- Country of origin
- 🇱🇦 Laos
- Category
- Main Course
- Difficulty
- ●○○ Easy
- Preparation
- 20 min
- Cooking
- 10 min
- Servings
- 4 servings
Nutrition, per serving
Calculated from the raw ingredient quantities in the recipe below, divided by four servings.
Larb’s nutritional profile is unusually lean for a meat-forward main: minced meat cooked without added oil, seasoned only with lime juice and fish sauce, and bulked out with herbs and a few tablespoons of toasted rice rather than a starch base. Protein comes in at 28 g per serving against just 11 g of fat, and carbohydrate stays under 10 g — nearly all of it from the pounded sticky rice that gives the dish its characteristic crunch.
History
Larb (or laab) is considered the national dish of Laos, a salad of minced meat (beef, chicken, duck or fish) raw or quickly seared, seasoned with lime juice, fish sauce, chili and an abundance of fresh herbs like mint and coriander.
Its signature lies in khao khoua, raw sticky rice dry-toasted then pounded in a mortar until it becomes a coarse, fragrant powder that gives the dish structure and its characteristic crunch; this dish is also claimed by northeastern Thailand (Isan), fueling a friendly debate between the two countries over its exact origin.
Ingredients — serves 4
- 500 g (1.1 lb) minced meat (beef, chicken or duck)
- 3 tbsp raw sticky rice
- 4 tbsp lime juice
- 3 tbsp fish sauce
- 2 shallots, finely sliced
- 2 bird’s eye chilies, crushed
- Fresh mint and coriander leaves
- Lettuce leaves and raw vegetables, to serve
Step-by-step Laotian larb recipe
- Dry-toast the raw sticky rice in a pan until golden, then pound it in a mortar to make khao khoua.
- Cook the minced meat in a little water or broth over high heat, breaking it up with a fork.
- Drain the cooked meat and transfer it, still warm, to a mixing bowl.
- Season with the lime juice, fish sauce and crushed chilies, and mix.
- Stir in the shallots, mint, coriander and pounded sticky rice just before serving.
- Serve warm with fresh lettuce leaves and raw vegetables on the side.
Cooking method
Technique: sticky rice dry-toasted then pounded in a mortar, raw seasoning to preserve the crunch of the herbs.
Traditional equipment: wooden mortar and pestle, wok or cast-iron pan for toasting the rice.
Tips: the khao khoua should be golden and fragrant, never burnt, before being pounded.
Economic context
Larb uses ordinary market ingredients — minced meat, rice, herbs, lime — rather than anything scarce or imported, which keeps it well within reach of everyday cooking in Laos, closer to a family lunch than to festival food.
Source: World Bank / FAO, Food Prices for Nutrition database (Cost and Affordability of a Healthy Diet) v4.0, 2024 data, CC BY 4.0, DOI 10.57966/41AN-KY81. Retrieved 29 July 2026. This figure describes the cost of a healthy diet in Laos generally — it is not a costing of this specific recipe.
Who this dish suits
Fits well with
- High-protein, lower-fat eating patterns — 28 g protein against 11 g fat per serving
- Low-carbohydrate approaches, since the only starch is a few tablespoons of toasted rice
- Diets built around lean minced meat rather than fattier cuts
Worth knowing
- Contains fish sauce, a notable source of sodium in the dish
- Chili is used whole and crushed, not just as background seasoning — heat can run firm
- Traditionally served with raw lettuce and vegetables, which add negligible calories but change the eating format
What about you?
In your opinion, where’s the best place or restaurant to enjoy good larb?