This fiery, tangy, herb-packed minced meat salad is a perfect example of how Thai cuisine balances spice, acidity and freshness. I featured this larb recipe in my cookbook The Curry Guy Thai and it’s one a return to often. Whether you’ve tried larb in Thailand, at your local Thai restaurant or are discovering it now for the first time, one thing’s for sure… once you learn how to make it at home, you’ll be hooked. It’s quick, incredibly fresh and endlessly adaptable.
What Is Thai Pork Larb?
Larb is a spicy minced meat salad that comes from northeastern Thailand (Isaan) and Laos. The term “larb” roughly translates to “finely chopped” or “minced” and the larb recipe can be made from pork (moo), chicken (gai), duck (ped), beef (neua) or even mushrooms and tofu for a vegetarian version.
The base of larb is cooked minced meat, seasoned with:
- Fish sauce (for saltiness and umami)
- Lime juice (for acidity)
- Toasted rice powder (for nutty aroma and texture)
- Chilli flakes (for heat)
- Fresh herbs like mint, coriander, and spring onions
It’s often served warm or at room temperature, with jasmine or sticky rice and crisp vegetables like cucumber, cabbage and lettuce leaves for wrapping.
What makes larb truly special is the balance of flavours, the “Yin and Yang” of Thai cooking. Every bite is savoury, tangy, spicy, and refreshing all at once.
Ingredients
Fresh ingredients are key to getting the best flavour from this larb recipe. You’ll find the ingredients listed below, while the precise amounts are provided in the printable recipe card at the bottom of the page. For smooth cooking and the best outcome, it’s a good idea to have everything measured and prepared before you begin.
See recipe card for quantities.
- Rapeseed (canola) oil
- Lean minced (ground) pork
- Shallots
- Roasted chilli flakes
- Soy sauce
- Thai fish sauce
- Palm sugar or caster sugar
- Roasted and ground rice (Khao Khua)
- Coriander (cilantro)
- Mint
- Spring onions (scallions),
- Lime juice
Step by step photos
Check out my step by step photos to see just how easy it is to make this authentic larb recipe. You will find the exact ingredient measurements in the recipe card at the bottom of this page. To make this larb, you will need khao khua which is Thai toasted and ground rice. You can purchase it at specialty grocers or easily make your own homemade khao khua.
- Step 1: Heat the oil in a large pan or wok over a medium–high heat. When hot, add the pork and fry for about 5 minutes until cooked through.
- Step 2: Add the sliced shallots and roasted chilli flakes and stir well to combine.
- Step 3: Now add the soy sauce, fish sauce, sugar and roasted and ground rice and stir again.
- Step 4: To finish, let the meat cool some and then stir in the chopped spring onions (scallions) and top with lime juice to taste. You can also add chopped herbs like coriander (cilantro) and mint to taste.
- Step 5: Serve at room temperature over rice or role the larb up in lettuce to make wraps.
Variations
Larb is one of the most versatile dishes in Southeast Asian cuisine. Once you’ve mastered this pork larb recipe, try experimenting:
- Larb Gai (Chicken Larb): Lighter, leaner, and just as tasty.
- Larb Neua (Beef Larb): Deeper flavour, perfect with roasted rice.
- Larb Ped (Duck Larb): Popular in Northern Thailand — rich and gamey.
- Larb Tofu or Mushroom Larb: Vegetarian-friendly with bold Thai flavour.
- Nam Tok Moo (Grilled Pork Larb): Uses grilled meat slices instead of minced, smoky and fragrant.
Each version is amazing so don’t just limit yourself to larb moo (pork).
Useful Equipment
You don’t need much to make larb but having the right tools helps bring out its best qualities:
- Wok or non-stick frying pan – For cooking the meat quickly.
- Mortar and pestle (or spice grinder) – To grind toasted rice.
- Mixing bowl – To toss the pork with herbs and seasoning.
- Sharp knife – For finely slicing shallots and herbs.
- Rice cooker or steamer – If you want to serve authentic sticky rice.
Storage and Reheating
Storage
- Fridge: Store leftover larb in an airtight container for up to 2 days.
- Freezer: Not recommended. The herbs and lime lose their flavour when frozen.
If you plan to meal prep, store the cooked meat separately from the dressing (wet) ingredients and herbs. When ready to eat, reheat the meat slightly, then mix in the wet ingredients and fresh ingredients.
Reheating
Do not reheat herbs or lime juice. Add them fresh after warming the meat.
