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Beef Larb with Mint and Lime

Name: Beef Larb with Mint and Lime
Prep time: 13 min
Total time: 18 min
Cuisine: Thai
Ingredients: steamed jasmine rice — 59 g; extra-lean ground beef — 680 g; low-sodium beef broth — 118 g; fish sauce — 59 g; lime juice — 44 g; granulated sugar — 13 g; red chili flakes — 3 g; shallots — 120 g; scallions — 400 g; mint — 59 g; cilantro leaves — 59 g; cos lettuce — 100 g; steamed jasmine rice — 355 g; salt — 5 g

Beef Larb with Mint and Lime reads umami 6.6, funk & ferment 6.0 and salinity 5.8 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a Thai main, about 18 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.

The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10

Umami & Savory — 8.2 / 10
Sweet & Fruity — 4.1 / 10
Sour & Bright — 6.7 / 10
Bitter & Earthy — 0.6 / 10
Rich & Fat — 2.3 / 10
Aromatic & Spice — 5.2 / 10

The measured notes (of 18)

Umami 6.6 · Funk & Ferment 6.0 · Salinity 5.8 · Sourness 5.1 · Citrus 5.1 · Marine & Briny 4.8 · Herbaceous 4.8 · Sweetness 3.9 · Allium 3.1 · Richness 2.2 · Floral 1.7 · Heat 1.6 · Earthy 0.6 · Fruity 0.5

What's in it (14)

steamed jasmine rice — 59 g
extra-lean ground beef — 680 g
low-sodium beef broth — 118 g
fish sauce — 59 g
lime juice — 44 g
granulated sugar — 13 g
red chili flakes — 3 g
shallots — 120 g
scallions — 400 g
mint — 59 g
cilantro leaves — 59 g
cos lettuce — 100 g
steamed jasmine rice — 355 g
salt — 5 g

Time & effort: about 18 min (13 min active) · effort: involved

Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 92.7 kcal, 8.3 g protein, 2.4 g fat, 9.5 g carbs

Dietary: Contains meat — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.

How it's cooked (7 steps)

Toast the 1/3 cup rice in a dry skillet over medium heat, stirring often, until deep golden brown and fragrant, 6-8 minutes. Let cool slightly, then grind to a coarse, sandy powder in a spice grinder or with a mortar and pestle; set aside.
In a wide skillet or wok, combine the ground beef and broth over medium-high heat. Cook, breaking the meat into small crumbles with a spatula, until the beef is just cooked through and no longer pink, 5-6 minutes — the broth keeps the meat moist instead of drying it out the way straight searing would.
Remove the skillet from the heat and immediately stir in the fish sauce, lime juice, sugar, and red pepper flakes; the residual heat dissolves the sugar and lets the beef drink up the dressing. Let cool for 5 minutes.
Fold in the shallots and scallions once the beef is warm rather than hot, so they stay crisp and sharp instead of wilting.
Just before serving, fold in the mint, cilantro, toasted rice powder, and salt; toss gently so the herbs stay bright, not bruised.
Taste and adjust with more lime juice, fish sauce, or chili flakes as needed.
Serve the larb warm or at room temperature with lettuce leaves for wrapping and steamed jasmine rice alongside, passing lime wedges at the table.

Dishes with a similar flavor shape

Chicken Larb (Thai Herb Salad) — Thai
Snap Pea Chopped Salad With Thai Vinaigrette Recipe — Thai
Grilled Pork Vermicelli Bowls (Bun Cha) — Vietnamese
Vietnamese Grilled Lemongrass Chicken Vermicelli Bowls (Bun Ga Nuong) — Vietnamese
Vietnamese-Style Grilled Lemongrass Pork — Vietnamese

Keep reading: what umami, funk & ferment, salinity mean in the flavor lexicon · the world's cuisines, by flavor.

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Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.