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Simple Recipes for Every Day

Larb Lettuce Cups

Larb Lettuce Cups with ground chicken a spoon with sauce
  • Serves:  6
  • Prep Time:  10 min
  • Cook Time:  15 min

Ingredients

  • ½ cup short grain white rice
  • 2 pounds ground chicken
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 1 medium shallot, thinly sliced
  • 1 tablespoon brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon lime zest
  • ⅓ cup fresh lime juice, (from 4 limes)
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon chili paste
  • 2 teaspoons fish sauce
  • ½ cup fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
  • ¼ cup fresh mint leaves, roughly chopped
  • 2 heads Boston or butter lettuce, leaves separated (about 18-24 total)

Sweet Chili Lime Sauce

  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice, (from 1 medium lime)
  • 2 teaspoons chili paste
  • 2 teaspoons brown sugar
  • 2 teaspoons fish sauce
  • 3 green onions, thinly sliced (optional)

Method

  1. Heat a small pan over medium-high heat. Add the rice and cook until toasted and fragrant. Transfer the rice to a food processor and pulse until broken down into a powder, about 20 pulses.
  2. Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook, breaking the meat up with a wooden spoon, until browned. Set a colander over a bowl, drain the chicken and set aside.
  3. Add the oil to the same skillet over medium heat. Once the oil is glistening, add the shallots and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 3 minutes.
  4. Add the chicken back to the skillet along with the rice powder, brown sugar, lime zest, lime juice, salt, and chili paste, and cook, stirring often, until fully incorporated, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
  5. Make the sauce. In a small bowl whisk together the soy sauce, lime juice, chili paste, brown sugar, fish sauce, and green onions, if using.
  6. Stir the chili paste, fish sauce, cilantro, and mint, into the chicken mixture. 
  7. To serve, fill each lettuce cup with the chicken mixture and drizzle with a little sauce.