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Juicy sirloin steak strips and refreshing vegetables come together in this easy Thai Steak Salad recipe. Tossed in a zesty homemade dressing, you’ll love the layers of exciting and bold flavors in every bite!
Hello, flavor! This Thai Steak Salad is breaking all of the salad rules. It’s (1) a meal in itself, (2) topped with juicy seared steak slices for lots of protein, and (3) dressed in a flavor-bomb of a homemade dressing. One taste and you’ll never settle for boring salads again!
Despite looking and tasting like a restaurant-quality meal, Thai beef salad comes together in less than 20 minutes with easy-to-find ingredients. All you have to do is make the dressing, cook the steak, and assemble! You can even prepare some of the elements a few days ahead to save heaps of time.
Recipe features
- A Thai-inspired salad layered with juicy steak strips, fresh vegetables, and homemade tangy dressing.
- The dressing for Thai beef salad is the real star, lending zingy, savory, and subtly spicy flavors to every bite.
- Just like my curry beef bowl and steak fajita bowls, this salad is light and healthy but doesn’t skimp on flavor.
- It’s easy to customize it to your liking. Swap the steak with your favorite protein, add more vegetables, or make it allergen-friendly.
Ingredients
Thai beef salad dressing – This easy homemade dressing has the perfect balance of savory, tangy, spicy, and sweet flavors. It’s made from soy sauce, brown sugar, oil, fish sauce, lime juice, fresh garlic, and Thai chili pepper.
Sirloin steak – Naturally juicy, tender, and beefy sirloin steak strips take this salad over the top! If you don’t have sirloin, I recommend using ribeye, flank, or New York strip steak as substitutes. These cuts are still very flavorful and only get better when seared over high heat.
Greens – I used mixed salad greens for this steak salad because they’re already prepped and ready to go. Feel free to use a mix of greens, like arugula, shaved cabbage, romaine, or butter lettuce, for more dynamic flavors and textures.
Salad toppings – You’ll find some classic salad toppings, like grape tomatoes and red onion, on this salad. Finished with chopped peanuts, there’s a nice crunch in every bite!
Fresh herbs – It just wouldn’t be a Thai-inspired recipe without the fresh herbs! Fresh cilantro and mint add a pop of freshness here. Feel free to use Thai basil as well.
Instructions
Step 1: Make the dressing: Whisk all of the salad dressing ingredients together in a glass jar, then set aside.
Step 2: Cook the steak. Heat the oil in a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Season the steak with salt and pepper, then place it in the pan. Sear on both sides until it’s cooked to your desired temperature. Set it aside to rest before slicing.
Step 3: Assemble the salad. Add the salad greens to a large bowl and top them with the tomatoes, onion, cilantro, mint, and peanuts. Toss to combine.
Step 4: Serve. Pour half of the dressing over the salad and toss to combine. Divide it amongst 4 plates and top each one with the steak slices. Drizzle the remaining dressing on top and enjoy!
Tips and FAQs
- You can pan-sear or grill the steak. It’s up to you!
- Let the seared steak rest on a cutting board for 5 to 10 minutes after cooking. This gives the natural juices time to settle back into the meat, giving you more tender and flavorful slices.
- Slice the steak against the grain for the most tender, mouthwatering texture.
- Only dress the salad when you’re ready to serve, otherwise, the leafy greens will wilt and become soggy.
- You can save time by making the salad dressing, cooking the steak, and chopping the vegetables 2 or 3 days ahead of time. Keep everything in separate airtight containers in the fridge, then assemble right before serving!
Tip
Remember to take your steak out of the fridge 20 to 30 minutes before you start cooking. Room temperature steak always cooks more evenly than cold steak.
Steak cooking temperatures
The best way to cook your steak to the perfect temperature is with a meat thermometer. Insert the thermometer into the steak as it’s cooking until the internal temperature reaches your desired doneness:
- Rare: 125ºF
- Medium-rare: 135ºF
- Medium: 145ºF
- Medium-well: 150ºF
- Well-done: 160ºF
Pro tip: Remove the steak from the pan when it’s 5 degrees from your desired temperature, as it will continue to cook and come up to temperature for a few minutes as it rests.
Variations
- Serve with noodles – Turn this into a Thai beef noodle salad by plating the greens and steak over cooked and cooled rice or vermicelli noodles.
- Instead of steak – Not in the mood for steak? Make this recipe with chicken breasts or thighs, pork, or shrimp instead.
- Add more vegetables – Like cucumbers, bean sprouts, shaved carrots, sliced avocado, or red bell peppers.
- Vegetarian Thai salad – Omit the fish sauce from the dressing and replace the steak with crispy baked tofu or grilled tempeh.
- Gluten free – Replace the soy sauce with tamari in the dressing to ensure your salad is gluten free.
- Nut free – Omit the peanuts or replace them with sunflower seeds.
What goes well with Thai beef salad?
The salad is fantastic on its own for a light dinner, but if you want a meal that’s a touch more filling, you can serve it with spring rolls, cucumber salad, and Thai cauliflower steaks on the side.
Storage
Refrigerator: Wrap the leftover steak in foil, then place it in an airtight container and store it in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. The salad dressing can be stored in a glass jar in the fridge for up to 1 week. Keep the greens and salad toppings in separate containers in the fridge for 1 or 2 days.
Reheating: Quickly reheat the steak slices in the microwave or a skillet over medium heat until warmed through.
More tasty Thai-inspired recipes
If you made this recipe, be sure to leave a comment and star rating below. Thanks!
Thai Steak Salad
Juicy sirloin steak strips and refreshing vegetables come together in this easy Thai Steak Salad recipe. Tossed in a zesty homemade dressing, you’ll love the layers of exciting and bold flavors in every bite!
Servings:
Ingredients
For the dressing:
- 3 tablespoon soy sauce
- 2 tablespoon brown sugar
- 2 tablespoon avocado oil or other neutral oil
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 2 small garlic cloves minced
- 1 thai chili minced
Instructions
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Start by making the dressing: whisk all of the ingredients together in a glass jar; or, place everything into a jar, secure a lid on top and shake to combine; set aside.
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Next, heat the oil in a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Season the beef with salt and pepper, then add it to the hot skillet and cook it for 3-4 minutes per side. Transfer it to a cutting board and allow it to sit for 5 minutes before slicing.
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While the steak is cooking, make the salad: add the greens to a large bowl, then top them with the tomatoes, onion, cilantro, mint, and peanuts; toss to combine. If you’re eating right away, pour half of the dressing overtop and toss again. If you’re not eating right away, skip this step so the lettuce doesn’t get soggy.
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When you’re ready to eat, divide the salad amongst 4 plates, then top it with the steak. Drizzle the remaining dressing overtop and enjoy!
Notes
*Calories are per serving and are an estimation.
Nutrition
Serving: 1g | Calories: 361kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 30g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 69mg | Sodium: 1190mg | Potassium: 738mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 979IU | Vitamin C: 20mg | Calcium: 78mg | Iron: 3mg
