Thai Steak Salad

This Thai Steak Salad is the ultimate easy dinner – grilled steaks, fresh veggies and herbs all tossed in a zesty dressing. Quick and flavourful delight!

If you need to level up your salad game, this is the recipe for you. This Thai Steak Salad has been one of my top dishes when I don’t feel like cooking much, but I want something hearty. This Steak Salad dish is a tantalising mix of succulent beef, crisp veggies, and a burst of Thai-inspired dressing.

Why You’ll Love This Thai Steak Salad Recipe

• Quick and Easy: Ideal for those hectic days when you crave a delicious meal without the fuss.
• Balance of Flavours: This is an easy perfect balance of textures and flavours! Sweet, savoury, sour and spicy with a few simple ingredients to make this a go-to for lunch or dinner!
• Customizable: Adjust the spice levels or swap veggies to suit your taste. This recipe is all about making it your own.

Key Ingredients for Thai Steak Salad

1. Beef Steak: Choose a tender cut like sirloin or ribeye steak. If you don’t want to use steak, feel free to replace with boneless chicken or firm tofu.
2. Cherry Tomatoes: Brings a hint of sweetness to the dish.
3. Red Onion: Provides a touch of sharpness.
4. Long Beans: This add a nice crunch to the dish. Break your long beans in – rustic Thai-style! Alternatively, you can use green beans and french beans too.
5. Fresh Herbs: For extra freshness and flavour, use a variety of fresh herbs: cilantro, mint, and spring onions.

Other Options:

This salad is versatile! These are other options that you can add to the salad:

• Mixed Salad Greens: 4 cups – A mix of lettuce, spinach, and arugula adds freshness.
• Cucumber: 1, thinly sliced – Adds a refreshing crunch.

For the Dressing:

1. Fish Sauce: A staple in Thai cuisine for a savory kick.
2. Lime Juice: Adds zesty citrus notes.
3. Vinegar: Enhances the dressing’s depth. I like to use a combination of lime juice and vinegar (any will work, I always use apple cider vinegar), but you can also just use either or for the sour notes.
4. Brown Sugar: Balances the flavors with a touch of sweetness. Palm sugar would be more authentic, but brown sugar or coconut palm sugar will work just fine. In a pinch, regular sugar will work too.
5. Garlic
6. Chili Flakes: 1 teaspoon – Adjust to your spice preference.
7. Khao Kua (Toasted Rice Powder): Optional, but this will add a lovely nuttiness to the salad! Khao Kua is a fundamental ingredient in Thai cuisine, made by dry-roasting glutinous or sticky rice until it turns golden brown and then grinding it into a coarse powder. This process imparts a nutty and toasty flavour to the rice, adding a unique and aromatic element to various Thai dishes. I always make a batch at one go and store it for times like this. Alternatively, you can use crushed peanuts.

Always give a taste test to your dressing, before tossing in the ingredients! The salad dressing ingredients will have varying levels of saltiness, and sourness – this is normal. The final dressing should taste well-balanced and good!

Key Steps to Making Thai Steak Salad

1. Season & Cook the Steak

Pat steak dry with paper towels, and give a simple seasoning of salt and pepper on both sides. Pan-sear or grill. Cook on high heat, for 2-4 minutes on each side until cooked to preferred doneness.

Once cooked, remove from pan, and let rest for 10 minutes before slicing.

2. Prepare the Dressing

While beef is resting, whisk together fish sauce, lime juice, vinegar, and brown sugar, minced garlic, chilli flakes and optional Khao Kua in a large mixing bowl until well combined.

Taste and adjust according to preference.

3. Toss Salad

Add the beef slices first, and toss to combine.

Then add the rest of the salad – onions, cherry tomatoes, long beans, and herbs.

Toss to combine, and Thai Beef Salad is ready!

How to Serve Thai Steak Salad

Arrange Thai Steak Salad on a serving plate. Serve this with a side of sticky rice or white rice to complete the meal.

You can also just serve this as is – trust me, this is filling!

More Recipes Like This

• Crying Tiger Beef Steak
• Thai Chimichurri Flank Steak
• Oven Roasted Gai Yang Thai Grilled Chicken

Thai Steak Salad

Recipe by Sha

0.0 from 0 votes

Servings

4

servings

Prep time

30

minutes

Cooking time

40

minutes

Ingredients

• For the Steak:

• 150g x 2 steak, sirloin or ribeye (150g each)

• 1/2 tsp salt and pepper, to season

• 1 tbsp vegetable oil

• For the Dressing:

• 2 tbsps fish sauce

• 1 tbsp lime juice

• 1 tbsp vinegar

• 1 tbsp brown sugar

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 tsp chili flakes (adjust to taste)

• 1 tsp Khao Kua/toasted rice powder or crushed peanuts (optional)

• For the Salad:

• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved

• 2 stalks long beans

• 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced

• 2 sprigs cilantro

• 2 sprigs mint

• 2 sprigs spring onions, chopped

Directions

• Marinate the Steak: Pat steaks dry with paper towels, and season both sides with salt and pepper.
• Cook the Steak: Heat a cast iron pan or skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the steaks for 3-4 minutes per side for medium-rare, or adjust to your preferred doneness.
  Once done, let the steaks rest for a few minutes (or while you prepare the dressing) before slicing them thinly.
• Prepare the Dressing: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together fish sauce, lime juice, vinegar, brown sugar, chili flakes and Khao Kua or crushed peanuts, if using.
• Assemble the Salad: To the bowl, add the steak slices first and toss to combine. Then add cherry tomatoes, break in the long beans about 2-inch pieces, red onions, and the mixed herbs. Gently toss to combine.
• Serve: Arrange the salad on a serving plate and enjoy!

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @nomadetteats on Instagram