Thai-Style Minced Chicken Lettuce Cups
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Based on the popular Thai dish Larb Gai, this is a quick, easy, and flavorful weeknight dinner.
This recipe is based on Larb Gai, the popular Thai dish made from minced chicken, fish sauce, lime juice, chilies, and fresh herbs. You can have it on the table in 30 minutes, and it can be served in lettuce cups or over rice.
What you’ll need to make Thai Minced Chicken Lettuce Cups
As you can see from the photo, the recipe is inexpensive to make with ingredients found at your local supermarket. One of the key ingredients is fish sauce. Contrary to what you might expect, it doesn’t add a “fishy” taste, but rather a salty, savory, umami flavor. If you’ve never cooked with it, I’ll warn you that it smells pretty bad (my kids RUN out of the kitchen when I use it), but please don’t let that deter you — it absolutely makes the dish! If possible, buy a brand imported from Thailand or Vietnam, and don’t worry about buying a large bottle; it keeps forever.
Step-by-Step Instructions
For the chicken, begin by cooking the onions and ginger in oil until soft.
Add the minced garlic and cook one minute more.
Add the ground chicken and use a wooden spoon to break the meat apart.
Add the fish sauce, soy sauce, lime zest, lime juice, brown sugar and red pepper flakes, and cook until the chicken is done.
Off the heat, add the fresh cilantro, mint, scallions, and nuts.
Stir to combine.
Spoon into lettuce cups and serve with finely sliced carrots, herbs and Sriracha sauce.
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Thai-Style Minced Chicken Lettuce Cups
Based on the popular Thai dish Larb Gai, this is a quick, easy, and flavorful weeknight dinner.
Ingredients
- 1 large head iceberg or butter lettuce
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 large red onion, chopped
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh ginger (you'll need a thick 2-inch piece) (see note)
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 pounds ground chicken (not all breast meat)
- 1½ tablespoons soy sauce (use gluten-free if needed)
- 3 tablespoons fish sauce
- ¼ cup light or dark brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons lime zest, from 2 limes
- 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice, from 1½ limes
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 2 large scallions, white and green parts, finely sliced
- ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
- ¼ cup chopped fresh mint
- ¼ cup chopped cashews or peanuts
Optional For Serving
- Sriracha
- Finely sliced carrots
- Lime wedges
- Cilantro and/or mint sprigs
Instructions
- If using iceberg lettuce: fill a large bowl with cold water. Place the head of lettuce on a cutting board; cut off the stem, then cut around the inner core of the lettuce and remove (do not cut all the way through the lettuce; just deep enough to remove the core). Discard the flimsy, ragged outer leaves and then place the head of lettuce in the bowl of water. Gently pull apart the leaves, then place them on a paper towel to dry. Cut any large leaves in half. Chill the lettuce cups in refrigerator until ready to serve. (If using butter lettuce, you won't have any issues pulling apart the leaves so this step is not necessary.)
- Heat the oil in large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the onion and ginger and cook, stirring frequently, until soft, 4-5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute more.
- Add the ground chicken and turn the heat up to high. Cook, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon, until partially cooked through, about 3 minutes. Add the soy sauce, fish sauce, brown sugar, lime zest, lime juice and red pepper flakes and continue cooking, stirring frequently to break up the meat, until the chicken is cooked through, 5-6 minutes more. Off the heat, stir in the scallions, cilantro, mint and nuts. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Spoon into lettuce cups and serve with optional garnishes.
- Note: Check out easy guidance on how to peel, grate, and chop fresh ginger here.
- Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The meat mixture can be frozen in an airtight container for up to 3 months and reheated in the microwave om on the stovetop until hot.
Pair with
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (4 servings)
- Calories: 580
- Fat: 33g
- Saturated fat: 7g
- Carbohydrates: 30g
- Sugar: 20g
- Fiber: 4g
- Protein: 45g
- Sodium: 1565mg
- Cholesterol: 195g
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Gluten-Free Adaptable Note
To the best of my knowledge, all of the ingredients used in this recipe are gluten-free or widely available in gluten-free versions. There is hidden gluten in many foods; if you're following a gluten-free diet or cooking for someone with gluten allergies, always read the labels of your ingredients to verify that they are gluten-free.
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Comments
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Wondering if I could use this as a taco recipe?
Hi Lynda, Sure, I think that would work 🙂
Made this dish and followed the directions completely. Two observations, 1. the finished product needs something to tighten it, perhaps cornstarch and, 2. a veggie on the side or on top.
I’ll do this on my next try.
The dish has allot of flavors going on and spicy heat which I like.
I made this tonight and it was absolutely delicious! I used butter lettuce, which I don’t recommend. It is too flimsy to hold the meat mixture so I’ll use iceberg next time. My husband and I have found a new favorite!!
I don’t have mint but do have an abundance of basil. Would basil work ok.
Hi David, Yes absolutely.
Five stars. Unfortunately, I didn’t have
a few ingredients. I used lemon instead of lime. Will have a shopping list next time I make this great recipe.
Was out of brown sugar so used 1/4 cup of maple syrup, didn’t have fish sauce, but
had lobster broth. Had all the other
ingredients and yet it still came out
fantastic. Great recipe. Thanks so much.
Is there a substitute for fish sauce? Allergic to many fish!
Hi Elaine, Unfortunately, there’s no great substitute for fish sauce — it has a very distinct flavor. Sorry!
My understanding is that, outside of Israel, one can’t find fish sauce with a reliable hechsher. Joy of Kosher has a recipe to make an acceptable but not great substitute. You can store it for a couple or few months. I haven’t tried it. We will have to accept whatever can make do. http://www.joyofkosher.com/recipes/kosher-fish-sauce/
Sorry, I didn’t notice the recipe for fish sauce included anchovies. So, if keeping kosher, you can’t use that recipe containing fish in the same course that meat is served.
Would chopped water chestnuts be a good substitute for the peanuts?
Hi David, Yes, that would work.
Delicious! My husband and I loved them. I might add more red pepper flakes next time, to make them tingle just a bit more. Also, I agree with other commenters that it’s important to do all the prep before you start cooking–things move fast! Thank you for this terrific recipe.
I made the Thai minced chicken lettuce cups last night. It stinks to high heaven when you cook it (because of this seasoning called fish sauce). But push past the smell and the outcome is so worth it! I used ground pork instead of chicken and it tasted incredible! My hubby and 13 year old absolutely loved it and devoured it! Going to make it again tonight.. It was that good! Better than what we wait in line for at PFChangs!
The calories and sodium content are way high in this recipe. Why? I thought this would be a low calorie, healthy dish.
Hi Lyn, I don’t believe the dish is high in calories for a main course, but the sodium is high because of the fish sauce. Unfortunately, it can’t be omitted — it’s what makes the dish so delicious.