Method
Prepare the lettuce, cucumber, and herbs
Separate 200 g of butter lettuce into intact cups, rinse under cool running water, and dry thoroughly. Cut 150 g of English cucumber into short matchsticks. Slice 80 g of shallots and 30 g of scallions thinly. Chop 20 g of fresh cilantro and 15 g of fresh mint, keeping the ready-to-eat vegetables and herbs away from the raw chicken workspace.
Toast and grind the rice
Set a dry small skillet over medium-low heat. Add 24 g of uncooked glutinous rice and cook for 7 to 9 minutes, shaking or stirring often, until the grains are evenly deep golden and smell nutty, not scorched. Start checking at 7 minutes. Transfer to a plate and let cool briefly, then grind in a mortar or spice grinder to a coarse powder resembling fine sand.
07:00Cook the chicken completely
Add 30 ml of water to a wide skillet over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Add 450 g of lean ground chicken and break it into small, irregular crumbles with a wooden spoon. Cook for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring and turning the crumbles, until no pink remains and a food thermometer inserted into several of the largest pieces reads at least 74°C/165°F. Start checking at 6 minutes. After handling raw chicken, wash hands and any contacted surfaces, and switch to a clean utensil before the cooked filling touches the prepared vegetables.
06:00Season the larb off the heat
Take the skillet off the heat while the chicken is still moist but no liquid pools in the pan. Add 80 g of shallots and 30 g of scallions, stirring briefly so they soften slightly without losing their crunch. Stir in 30 ml of fish sauce, 45 ml of fresh lime juice, 4 g of light brown sugar, and 2 g of Thai chili flakes. Sprinkle in the ground toasted rice from step 2, then fold in 20 g of fresh cilantro and 15 g of fresh mint. Taste with a clean spoon: lime should lead, followed by savory fish sauce and warm chile.
Fill the lettuce cups and serve
Arrange the prepared lettuce cups on a platter. Spoon warm larb into each cup, leaving the edges clean enough to pick up. Add cucumber matchsticks over the filling and serve immediately while the herbs are fragrant and the lettuce is crisp.
Smart Substitutions
- No glutinous rice? Use uncooked jasmine rice and toast it to the same deep-golden color before grinding.
- Prefer ground turkey? Use lean ground turkey and verify that several of the largest crumbles reach 74°C/165°F.
- No butter lettuce? Use small romaine leaves or tender cabbage leaves that can hold the warm filling.
- Need gentler heat? Reduce the Thai chili flakes, then add more at the table only after tasting.
Tips and Variations
- Add lime juice after the skillet leaves the heat so its sharp aroma stays fresh.
- Grind the toasted rice to a coarse sandy texture; a flour-fine powder can make the filling pasty.
- Use a clean spoon for final tasting after the chicken is fully cooked.
What Went Wrong?
- Filling is watery Before seasoning, return the fully cooked chicken to medium heat briefly and stir until pooled liquid evaporates, then remove it from the heat.
- Chicken feels dry The pan was likely too hot or the chicken cooked too long. Keep the heat at medium and stop once several large crumbles reach 74°C/165°F.
- Larb tastes too salty Add a little more lime juice and cucumber, then fold in extra herbs to spread the seasoning through more fresh ingredients.
- Lettuce cups collapse Choose the deepest intact leaves or nest two smaller leaves together before adding the filling.
Nutrition Estimate
- Fiber: 2 g per serving
- Sodium: 770 mg per serving
Nutrition disclaimer:This recipe is provided for general cooking information only. Nutrition values are estimates and may vary by ingredients, brands, preparation methods, and serving sizes. Check ingredient labels and follow appropriate food-safety practices. This content is not medical, dietary, allergy, or professional food-safety advice.
