Crunchy, spicy, sour, and bright, the Naem Khao at Thip Khao in Washington, DC, is everything I want to eat forever and ever. The Laotian salad is traditionally made by forming rice seasoned with red curry paste into pucks that are deep-fried until golden brown. The fried pucks are then broken apart and mixed with sour pork sausage, shredded pork skin, lots of herbs, shallots, and a fish sauce dressing.
This weeknight version skips the deep-frying but keeps a similar balance of flavors and textures. In this approach, cooked rice gets crisped in a skillet until golden brown and crunchy and then broken apart and used as the base for the salad. Ground chicken cooked with store-bought curry paste adds depth, while thinly sliced onion, herbs, and a sweet-sour-salty dressing keep things bright. The thin shreds of ginger are a revelation: When soaked in ice water, they become mellow and extra crunchy, less of an accent and more a vegetable in their own right. I highly recommend using cocktail peanuts, which have the utmost roasty flavor with oily, salty skins. —Shilpa Uskokovic
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What you’ll need
Large Nonstick Skillet
$50 At Amazon
Citrus Juicer
$20 $15 At Amazon
Stainless Steel Mixing Bowls
$26 At Amazon
Silicone Spatula
$13 At Amazon
Ingredients
4 servings
1
1
2
1
3
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4
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1
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½
Preparation
Step 1
Place 1 medium red onion, thinly sliced, and one 3" piece ginger, peeled, cut into thin matchsticks, in a medium bowl of ice water and let soak while you prepare the chicken and rice.
Step 2
Using your hands, toss 2 cups cooled cooked jasmine rice and half of one 4-oz. can or jar Thai red curry paste (no need to be exact) in a medium bowl to coat. Set aside.
Step 3
Stir 3 Tbsp. fresh lime juice, 1 Tbsp. plus 1½ tsp. fish sauce, and 1 Tbsp. plus 1½ tsp. sugar in a large bowl until sugar is dissolved.
Step 4
Heat 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high. Add 1 lb. ground chicken and spread into a thin, even layer; season with kosher salt. Cook, undisturbed, until golden brown underneath, about 5 minutes. Add remaining 2 oz. Thai red curry paste and cook, stirring and breaking up into bite-size pieces, until chicken is cooked through, about 2 minutes. Transfer to bowl with dressing.
Step 5
Heat remaining 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil in same skillet. Add reserved rice mixture and press into an even layer. Cook, undisturbed, until golden and crisp underneath, 6–8 minutes. Continue to cook, breaking up rice into large pieces, 1–2 minutes. Remove from heat.
Step 6
Drain red onion and ginger; add to bowl with chicken, along with 1 small serrano chile, thinly sliced, 1 cup salted dry-roasted peanuts, 1 cup (packed) cilantro leaves, ½ cup (packed) mint leaves, and rice. Toss well to combine.
Step 7
Transfer salad to a platter. Serve with lettuce leaves for wrapping and lime wedges for squeezing over.
How would you rate Laotian-Style Chicken and Rice Salad?
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Reviews (19)
Back to TopDelicious! I used the Maesri curry paste but only a fraction of a 4 oz can and it was spicy enough for us. We loved the flavours.
Loridp
Vancouver, BC
3/11/2024
I used all the curry pasta called for and it wasn’t spicy at all. Just wanted to post that for anyone who was worried at first that it’d be too spicy like I was… great recipe! Though instead of making it in fall/winter I’d make it next time in Spring/summer
Danielle
Danielle
11/20/2023
This is hands down one of the tastiest dishes I have made. Love it. I will be on my regular rotation. It’s amazing the day of and just as flavourful as a a leftover.
P McBride
Toronto, ON
11/30/2022
Great recipe! Love the flavors & textures, don’t skip serving with crunchy lettuce. I halved the onion and that worked for my family.
Jess G
Los Angeles
10/18/2022
This came together quick and was super flavorful.
G Hollander
Chicago, IL
10/11/2022
Sooooo much flavour! Will absolutely be adding this to my regular rotation of meals
Anonymous
Canada
10/5/2022
This is great! I’ve had the dish at Thip Khao that this is based on and it’s one of my favorite dishes ever. This is a super weeknight/home chef friendly adaptation and it tastes great! I found the curry paste at Whole Foods. Will definitely make again.
Andrea
New Jersey
10/4/2022
I am a big fan of the old spicy chicken lettuce wrap recipe and this is another weeknight winner. Lots of flavor for not too much effort. The crispy rice also makes it go a little farther than just the chicken larb. Highly recommend for an easy meal and don't skimp on the fresh herbs!
mapull
Washington, DC
9/29/2022
Delicious! Everyone at the table raved. Only addition was a little more rice because I wanted to make sure there was enough for my lunchbox the next day. Grateful for learning the technique to brown the ground chicken. Will be making this again and again.
Anonymous
New Braunfels, TX
9/27/2022
Delicious. I used monk fruit sweetener in lieu of sugar and only half of the red curry paste thinking it would be too spicy. I’m glad I held back as the spice would have overwhelmed the dish.
Anonymous
Chicago
9/19/2022