Thai Beef Salad
Equipment
Ingredients
Beef
- 1 lb flank steak, see note 1
- Salt, to taste
- Black pepper, to taste
Salad Dressing
- 2 tbsp fish sauce
- 2 tsp sugar
- 2 tbsp fresh lime juice
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp Thai chilies, finely sliced (to taste)
- Pinch of salt
Salad
- 1 cup red lettuce, roughly chopped
- ½ red onion, thinly sliced
- 1 cucumber, sliced
- 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 2 tbsp chopped cilantro leaves
- 2 tbsp chopped mint leaves
Optional Garnish
- Chopped nuts, I used peanuts
Instructions
- In a bowl, combine fish sauce, sugar, lime juice, garlic, Thai chilies, and salt. Mix thoroughly and set aside.
- Prepare your vegetables by roughly chopping the red lettuce, thinly slicing the red onion, slicing the cucumber, and halving the cherry tomatoes.
- Season your steak generously on both sides with salt and black pepper.
- Add oil a pan over medium-high heat and sear your steak, flipping every 30 seconds, for about 5½ minutes total. Remove from the pan and let it rest briefly.
- Slice the steak thinly against the grain.
- In a large bowl, combine the lettuce, cucumber, red onion, tomatoes, cilantro, mint, sliced beef, and dressing. Toss everything thoroughly until well coated.
- Serve your Thai beef salad immediately and optionally garnish with chopped nuts.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
What Makes Thai Beef Salad The Perfect Light But Filling Dinner
There are some days I crave heavier meals but there are also days where I crave something quick and fresh like this Thai Beef Salad. What makes this so good is that the flavors come from primarily natural sources, such as the herbs and vegetables, which are further heightened from the salad dressing. The fish sauce and lime juice compliment the vegetables and juicy steak perfectly, and since this Thai Beef Salad is mainly just vegetables and protein, it’s naturally light without skipping on any of the flavor!
What Makes This Thai Beef Salad Different From Any Other Salad
Most salads get their flavors from the dressing, but this Thai Beef Salad has lots of delicious gems spread throughout the salad rather than just on top. You get deep umami flavors from the fish sauce paired with the freshness of the herbs, which is all balanced out by the acidity from the Thai chilies and lime. Additionally, the steak, which I recommend to serve as medium rare, adds another layer of flavor and protein that is essential for keeping you full. The best part is it comes together in just 20 minutes, and unlike most salads, will keep you satisfied and ready to tackle whatever else you may have during the day.
What You’ll Need To Make Thai Beef Salad
Steak
- 1 lb flank steak
- Salt, to taste
- Black pepper, to taste
Salad Dressing
- 2 tbsp fish sauce
- 2 tsp sugar
- 2 tbsp fresh lime juice
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp Thai chilies, finely sliced (to taste)
- Pinch of salt
Salad
- 1 cup red lettuce, roughly chopped
- ½ red onion, thinly sliced
- 1 cucumber, sliced
- ½ cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 2 tbsp chopped cilantro leaves
- 2 tbsp chopped mint leaves
Optional Garnish
- Chopped roasted peanuts or cashews
How to Make Thai Beef Salad
Combine fish sauce, lime juice, sugar, garlic, chilies, and a pinch of salt in a small bowl. Stir well and set aside.
Prep your salad vegetables. Chop the lettuce, slice the cucumber and onion, halve the cherry tomatoes, and chop up your herbs.
Season the steak generously with salt and black pepper.
Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high. Sear steak, flipping every 30 seconds for a total of about 5½ minutes for medium-rare.
Let the steak rest for a few minutes, then slice thinly against the grain.
In a large bowl, combine the salad base, sliced beef, and dressing. Toss until everything is coated.
Garnish with chopped peanuts and serve immediately.
Tips & Variations
I recommend using flank steak because it compliments the fresh vegetables and dressing the best, but you can substitute with skirt steak, NY strip, ribeye, or even sirloin if you can’t find flank steak!
I only used 1 tsp of Thai chilies due to them being quite spicy, but if you want the dish to be even spicier feel free to add as much as you like!
I don’t recommend meal prepping this tossed. If you would like to meal prep this Thai Beef Salad, make the dressing in advance, chop your vegetables, and slice your meat and toss everything together when you want to eat it!
Personally, I like to serve the dish with the meat still warm, but if you would like to eat the steak cold, it tastes just as good!
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use a different dressing?
You can swap fish sauce for soy sauce if you want a less pungent flavor, though it won’t have as much umami flavor.
What can I serve this with?
It’s fantastic on its own but this pairs well with sticky rice, jasmine rice, or even vermicelli noodles!
Can I meal prep this salad?
Sort of! You can prep all the components ahead of time like the steak, vegetables, and dressing, but store them separately. Toss everything together just before serving so the vegetables stay crisp.
What cut of beef should I use if I don’t have flank steak?
Skirt steak, flat iron, or sirloin will also work well. Just make sure to slice thinly against the grain for tenderness.
Is this salad spicy?
It depends on how many Thai chilies you use! Start with half a chili if you’re sensitive to heat and scale up as needed.
Try These Next
Craving more beef? Try my Mongolian Beef!
If you want chicken instead, I highly recommend my Teriyaki Chicken!
Want a hot beef dish instead? Please try this Japanese Steak Bowl!
