Hands down one of the most popular recipes from my book last year was the Chicken Larb Bowls! They are SO flavorful and easy to make! So I'm calling it now, this Spicy Beef Larb with Coconut Rice situation is going to be right up there with the chicken one!
Larb is a dish that is a staple of both Laos and Thailand. The Laotian version of Larb uses fish sauce and the Thai version omits the fish sauce and relies more on spices. The version below is by no means super traditional - but it's incredibly flavorful and after seeing you guys various versions of it for years on end, I know we're all obsessed.
This Spicy Beef Larb situation has been calling my name recently! 1: it's got the coconut rice which is without a doubt better than ordinary rice. 2: the spice beef mixture is incredibly flavorful and crispy which is V important in life. And 3: there are cooked cucumbers in this which are quite possibly the most genius thing I've ever tried.
Bon Appetit posted a Spicy Beef and Cucumber recipe recently and I was like whaaaaaat.... tell me more. Cooked cucumbers. Game changer. They are the perfect cool and calm accompaniment to the spicy beef and the coconut lime rice. Mix it all together and you're going to be obsessed. Hello Spicy Beef Larb!
Spicy Beef with Coconut Rice
Ingredients
For the Spicy Beef
- 3 Persian cucumbers
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 1 pound ground beef
- 6 garlic cloves finely chopped
- 2 red Fresno chiles finely sliced
- 1 tablespoons sambal oelek
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 shallot thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons water
- 2 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon brown sugar
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 cup fresh herbs mint, basil, scallions and cilantro
- Lime wedges
For the Coconut Rice
- 2 cups jasmine rice
- 2 ½ cups water
- 1 cup coconut milk
- 1 teaspoons white sugar
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 lime zested and juiced
Instructions
- Gently smack cucumbers with a rolling pin or the bottom of a heavy pot until they begin to break apart. Tear into bite-size pieces.
- Heat oil in a large cast iron over high heat. Add beef and break apart using a wooden spoon and season with salt and pepper. Cook, undisturbed, until bottom side is browned and crisp, about 5 minutes. Break up meat with a spatula and stir to cook the other side, about 5–7 minutes more.
- Add the garlic, red pepper flakes, sambal and Fresno chiles to the beef and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add shallot and smashed cucumbers and cook, tossing occasionally and scraping up any browned bits, until cucumbers are softened and translucent, about 4 minutes. Remove skillet from heat and stir in vinegars, water, soy sauce, and sugar. Reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring, until sauce is reduced slightly, about 3-4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Spoon beef and cucumbers over bowls of coconut rice and top with herbs and lime wedges.
To make the coconut rice:
- Place the water, coconut milk, sugar and salt in a medium saucepan, and warm over medium-high heat until the mixture starts to simmer. Add the rice and bring back to a low simmer. Cover the pot with lid, then reduce the heat to low. Cook, undisturbed, for about 15 minutes, then turn off the heat and let the rice steam for another 5 to 10 minutes. Uncover, fluff, and season with the zest and juice of 1 lime.
Notes
Nutrition Information
Photo by Matt Armendariz / Food Styling by Adam Pearson // Recipe adapted from Bon Appetit
So easy and delicious!! I subbed a jalapeño for the Fresno chili’s and added most of the herbs in with the meat. Don’t skip the cucumbers!!
This looks amazing! I make lots of your recipes to feed my 5 hungry teenagers and it's always a success. I have a question though.....They like a little spice, but not a crazy amount of spice. What would you recommend I cut, or cut down on, to lessen the spice, but not lose too much of the essence of the dish? Thanks! jo
you could ditch the red pepper flakes. But keep the sambal
Love all of Gaby’s recipes but this one may be my favorite yet! Definitely added to my regular rotation.
We LOVE this and have made it several times. I love making it for an easy entertaining dish because it is relatively fast and easy but super unique so it's usually a new / fun dish for people to try.
I was wondering what fat content of ground beef you recommend for this recipe? Is 93% vs 85% lean?
either one works - tested it both ways! Totally your personal preference
Hi gabi! Big fan... I have a couple of questions:
1) can you use coconut cream for the rice?
2) can you omit the oelek sauce or substitute it for something else?
Thank you!
Coconut cream is a little thicker but I don't see why it wouldn't work! And you could use sriracha!
yes and you could do sriracha!
1c of herbs ...1 cup of a mixture? those are suggestion? 1 cup of each?
1 cup total - those herbs are just a suggestion of what you should use
Do you leave the fat from the ground beef in the pan or pour it out?
I leave it in! But you're more than welcome to pour it out
Would this good with ground chicken instead of beef?
absolutely
Are the fresno chilies absolutely necessary? They’re not very easy to find where I live? Can’t wait to try this recipe!
you can omit!
Love you, love your show! Why beat and break apart cukes as opposed to just slicing? Love the chicken larb recipe in your cookbook. This seems a little different and I can't wait to try it.
cause I'm fancy like that 🙂 you're gonna love it
Can you make coconut rice in a rice cooker?
totally
Been making laarb gai (chicken salad) since I spent a month in Laos years ago. Love the flavours and can’t wait to try this. Your photo doesn’t look like ground beef - more like steak. Can you comment?
it's ground beef!
What are Persian cucumbers same as english.ansambal oelek. Never hears of that
no they are the smaller cucumber variety! and sambal oelek is a hot sauce - you can find it on amazon https://www.amazon.com/Sambal-Oelek-Chilli-Paste-18oz/dp/B000JMDHCC
This was so flavorful and easy to make! I would definitely make this again!
This sounds absolutely divine! I cannot get enough the coconut rice, and these cucumbers sound like the next best thing!!