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Home Cuisines Thai Recipes

Thai Beef Salad

By:Nagi
Published:12 Aug '19Updated:10 Oct '22
289 Comments
Recipe v Video v Dozer v

Not just another Thai Beef Salad….This is made with one little change to create a dressing from an award winning Thai restaurant, arguably one of the best in the world outside of Thailand!

This is a reader-favourite recipe included by popular demand in my debut cookbook “Dinner”!

Close up of Thai Beef Salad

Thai Beef Salad

I’m probably completely biased, but I think that Asian salads are the best in the world. I love them because they are interesting and the dressings are so good.

The chances of me ordering a salad as a dish (not a side) at any restaurant other than an Asian one is almost zero.

However, at Asian restaurants, there is a good prospect of it happening!!

My favourite part is the zingy, fresh, strong flavoured dressings used in Asian salads. No mayo, no cream, no cheese, far less oil. Just pure fresh flavours – often with plenty of fresh chilli heat in it. I love it!

Fork stabbing piece of beef in Thai Beef Salad

Along with Green Papaya Salad, I think Thai Beef Salad is probably one of the better known Asian salads. I eat it year round, rain, hail or shine, and it’s one of my favourite ways to use a good piece of steak because a little bit goes a long way.

I don’t know about where you live, but even though Australia is cattle country, beef is the most expensive protein and a good steaks cost $40+ per kg (that’s $20+ per pound).

For a Thai Beef salad for 2, you really only need around 7 to 8 oz / 200 – 250g of good quality steak. Cook it to your liking…..I won’t say it’s a sacrilege to cook quality beef more than medium rare but… OK, I can’t resist, I have to say it. I think it’s a crime to cook quality beef beyond medium rare!!!!!


What goes in Thai Beef Salad

Here’s what you need.

The unique thing about this recipe is the use of coriander/cilantro stems in the Dressing. The flavour it adds is terrific – and authentic!

In Thailand, the roots are traditionally used but in Western countries, coriander usually isn’t sold with long roots like it is in Thailand so it’s a total pain to get enough to make this Dressing.

Using the stem is a terrific fall back!

What goes in Thai Beef Salad

How to make Thai Beef Salad

The Dressing is the star here, and the key to getting truly great flavour in it is to grind up the coriander/cilantro stems, chilli and garlic in a mortar and pestle to form a paste before mixing in the other Dressing ingredients.

But don’t worry if you don’t have a mortar and pestle – you can finely mince the ingredients then shake the Dressing up in a jar!

How to make Thai Beef Salad
Close up of Thai Beef Salad

The Dressing is the key

The dressing for this salad is the star, and it’s based on a recipe from this cookbook by Suet Saenkham, the genius Thai native behind the critically acclaimed Spice I Am restaurants in Sydney.

Spice I Am is said to be one of THE best Thai restaurants outside of Thailand. Everything I have tried from the cookbook is just so incredible, a step up from the run-of-the-mill Thai takeouts.

I adapted the dressing recipe a wee bit because I must admit I found the original recipe a little too strong flavored, which is saying something for me because I really like strong flavours! But the base recipe is the same.

Hope you enjoy! – Nagi x


Watch how to make it

This recipe features in my debut cookbook Dinner. The book is mostly new recipes, but this is a reader favourite included by popular demand!

Hungry for more? Subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for all of the latest updates.

Close up overhead photo of Thai Beef Salad

Thai Beef Salad

Author: Nagi | RecipeTin Eats
Prep: 20 mins
Cook: 5 mins
Total: 25 mins
Beef, Salad
Asian, Thai
4.99 from 94 votes
Servings2
Tap or hover to scale
Print
  • 711
Recipe video above. A great Thai Beef Salad comes down to the perfect balance of flavours in the dressing. To achieve this, I'm going to ask you to use teaspoons to measure the garlic and chilli. Because – not all garlic cloves are the same size. So annoying, right??!
Grinding coriander to mix into the dressing gives this an extra dimension that makes this a restaurant standard recipe. It makes all the difference to the flavour!