Stovetop: Heat the meat gently in a pan over low heat until just warm.
Microwave: Use short bursts of 20–30 seconds.
Top Tip
Don’t overcook the meat: It should be tender and moist, not browned or crispy.
FAQ
Authentic larb can be quite spicy but you can easily control the heat level by adjusting the amount of chilli flakes.
Larb is traditionally served warm or at room temperature, never straight from the fridge or steaming hot. The meat should be warm enough to release the aromas but cool enough not to wilt the herbs.
You can prepare the meat in advance, but for the best flavour, mix the dressing and herbs just before serving. If stored, the herbs lose their brightness and the lime juice can make the mixture soggy.
Sticky rice (khao neow) is the most traditional choice. If you don’t have sticky rice, jasmine rice or even lettuce wraps work perfectly.
It adds a subtle nuttiness and texture that sets larb apart from other salads. It also helps absorb excess moisture and gives the dish body.
Final Thoughts
Thai Pork Larb (Larb Moo) is more than a salad, it’s out of this world deliciousness in every bite. It’s proof that incredible flavour doesn’t have to difficult to prepare.
With its roots in Laos and northern Thailand, larb is a humble dish that is fiery yet refreshing, simple yet endlessly satisfying.
Once you’ve made it at home, you’ll see why this spicy, tangy, herby salad has become so popular worldwide. You will want to make this again!
Related
This larb recipe can easily be prepared and served with any Thai curry! Try one or more of these...
Pairing
These sides are delicious with Thai larb!
Have you tried this larb recipe?
If yes, please give it a star rating in the recipe card below and leave a comment. I love receiving your feedback and I’m sure other readers of my blog do too. Thank you.
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Pork Larb
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp rapeseed (canola) oil
- 500g (1lb 2oz) lean minced (ground) pork
- 4 shallots, thinly sliced
- 1 tbsp roasted chilli flakes (see note)
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp Thai fish sauce
- 1 tbsp palm sugar or caster sugar
- 1 1/2 tbsp roasted and ground rice
- 1 large handful mint leaves, roughly chopped
- 1 large handful coriander leaves, roughly chopped.
- 4 spring onions (scallions), roughly chopped
- 1–2 tbsp lime juice
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large pan or wok over a medium–high heat. When hot, add the pork and fry for about 5 minutes until cooked through.
- Add the sliced shallots and roasted chilli flakes and stir well to combine.
- Now add the soy sauce, fish sauce, sugar and roasted and ground rice and stir again. Taste and adjust the flavours as necessary.
- To finish, stir in the chopped spring onions (scallions), mint and coriander and top with lime juice to taste.
Notes
Toasted Chilli Flakes
Toasted Thai Chilli flakes are available at some Asian grocers and are often labelled Prik Pon. You can easily make them yourself though. You will need dried bird's eye chillies.
To make toasted chilli flakes (Prik Pon) toast the required amount of dried red bird's eye chillies a medium heat, until warm to the touch and fragrant – about 30–60 seconds. Be sure to move them around in the pan so that they toast evenly. Be careful not to burn them. Tip onto a plate and allow to cool slightly.
Transfer to a spice grinder and grind to a coarse powder. Don’t over grind; you want flakes, not powder. Step back when you remove the lid to avoid a coughing fit – these chilli flakes are potent! Store in an air-tight container for up to 1 month.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 494Total Fat: 29gSaturated Fat: 9gUnsaturated Fat: 21gCholesterol: 115mgSodium: 154mgCarbohydrates: 21gFiber: 3gSugar: 12gProtein: 37g
Matt says
Hi Dan,
This looks like a great recipe to try! What size should the egg nests be and how many tablespoons of mince do you put in them? Can I use long grain rice and is the Huy Fong Sriracha sauce a good sriracha to use for this recipe?
Thanks
Matt
Dan Toombs says
Hi Matt
My pan was 20cm diameter but that was maybe a bit big so you could use a smaller one. I used 1-2 tablespoons mince. Long grain rice would be fine and I used Flying Goose Sriracha sauce but I think Huy Fong would work just as well.
Thanks for getting in touch.
Dan
Keiko says
Hi, from Tokyo!!
Thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe on Facebook!
In all the fifteen years that I've tried to make stir fries, this recipe was the first one that I succeeded in making.
All of the other stir fries that I had made always turned out really watery, but this recipe turned out just perfect.
Dan Toombs says
Hi Keiko
That's great to hear, thanks for letting me know. One of my favourites too!
Thanks
Dan