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Thai beef salad is tossed with cucumber, tomato, shallot, and fresh red chili.

Easy Thai Beef Salad (Yum Nua)

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Thai beef salad (Yum Nua) with juicy grilled steak, fresh herbs, crisp veggies, and a tangy lime fish sauce dressing. A refreshing, protein-packed Thai-style salad you can easily make at home. Perfect for a light lunch or summer BBQ!
Course Lunch, Salad
Cuisine Thai
Diet Gluten Free, Kosher
Keyword Asian salad, beef salad, beef steak, Beef tenderloin, cilantro, coriander, cucumber, gluten-free, grill, grill pan, low-carb, mint, steak salad, summer, Thai beef salad, Thai salad
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 4 people
Calories 271
Author Hyegyoung K. Ford

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 3/4 lb (340 g) beef tenderloin, rib-eye, sirloin, or striploin room temperature
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce
  • dashes pepper
  • 2 small cucumber or 1 English cucumber seeded and sliced
  • 4 oz (113 g) cherry tomato cut in half
  • 1 shallot sliced
  • 1/4 cup (60 ml) mint loosely packed and torn
  • 1/4 cup (60 ml ) cilantro loosely packed and torn

For salad dressing

  • 1 1/2 tbsp fish sauce
  • 1 tbsp palm sugar or light brown sugar
  • 2 tbsp fresh lime juice
  • 1 fresh red chili finely minced

Instructions

  • Season your beef steak with soy sauce and pepper. Let it sit for 15 minutes.
  • Grill your steak over a very hot grill to get the grill marks. Cook to your desired done-ness. Let the steak rest for 5 minutes, then slice thinly across the grain.
  • For the salad dressing, mix together the fish sauce, sugar, lime juice and chili in a small bowl. Taste and adjust sweetness, saltiness and tartness according to your taste.
  • In a large mixing bowl, combine beef, cucumber, tomato, shallot, and herbs. Start with half the dressing, then taste and adjust — it's easy to overdo it. Always toss the salad just before serving to keep the greens crisp and the flavors balanced.

Notes

  • Allow the steak to sit at room temperature for 30–45 minutes before cooking — this ensures more even grilling and enhances the flavor.
  • It's best to serve the Thai beef salad right away. To make the salad ahead of time, you can prep everything ahead, but keep the dressing separate until you're ready to serve.

Nutrition

Calories: 271kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 60mg | Sodium: 836mg | Potassium: 478mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 467IU | Vitamin C: 27mg | Calcium: 30mg | Iron: 3mg