Ingredients

Dressing

  • 1/2 tsp birds eye or Thai Chilli , deseeded and finely minced (Note 1)
  • 1/4 tsp finely minced garlic (1/2 small clove)
  • 1 tbsp finely chopped cilantro/coriander stems
  • 2 1/4 tsp white sugar
  • 2 tbsp fish sauce
  • 3 tbsp lime juice
  • 1 tbsp grapeseed oil (or canola or vegetable oil)
  • 1 small pinch cooking / kosher salt

Salad

  • 7 – 8 oz / 200 – 250 g good quality beef steak – sirloin , at room temperature (Note 2)
  • 1 tbsp oil (vegetable, peanut or canola oil)
  • 1/4 tsp each salt and pepper
  • 2 heaped cups mixed lettuce leaves
  • 10 cherry tomatoes , halved
  • 1/4 small red onion , very finely sliced
  • 1/2 cucumber (optional deseed) , cut horizontally then cut into slices (about 1/3 cup)
  • 1/4 cup cilantro/coriander leaves , lightly packed
  • 1/4 cup mint leaves , lightly packed

Garnish

  • 1/4 cup finely chopped peanuts , roasted, unsalted
  • Extra cilantro/coriander and mint leaves

Instructions

Dressing:

  • Place the birds eye chili, garlic, cilantro stems and a small pinch of salt into a mortar and pestle. Grind until a smooth paste forms.
  • Add the remaining Dressing ingredients. Adjust sugar, lime juice and fish sauce to taste. Set aside.
  • Alternative: Finely mince garlic, coriander and chilli. Use side of knife to smear into paste on cutting board, then shake in jar with remaining ingredients.

Beef:

  • Preheat a skillet over high heat until screaming hot and smoking.
  • Drizzle the beef with 1/2 tbsp of oil on both sides, then sprinkle with a good pinch of salt and pepper. Cook the beef to your liking (Note 2).
  • Cook times: for steak 2cm / 4/5” thick, 2 min on each side for medium rare (until internal temp is 52°C/125°F) OR 2 1/2 min each side for medium (internal temp 57°C/135°F).
  • Remove the beef from the skillet onto a plate. Loosely tent with foil and set aside for 10 minutes to rest.

Salad:

  • Place lettuce in a bowl, drizzle with 1 tbsp Dressing and toss.
  • Slice the beef thinly against the grain (Note 2) and place in a bowl with the remaining Salad ingredients. Dress with most remaining Dressing and toss gently.
  • Pile dressed lettuce onto plate(s), pile over beef and other salad ingredients.
  • Sprinkle with peanuts and garnish with extra cilantro/coriander and mint leaves if using, drizzle with remaining Dressing. Serve immediately!

Recipe Notes:

1. Chilli – 1/2 tsp will be mildly spicy, 1 tsp will be decently spicy but not blow-your-head off. For mild, 1/4 tsp.
Can sub with other chilli of choice, or use chilli paste.
2. Steak – any good steak suited to grilling. Sirloin, boneless rib eye, porterhouse, scotch fillet or rump steak, flank, flat iron (my personal favourite).
Internal temperature cooked steak medium rare
Remember: the steak will continue cooking when resting! And remember: you can cook a steak a bit more if needed but you can’t UNCOOK steak!
Cutting the beef against the grain produces the most tender slices. To do this, look at the piece of steak and you will notice that most of the fibres are going in one direction. Turn the steak so the fibres are going left to right directly in front of you. Then cut across the fibres – i.e. 90 degrees perpendicular to the direction of the fibres.
3. Adapted from the Spice I Am cookbook by Suet Saenkham, the genius behind the Spice I Am restaurants in Sydney, Australia, arguably one of the BEST Thai restaurants in the world outside of Thailand!
4. Nutrition per serving assuming 2 servings.

