish sauce — 2 tbsp. Taste at the end rather than adding a number we did not write.
How much fish sauce?
2 tbsp of Fish sauce.
What can I use instead?
Pork → Chicken or mushrooms. Season a little harder. The lime still leads.
Any tips from this recipe?
Duck larb and mushroom larb exist. The dressing stays the same. Toasted rice powder (khao khua) is sold in bags if you do not want to grind.
Can I use an air fryer?
This method is not written for an air fryer. The core technique on the page still applies.
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