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. Use chicken mince or pork mince, bundle it up in lettuce or serve it over rice!
Thai Lettuce Wraps – Larb Gai
Thai is one of the most popular Asian foods in Sydney. 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!
But when you feel like something lighter (read: lower cal!) but still loaded with Thai flavours, these Thai Chicken Lettuce Wraps are fabulous.
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! Depending on what you search will return a myriad of results!
Thai Lettuce Wraps are a celebration of fresh flavours and textures. The perfect balance of sweet, savoury, sour and spiciness with aromatic herbs and the fresh crunch from lettuce. Utterly addictive!
Larb Gai is the Thai version of everybody’s favourite Chinese Lettuce Wraps, San Choy Bow!
It’s all about the fresh flavours!
Like many South East Asian dishes, these Thai Lettuce Cups are about 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 goes 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 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. All anyone can think about is how divine it tastes!
TIP: Crisp or soft lettuce works just fine, so go with what you prefer or what looks good at the store. 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 to 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: Typically I serve it just like that, but when I want to go all out, I make Thai Peanut Sauce as well. It’s the sauce from my Thai Chicken Satay recipe which actually makes more than you need for one batch of Satay. So freeze the leftovers then pull it out when you make Thai Lettuce Wraps!
What to serve with 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 favourites:
Thai Main Dish Suggestions
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. If you add one rice side and one salad, that will make quite a substantial meal for 4 people. Here are some suggestions!
Dishes to make a complete meal
– Nagi x
Watch how to make it
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Thai Lettuce Wraps (Larb Gai, Laab Gai)
Ingredients
- 2 tsp cornflour / cornstarch OR 2 tbsp uncooked rice (any rice is fine) (Note 1)
- 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 other high smoke point cooking oil)
- 1 tbsp fresh ginger , grated or very finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves , large, minced
- 1 lemon grass stalk , white and very pale green part only, finely chopped (Note 2)
- 2 Thai or birds eye chilli , deseeded and finely chopped (adjust to taste)
- 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 extra to garnish
- 1/3 cup mint leaves , plus extra to garnish
Serving
- 3 tbsp crushed peanuts (optional)
- 6 - 8 small to medium lettuce leaves (I used baby cos / romaine) (Note 3)
- Extra lime wedges, chilli
Instructions
- Sauce: Place water and cornflour OR rice powder into a small bowl. Mix into a slurry. Add lime juice, fish sauce and sugar and mix to combine. Set aside.
- Heat peanut oil in a wok (or heavy based fry pan) over medium high heat. Add ginger, garlic, lemongrass and chilli and sauté for 45 seconds to 1 minute until fragrant. Do not let the garlic burn, it will taste bitter.
- Add the chicken and turn up the heat to high. Cook the chicken, breaking up the mince into small pieces.
- Once the chicken turns white and is almost cooked through (about 3 to 4 minutes), add Sauce. Cook for 45 seconds to 1 minute to coat the chicken and for the sauce to thicken.
- Remove wok from heat. Stir through onion, coriander/cilantro and mint.
- Spoon filling into a bowl, and serve with lettuce, peanuts, extra herbs and lime wedges on the side - leave everyone to make their own. Spoon filling into lettuce cups and garnish with what you want!
- Sauce option: Take it over the top by serving with Thai Peanut Satay Sauce, as pictured in the first photo in post! It's extra amazing (though not traditional!)
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
Originally published January 2015. Updated with new photos, new process photos, new video and most importantly, Dozer added!
More Thai Food favourites
Life of Dozer
On auto pilot, I labelled this photo “Dozer guarding front door”.
LOL, what a joke! If a robber ever broke in, he’d lead them straight to all my valuables!
Great recipe…could be a little spicier. I did two thai peppers unseeded that I grew in my garden. I think three or four would be better. But all in all very tasty.
Cook this regularly when we’re craving a Thai feast! Along with the e fish cakes and Pad Thai. Heaven!
Hi Nagi,
I wanted to make you aware that in the ingredients of the peanut sauce, you do not mention that you’re using some coconut milk. I now wonder whether I can prepare it without it.
