The tantalizing flavors of Thai food are a symphony for the senses. Exotic ingredients such as tamarind, Thai basil, and palm sugar create a spectacular flavor profile that's both bold and balanced. Today, I'm sharing my Thai Beef Salad with Peanut Lime Dressing - a vibrant dish that my family absolutely loved for Sunday dinner. There was even enough left over for my husband's lunch the next day!
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Regional Thai Salad Variations
One thing I love about Thai cuisine is how it changes from region to region. The variety of ingredients and preparation styles make every dish unique - and that's exactly what draws me to ethnic cooking. After all, variety truly is the spice of life!
Thai Beef Salad Flavor Profile
Thai cuisine is famous for its heat - the kind that makes you reach for the water and tissues. Whenever I visit a Thai restaurant, I'm asked: "Would you like American, Mexican, or Thai spicy?" I usually play it safe with a middle ground, but my husband always goes full Thai spicy!
This Thai Beef Salad with Peanut Lime Dressing has just the right amount of kick. If you love heat, add more chili garlic paste to taste. Can't find tamarind paste? Don't worry - you can easily adjust the ingredients to what you have on hand.
Key Ingredients in Thai Beef Salad
Chili Garlic Paste
This pantry staple gives the dish its signature "kick." It's a Southeast Asian essential I always keep around for quick, flavorful meals.
Fresh Greens
Use your favorite greens for the salad base. I prefer crisp green leaf lettuce for its texture and color - iceberg just doesn't do it justice!
Palm Sugar and Fish Sauce
Palm sugar adds a deep, caramel-like sweetness, darker and looser than brown sugar. Fish sauce, on the other hand, brings that classic umami depth - it's made from fermented fish and used widely as a condiment and seasoning.
I think my Thai beef salad recipe with peanut lime dressing is just spicy enough. However, if you don't think it packs enough heat, feel free to pile it on. Also make ingredient adjustments if you are unable to find some of the ingredients, like tamarind paste.
More Delicious Thai Recipes to Try
Love Thai food? Don't stop here - check out more Thai-inspired recipes from Ethnic Spoon:
- Thai Coconut Chicken Soup - Tom Kha Gai is a creamy, aromatic, and hearty (yes, all three) soup perfectly balanced by hot Thai spice and rich coconut.
- Thai-Style Lettuce Wraps - Larb Gai - A healthy, Thai-inspired dish. Bibb lettuce creates "cups" for spicy ground turkey.
- Thai Red Curry Chicken - This is a classic Thai coconut curry dish with easy step-by-step photos.
📖 Recipe
Thai Beef Salad with Peanut Lime Dressing
Ingredients
Beef Marinade:
- 1 ½ lb flank steak
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon chili garlic sauce
- 2 lime juice freshly squeezed
- ½ teaspoon palm sugar
- 1 teaspoon tamarind paste
Salad Items:
- 1 head green leaf lettuce cut into pieces
- ½ cup cabbage finely shredded
- 10 leaves mint fresh
- 8 leaves Thai basil
- 1 carrot shredded
- 3 tablespoon cilantro chopped
- ½ red onion sliced
Peanut Lime Dressing:
- 1 ½ tablespoon vegetable oil
- 2 tablespoon fish sauce
- 2 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 2 lime juice fresh squeezed
- 2 teaspoon chili garlic sauce
- ½ teaspoon palm sugar
- ½ teaspoon tamarind paste
- 3 tablespoon peanuts unsalted, dry roasted, finely chopped
Instructions
To marinate the beef:
- Place flank steak in a glass dish. In a small bowl place all the ingredients and whisk them together until combined thoroughly. Pour the marinade over both sides of the meat. Cover and place in the refrigerator for about 2 hours.
To prepare the dressing:
- In a small bowl place the vegetable oil, lime juice, fish sauce and rice vinegar and whisk to combine. Next, stir in the garlic sauce, tamarind paste and palm sugar. Cover and place in the refrigerator until ready to use.
To cook the beef:
- Preheat the grill to high, temperature should be about 500' F. Put the meat on indirect heat. For nice grill marks grill for about 4 minutes. Give it a ¼ turn and grill for another 4 minutes. Flip it over and repeat. For this salad I like the meat to be medium well, which is about 160'-170'F. Place the meat on a cutting board, and cover with aluminum foil. Allow it to rest for about 10 minutes.
To assemble the salad:
- Place chopped green leaf lettuce on a tray, and sprinkle in cabbage, mint, Thai basil, carrot, cilantro and red onion. Place the cut beef on top, and sprinkle with black and white sesame seeds, and chopped peanuts.Serve with dressing.
Nutrition
Ashley @ Big Flavors from a Tiny Kitchen says
I love any excuse to add tamarind to a dish. This salad looks absolutely delicious!
Christine says
Yum! That peanut lime dressing sounds amazing!
Analida says
Thanks Christine!
tank T says
I think I like the version that packs enough heat. Both are great also and have an appealing appearance.
Analida says
You are right! Both versions are great. This is a great summer recipe, and takes little or no time to assemble. BTW... Thank you so much for the 5 star rating. I appreciate your kindness.