This post Thai Lettuce Wraps, (Larb Gai), was last updated in 2022.
Thai Lettuce Wraps is one of those meals that will make you forget you’re eating healthy! A traditional Thai dish called Larb Gai, they’re quick to make and full of fresh flavours from herbs and lime, plus a nice hit of chilli. Make chicken mince or pork mince. Wrap it in lettuce and serve it with a side dish. Rice!
Thai Lettuce Wraps – Larb Gai
Thai food is one of Sydney’s most loved Asian dishes. And there’s so much to love about it – noodles, curries and soups, grilled chicken, fried rice and Thai Fish Cakes. And of course, everybody’s favourite Thai Chicken Satay with peanut sauce!
If you want something lighter (read lower in calories), these Thai Chicken Lettuce Wraps are the perfect choice. These Thai Chicken Lettuce wraps are great, even though they’re packed with Thai flavours.
Larb Gai, Laab Gai, Lahb Gai, Laap Gai…….searching for a recipe like this where the name has been interpreted in so many different ways is always interesting! There will be many results depending on what you search for.
Thai Lettuce wraps are a celebration fresh flavours. This is the perfect balance of sweet, salty, sour, sour, and spicy with aromatic herbs, and the fresh crunch of lettuce. Extremely addictive!
Larb Gai is the Thai version of everybody’s favourite Chinese Lettuce Wraps, San Choy Bow!
It’s all about the fresh flavours!
These Thai Lettuce Cups, like many South East Asian dishes are delicious. Fresh flavours There’s few ingredients in the sauce – just lime juice, fish sauce and sugar. Much of the flavour comes from a decent wack of Thai aromatics – ginger, garlic, chilli and lemongrass – which we sauté until golden and the smell drives us crazy before we add the chicken, sauce and fresh herbs.
What’s in Thai Lettuce Wraps?
Here’s a visual of what goes in the chicken mince filling for Thai Lettuce Wraps.
I typically default to a chicken filling, but this recipe works just as well with pork mince as well (that’s Ground pork For those of you who live in the States).
Lettuce for lettuce cups
For the lettuce wraps, don’t get too hung up on finding the perfect lettuce! Once it’s all bundled / scrunched up and you start devouring, nobody remembers whether your lettuce leaves were the perfect size or symmetrical, or a convenient cup shape. Everyone can only think about how DivineIt tastes delicious!
TIP:You can choose between soft and crisp lettuce. Crisp lettuce leaves are mostly in a cup shape – as pictured below (small cos lettuce aka romaine lettuce) – and soft lettuce leaves can be any shape as they are soft enough to wrap around the filling.
How to make Thai Lettuce Wraps
It’s no different to any stir fry – mix up the sauce first, sauté the aromatics first (garlic, ginger, chilli, lemongrass) then add the meat then sauce. You’ll be done cooking in 5 minutes flat!
How do you serve?
I always serve it in a DIY arrangement because I’m a fan of interactive food – plus I get to skip plating up for everyone! I put the filling in a bowl alongside a pile of lettuce leaves with lime wedges and some peanuts sprinkling.
SAUCE OPTION I typically serve it as is, but I do make some changes if I feel the need to. Thai Peanut SauceYou can also use it. It’s the sauce from my Thai Chicken Satay recipe which actually makes more than you need for one batch of Satay. Keep the leftovers in the freezer and use them when making Thai Lettuce wraps.
What to serve Thai Lettuce Wraps?
These are typically offered as a starter at Thai restaurants – one piece per person. As for what main to have, you could really choose any Thai main dish – there’s nothing I wouldn’t choose in my collection of recipes! Here are some of my favorites:
Suggestions for Thai Main Dish
The other option is to make a meal out of these lettuce cups by adding some sides to fill it out – and add some extra greens if you like. A substantial meal can be made for four by adding one side of rice and one salad. Here are some ideas!
Complete meals can be made with the following dishes
– Nagi x
How to make it
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Thai Lettuce Wraps (Larb Gai, Laab Gai)
Ingredients
- 2 tsp cornstarch / cornflour 2 Tbsp uncooked rice (any type of rice is fine)
- 3 tbsp Water
- 2 1/2 tbsp Lime juice (1 to 2 limes).
- 2 tbsp fish sauce
- 2 tsp Brown sugar
- 2 tbsp Peanut oil (or another high-smoke point cooking oil).
- 1 tbsp fresh ginger Gratified or very finely chopped
- 2 Garlic cloves , large, minced
- 1 Lemon grass stalk Finely chopped (Note 2); a white or very pale green portion only.
- 2 Thai or birds eye chilli Deseed and finely chopped (adjust to suit your tastes).
- 1 lb/500g chicken mince Ground chicken OR pork
- 1/2 red onion Cut into 4 wedges, then finely sliced
- 1/3 Cup coriander/cilantro leaves Plus, garnish
- 1/3 Cup mint leaves Plus, garnish
Serving
- 3 tbsp crushed peanuts (optional)
- 6 – 8 Small to medium size lettuce leaves (Note 3)
- Extra lime wedges, chilli
Instructions
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Sauce: In a small bowl, combine water with cornflour or rice powder. Mix into a slurry. Mix in lime juice, fish sauce, and sugar. Set aside.
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Over medium heat, heat peanut oil in a large wok or heavy-based fry pan. Add ginger, garlic, lemongrass and chilli and sauté for 45 seconds to 1 minute until fragrant. It will taste bitter if the garlic is allowed to burn.
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Add the chicken to the pan and increase the heat. Then, cook the chicken and break up the mince into small pieces.
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Add Sauce once the chicken has turned white and is almost cooked through (about 3-4 minutes). Allow the sauce to thicken and coat the chicken for 45 seconds – 1 minute.
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Turn off heat. Stir in the onion, coriander/cilantro as well as mint.
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Place filling in a bowl and garnish with lettuce, peanuts, lime wedges and extra herbs. Fill lettuce cups with the filling and decorate as you wish!
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Sauce option Serve it with Thai Peanut Satay Sauce. It’s even more amazing than traditional!
Recipe Notes
Traditional ground rice: Heat oil in a large saucepan or wok. Then add the rice to the wok or heavy-based fry pan and let it dry for 5 minutes. Pulverize the mixture in a mortar and pestle. You can use it in place of cornflour.
2. LemongrassUse fresh or paste. Mix the paste with the chicken, and use 1 Tbsp.
Fresh lemongrass can be harvested by removing the tough stringy outer layers. The bottom 7-10cm or 3-4 inches of the lemongrass should be used.
3. Lettuce – You can make your lettuce soft or crispy, but don’t be too fixated on the type of lettuce. Look for leaves that are round and crisp. You can make rolls with lettuce that is soft.
4. Source: Adapted from a recipe by Chew Town and with reference to various Thai cooking books.
5. NutritionAssumes 3 servings for a light main.
Nutrition Information:
Original publication January 2015. This page has been updated with new photos, process photos, and video, as well as Dozer!
Thai Food favorites
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Thai Chili Basil Chicken Stir Fry
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Pad See Ew and Thai Drunken Noodles
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Thai Red Curry and Green Curry
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Massaman Curry
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Thai Fish Cakes
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Chicken Satay Skewers with Peanut Sauce
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Check out all Thai Recipes
Dozer Life
On auto pilot, I labelled this photo “Dozer guarding front door”.
LOL, that’s a great joke! If a robber ever broke in, he’d lead them straight to all my valuables!
