We’ve officially reached the ultra-hot days of summer, when it’s hard to get any relief. When it’s hot like this, I love recipes that require less heat in the kitchen and that have a cool and refreshing taste. Thai beef salad is truly one of those meals that will turn you into a fan of salad. Plus, it’s so filling that it will leave you satisfied. I’ll admit, I’ve made some tweaks to make this Thai beef salad more practical than traditional, but you’re going to love it. It still has the essence of what you love from those bold Thai flavors, enhanced by fresh mint and cilantro.
Cooking process
For something healthy that comes together fast, you can’t beat this Thai beef salad either. It only requires 6 minutes of cook time. The rest is quick prep and inactive time so you can even make it on a crazy summer evening.
Marinate the steakSear the steak in a hot pan to your likingCarve the beef and place it on the salad
Beef cut to use
I made a strong marinade, so you’ll only need a short marinating time (20 mins to 1 hour) to impart lots of flavor. I used a cut of well-marbled butterflied tri-tip steak. It was just under 1” (2.5) thick and perfect for this dish because it’s flavorful and quite affordable. You can choose any cut you prefer. If you use a thick-cut steak, I would marinate it for a full hour. On the other hand, if you are using a very thin-cut steak, 20 minutes should be plenty.
Oil-free dressing
The dressing on this Thai beef salad will surprise you, too. It doesn’t contain any oil. A simple mixture of fresh lime juice, fish sauce, and brown sugar is all you need to take your taste buds on an exotic yet healthy journey. I’ve simplified the traditional Thai beef salad because it can be difficult to find all the things you need to make it. I’ve added more greens and tweaked it to have a little less spice, though if you like it hotter, by all means, go for it! This recipe is flexible in other ways, as well. If you don’t eat red meat, you can use chicken or shrimp instead. And if you’re completely meatless, you can choose tof. Vegan eaters will need to substitute a vegan version of fish sauce.
How to serve Thai beef salad
Enjoy Thai beef salad by itself for a satisfying and healthy meal. Or you can pair it with these recipes below for a full-on Thai dinner spread!
Thai Basil Chicken (Pad Krapow Gai)Thai-Style Salmon CurryVegan Thai Green CurryThai Sweet Chili ChickenThai Fish Cakes (Tod Mun Pla)
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More delicious salad recipes
Spicy Rice Noodle SaladChinese Chicken Salad with Creamy DressingEasy Mango Salad with Lime DressingChinese Chicken Noodle Salad (鸡丝拌面)Curry Salmon Salad
Lilja Walter is a part of the Omnivore’s Cookbook team and worked closely with Maggie to develop and test this recipe.
