Salmon Laab (Larb)
July 12, 2026
About this Recipe
In my house, we love laab.
Laab, which holds culinary roots in both Laos and Thailand, is typically a meat-based mixture that is cooked in a plethora of southeast Asian aromatics and a lime-fish sauce based marinade. The meat mixture is served in lettuce cups with an array of garnishes like crunchy cucumber, sliced chilis, and herbs such as mint, cilantro and Thai basil. In this recipe, I swap the meat for salmon or Arctic char making it a pescatarian-friendly dish and the perfect fresh patio meal for a warm Summer day.
In this recipe, I sear skin-on fish fillets. You can remove the skin and add it in to a wrap, eat it as a snack, or if you have a dog or cat, give it to them as a tasty treat. It’s traditional to use glutinous rice in this dish, however, I have enjoyed it many times with jasmine rice. It’s also traditional to serve laab with toasted rice powder which not only adds a pop of texture but also a toasty rice flavor essence to the overall dish. I recommend you trying it but if you happen to live somewhere where it’s difficult to find, no worries, it’s also very tasty without it.
Serves: 4
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 25 minutes
Total time: 35 minutes
Ingredients
1 4-inch piece lemongrass stalk
2 garlic cloves
1/2 bunch cilantro, stems and leaves separated, stems coarsely chopped, leaves for serving
1 large shallot, coarsely chopped
4 Thai finger chilis or Thai birds eye chili peppers, divided
1/2 cup salted, roasted peanuts
5 tablespoons fresh lime juice, from 3 limes
2 tablespoons fish sauce, plus more serving
1 1/2 teaspoons raw or demerara sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose high heat oil, such as canola or safflower
1 1/4 pound skin-on salmon or Arctic char filets
Cooked (sticky or jasmine) white rice, Bibb lettuce leaves, sliced cucumber, lime wedges, sliced chives, Thai basil leaves, and mint sprigs, for serving
Toasted rice powder (optional), for serving
Instructions
- Remove tough outer layers from lemongrass stalk, trim the bulb end, then roughly chop. Pulse lemongrass and garlic in a food processor until finely chopped. Add cilantro stems (reserve leaves for serving), shallot, and 1–2 Thai chiles, depending on heat preference, and pulse until very finely chopped. Transfer to a small mixing bowl and set aside. Pulse peanuts in food processor until coarsely ground and transfer to a small bowl, set aside. Thinly slice remaining chiles and set aside for serving.
- Whisk 5 tablespoons fresh lime juice, 2 tablespoons fish sauce, and 1 1/2 teaspoons raw sugar in a small bowl; set aside as the larb marinade.
- Heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in a large skillet, over high heat. Add fish filets, skin side down to skillet and press flat layer with a flexible spatula. Cook, occasionally, gently pressing the fish into the skillet until the skin is brown and crisp around the edges, 4 minutes. Flip the fish, remove the skin. Push the fish to one side of the skillet and add the lemongrass mixture and cook, stirring, until fragrant and the mixture is beginning to soften, about 2 minutes. Break up the fish with the spatula then stir to combine in the aromatics. Add reserved lime marinade, peanuts and stirring and breaking up the fish until the fish is cooked through, flaking, coated in the aromatics and the marinade has mostly evaporated, 2-3 minutes more. Remove from heat and season with more fish sauce, if desired.
- Serve larb alongside a platter of sticky or jasmine white rice, lettuce, cucumber, limes, mint sprigs, sliced chives, cilantro sprigs, Thai basil and reserved chiles for making lettuce wraps. Top larb with toasted rice powder, if using, and serve.
