Love a good steak but want to lighten things up? This Thai Beef Salad is your ultimate summer dish! Juicy, perfectly seared beef mixes with crisp vibrant veggies, fragrant herbs, and a zingy, tangy dressing – finished with a crunchy touch of chopped roasted peanuts. Fresh, light, and bursting with bold flavours!! This is one of my favourite salads—just thinking about it makes my mouth water!
What is Thai Beef Salad?
If you’ve ever tried it at a Thai restaurant, you know the flavour experience sticks with you. Thai cuisine truly masters the balance of salty, tangy, spicy, sweet, and umami!
Thai Beef Salad, or Yum Nua (ยำเนื้อ), hails from Thailand’s Isaan region, which is known for its bold, spicy, and herbaceous flavours, heavily influenced by neighbouring Laos. The name says it all—Yum means “mix,” and Nua means “beef.” This dish combines pan-seared or grilled beef with fresh crisp veggies tossed in a tangy, spicy, umami-packed dressing.
Why you’ll love this recipe
Get ready to fall head over heels for this dish! It’s a full-on flavour and texture experience that’ll keep you coming back for more. The dressing brings a punch of tangy, salty, and slightly spicy umami goodness, while the seared, grilled meat adds a satisfying bite. Toasted peanuts give a nutty crunch, and fresh herbs and crisp veggies keep it light, aromatic, and refreshing.
And let’s talk about texture—crispy, fresh herbs and crunchy veggies not only make it insanely satisfying to eat but also add a gorgeous, herby aroma that lifts the whole dish.
What makes it even better? It’s light, fresh, and super refreshing. Instead of serving it with a heavy bowl of rice, I turned it into a vibrant noodle salad—so you get all the deliciousness without feeling weighed down. Perfect for a wholesome yet flavour-packed meal!
Ingredients to Make ‘Thai Beef Noodle Salad’
☑️Noodles
This salad works with or without noodles! You can enjoy the beef salad on its own or go the traditional route with a bowl of rice. But for this recipe, I’m turning it into a proper, refreshing, and satisfying meal with noodles.
The best choice? Vermicelli noodles—either rice or mung bean. I prefer ultra-thin mung bean glass noodles for their firm, springy texture and translucent look. Made from mung bean flour, they hold their shape while soaking up all the delicious dressing. Rice vermicelli, on the other hand, tends to double in size and lose its firmness.
You can find mung bean noodles at major supermarkets like Woolworths, Coles, or Asian grocery stores in Australia. To cook, simply add them to boiling water, rinse them in cold water and drain immediately to keep them perfectly chewy.
☑️Beef
Beef is the star of this dish, bringing richness and depth while cooking up in no time. Since the bold, zingy, and spicy dressing can clash with stronger-flavoured cuts, it’s best to go for tender, milder cuts like sirloin, flank steak, ribeye, or tenderloin fillet. Rump steak has a more intense flavour, so I’d avoid it—but if you love it, go for it! Just keep in mind that flank steak, while flavorful, can be a bit tougher, so slice it against the grain for maximum tenderness.
For the best texture and juiciness, aim for medium-rare or medium doneness—but cook to your preference. Cooking time varies by thickness, but for a 1.5–2 cm steak, about 2 minutes per side should be enough.
Key tips:
✔ Rest your steak for 8–15 minutes after cooking to keep it juicy.
✔ Use a meat thermometer for precision. For medium-rare, remove the steak at 52–55°C, and after resting, it’ll reach 55–57°C.
Letting the steak rest locks in moisture, making it extra tender and flavorful—so don’t skip it!
☑️Herbs
Herbs are key to bringing freshness and aroma to this dish. Coriander and mint are must-haves—especially mint, which adds a refreshing, vibrant lift. The more, the better! Don’t skip them—they truly make a difference!
☑️Dressing
The dressing is what defines this dish—bold, tangy, spicy, sweet, and umami-packed. It’s made with lime, garlic, sugar, olive oil, chilli, and fish sauce for a perfect balance of flavours.
Traditionally, palm sugar is used in Thai beef salad. If possible, avoid refined white sugar, which can taste overly sweet without depth. Instead, go for palm sugar or coconut sugar, both of which have a natural caramel-like richness. Maple syrup works too, but use less since it’s sweeter.
