This Thai beef noodle salad is very speedy to make and packs a real punch in the flavour department! Tender beef strips are combined with noodles, sliced carrot, cooling cucumber, fresh red chilli and a zingy Thai inspired dressing. You won’t be able to stop eating it!
Salads are always a go to in our house during the Summer – and I’m not talking about a few pieces of limp lettuce with sliced cucumbers and tomato on a plate – we can do much better than that! I want big, fresh flavours with lots of contrasting textures in a salad.
more filling salads to try
thai beef noodle salad recipe
That’s why this Thai inspired beef noodle salad with tender steak, soft noodles, crunchy vegetables and a tangy sweet and sour lime dressing is a perfect example – it’s got a lot going on! That doesn’t mean it’s complicated to make – far from it.
why you’ll love this recipe
Quick and easy – This salad takes no more than 20 minutes to prepare. It’s perfect for warm, sunny days when you don’t want to spend a long time in the kitchen but still want something that will deliver on flavour.
Customisable – You can easily add extra ingredients to make the salad go even further – see the recipe notes below for just a few suggestions.
ingredient list
- Good quality beef Steak, such as Sirloin or rump.
- Noodles. I cook dried egg noodles in a pan of boiling water until tender, then drain and rinse them with cold water. Rice noodles are also great in this salad.
- thinly sliced carrot and cucumber
- fresh red chilli. I like quite lot of lot of heat so I add some of the chilli seeds. If you don’t like your food too hot, leave out the seeds. You can also adjust the amount of chilli to your individual taste. It also depends on how hot your chillies are, so taste them first. You can then add as little or as much as you like.
- fresh coriander and mint
- salted peanuts add crunch and texture – but you can leave them out if you can’t eat nuts.
for the salad dressing
- fish sauce. The key ingredient for the dressing – but it doesn’t make your salad taste like fish, I promise! It adds a salty, savoury, umami flavour that’s pretty much impossible to find in any other ingredient.
- dark soy sauce. You can use light soy instead, so don’t rush out and buy a bottle of dark if light is all you have.
- sesame oil goes rancid quite quickly, so do check it if your bottle has been sitting in the cupboard for a while. One sniff and you’ll know immediately if it has turned!
- lime juice. Depending on how juicy your limes are, you might need to use two limes.
- salt and pepper, to season
- demerara sugar – just a little bit – to balance the flavours in the dressing.
what cut of steak should I use?
Sirloin, rump or rib eye are all great choices. Good quality steak will make all the difference to the salad.
Whatever cut of steak you choose, it’s important to make sure you don’t overcook it. The steak I used was already sliced, but if you’re cooking a whole piece and slicing it yourself, remember to rest it for at least 10 minutes and cut it against the grain. Taking the time to do these steps will ensure the meat is juicy and tender.
serving thai beef noodle salad
This Thai beef salad is filling enough to serve as it is for lunch or dinner. If you like you could serve this salad without the noodles and serve it over rice instead. Or if youāre reducing your carb intake, serve the salad with lettuce wraps.
customising the salad
- You could add extra vegetables – radishes, tomatoes, sugar snap peas and baby corn are all good.Ā
- If you’re not a fan of coriander, leave it out and add more fresh mint/or/and Thai basil. If you love a particular herb, don’t pay too much attention to the amount I’ve specified in the recipe card. Use as little or as much as you like. I love the contrast between the hot chilli and fragrant coriander.
- Throw in a handful of greens, such as spinach or rocket.
Can you make Thai beef noodle salad ahead of time?
It’s better to prepare the salad and dressing ahead of time and store it in the fridge separately.Ā Thereās nothing to stop you from making the salad in advance and eating it the next day, but itās much nicer to eat within a couple of hours of being assembled.
storing leftover thai beef noodle salad
Any leftovers should be packed away (make sure the steak is cold) in a box and stored in the fridge for up to two days. However, this salad is definitely best eaten fresh.
i don’t eat beef – can I change the meat?
Of course! You can make this recipe with chicken or fish such as tuna steak.
can i make the salad with leftover roast beef?
If you have any leftover beef such as this instant pot beef brisket, it would be perfect for this salad and even quicker to make. I would pour half the dressing over the cold, cooked beef and let it soak in for about 20-30 minutes before assembling the salad.
can i double the recipe?
Yes! This recipe serves two people, but it can easily be doubled or tripled.
did you make this recipe?
I hope you enjoy it! Let me know what you think by leaving a comment below and rate the recipe by clicking on the āļøin the recipe card.
Thai Beef Noodle Salad
This Thai Beef Noodle Salad recipe combines a zingy lime-soy dressing with seared steak strips, noodles, crunchy veg, fresh herbs and crunchy peanuts. Easy, quick and delicious!
Ingredients
- FOR THE DRESSING:
- 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- one garlic clove, crushed
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil
- 2 teaspoons dark soy sauce
- 1/2 tablespoon demerara sugar
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- FOR THE SALAD:
- 250g beef steak, such as sirloin or rump (at room temperature, see notes)
- salt and freshly ground black pepper to season the steak
- 200g cooked cold egg or rice noodles
- 1/2 small cucumber, deseeded and cut into thin slices
- 1 medium carrot, cut into matchsticks
- 1 small red chilli, deseeded and finely sliced (see notes below)
- 25g freshly torn coriander or Thai basil (or both)
- 25g freshly chopped mint leaves
- 1 tablespoon salted or roasted peanuts
Instructions
- MAKE THE DRESSING: Place all the ingrdients for the dressing in a small bowl and whisk well to combine.
- PREPARE THE STEAK: Place the beef in a bowl. season both sides of the beef with salt and pepper, then pour over half of the dressing. Cover and leave the steak to marinate for a minimum of 10-15 minutes. *This is meant to be a quick recipe, but if you like you can leave the steak in the dressing for up to 24 hours*
- COOK THE STEAK: Place a frying pan/skillet on a high heat. Cook the steak for 1 1/2 minutes on each side for medium rare and 2 1/2 minutes each side for medium. Transfer the beef to a plate and allow to rest for about 10 minutes while you prepare the salad.
- MAKE THE SALAD: Place the cold cooked noodles in a bowl along with the cucumber, carrot, chilli, fresh herbs, the cooked steak and any juices from the plate and the remaining dressing. Using your hands, toss the salad to combine everything together.
- Serve the salad with extra lime wedges to squeeze over the salad and the peanuts.
Notes
The steak: Good quality steak will make a huge difference to this salad. Take the steak out of the fridge at least 30 minutes before cooking.
It's also important to let the steak rest after cooking for about 10 minutes.
If you can tolerate a good amount of heat, use a Bird's eye chilli instead of a regular one. They pack a punch, so a little goes a long way! You might only need to use half the chilli.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 2 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 354Total Fat: 20gSaturated Fat: 28gTrans Fat: 0gCholesterol: 101mgSodium: 1558mgCarbohydrates: 53gFiber: 5gSugar: 9gProtein: 110g
Calories and nutritional information are provided by a third party application and should be viewed as indicative figures only.