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Thai-Style Chicken Larb Lettuce Cups

Warm ground chicken tossed with lime juice, coconut aminos, fresh ginger, shallots, and scallions, then folded with torn mint and cilantro and spooned into crisp romaine leaves.

By Camille McLaughlin, RDN, LD, registered dietitian nutritionist

Built forAIPLunch
Also fits Paleo High-Protein Celiac Keto Low-Carb Whole30
Lime juice hits the warm ground chicken and the whole bowl turns sharp and fragrant, with ginger and shallot right behind it. Torn mint and cilantro go in off the heat by the handful, still cool and raw, and every spoonful lands in a romaine leaf that snaps when you fold it closed.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe

This is a bright, herb-heavy take on larb, the Thai minced-meat salad, built to be light on its feet and quick to make. Ground chicken is cooked until just done, then tossed while still warm with lime juice and coconut aminos so it drinks in the dressing. It suits anyone who wants a fresh, high-protein lunch that eats clean and cool, and it is friendly to households steering clear of grains, dairy, eggs, and nightshades.

Dress the meat off the heat, always. Lime juice and coconut aminos hit warm chicken and cling to every crumble without cooking down or turning muddy, while the raw shallots and scallions keep their bite. Folding the mint and cilantro in at the very end, rather than cooking them, is what gives larb its signature lift; heat would dull the herbs, so they go in last and stay vivid.

It fills you up on contrast: warm, savory chicken against cold, snapping romaine, with sour lime and grassy herbs cutting through the richness. Ground chicken carries plenty of protein to keep you full, ginger and fresh herbs add aroma without heaviness, and because the whole thing is wrapped in lettuce instead of a starch, it feels clean rather than weighed down. The dressed chicken is just as good cold the next day, though the romaine is worth pulling fresh at the moment you eat it.

Romaine cups heaped with herb-flecked ground chicken and lime wedges alongside. Save
Prep: 15 minsCook: 12 minsTotal: 27 minsMakes: 4 servingsServing: 3 filled lettuce cups

Ingredients

Serves4Amounts change with the number. The nutrition panel is per serving, so it stays the same.
  • 4 1/4 cups cooked ground chicken
  • 3 tbsp avocado oil
  • 3 tbsp lime juice
  • 2 tbsp coconut aminos
  • 2 shallots, thinly sliced
  • 1/2 cup mint leaves, torn
  • 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
  • 4 scallions, sliced
  • 1 tbsp grated ginger
  • 12 romaine leaves
  • 1/4 tsp salt

Instructions

  1. Prep the aromatics and herbs: Thinly slice the shallots and the scallions. Peel and grate the ginger. Tear the mint leaves and roughly chop the cilantro. Juice the limes into a small bowl and set everything within reach, since the dish comes together quickly once the chicken is off the heat.
  2. Separate and dry the lettuce: Pull whole leaves from the romaine, keeping them intact so they can hold the filling. Rinse them under cool water and pat them completely dry, so the cups stay crisp and do not water down the larb. Set them out on a platter.
  3. Warm the ground chicken: This builds on ground chicken that is already cooked, so heat the avocado oil in a large skillet over medium-high, add the chicken and the grated ginger, and toss for 3 to 4 minutes, just until it is hot through and the ginger smells fragrant. Starting from raw instead, cook it the same way, breaking the meat into small crumbles with a wooden spoon, until no pink remains and it reaches 165°F (74°C) on an instant-read thermometer, about 6 to 8 minutes. Drain off any liquid in the pan either way, since a wet larb will not cling to a lettuce leaf.
  4. Dress off the heat: Take the skillet off the heat. Pour in the lime juice and the coconut aminos, then add the sliced shallots, the sliced scallions, and the salt. Toss well, so the warm chicken soaks up the dressing and the shallots soften slightly without losing their bite.
  5. Fold in the herbs and serve: Stir the torn mint and the chopped cilantro through the chicken just before serving, so they stay bright and fragrant. Spoon the warm larb into the romaine leaves and serve right away while the lettuce is still crisp.
Nutrition Facts
4 servings per recipe
Serving size3 filled lettuce cups
Calories416
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 26g33%
Saturated Fat 5g27%
Trans Fat 0g
Cholesterol 135mg45%
Sodium 420mg18%
Total Carbohydrate 9g3%
Dietary Fiber 3g9%
Total Sugars 4g
Includes 0g Added Sugars 0%
Protein 38g
Vitamin D 0.2mcg1%
Calcium 73mg6%
Iron 2.9mg16%
Potassium 675mg14%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Values are computed from USDA FoodData Central and are estimates. Per serving (3 filled lettuce cups).

