CHICKEN LARB BOWLS WITH TOASTED COCONUT RICE
on Mar 15, 2025
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Ground chicken is cooked with Thai-inspired flavors and mixed with kale before it’s served with sticky coconut rice, pickled veggies, and freshly chopped mint, cilantro, and basil!
Healthy, delicious, and fresh… That’s the best way to describe these Chicken Larb Bowls with Toasted Coconut Rice! It’s a great meal to make when you’re craving takeout but want to still eat healthy.
Larb is a common dish found in Southeast Asian cuisine, including Thailand, Laos, China, and Myanmar. It’s often served with sticky white rice and plenty of fresh herbs.
For my iteration, I like to serve it over a bed of coconut rice and a good portion of mint, cilantro, and basil. I also like the contrast of a pickled element, which is why I also suggest making my super simple quick pickle of red onion and carrots.
The chicken is infused with a ton of flavorful elements, including garlic, ginger, green onion, coconut aminos, sambal oelek, lime, and a bit of coconut sugar.
It has just the right amount of spice and works so well with my sticky and slightly sweet Toasted Coconut Rice recipe.
I highly recommend making a double batch of this chicken larb so you have enough leftovers for lunches throughout the week. It’s a mid-day meal you’ll definitely look forward to and only takes a few minutes to heat up on the stove or in the microwave.
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Top with a heaping pile of freshly chopped herbs along with some of the quick pickled veggies for the ultimate simple meal. Enjoy!
Key Ingredients for Chicken Larb Bowl
My version of Chicken Larb calls for ground meat, veggies, and a few Asian staple ingredients too. If you like to make your own Thai meals at home like this one, I highly recommend grabbing these few ingredients and keeping them on hand. Here’s what you’ll need for the best chicken larb dish you’ll ever eat!
- Ground Chicken: The key to cooking with ground chicken is adding tons of flavor to the meat! You can also use ground turkey or pork.
- Kale: Adding kale will bulk up the meal and ensure you’re getting your daily dose of leafy greens too. Don’t be shocked by how much kale you’ll need — it wilts down quickly!
- Fresh Garlic and Ginger: For a bit of a warm, slightly spicy kick!
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Pin It- Quick Pickle: You’ll need red onion, shaved carrots, unseasoned rice vinegar, and a touch of maple syrup to make a quick pickle. This adds freshness to the dish and is a nice contrast to the sautéed meat.
- Green Onions: The meat is cooked with green onions, similar to how you’d cook it down with regular onions. The green onions are more subtle and add a more floral note as opposed to regular white onions.
- Coconut Aminos: This soy-free sauce is a staple in all my Asian-inspired meals. You can also use tamari or regular soy sauce if you aren’t gluten-free.
- Sambal Oelek: This is a spicy, Indonesian chili paste made from red chili peppers, vinegar, and salt. Every brand varies in terms of spiciness, so adjust your measurements accordingly! Sriracha is a great substitute.
- Coconut Sugar: A bit of sweetness helps create a caramel-like consistency while the meat browns. It also offsets the spiciness of the punchy sauce.
- Lime: Acid helps bring all the flavors together.
- Herbs: Mint, basil, and cilantro are the trifecta toppings for this meal.
- Toasted Coconut Rice: The ultimate pairing to any Asian or Thai-inspired meal is with this rice!
How to Make Chicken Larb
To start, make the quick pickles. Add thinly sliced red onion, carrot shavings, rice vinegar, and maple syrup to a bowl or jar and set aside.
Next, start on the larb. Add about 1 tablespoon of avocado oil to a large saucepan over medium heat. Add 1/2 of the garlic and cook for about 1 minute.
Add the chopped kale and cook down for 3 to 5 minutes until wilted. Remove from the pan.
To the same pan, add another drizzle of avocado oil and cook the ground chicken for about 5 minutes.
Add the remaining garlic, ginger, green onion, coconut aminos, sambal oelek, lime, and coconut sugar to the chicken. Stir to combine and cook for about 5 more minutes to allow the sauce to reduce and the flavors to meld.
Remove from heat and stir in the cooked kale. Serve with Toasted Coconut Rice, quick pickles, and plenty of fresh herbs. Enjoy!
More Chicken Bowl Recipes:
CHICKEN LARB BOWLS WITH TOASTED COCONUT RICE
Ingredients
Quick Pickle:
- ¼ red onion, thinly sliced
- 1 carrot, thinly sliced or peeled
- ¼ cup unsweetened rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
Chicken Larb:
- 2 pounds ground chicken (you could also use turkey or pork)
- Avocado oil for drizzling the pan
- 6 cups kale, deveined and chopped into bite-sized pieces
- 3 cloves garlic, minced (divided)
- 6 green onions, thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon ginger, minced or grated
- ⅓ cup coconut aminos (or tamari)
- 3 tablespoons Sambal oelek or sriracha
- 1 tablespoon coconut sugar
- Juice of 1 lime
Serving Suggestions:
- ½ cup torn fresh mint
- ½ cup torn basil
- ½ cup torn cilantro
- Toasted Coconut Rice (or white rice)
Instructions
- Make the quick pickles by adding thinly sliced red onion, carrot shavings, rice vinegar, and maple syrup to a bowl and set aside.
- Add about 1 tablespoon of avocado oil to a large saucepan over medium heat.
- Add 1/2 of the garlic and cook for about 1 minute.
- Add the chopped kale and cook down for 3 to 5 minutes until wilted. Remove from the pan.
- To the same pan, add another drizzle of avocado oil and cook the ground chicken for about 5 minutes.
- Add the remaining garlic, ginger, green onion, coconut aminos, sambal oelek, lime, and coconut sugar to the chicken.
- Stir to combine and cook for about 5 more minutes to allow the sauce to reduce and the flavors to meld.
- Remove from heat and stir in the cooked kale.
- Serve with Toasted Coconut Rice, quick pickles, and plenty of fresh herbs. Enjoy!
