All the bright, bold flavors you enjoy in a traditional larb come together in this Spicy Chicken and Mint Salad — a quick, refreshing dish that balances hot, sweet, salty and tangy notes.
Ground chicken is flavored with fish sauce, lime juice, brown sugar, garlic and red chilies, then tossed with crisp cucumbers, red onion and plenty of fresh mint for a light, satisfying meal.
Why you’ll love this salad
This Spicy Chicken and Mint Salad is inspired by larb but simplified for a fast weeknight meal. It omits the toasted rice typical in some versions, yet keeps the essential Thai and Vietnamese flavor profile: savory fish sauce, bright lime and a touch of brown sugar.
It took inspiration from a magazine recipe and has been a favorite since. It’s similar in spirit to other Asian-style wraps and salads, offering the same fresh, herb-forward character. Ready in under 30 minutes, it’s ideal for warm weather as a light main or side. In cooler months, serve it over rice or noodles for a heartier meal.
Ingredients
- Mint – use whatever varieties you have on hand; the original calls for a mix of Vietnamese, spearmint and round mint, but any fresh mint works.
- Red onion, cucumbers and garlic – thinly slice the onion and cucumber; mince the garlic.
- Red chilis – choose your preferred hot red pepper (bird’s eye chilis are traditional if you like it very spicy).
- Ground chicken – can be substituted with ground turkey or ground beef.
- Fish sauce, fresh lime juice and brown sugar – the salty-sour-sweet trio that gives this salad its authentic taste.
Step-by-step instructions
1. Thinly slice cucumbers and red onion. Mince the garlic and chilis.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together fish sauce, fresh lime juice and brown sugar until the sugar dissolves.
3. Heat vegetable oil in a wok or large skillet over high heat. Add ground chicken and brown it, working in batches if necessary so the meat gets a good sear, about 3–5 minutes.
4. If you prefer cooked onion, add the thinly sliced red onion to the skillet and cook 1–2 minutes until slightly softened. (You may skip cooking the onion and toss it raw at the end if you like a crisper bite.)
5. Add the garlic and chopped chilis and cook about 1 minute until fragrant.
6. Remove the pan from the heat and pour in the fish sauce mixture, stirring to combine.
7. In a large bowl, combine the browned chicken, cucumbers and chopped mint. Toss gently to coat everything in the dressing. If you didn’t cook the onions, add them now and toss together.
The result is a light, herb-forward salad with vivid layers of flavor. The simple dressing of fish sauce, lime and brown sugar is versatile and elevates even basic ingredients.
Serving suggestions – Serve the salad on its own for a light lunch or dinner, or spoon it over steamed rice or noodles to make it more substantial. It also works well as a filling for lettuce wraps.
Recipe
Spicy Chicken and Mint Salad
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 pound ground chicken
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 red chili peppers, diced (adjust to taste)
- 1 1/2 tablespoons fish sauce
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 2 teaspoons brown sugar
- 1 Lebanese cucumber, thinly sliced
- 1 red onion, thinly sliced
- 3/4 cup mint leaves, roughly chopped
Instructions
- Combine fish sauce, lime juice and brown sugar in a small bowl; stir until the sugar dissolves.
- Heat oil in a wok or large skillet over high heat.
- Brown the ground chicken, about 3–5 minutes, working in batches if needed to get a good sear.
- If you prefer cooked onion, add sliced red onion and cook 1–2 minutes to soften. Otherwise, reserve the onion to toss in raw at the end.
- Add garlic and chilis and cook about 1 minute until fragrant.
- Remove from heat and stir in the fish sauce mixture.
- In a large bowl, combine the chicken, cucumbers and mint (and the raw onion if you didn’t cook it). Toss gently and serve.
Notes
Serve as a light salad or over rice or noodles for a more filling dish.
If you prefer a crisper bite, toss the onions raw with the cucumbers and mint instead of cooking them.
Nutrition
|
Carbohydrates: 10 g
|
Protein: 21 g
This recipe was originally published in 2009 and updated in 2021.