Variations

  • Extra herb lift: Fold in torn Thai basil along with the mint and cilantro for a deeper, licorice-scented aroma that leans further into the classic larb profile.
  • Deeper savory edge: Stir a splash of fish sauce into the dressing in place of some of the coconut aminos for a rounder, more traditional umami; this adds fish.
  • Pork version: Swap the ground chicken for ground pork, which cooks up richer and juicier; this uses a fattier meat, so drain well after browning.
  • Toasted coconut crunch: Sprinkle toasted unsweetened coconut flakes over the finished cups for a warm, nutty crunch that plays against the cool lettuce.
  • More crunch in the mix: Fold thinly sliced cucumber and grated carrot into the dressed chicken for extra freshness and a lighter, more salad-like bite.

Storage & Leftovers

Store the chicken larb filling on its own in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days. Keep the romaine leaves separate, wrapped in a dry paper towel inside a bag, so they stay crisp and do not wilt against the warm, dressed meat.

Reheat only the chicken mixture, gently in a skillet over medium-low or in short bursts in the microwave, just until warmed through. The herbs will have softened by the second day; a fresh squeeze of lime and a little extra torn mint stirred in after reheating brings it back to life. Spoon into fresh lettuce leaves only when you are ready to eat.

To get ahead, cook and dress the chicken and slice the shallots and scallions a day in advance, but hold the mint and cilantro until serving so they stay bright. Assemble the cups at the last minute to keep the lettuce from going limp.

Notes & Tips

A few small things make this larb taste as lively as it should.
  • Pick the right lettuce heart: Use the sturdy inner romaine leaves rather than the long, floppy outer ones; the shorter, cupped hearts hold the filling without tearing or drooping.
  • Taste and balance at the end: Larb should ride the line between sour and salty. After folding in the herbs, taste one cup and adjust with a little more lime for brightness or a pinch more salt if it falls flat.
  • Grate ginger from frozen: Keep a knob of ginger in the freezer and grate it straight from frozen; it shreds finely without stringy fibers and melts evenly into the warm chicken.
  • Soak the shallots for a milder bite: If raw shallot feels too sharp for you, soak the slices in the lime juice for a few minutes before tossing; the acid tames the onion edge while keeping the crunch.
  • Double the batch for lunches: The dressed chicken keeps well, so cook extra and portion it out; just store the herbs and lettuce separately and assemble fresh each day.
  • Serve alongside: For a fuller plate, serve the cups with a side of cauliflower rice or extra cucumber spears to round out the meal without weighing it down.

Nutrition & Mindful Eating

Larb is a warm savory filling eaten from a cold crisp leaf, and this one leans hard on lime, ginger and a fistful of fresh herbs to keep the chicken bright and lively rather than heavy.
  • The chicken, the herbs and the lettuce are doing three different jobs at once. The chicken brings the savory weight and the protein, the mint and cilantro cut straight through it, and the cold romaine gives every bite a snap the warm filling cannot.
  • Ground chicken browns into small craggy pieces that catch the lime and coconut aminos in a way sliced meat never does, and it carries protein dense enough to make a lunch built on lettuce leaves eat like a proper meal.
  • Fresh ginger grated into a hot pan smells sharp and almost citrusy, and lime juice added off the heat keeps that edge intact. Ginger has been studied for its role in easing digestion, though here it is mostly there for the lift.
  • Mint, cilantro and scallions go in raw at the end so they stay green and loud. That handful is the difference between larb and plain seasoned chicken, and it is where most of the flavor you remember afterwards comes from.
  • A few of these cups hold you longer than their size suggests, and the protein in the chicken along with the fat from the avocado oil is doing most of that work while the shallot and lettuce keep everything tasting fresh.
  • As you eat, notice how the cold lettuce meets the warm chicken and how the lime sharpens the mint, and build each cup by hand so the meal takes the time it deserves.

Frequently Asked Questions

My lettuce cups get soggy fast. How do I keep them crisp?

Dry the leaves thoroughly after washing, drain any liquid from the cooked chicken, and only spoon the filling in right before eating. Warm, wet filling sitting in the leaves is what wilts them, so assemble at the last minute.

Can I use pre-cooked or rotisserie chicken instead?

You can, but the texture is different. Larb relies on fine crumbles that catch the dressing, so shred or finely chop the cooked meat, warm it in the avocado oil with the ginger, then dress it off the heat as written.

It tastes a little flat. What is missing?

Larb needs both acid and salt to sing. Add a little more lime juice first, since brightness is usually what is lacking, then a pinch more salt if needed. A last handful of fresh mint also wakes it up.

What can I use instead of romaine to hold the filling?

Butter lettuce or the sturdy inner leaves of a small head of green cabbage both make good cups. You can also skip the cups entirely and serve the chicken over cauliflower rice as a bowl.