Nutrition Information:

Serving: 326gCalories: 384cal (19%)Carbohydrates: 13.5g (5%)Protein: 38.1g (76%)Fat: 19.9g (31%)Saturated Fat: 4.4g (28%)Cholesterol: 101mg (34%)Sodium: 1553mg (68%)Potassium: 860mg (25%)Fiber: 2.4g (10%)Sugar: 7.6g (8%)Vitamin A: 750IU (15%)Vitamin C: 14.9mg (18%)Calcium: 60mg (6%)Iron: 24.8mg (138%)
Keywords: thai beef salad
Did you make this recipe?I love hearing how you went with my recipes! Tag me on Instagram at @RecipeTinEats.

Originally published July 2015. Updated August 2019 with new writing, new photos, brand new video, step photos and most importantly, Life of Dozer section added!

Life of Dozer

Look what I brought back from Vietnam for him………  Toddler size fits him perfectly!

Dozer-with-Vietnamese-hat
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289 Comments

  1. Niall says

    January 14, 2023 at 11:23 pm

    Recipe for 2 servings says 1/4 tsp of garlic but in the video you throw two whole cloves in. Guessing it’s an error? How much garlic should I use?

    Reply
  2. Denise says

    December 31, 2022 at 12:23 am

    5 stars
    Amazing! Better than any Thai salad I’ve ever had at restaurants. Even my kids who dislike any sort of salad loved eating this! As I don’t have a mortar and pestle I just threw all dressing ingredients into the blender and was perfect

    Reply
  3. Jo-Anne Case says

    December 22, 2022 at 7:51 pm

    5 stars
    This was absolutely delicious. I used eye fillet beef yumm. I surprised myself being a self proclaimed coriander hater but this dressing was the bomb!!!!
    I didn’t add coriander or mint to salad, personal choice, didn’t need it, I will make this again, so enjoyable😀🤩

    Reply
  4. lynne dillon says

    December 12, 2022 at 8:31 am

    Love the Thai Beef Salad. Any idea of quantities to use if I have say 12 people for lunch?

    Reply
  5. Einfjord Breen says

    December 7, 2022 at 8:14 pm

    Hello, loving the book and recipes. However struggling with the nutritional information. For the Thai Beef Salad. Calories: 384cal (19% ). What’s the 19% ? Also, listed is the Carbohydrates: 13.5g (5%) Protein: 38.1g (76%) Fat: 19.9g (31%). Traditionally these 3, Carbs, Protein and Fat add to 100% not, as in this case, 112%. Anyone clarify? Thanks.

    Reply
  6. Sarah says

    November 25, 2022 at 10:14 pm

    This is the best thing I have ever put in my mouth. I add vermicelli noodles 🤤

    Reply
  7. Sally says

    November 13, 2022 at 9:34 pm

    5 stars
    This is beautiful and I can’t believe how much greenery I got my carnivores to eat. Doubled the recipe. Rump steak was cooked to perfection with your tips. Added vermicelli noodles to bulk it up for some extra carbs. Fantastic flavours!

    Reply
  8. Nicole says

    October 26, 2022 at 8:57 pm

    I made this for my husband. He loved it. I also made a vegetarian version using firm tofu for myself. Fried tofu batons til nice and brown and then followed the rest of the recipe . Was fantastic

    Reply
  9. June Vee says

    August 7, 2022 at 8:17 pm

    Another winner, Nagi – thank you! This dressing is definitely the bomb; we really enjoyed the flavours and it added a lovely zing to the salad (okay, I may have used a tiny bit more chilli than a teaspoon 😉)

    Reply
  10. Mel Butler says

    June 9, 2022 at 1:24 am

    5 stars
    I made this today for dinner & by far this is one of my favourite recipes by you. I love everything about it, especially the dressing & how much heat it pact. I will certainly be making it again.

