Description
Thai Beef Salad is a vibrant and fresh dish combining tender, juicy slices of lean beef with crisp vegetables, fragrant herbs, and a zesty, balanced dressing. This authentic and easy-to-make salad delivers bold spicy, sour, sweet, and salty flavors with satisfying textures, perfect for a quick lunch, dinner, or entertaining guests.
Ingredients
Scale
Beef
- 300g lean beef (sirloin or flank steak)
Fresh Vegetables
- 1/2 cucumber, thinly sliced
- 1 small red onion or 2 shallots, thinly sliced
- 10 cherry tomatoes, halved
Herbs
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- 1/4 cup fresh mint, chopped
Dressing
- 2 tbsp fish sauce
- 2 tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1–2 fresh Thai chilies, finely sliced (or pinch of chili flakes, adjust to taste)
Additional Ingredients
- 1 tbsp toasted rice powder (see note)
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Prepare and Cook the Beef: Season the beef lightly with salt and pepper. Heat a hot pan and sear the beef until it reaches your preferred doneness, ideally medium-rare to medium. Let the beef rest for a few minutes before slicing thinly against the grain for maximum tenderness.
- Prep the Vegetables and Herbs: While the beef rests, wash and prepare the vegetables and herbs. Slice cucumber into thin rounds, slice red onions or shallots thinly, halve the cherry tomatoes, and finely chop the cilantro and mint to release their aromatic oils.
- Make the Dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together fish sauce, freshly squeezed lime juice, sugar, and finely sliced fresh chilies or chili flakes. Adjust the balance of salty, sour, sweet, and spicy flavors to your taste.
- Combine All Ingredients: In a large bowl, toss the sliced beef, prepared vegetables, and chopped herbs with the dressing until evenly coated. Sprinkle the toasted rice powder over the top to add authentic texture and a subtle nutty flavor, then gently toss again.
- Serve Immediately: Serve the Thai Beef Salad fresh, either chilled or at room temperature, to keep the vegetables crisp and flavors vibrant. Garnish with extra herbs or crushed peanuts if desired.
Notes
- Let the beef rest after cooking to retain juiciness and ease slicing.
- Use fresh lime juice for the dressing for authentic brightness; bottled lime juice is not recommended.
- Toast sticky rice in a dry pan until golden, then grind into powder for the signature nutty taste and texture.
- Continuously taste and adjust your dressing to maintain a harmonious balance of salty, sweet, sour, and spicy.
- Serve the salad immediately to avoid the vegetables becoming wilted from the dressing.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Appetizers
- Method: Searing
- Cuisine: Thai
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 320 kcal
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 900 mg
- Fat: 15 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 10 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 35 g
- Cholesterol: 80 mg