A vibrant and fresh Thai Beef Salad featuring tender, seared steak atop a bed of crisp vegetables, all brought together by a zesty lime, chilli, and fish sauce dressing. This quick and easy recipe is perfect for a delicious weeknight dinner or a satisfying leftover lunch.

Quick Thai Beef Salad
A vibrant and fresh Thai Beef Salad featuring tender, seared steak atop a bed of crisp vegetables, all brought together by a zesty lime, chilli, and fish sauce dressing. This quick and easy recipe is perfect for a delicious weeknight dinner or a satisfying leftover lunch.
Ingredients
- 0.5 Purple Cabbage Shaved
- 1 Cucumber diced
- 1 Handful Cherry Tomatoes
- 1 Red Onion thinly sliced optional: pickled
- 1 bunch coriander chopped
- 1 bunch mint chopped
- Handful crispy shallots
- 300 g Eye Fillet or Scotch Fillet Steak
- 1 Red Chilli finely diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tbsp white sugar
- 3 tbsp fish sauce
- 3 tbsp lime juice
- Coriander Stems finely chopped
Instructions
- Bring steaks to room temperature on the bench. Season them generously with salt and a dash of fish sauce.
- Combine all salad ingredients (shaved purple cabbage, diced cucumber, cherry tomatoes, thinly sliced red onion, chopped coriander, and mint) in a large bowl. *Optional: For a milder flavor, lightly pickle the sliced red onion in cold water with a splash of vinegar in the fridge while you prepare the other vegetables.*
- Prepare the dressing by combining the finely diced red chilli, minced garlic, white sugar, fish sauce, lime juice, and finely chopped coriander stems in a small bowl. Whisk until well combined. Taste and adjust to your preference: add more fish sauce and sugar if too sour, more lime juice and sugar if too salty, or more fish sauce and lime if too sweet.
- Sear the seasoned steaks in a hot pan until medium-rare, or to your desired doneness. This usually takes 3-4 minutes per side for a 300g fillet, depending on thickness.
- Once cooked, let the steak rest for a few minutes before slicing it thinly against the grain.
- Add the sliced steak to the bowl with the salad ingredients. Pour the prepared dressing over the salad and toss gently to ensure everything is well coated.
- Garnish generously with crispy shallots before serving immediately. Enjoy your fresh and flavorful Thai Beef Salad!
Notes
For an even milder onion flavor, lightly pickle the sliced red onion in cold water and a dash of vinegar while preparing the other ingredients. Adjust the dressing's sweetness, sourness, and saltiness to your personal preference by adding more sugar, lime juice, or fish sauce. Serve immediately for the best texture, garnished generously with crispy shallots for an extra crunch.