Steak Thai Salad

This post may contain affiliate links to products I use and love. As an Amazon Associate, I earn a small commission on qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.

This delicious Thai salad (aka yum neua yang) combines fragrant herbs, juicy steak, and a savory and spicy dressing made from fish sauce. It’s a wonderful combination of flavors and textures and very simple to put together. Since the dressing is full of flavor there’s no need to marinate the steak beforehand, making it easy to make steak Thai salad any day of the week.

I’ve been a self-proclaimed black thumb for most of my life. In the past, I’ve been wracked with guilt whenever someone gifted me a houseplant knowing it had little chance of survival in my care. However, since buying our home I was determined to change my ways. I did lots of research on plants and bought all the supplies. After some trial and error, I FINALLY was able to keep my plants mostly alive.

What did I do wrong all these years? I cared too damn much. That’s right, I overwatered those suckers, moved them room to room as they began to die, or would erroneously give them a larger pot thinking that might solve the problem. In the end, when I stopped caring as much, they miraculously began to live. I feel like there might be some bigger life lesson here, but for now, we’ll just keep this about plants.

I tell you this story mostly because I want to brag that many of the herbs and vegetables in this salad was grown by yours truly. IN MY GARDEN. I never thought I’d say that. This is an excellent recipe for all the green thumbs out there who need to use up their garden produce. But don’t worry, even if you aren’t blessed with your own bountiful garden this recipe can be for you, too. As Ina Garten says, “store-bought is fine.”

What are the ingredients in a steak Thai salad?

This salad is highly customizable and you can use whatever produce you have on hand. Just make sure you have a variety of vegetables; I particularly like cucumbers, tomatoes, and onions as they absorb the savory and tangy dressing well. The herbs are also an essential part of this salad, and I highly recommend using cilantro and mint at a minimum. Here is a list of suggested ingredients:

• Lettuce – try Romaine, butter lettuce, or a spring mix
• Tomatoes – try sliced roma tomatoes or cherry tomatoes
• Cucumbers – try English or Japanese cucumbers
• Onion – try red, yellow, or white onion. You can also add shallots.
• Shredded carrots
• Shredded cabbage
• Bean sprouts
• Herbs – highly recommended at least mint and cilantro but you can add Thai basil, perilla leaves, or parsley

Preparing the dressing

The dressing is a combination of fresh lime, brown sugar, and the salty umami flavor of fish sauce. It also has a nice spicy kick with the addition of Thai birdseye chili. This chili can be very spicy, so if you want a mild flavor you can add it to the dressing but keep it whole. Or if you like extra spicy (like my husband) you’ll want it chopped finely to get the kind of spicy that gives you lip sweats. If you can’t find Thai birdseye chili, try jalapeno or serrano chili.

Be sure to taste the dressing and adjust to your liking. The dressing should have lots of fresh lime flavor and saltiness from the fish sauce.

How to prepare the steak

I like using a nice cut of steak like ribeye or New York strip for this recipe because we are not marinating it beforehand. Alternatively, you can use London broil or sirloin. To prepare the steak, you only need to lightly oil the beef and sprinkle it with salt and pepper. Just like in my Vietnamese Steak Salad recipe, I like to cook my steak medium-rare to medium, and I use the finger test to test for doneness. I prefer this method to avoid poking or cutting the meat and letting all the juices out. You also use a meat thermometer (medium is 145°F).

Other Recipes You Might Enjoy

• Vietnamese Steak Salad
• Corn Salsa
• Asian Lettuce Wraps