Absolutely delicious! It’s easy to make, too. I had it with a bowl of koshihikari rice, topped with the mince mixture, and I ate it after eating the mince with the lettuce. The rice was soaked in the sauce and it was delightful.
I’ve been craving this since I had it at my local Thai restaurant a few weeks ago. This recipe was absolutely delicious and tasted just like the restaurant version. It was also much simpler than others I’ve used in the past. Served it alongside leftover Mongolian beef and steamed rice- an absolute sinner for a Friday night.
*winner! No sinning in this recipe 🙂
I was craving Larb Gai and this absolutely hit the spot. It was my first time making it and it turned out so well, tastes even better than takeaway!
Love this recipe and so does my kids! Thank you
Hi Nagi – we love love love this dish. On rotation once a week – even did your bacon wrapped chicken thighs last night come to think of it and we love those too. Bit of a problem tonight though, i have no red onion to hand, Can i use a normal onion (assume i’d need to fry it off some, or a red capsicum? Or is it off to the shops to buy the red onion? thanks for the wonderful recipies!
Delicious! This recipe will be on regular rotation. I wanted to increase the vegetable to meat ratio, so I added chopped carrots and bell peppers. Also added water chestnuts, since I love the crunch they add.
Yum! This is quick and delicious! I make it with Beyond or Impossible plant based meat and my entire family loves it- especially this time of year when we can use fresh cilantro and mint from our garden.
I majored in Oriental studies,and spent quite a bit of time in Laos,and missed larb so much since then! Used this recipe,and couldn’t be happier!! Thanks,Nagi!!
Really enjoyed this recipe! Thanks again Nagi for sharing your creations so us novices can have a go! Once again a hit with my partner and that’s always a bonus. Have been craving Larb Gai for a VERY long time and the restaurant I normally get it from has closed down. Finally I decided to give it a go. So glad I did. Sadly I forgot to add the peanuts for garnish. And I chickened out on the birds eye chili and used cayenne red chili instead. To anyone trying this recipe definitely stick to the birds eye!!
That’s great Hurrem!! I am glad that you liked the dish! N x
Can I use shrimp instead? Like a Laos laap recipe.
You could make it with chopped shrimp but you would have to be super careful not to overcook it and make it tough Cobra! N x
Yummy! I’ve made this twice and both times it comes out sloppy but it could be because I used pork mince and not chicken. Flavours are still spot on
Pork can contain more water and fat! N x
I love this recipe, except for the peanuts, which I left out. My son is half loas and I have always loved this dish and am so glad I finally have a recipe! I am so glad I found it, thank you very much for sharing it.
Made this tonight, and yum doesn’t quite cut it! Super super delish and quick! Made it with pork mince, and we had it as our main meal. Had to dial back the chilli as ‘himself’ isn’t too keen, so next time I’ll have some on the side to add in. There wasn’t much talking at the dinner table, just the crunching of lettuce leaves lol
Hi!! Just a tip for those wanting to make this – I used a very cheap lime juice to make this recipe (what I had in my fridge) and I think it affected the overall result. Next time I will make sure to use a good brand or juice the limes myself!
Thank you Nagi for your awesome recipes – Thanks to you I have tried thai food for the first time – I used to be so scared of spicy food but I don’t want to miss out on all the yummy dishes anymore. I try to challenge myself to add more heat to each meal!
Hi Jeanette – for Thai style recipes you definitely need to use fresh squeezed!! N x
I can’t get birds eye chilis where I live, do you have any recommendations for subs?
Any spicy chilli will work Nicole. Maybe a red cayenne or a habanero (Scotch Bonnet) if you like really spicy! N x
Nagi, I love your blog and have been making your recipes for quite some time!
I’m curious if you have any alternatives to fish sauce for those of us allergic to shellfish? I used vegetarian oyster sauce and soy and it was yummy, but perhaps not that close to your recipe so wondering if you have any alternatives. Thanks!
I use liquid aminos or soy sauce to replace the fish sauce. It adds umami so I think it substitutes just fine. The taste is very similar from what I’ve been told!
Thanks for that tip Steph! N x
This is a total winner. Minimum effort and time for maximum flavour! I think it went from start to finish in 10 mins max. Perfect!