Oh, how we love Thai cuisine. And this Thai Beef Salad recipe is one of our very favorites.
No doubt, the steak is the hands-down star of this dish. But the flavor profile of the steak, combined with the vegetables, herbs and spices is spectacular.
HOW TO MAKE THAI BEEF SALAD
Thai cuisine at its best is always so perfectly balanced, with usually an interesting mix of ingredients and aromatics that play perfectly off each other.
And almost always there is some heat. You can adjust the heat to your own tastes, but the heat in this salad is just enough to give you a warm tingly feeling.
Absolutely wonderful.
Shallots, cilantro, and colorful cherry tomatoes are combined with a hot and sour (with a touch of sweetness) dressing.
The perfect ingredients for an amazingly delicious steak salad.
So good.
Skirt steak is one of our most favorites cuts of meat to cook with because it’s so marbled and becomes almost “melt-in-your-mouth” when prepared correctly.
This cut of meat stands up perfectly against the robust dressing.
And don’t forget to cut against the grain. If you cut along the grain, you’re more likely to get tough slices. Slicing against the grain shortens the muscle fibers and produces a much more tender and juicy piece of meat.
This salad comes together quickly, too. Usually in half-hour, or so.
Once the steak is cooked and sliced, you’ll mix all the ingredients in a large bowl and then plate for a beautiful presentation.
And the smell is intoxicating.
WONDERFUL SERVED WARM OR AT ROOM TEMP
So often a steak salad means a bland plate full of green lettuce topped with a pile of meat.
In Thailand, steak salad means just that: STEAK salad!
This is wonderful served warm, but it’s also really good at room temperature, too. Which means this is the perfect salad to set out for a nice buffet or gathering of friends and family.
Are you hungry for an amazing steak salad yet?
We thought so! Go make this incredible Thai Beef Salad recipe!
Thai Beef Salad
Ingredients
- 1 large shallot sliced into thin rings
- 3 tbsp fresh lime juice
- 4 tsp brown sugar divided
- 1½ tsp Kosher salt
- ¾ tsp ground white pepper
- 1½ lb skirt steak cut into 2 or 3 pieces
- 1 tbsp Canola oil if using a skillet
- 1½ tbsp fish sauce
- 1 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1½ cups cherry tomatoes halved
- ½ cup cilantro fresh, roughly chopped, plus a few extra sprigs for garnish
- ½ cup mint fresh, roughly chopped
Instructions
- Combine the shallots and the lime juice in a large bowl and let sit for 10 minutes, stirring a couple times every now and then.
- In a small bowl, combine together 2 teaspoons of the brown sugar with the salt and pepper.
- Rub the sugar-salt mixture all over the steak.
- Prepare your grill to high heat. If using a skillet, heat 1 teaspoon canola oil over medium-high heat until smoking, about 4 - 5 minutes.
- Cook the meat until nicely charred on the outside, and still a bit pink on the inside. About 2 - 4 minutes per side. (This will most likely need to be done in 2 batches when using a skillet)
- Transfer the meat to a cutting board and let rest for 10 minutes.
- Stir into the shallot and lime mixture the fish sauce, pepper flakes, and remaining 2 teaspoons of sugar. Mix until smooth and sugar have dissolved.
- Slice the steak thinly against the grain, then place into the large bowl along with accumulated juices.
- Toss in the tomatoes, cilantro, and mint. Gently stir until all ingredients are well coated.
- Transfer to a platter and garnish with cilantro, if desired.
- Serve warm or at room temperature.
Nutrition
Make this recipe several times over the summer… So delish! Would you please tell me where you purchased your beautiful blue & white serving bowl? It is so pretty. I usually serve everything in/on white, but that bowl is perfect for this dish.
TIA Colleen
Hi Colleen! We are so happy you are enjoying the Thai beef salad! I wish we could give you a link to that serving platter. I believe we purchased that about 5 years ago at a Home Goods in NJ. It’s always hit or miss there, but we saw it and grabbed it. If you haven’t been to a Home Goods, and there is one near you, you might want to check them out! They often have those types of plates and platters for sale. Williams-Sonoma has beautiful platters, too, but they’re a little more pricey!!
Tried it last night and it was sooooo good! I love the whole balance of the flavor! And it was easy to cook. Definitely recommend to those who haven’t done Thai cuisine before.
Hi Ayako! That’s so awesome! We LOVE Thai cuisine and so glad you love this recipe! Thanks for letting us know and for the wonderful review! That means the world to us!! Stay in touch! Best, Kris & Wesley
I sometimes don’t know if I have words….this is so perfect and so good!! I made it and topped the beef over an Italian chopped salad this week and my husband loves it!! I served it alongside sunnyside up eggs for breakfast and I munch on it as a snack throughout my work day…thank you…SO GOOD!!! I sincerely appreciate your love of great recipes/food….keep ’em coming.!
Thank you so much, Kristy!! You are so kind and we are so very, very happy you are enjoying these recipes and making so many of them. THANK YOU!!!!! xoxo
Fabulous! I used thai chilis instead of red pepper flakes. Making sure the beef juices make it into the salad was also key! The whole crowd loved it, can’t wait to make it again. A fav – thank you for sharing
In the Thai Beef Salad the measurement is not clear. Is it 1 1/2 lbs skirt steak or 1 – 1/2 lb skirt steak. The recipe appears to be 1 12lb skirt steak which I’m sure is not correct.
Hi Candace! Thank you so much! You are 100% correct! That was 100% not clear! We’ve updated the recipe to: 1 (one) 1 1/2 (or, 1.5) lbs skirt steak. 12 lbs of skirt steak would make a lot of beef salad!! 🙂 Thanks again!! Kris & Wesley