Chicken Larb Bowls from cookbook #2 are happening today. GET PUMPED. These were hands down the most popular recipe from that cookbook!
If you haven’t snagged a copy of my 2nd cookbook yet, you’re totally missing out! It’s packed to the brim of California inspired recipes that are easy to make and even easier to eat. It’s been so fun watching everyone make their favorite recipes over the last 2 years and 1 recipe that keeps popping up again and again on social media is the larb bowl!!
It’s incredibly flavorful, kids of all ages will love it, adults will devour it and it’s easy. I make it at least once a week for Thomas and I and neither of us can get enough. So obvi I wanted to bring it to the blog so you can get a little taste of the book if you haven’t gotten your copy yet!!
If you’ve never heard of Larb before – it’s kinda like a meat salad and is a staple dish of both Laos and Thailand. The Laotian version of Larb uses fish sauce and the Thai version omits the fish sauce and relies more on spices. The version below is by no means super traditional – but it’s incredibly flavorful and after seeing you guys make it for years on end, I know we’re all obsessed.
Stuck in a dinner rut? Looking for new delicious dinner ideas? Check out my roundup of 50+ easy dinner ideas here.
Chicken Larb Bowls
Ingredients
For the quick pickles:
- 2 Persian cucumbers thinly sliced
- ½ red onion thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
For the chicken:
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 5 ounces kale deveined and chopped
- 1 pound ground chicken
- 2 cloves garlic finely chopped
- 6 scallions white and light green parts, thinly sliced
- 2 to 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 to 2 tablespoons sambal oelek
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
For the rice:
- 2 cups water
- 1 cup coconut milk
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 cups jasmine rice
- zest and juice of 1 lime
To garnish:
- fresh mint leaves
- fresh basil leaves
- fresh cilantro leaves
Instructions
To make the quick pickles:
- In a small bowl, toss the cucumbers, red onion, and vinegar. Set aside to marinate while you cook the chicken.
To make the chicken:
- In a large, heavy-bottomed skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the kale and cook until wilted, 5 to 6 minutes. Season with salt and carefully transfer to a medium bowl.
- Add the ground chicken to the same skillet and cook, breaking it apart with the back of a wooden spoon and stirring frequently until no pink remains, 8 to 10 minutes.
- Add the garlic and scallions and cook for 1 minute, or until fragrant. Add the soy sauce, sambal oelek, and brown sugar and stir to combine. Return the cooked kale to the skillet and stir to combine. Season with salt and reduce the heat to low until ready to serve.
To make the rice:
- Combine the water, coconut milk, sugar, and salt in a medium saucepan and heat over medium-high heat until the mixture starts to simmer. Add the rice and bring back to a low simmer. Cover the pot, reduce the heat to low, and cook undisturbed for about 15 minutes, until all the liquid has been absorbed.
- Turn off the heat and let the rice steam for another 5 to 10 minutes, until fully cooked and soft. Uncover, fluff, and toss in the lime zest and juice.
To assemble:
- Divide the rice among 4 bowls, followed by the chicken and kale, pickles, and plenty of fresh mint, basil, and cilantro. Serve immediately.
Don’t hate me, but I subbed the rice for cauliflower rice (cooked and measured slightly differently) and it was INSANELY GOOD! I also made the real rice for my son and husband. The chicken and kale were other worldly. My toddler chowed down although I might go lighter on the sambal oelek next time bc he def. got a hot bite at one point and was none too pleased with the chef. I will be making this again and again.
Staple in my house! The balance of flavors makes it one of my very favorite Gaby recipes!
amazing!! I added chopped zucchini, spinach and riced cauliflower for added veggies! Delish! My teenage boys and husband LOVED it. This will be on repeat!!
Made this using brown rice, cooked in a rice cooker; turned out great.
Followed the remaining instructions but went heavier on soy sauce. Next time will sprinkle w/ unsalted, roasted & chopped peanuts. SO, SO good!
yum!
Delicious! This meal is so satisfying. My little one loves it and so does my husband. One of my faves!
SO good. I substituted the sambal for gochujang (because that is what I had in the pantry) and it was AMAZING and super super easy for a weeknight (I actually made the rice in the morning and just heated it up at dinner time to make things even easier). My husband asked if we could have it again for dinner tonight ha! I think gochujang is probably a good substitute as well if you have eaters who are a bit more spice averse but are still looking for flavor.
