Laab gai is a ground meat salad dish. This is a take on the Thai-style laab which is a dish of pan-cooked ground chicken, dressed with fish sauce and lime, brightened by mint, onions and chillies and toasted rice powder. It is a perfect weeknight meal paired with sticky rice or lettuce leaves and fresh beans and cabbage.
Laab is a meat salad of Laos origin and also in the Northeastern part of Thailand.
Imagine ground or minced chicken dressed with a symphony of flavors – sour, salty, spicy, hint of sweet, with a roasted fragrance from the toasted rice.
Now, laab is mostly meat, it is served with fresh raw vegetables like cabbage, cucumber, long beans and sticky rice.
Laab is a beginner-friendly dish that could be made in under 30 minutes.
This recipe is inspired by the Thai-style laab which is also popular all over Thailand.
It is that easy and quick that an under 10 year old would be happy to make anytime or whenever ingredients are available.
Laab in restaurants or street stalls is commonly made with pork but could also be made with chicken, duck or other proteins.
Whatever meat or protein choice is made, the seasoning or dressing will work well with it.
Have you tried laab?
Have you tried laab gai?
How did you like it?
If you haven’t tried it, it is time to get cooking and give it a try.
Ingredients to make Laab
Here are the ingredients of Thai-style laab chicken.
Toasted sticky rice – From authentic Thai recipes I have seen and checked sticky rice is the traditional ingredient but jasmine rice also works well.
The secret to laab is khao kua or ground toasted sticky rice which is not to be left out otherwise it will no longer laab. I like toasting the sticky rice on the day for freshness but it is also fine to prepare it a day ahead.
Minced or ground chicken – Use lean meat if you prefer it lean but we normally use meat with bits of fat as this will keep the dish moist. No oils will be added so bits of fat would be essential for us at least.
Pork is more traditionally used or the most popular version especially as Thai street food. Chicken like in this recipe is a welcome substitute, beef, duck, beef, turkey even lamb are great. For vegan versions, tofu and mushroom work well with the dressing and herbs.
Red onion – shallots is more traditional but red onion works well and more available outside Thailand
Fish sauce
Lime juice
Palm sugar – add to balance the tartness and saltiness of the dish
Coriander – leave out if not fond of coriander or cilantro
Spring onion – aka green onion
Sawtooth coriander – optional, add if available but not a must. Add more coriander instead.
Mint
Chilli flakes – optional if serving to kids, fry ground chillies are used instead of fresh for color and heat
How to make laab gai or chicken laab
1. Make the toasted sticky rice. Place the raw sticky rice in a dry pan over medium high heat. Stir continously to prevent burning. Toast the rice until dark brown. Let the rice cool a little and then pound the rice into a coarse powder using a pestle and mortar or grind it with coffe or spice grinder.
2. Make the laab. Turn the stove to high heat. Add a couple of tablespoons of water in a pan, add the chiken and poach. Stir constantly to break up the meat and cook until the meat is cooked through.
Turn the heat off. While the pan is still hot, add the onion, fish sauce lime juice, palm sugar and mix to combine. Add the kao kua, spring onion, coriander, mint and chillies to taste. Taste to adjust the seasoning.
Serve immediately with sticky rice and fresh vegetables such as cabbage, French beans and cucumber.
Suggestion on how to eat laab
This is generally served as a sharing dish with sticky rice and raw fresh vegetables.
A spoonful of laab is usually placed to the mouth then followed by a ball of sticky rice.
Take a bite of the fresj vegetables to cleanse the palate.
My daughter wraps the laab and sticky rice with a leaf of cabbage or lettuce, form into a ball or ssam like Koreans do and pops the whole thing into her mouth, yum.
Try these salads next:
Eggplant Salad or Ensaladang Talong
Radish Salad or Ensaladang Labanos
Watch this short cooking video showing how to put Thai-style minced chicken spicy salad.
If you make this, please leave a comment and a review to let us know how you liked this recipe.
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Let’s get cooking!
Laab Gai (Chicken Laab Recipe)
Equipment
- 1 sauce pan small
- 1 spoon
- 1 knife
- 1 cutting board
- 1 mortar and pestle or coffee or spice grinder
Ingredients
- 250 grams chicken minced or ground
- 4 tbsp toasted sticky rice powder
- 1/2 tbsp fish sauce
- pinch palm sugar
- 1/4 tbsp chilli flakes optional if serving to kids
- 1-2 tbsp lime juice
- 1 small red onion chopped
- coriander roughly chopped
- spring onion chopped
- 10-12 leaves mint roughly chopped
Instructions
- If making the toasted sticky rice from scratch follow instructions from step 1 to but if using prepared sticky rice start from step 2.
- Make the toasted sticky rice. Place the raw sticky rice in a dry pan over medium high heat. Stir continously to prevent burning. Toast the rice until dark brown. Let the rice cool a little and then pound the rice into a coarse powder using a pestle and mortar or grind it with coffe or spice grinder.
- Make the laab. Turn the stove to high heat. Add a couple of tablespoons of water in a pan, add the chiken and poach. Stir constantly to break up the meat and cook until the meat is cooked through.
- Turn the heat off. While the pan is still hot, add the onion, fish sauce lime juice, palm sugar and mix to combine. Add the kao kua, spring onion, coriander, mint and chillies to taste. Taste to adjust the seasoning.
- Serve immediately with sticky rice and fresh raw vegetables such as cabbage, french beans
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