No matter what the season, when I think about a good salad, I imagine a freshly grilled steak over mixed greens with a light summery dressing. Thai Beef Salad is just what I was looking for! You can grill steaks, thinly slice them, and then serve them over salad greens dressed with dressing!
Delicious Summer Salad Recipe
This is not a traditional Yum Nua Thai Beef Salad. This is a simple steak salad that I created, inspired by Thai flavors but more easily accessible for home cooks.
Don’t confuse this with Sarah’s Chinese-style spicy Beef salad, which is heavy on aromatics and herbs but low on greens. For the record, these are more like a salad with meat than a salad with.
The herbs make the salad.
In the last few years, we have enjoyed adding more herbs to salads as a main ingredient and not just a flavoring.
The lime juice, fish paste, and mint in the dressing really bring out the flavors of Thai basil and cilantro. You can save money by using the tender stems of herbs in the marinade for the steak or the salad dressing. Just mince them finely, and throw away the woody and tough bottom part of the stems. Reserve the tender leaves to use in the salad.
What cut of steak can I use?
Each cut of beef is different, whether in terms of price, flavor, or tenderness. This salad was made with a skirt because it is affordable and has a beefy taste. You can use any steak you want: ribeye, filet mignon, a dress, or a ribeye.
If you are confused by my choice of steak, cutting it thin can compensate for its sometimes rougher texture when compared to other cuts. The long marinating period allows Thai flavors such as Thai basil and Thai fish sauce to penetrate the meat. For this reason, don’t shorten the marinating process!
You can marinate tender cuts such as ribeyes or filets in just 20 minutes by coating them with the marinade.
Instructions for THAI BEEF SALAD RECIPE
MARINATE BEEF
Combine the oil, sugar, and pepper with the salt, fish sauce, and minced Thai basil stems.
Add the steak to the marinade and rub it all over. While you prepare the rest of the ingredients, marinate for at least 20 minutes or overnight if you prefer more tender cuts.
Prepare the dressing and salad ingredients:
Dissolve the brown sugar (or palm sugar) in hot water. In a small bowl, dissolve the brown sugar or palm sugar in hot water.
Add the mixed greens to a large serving bowl. Also, add the romaine lettuce and chopped scallion. Add the tomatoes and cucumbers right before dressing the salad to prevent it from becoming too soggy.
GRILL BEEF
Heat a grill/ cast-iron skillet to a searing temperature. Add the skirt steak marinated and cook it for 1 minute.
Rotate the skirt steak at 45 degrees to create more grill marks and flavor. If you have room, move the skirt steak to the hotter part of the grill. Cook for a minute more.
Assemble & Serve:
Pour half the dressing on the salad. Add more sauce as desired.
Transfer onto two large plates. Slice the steak into bite-sized pieces and place them evenly on each salad. Add chopped peanuts and Thai Chili, if desired. Serve any dressing left on the side to those who wish to drizzle it over the beef.
Ingredients
FOR THE BEEF
- ▢ One tablespoon fish sauce
- ▢ 2 Cloves You can also find out more about the following: Mince
- ▢ Two teaspoons minced cilantro stems.
- ▢ Two teaspoons Thai basil stems minced.
- ▢ Use two teaspoons of neutral oil (canola, avocado, or vegetable oil).
- ▢ Half a teaspoon of sugar
- ▢ Black pepper, 1/4 teaspoon
- ▢ 1/4 teaspoon Salt
- ▢ 12 ounces of skirt steak (or any other cut you like)
WEARING:
- ▢ 1 Tablespoon brown sugar (or palm sugar).
- ▢ One tablespoon of hot water
- ▢ Three tablespoons of lime juice
- ▢ 3 Tablespoons of neutral oil (or olive oil light)
- ▢ 2 Tablespoons fish sauce
- ▢ One tablespoon of chopped cilantro leaves
- ▢ Two teaspoons of Thai basil leaves chopped
- ▢ Half a teaspoon. You can also find out more about the following: (finely minced)
- ▢ Salt and black pepper to taste
For the Salad:
- ▢ 3 cups romaine lettuce
- ▢ 3 cups of mixed baby salad leaves
- ▢ One scallion (chopped)
- ▢ 2 Tablespoons Alternatively, you can use cilantro that has been roughly chopped or torn. Taste (more or less)
- ▢ Mint, roughly chopped or torn (more or less according to Taste).
- ▢ 2 Tablespoons Thai Basil leaves, roughly chopped or torn Taste (more or less)
- ▢ Sliced cucumbers, 1 1/4 cup
- ▢ 8-10 grape tomatoes (halved)
- ▢ 1/4 cup roasted peanuts (chopped)
- ▢ Thai Chili pepper Optional: (deseeded & minced)
Instructions
-
- Combine the oil, sugar, and pepper with the salt, fish sauce, and garlic in a large or medium bowl. Rub the marinade mixture over the steak. Marinade the steak overnight (or for tenderer cuts, 20 minutes) while preparing the other ingredients.
- Dissolve the palm sugar or brown sugar in hot water. Stir in the fish sauce, lime juice, cilantro, Thai basil, garlic and salt.
- Add the chopped scallion to a large bowl. Also, add the cilantro, Thai basil, mint, and Thai basil. Add the tomatoes and cucumbers right before dressing the salad to prevent it from becoming too soggy.
- Pre-heat a grill, grill pan, or cast iron skillet to a scorching temperature. Add the skirt steak marinated and cook it for approximately 1 minute. Rotate the skirt steak by 45 degrees to create more grill marks and flavor. If you have room, move the skirt steak to the hotter part of the grill. Cook for another minute.
- Repeat these steps on the other side. This is 4 minutes of total cooking, and the steak should be medium-rare. If you prefer, you can cook the steak to medium for 3 minutes on each side. You will need to adjust the cooking time if you are using a thicker steak. Let the steak rest after grilling for 3 to 5 minutes (or 10 minutes if you are using a wider piece).
- Pour half the dressing on the salad. Add more sauce as desired. Transfer onto two large plates. Place equal amounts of the steak on each salad after the beef has rested. Slice the steaks against the grain and place them gently. If using Thai chili, top the salads with peanuts. Serve any dressing left on the side to those who would like more.
Repeat these steps on the other side. This is 4 minutes of total cooking, and the steak should be medium-rare. If you prefer, you can cook the steak to medium for 3 minutes on each side. You will need to adjust the cooking time if you are using a thicker steak. Let the steak rest after grilling for 3 to 5 minutes (or 10 minutes if you are using a wider piece).