    Reply
  11. Linda says

    June 6, 2022 at 7:31 pm

    Hi I cooked your Thai Beef Salad tonight a great success thanks Nagi

    Reply
  12. Sheri Keating says

    June 3, 2022 at 12:34 am

    Is there any substitute for the birds eye chili or this chili?

    Reply
    • Sheri Keating says

      June 3, 2022 at 12:36 am

      Sorry. Typo Should be Thia chili above. Spellchecker. Haha

      Reply
      • Nicole says

        October 26, 2022 at 8:54 pm

        I didn’t have any fresh chillies, so I just tossed in some dried chilli flakes. Still tasted fabulous

        Reply
  13. Nimah says

    May 27, 2022 at 8:48 pm

    This looks so good! A few questions 😊 could I make this with backstrap instead? Would it still taste good without the onion (my husband refuses to eat raw onion)? And would it last 5 days in the fridge as I usually meal prep my husbands lunches. Thank you x

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      May 28, 2022 at 12:37 pm

      Hi Nimah – lamb backstrap would be pretty good with this. You could leave the onion out but the flavour won’t be as good. I think 5 days might be pushing it a bit for salad greens, even if you keep the dressing separate. I would get him to eat it early in the week and prep something else that would last five days for later in the week! N x

      Reply
  14. Brenda Davis says

    April 30, 2022 at 4:50 pm

    Hi Nagi
    I made this for my family using venison back steaks and it was delicious!! The dressing is to die for and I found a super mix salad at the supermarket which was perfect.
    Even my 16 yr daughter ate it and that’s saying something because she is really picky!
    I look forward to trying some more of your recipes.
    Cheers
    Brenda

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      May 1, 2022 at 11:32 am

      I haven’t tried this with venison Brenda but I bet it would be very tasty!! N x

      Reply
  15. Petra says

    April 28, 2022 at 7:16 pm

    5 stars
    This dressing is to die for Nagi! I didn’t expect an ordinary Beef salad as everything I made from your recipes was always delish, but this was more than just delish!!! Thank you so much.

    Reply
  16. Debbie says

    April 19, 2022 at 9:54 pm

    All my children loved this dish. One of them and my husband said it’s the nicest meal they have ever had and would pay to eat this.

    Reply
  17. Claire says

    March 30, 2022 at 6:04 am

    5 stars
    This is definitely the best Thai Beef Salad recipe and never fails to deliver a punchy tasting dish. Full of flavour, we use left over roast beef for this dish and always buy enough beef for leftovers, just so we can make this.

    Reply
  18. Melanie says

    March 26, 2022 at 6:51 pm

    5 stars
    This is one of my favourite meals to cook. The dressing is so delicious we drink the leftovers off the plate! I used to only be able to find coriander roots at the markets but I’ve noticed woolies has started selling coriander with roots lately which is very exciting.

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      March 27, 2022 at 1:07 am

      Yes I think the groceries have finally figured out that it lasts longer and tastes better with the roots on! N x

      Reply
  19. Faye says

    March 25, 2022 at 12:33 pm

    This recipe looks amazing and I can’t wait to try! I was wondering whether the nutritional info includes the garnish?

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      March 25, 2022 at 3:22 pm

      It includes everything I have listed in the ingredients unless noted otherwise Faye! N x

      Reply
  20. Michelle says

    March 21, 2022 at 6:36 pm

    5 stars
    I added sliced snow peas, and I used spring onion instead of red onion because that was all I had. I also used roasted & salted cashews, again, because that was what I had. I also used 100g of rice vermicelli noodles to ‘bulk’ it out. It was such a smash hit. Will definitely be adding this recipe to the salad rotation.
    I’m going to be having a ‘Recipe Tin Eats’ week of meals… now the dilemma is, what to make next!?! 🤣

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      March 23, 2022 at 6:04 pm

      I am happy you liked it Michelle! N x

      Reply
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