Out of the most popular dishes in Thai cuisine, Laab Gai has a higher nutritional value. This is mainly because this recipe uses no oil, making it a healthy option for those who prefer a low-carb, low-calorie diet. u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eMoreover, the chicken is either cooked in water or chicken stock and then incorporated with a lot of fresh herbs, elevating the nutritional value of this dish. Therefore, Laab Gai has been a top-tier choice for many people who prefer eating healthy.

Laab Gai (Thai Minced Chicken Salad)- Authentic Recipe With Tips!

Thai cuisine is undoubtedly an exciting place when it comes to the mixing and matching of ingredients. Laab Gai is an authentic Thai dish, known for its brimming flavors and nutritional value.

Laab Gai is a simple yet delicious salad made with chicken. It comes together very easily, with only a few ingredients. But these ingredients are mostly Thai essentials, which you must find before making this dish. They are the crucial elements that define this dish, giving it an exotic identity.

So, let’s dig into the rest of this article and find out why this dish is so flavorful and how to make it easily at home.

What Is In Laab Gai?

Laab Gai, also known as Larb Gai, is one of the most popular salads in northeast Thailand. This dish boasts many health benefits, making it a favorable dish for all those who prefer a low-carb diet.

This dish uses ground/minced chicken as the main ingredient. You can use fish sauce to flavor the meat. And then, you can incorporate it with lots of fresh herbs like spring onions, sawtooth coriander, cilantro, and especially mint.

Iconic ingredients like toasted glutinous rice powder and toasted chile flakes define the identity of this dish. They offer so much profundity and depth of flavor to this dish, making it exotically Thai-flavored.

How To Make Laab Gai At Home?

Before starting off with the recipe, we must remind you a few things.

Number one: You must regularly visit the nearest Asian store. You may need to grab those few important Laab Gai essentials to make this dish most authentically. You can use a few possible substitutes too. But, some ingredients require their place in the recipe since they are irreplaceable with alternatives!

Number two: You must carefully read our preparation instructions and follow them to have the tastiest Laab ever. If not, you’ll make just a chicken salad which you might not feel the real difference.

So, let’s get into making your Laab salad!

Laab Gai (Thai Minced Chicken Salad) Recipe!

5 from 1 vote

Recipe by SpiceRally

Servings

servings

Prep time

minutes

Cooking time

minutes

Total time

minutes

Cook Mode

Keep the screen of your device on

Ingredients

Spices & Herbs
4 4 Dried Thai red chiles
½ cup ½ Fresh Mint leaves
4 4 Fresh Sawtooth coriander leaves
5 sprigs 5 Fresh Cilantro
2 tbsp 2 Spring onions (chopped)
Other ingredients
6 oz 6 Boneless Chicken thighs
6 oz 6 Boneless Chicken breasts
3 tbsp 3 Glutinous rice (uncooked)
2 tbsp 2 Fish sauce
1 tsp 1 Palm sugar (grated)
1 1 Small Shallot (chopped)
2 tbsp 2 Lime juice
2 tbsp 2 Chicken stock (unsalted)
For serving
Lettuce
Steamed green beans
Cucumber

Equipment

1 Spice grinderShop This!
1 Small skilletShop This!
1 Mortar and pestleShop This!

Directions

Preparation
First, you need to get prepared with rice powder and roasted chile flakes.
Put the glutinous rice into the skillet and start toasting it over medium-low heat. You must toast them until the rice grains turn a lovely golden brown, emitting a nutty, toasty aroma. Watch your rice not to get blackened or burned.
Transfer the rice to your mortar and pestle. Grind the rice grains until you get a slightly coarse powder. Set your powdered rice aside.
Then, cut the dried red chiles into small pieces using a pair of kitchen scissors. Toast these chile pieces in the same skillet you toasted the rice. Let the chiles toast over medium-low heat until crispy and aromatic.
Transfer the chile pieces to your spice grinder and give it one pulse to get fine chile flakes. Do not make it a powder. Set your prepared chile flakes aside until you need them.
As the next step, you can prepare your chicken. Get the cleaned chicken on your cutting board. With the help of your cleaver knife, chop the chicken until they are minced with minute chunks. Do not mince it finely; you need to have some chunks to get the real taste. Set them aside until you need them.
As the final preparation step, chop the sawtooth coriander leaves, mint leaves, and cilantro and set them aside.
Making the Laab Gai
Keep the large pan over medium-high heat and add the chicken stock. Add your chopped chicken and one tablespoon of fish sauce when the chicken stock is boiling.
Cook the chicken, breaking the lumps using your spatula or spoon. When the liquid is dried out, add the chopped shallots and mix well to combine.
Follow up with the rice powder, chile flakes, the remaining tablespoon of fish sauce, and grated palm sugar. Mix thoroughly until all comes together nicely.
Switch off the flame, remove the pan from the stove, and add the lime juice, chopped spring onions, sawtooth coriander leaves, and cilantro.
Transfer to serving bowls and serve on lettuce leaves, steamed green beans and cucumber.

Tasty Tips and Suggestions

Make this Laab Gai just a few minutes before you serve. Making ahead will not work with this dish.
You can take commercially minced chicken to make this dish. But we recommend mincing the chicken at home for more quality and flavor.
You may find sawtooth coriander leaves at the Asian store. But if you can’t get them, skip them and proceed with cilantro.
Mint is a key element of this dish so do not skip it.
If you can’t find glutinous rice, use jasmine rice instead. And palm sugar can be substituted with regular brown sugar.
Leftover Laab Gai can be stored in the refrigerator for up to two days and eaten cold or reheated slightly on the stove. But, just keep in mind the herbs will be wilted. However, we recommend making and eating this salad fresh for the best experience.

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Can We Use Minced Pork Instead Of Chicken In This Dish?

Pork is the next most common type of meat used in Laab dishes. While “gai” literally translates to chicken in the Thai language, pork Laab is called “Laab Moo”. Minced pork can be incorporated into this dish like chicken but with slight changes made when cooking the meat.

Is Laab Gai Healthy?

Out of the most popular dishes in Thai cuisine, Laab Gai has a higher nutritional value. This is mainly because this recipe uses no oil, making it a healthy option for those who prefer a low-carb, low-calorie diet.

Moreover, the chicken is either cooked in water or chicken stock and then incorporated with a lot of fresh herbs, elevating the nutritional value of this dish. Therefore, Laab Gai has been a top-tier choice for many people who prefer eating healthy.

Does Laab Gai Contain Gluten?

Laab gai does not usually contain any direct gluten-related ingredients. But, the chicken stock you use to cook the chicken may sometimes contain traces of gluten.

Thus, if you need to make this dish completely gluten-free, we recommend using homemade chicken stock or cooking your chicken with water instead of chicken stock.

Is Laab Gai Keto-friendly?

A huge YES to this question! Laab Gai is one of the best dishes you can include in your meals if you’re following a low-carb or ketogenic diet plan. Including vegetables with this salad can upgrade the nutritional value of this dish.

Thai cuisine has many other interesting dishes which are ideal for dinner. Need to check them out? Click on this link and refer to our comprehensive article!