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Home Cuisines Thai Recipes

Thai Beef Salad

By:Nagi
Published:12 Aug '19Updated:26 Aug '21
280 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!

If you’re feeling inspired, indulge in a Thai banquet at home with Chicken Satay Skewers, Thai Fish Cakes, and a Thai curry – Red, Yellow or Green!

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!

Thai Beef Salad (Restaurant Style) - one little change to the usual recipe to make a restaurant quality Thai Beef Salad

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

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

Close up of Thai Beef Salad

Watch how to make it

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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 91 votes
Servings2
Tap or hover to scale
Print
  • 711
Recipe video above. One little change to the usual Thai Beef Salad recipe - grinding coriander to mix into the dressing gives this an extra dimension that makes this a restaurant standard recipe.

Ingredients

Dressing

  • 1/2 to 1 tsp birds eye or Thai Chilli , very finely sliced (Note 1)
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 1 tbsp cilantro/coriander stems , finely chopped
  • 2 tsp sugar
  • 2 tbsp fish sauce
  • 3 tbsp lime juice
  • 1 tbsp grape seed oil (or canola or vegetable oil)

Salad

  • 7 - 8 oz / 200 - 250 g good quality beef steak - sirloin , at room temperature (Note 2)
  • 1/2 tbsp oil (vegetable, peanut or canola oil)
  • Salt and pepper
  • 2 cups mixed lettuce leaves
  • 1/4 cup cherry tomatoes , halved
  • 1/4 small red onion (spanish onion), very finely sliced
  • 1/2 cucumber , 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 tbsp peanuts , roughly chopped
  • 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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280 Comments

  1. Paula says

    October 4, 2021 at 9:18 am

    5 stars
    Amazing dressing!!

    Reply
  2. Fred says

    September 18, 2021 at 2:53 pm

    Awesome recipe, goes well with rice noodles 🙂

    Reply
  3. Z says

    September 16, 2021 at 9:02 pm

    5 stars
    So, so delicious!

    Reply
  4. Joel Aarons says

    August 13, 2021 at 6:48 pm

    Just made it and it’s delicious! Will left over dressing keep? And for how long? Thanks!

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      August 14, 2021 at 10:41 am

      Hi Joel, it should keep 2-3 days in the fridge. N x

      Reply
  5. Anna says

    August 12, 2021 at 11:18 am

    Just made the dressing. So amazing!!!
    My son is a connoisseur, when it comes to Thai Beef Salad, he has it at every Thai restaurant he goes to. Thanks to you, Nagi, he has now requested this at least once a week.

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      August 12, 2021 at 6:29 pm

      Woah what a compliment, I’m so glad it’s a winner Anna!!! N x

      Reply
  6. Deena says

    August 5, 2021 at 2:57 pm

    5 stars
    Another stunning recipe!

    Reply
  7. David says

    June 29, 2021 at 10:33 pm

    Made this for lunch today, it was amazing! Had run out of fish sauce so used soy so I’ll have to try it again. We added some green beans in which went really well and bulked it up a little.

    Reply
  8. Danielle says

    June 23, 2021 at 10:01 am

    5 stars
    Both addicting and delicious. It keeps my blood sugar in control too – bonus.

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      June 23, 2021 at 7:07 pm

      Oh that’s awesome Danielle!!! N x

      Reply
  9. Christopher Schultz says

    May 23, 2021 at 9:34 am

    5 stars
    I used refried pulled pork, vermicelli noodles and fresh mint it was delish, thank you.

    Reply
  10. Karen says

    May 22, 2021 at 7:29 pm

    5 stars
    Love this recipe. The freshness and the fragrance of the salad is so addictive. Crave for this all the time. Thanks a lot for the recipe. Most of the dishes that I cooked for my family are from your blog and it’s always a winner. 🥰

    Reply
  11. Sarah says

    May 10, 2021 at 9:08 pm

    I love this SO MUCH but I need something a little more filling. Could you add some sort of noodles or coconut rice? What would go well?

    Reply
    • Diana says

      July 14, 2021 at 4:33 pm

      5 stars
      This was extremely delicious! Definitely will keep making it! Perfect salad to eat during the summer! ☀️

      Reply
    • Ren says

      October 11, 2021 at 2:12 pm

      Hi Sarah,
      Just left a review for this recipe and was reading through the older reviews when I came across yours. I would add rice noodles.
      Ren

      Reply
  12. KATRINA says

    February 22, 2021 at 7:16 pm

    5 stars
    Delicious. Love the flavours.

    Reply
  13. Lee says

    February 17, 2021 at 11:19 am

    5 stars
    This was delicious but I had the worst garlic / onion / fish sauce breath ever! Was worth it though 😊

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      February 17, 2021 at 12:09 pm

      Just don’t go breathing on anyone Lee! 😂 N x

      Reply
      • Nat says

        August 27, 2021 at 12:51 pm

        5 stars
        Delicious! I used the mortar and pestle to make the mash and the spicy flavor is nice and even. I like it hot so I used 5 Thai chiles (and 5 garlic cloves) perfect amount of spicy and garlicky. It’s not called for here but I also mashed in fresh Lemongrass and I think it added in a bright flavor. Rare steak was the final touch – absolutely delicious! Thanks, Nagi

        Reply
  14. Sharon says

    January 30, 2021 at 9:02 pm

    Hi Nagi, I love all your recipes and made this last night. Glorious. My question is how long will the dressing keep in the fridge? I could eat it everyday!!!!

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      February 1, 2021 at 2:34 pm

      Hi Sharon, it should be ok 2-3 days 🙂 N x

      Reply
  15. Kathy says

    January 24, 2021 at 7:13 pm

    5 stars
    Perfect light and healthy salad for a hot day..another winner

    Reply
  16. Liz Crosby says

    January 10, 2021 at 6:57 pm

    5 stars
    Thanks so much, sensational recipe, and so easy to follow.

    Reply
  17. Marianne says

    January 10, 2021 at 9:44 am

    5 stars
    I make this amazing salad once a week, it is utterly delicious – I could literally drink the dressing 🤗 If I make a bigger batch how long will the dressing keep in the fridge?
    Thanks Nagi for yet another incredibly easy and wonderful dish… keep them coming please.

    Reply
  18. J says

    January 9, 2021 at 12:54 pm

    5 stars
    Really delicious! I used three crab fish sauce for this and it turned out beautiful. I also added some rice vermicelli noodles as I wanted a bit more bit for mine – everything turned out so well and the dressing being shook in a jar is such a great idea to emulsify the flavours of that gorgeous dressing!

    Reply
  19. Lynn says

    December 30, 2020 at 6:08 pm

    Looks divine. Making it tomorrow!

    Reply
  20. Sheryl says

    December 20, 2020 at 2:37 pm

    4 stars
    I made this for lunch today and it was delicious.

    Reply
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Hi, I'm Nagi!

I believe you can make great food with everyday ingredients even if you’re short on time and cost conscious. You just need to cook clever and get creative! Read More

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