So so good. We’ve made the beef larb a few times but this one is amazing, too. Our 2YO was obsessed and ate so many pickled cucumbers. Thanks!
omg LOVE THAT
We adore this recipe and eat it frequently with either cauliflower rice or the coconut jasmine, which is so delicious. Before I ordered the recommended hot sauce, I used sriracha sauce; maybe because we grew accustomed to it we prefer it.
Probably one of the best things I’ve ever made! It’s become a weekly staple at our house and everyone I’ve made it for asks for the recipe. I end up shoveling the coconut rice into my mouth right out of the pot, it is out of this world. How is something so simple so amazing?? That’s the best thing about Gaby’s recipes.. amazing food that doesn’t need to be overly complicated.
Love your recipes and cookbooks, with the added twist that we are vegetarian. What sort of fake meat would you recommend here? I am thinking some form of seitan, but wondering what you think!
I would do lentils!
Do you think substituting ground pork for the ground chicken would work?
yes!
This looks amazing! I am trying to incorporate more vegetarian meals in to my life, what cooking method of tofu would you suggest? I also like the idea of lentils. Thank you.
How can i replace the sambal? I do not eat spicy food, but i would love to make this recipe! Thanks.
just omit!!
Excited to try! Is it possible to try your rice method via instant pot?
Your larb is our favorite, and I LOVE all my All Clad pans!!
Very delicious! Quick question… in your video you add the ground chicken into the sautéed kale and continue cooking. However in your written recipe, you remove the sautéed kale into a bowl and then cook the chicken in the pan. Which method works best?
honestly, it works either way!
This recipe will now be a staple in our house. This dish has so much flavor! I made this last night and my kids DEVOURED it! I’m so excited to find your site and try more of your recipes. =) Thank you!
Gaby – this looks fantastic! 🙂 A quick question though…I’m terrible with cooking rice and rely solely on my rice cooker (an almost 20 yr old Zojirushi that I am deeply attached to). Can I just dump all of the ingredients in the rice cooker instead of making it on the stove top? I’m almost embarrassed to admit I have only just done plain water and rice in my rice cooker! Any tips? Thank you in advance!!!
you totally can!
Is there a calorie count for this dish?
no we don’t track nutritional info – sorry!
Can I use ground beef instead of chicken?
totally
Gaby! I Cannot wait you try this! I had a couple of questions though, I meal prep for work and was wondering if these would keep for a couple of days in the fridge? Also wondering if you have ever tried with cauliflower rice? Thank you for this!!!
absolutely they would and yes I do cauliflower rice all the time. But follow my recipe for cauliflower rice bowls rather than trying to use this recipe for veggie rice
This was delicious. I followed the recipe exactly except I added shredded coconut to the rice and I added roasted pistachios and avocado to the bowl at the end and extra limes squeezes on top
HUGE hit in our house! Kids approved! I try to follow a low carb diet, so I left the yummy (I’m not dead I had to try it) coconut/lime jasmine rice off and made a lettuce wrap. Next time, doubling up on the meat!!!
Made it for my 23 year old daughter and her friends while visiting and a big hit!! Delicious and very fresh tasting. Added some black beans for fun. Will definitely make it again and have sent to all my cool friends who like a new recipe!
My “cook” friends but they are cool too lol
My daughter requested this meal for her 11th birthday dinner. It’s become such a part of our regular dinner shuffle. I can’t tell you how much our family adores this recipe. Quick, flavorful, and easy. Thanks Gaby!
Second time I’ve made this, first time with the rice (husband put 2 LBS of rice instead of two cups in the liquid last time….sigh). I love how these flavors all come together. The quick pickle is some great brightness, a little sweetness from the rice, and savoriness from the chicken larb. Next time I’ll probably add a little more sambal oelek for some additional spice.
Incredible flavor and so delicious! A family favorite that’ll be in the rotation.
This recipe is a regular in my house and when I have company over they love it too! It’s fresh, full of flavor, and comes together so quickly! I have had larb salad from a few Thai places recently and Gaby’s is still my favorite!!
So much flavor and so easy! Going to be a weeknight staple in our house! The additions of the basil and mint at the end added so much flavor! YUM!