As for spice, I believe Thai food without chilli is like fish without water! But everyone’s spice tolerance is different—one bird’s eye chilli should be enough for those who prefer milder heat.
☑️Salad Vegetables
Vegetables are optional, but in my book, a salad without veggies isn’t a salad, right?! Vegetables add that perfect crispiness and fresh satisfying crunch that adds a fun aspect to the dish. I love using a salad mix—a combination of arugula, frisée, baby spinach, or any leafy greens you prefer. Pair that with seasonal, colourful vegetables like tomatoes, cucumbers, capsicum, onions, or shallots for the best texture and flavour.
If you’re using telegraph or continental cucumbers, which are firmer and less watery, there’s no need to remove the seeds. But if you’re using Lebanese cucumbers, which have higher water content, it’s best to scoop out the seeds to prevent the salad from getting soggy.
Ingredients
Salad Ingredients
- 1 medium cucumber, sliced
- 1 medium to large tomato or 10 cherry tomatoes, sliced
- 1 handful of a salad mix—a combination of arugula, frisée, baby spinach
- 3 - 4 stems of mint, leaves pickled
- 2 stems of coriander, roots removed and chopped
- 1 medium capsicum (red or green), julienned
- 250g of good tender quality beef, Scotch fillet, grilled or pan-seared
- 1 or 2 nests of Vermicelli noodles, preferably dry mung bean glass noodles, about 50 -80g
Garnish
- About 1/4 cup of toasted peanut, chopped
Salad Dressing (approx 125ml)
- 2 tablespoons (tbsp) of fish sauce
- 2 tbsp of sugar, grated palm or coconut sugar or 1 tbsp of maple syrup
- 4 tbs (1/4cup) of freshly squeezed lime juice or store-bought lime juice
- 2 small cloves of garlic, crushed or finely minced
- 3 tbsp of good quality olive oil, extra-virgin olive oil (EVO)
- 1-2 bird-eye chilli or 1 large chilli, chopped
Instructions
Step 1 - Preparing Salad
Start by washing and cutting your vegetables:
- Julienne the capsicum
- Slice the cucumber into half moons after removing the seeds (if using Lebanese cucumbers)
- Cut the tomatoes into small pieces or halve the cherry tomatoes
- Next, pick the mint and roughly chop the coriander. Don’t forget to wash the salad mix (arugula, frisée, baby spinach, etc.) for that fresh, crisp base!
Step 2 – Garnish Preparation
- Toast peanuts in a pan over the stove or air fry them at 150°C for about 4 minutes or till light golden brown. Once cooled, roughly chop them.
Step 3 - Beef Preparation
- Sprinkle salt and pepper on both sides of the beef.
- Preheat a skillet over high heat until very hot.
- Add oil to the skillet and cook the beef to your preferred doneness. For a 1.5–2cm thick steak, cook for about 2 minutes per side for medium-rare. If unsure, use a thermometer to check the internal temperature. (See note)
- Once cooked, cover the beef with foil and let it rest for 8–10 minutes—this step is crucial for juicy meat.
- Slice thinly before adding to the salad.
Step 4 - Noodles Preparation
- Boil water over high heat (see note).
- Add the noodles and cook for about 2 minutes over medium heat.
- Once cooked, rinse the noodles under cold running water to cool them down.
- Let the noodles drain while you prepare the dressing.
Step 5 - Salad Dressing Preparation
- In a mixing bowl, combine finely chopped garlic, chilli, fish sauce, lime juice, sugar or maple syrup, and olive oil.
- Mix well and taste—adjust the flavours to your liking.
Step 6 - Plating and Enjoying the Dish
- On a large plate, layer the noodles at the bottom, followed by the salad ingredients and sliced beef on top.
- Pour the dressing over the salad and beef.
- Sprinkle the toasted chopped peanuts over the top.
Viola!! Your refreshing, flavourful beef salad is ready to enjoy! 😋
Notes
Beef Preparation
- Remove the steak from the stove or grill when the internal temperature reaches 52-55°C.
- After resting for about 10 minutes, the temperature will rise slightly to 55-57°C—this is when the steak is perfectly juicy and tender.
Noodles Preparation
- Cook the noodles according to the package instructions. Cooking times may vary depending on the type of noodles you choose. For this recipe, I’m using mung bean vermicelli noodles.
