Thai Beef Salad (Yum Nua)
By Lee Jackson ↣ Published on: August 13, 2021
Thai Beef Salad, also known as Yum Nua, combines fragrant herbs, crunchy vegetables and tender steak with a bright, spicy-sour dressing. This salad is a vibrant, well-balanced example of Thai flavours: sweet, salty, sour and a touch of heat.
South East Asian cooking, and Thai food in particular, thrives on bright contrasts: soft and crunchy, hot and cooling, salty and sweet. This Thai Beef Salad is a great example — grilled or pan-seared steak pairs with herbs and crisp vegetables, all tied together by a lively dressing of fish sauce, lime and palm sugar.
This recipe belongs to a wider collection of Asian dishes that highlight bold flavours and fresh ingredients.
What is a Thai Salad? A simple breakdown…
Thai salads cover a broad range of dishes. They can generally be grouped into four main types:
Yam / Yum
Yam, meaning “mix”, is a simple tossed salad of proteins and vegetables dressed with lime, fish sauce, palm sugar and chillies. Variations are endless, and Yum Nua (beef) is a classic example.
Tam
Tam-style salads are pounded in a mortar and pestle to release flavour—Som Tam (green papaya salad) is the best-known. Ingredients like chillies, lime, fish sauce and sugar form the dressing.
Lap / Laab
Laab (or Larb) originates in Laos and is popular in Thailand too. It typically features minced meat mixed with toasted rice powder and fresh herbs, seasoned with lime, fish sauce and chillies.
Phla
Phla resembles Yum but often includes proteins served rare or lightly cooked, plus aromatic slices of lemongrass or galangal. Sometimes a curry paste is included for extra depth.
Stuff you’ll need
Below is a quick checklist before you start. The full recipe with exact quantities appears further down.
- Beef steak – Ribeye works well for juiciness, but other steaks are fine. Cook to medium and slice thinly.
- Tomatoes – Slightly underripe for a bit of crunch and acidity.
- Cucumber – Peeled and seeded for crispness and cooling contrast to chillies.
- Shallots & spring onions – Two kinds of onion add depth and crunch.
- Red chillies – Mix mild and hot chillies to taste. Traditional Thai chillies add authentic heat; adjust to preference.
- Dressing essentials – Fish sauce, palm sugar (or regular sugar) and lime juice form the classic balance of salty, sweet and sour.
- Roasted peanuts – Add at the end for texture; roast raw peanuts in a little oil until golden and cool before using.
The combination of grilled steak with a fresh salad is a quick, satisfying meal. Serve it on its own or with fragrant rice for a heartier plate.
Step by Step
Making this Thai Beef Salad is straightforward. Follow these five steps for the best result.
- Marinate the meat – A simple mix of sugar, fish sauce and pepper infuses the steak. If in a hurry, you can skip marination.
- Prepare the salad ingredients – Slice shallots, cucumbers, tomatoes, chillies and herbs so they’re ready to combine.
- Make the dressing – Whisk palm sugar, fish sauce, lime juice, chopped chilli and a little water until the sugar dissolves.
- Cook the steak – Pan-fry or grill for about 3–4 minutes per side until charred and medium. Rest for 10 minutes, then slice thinly against the grain.
- Assemble – Toss the vegetables and herbs with some dressing, add the sliced beef, mix gently and finish with roasted peanuts. Serve right away.
Pro Tips to make your life easier
Serving: Dress the salad just before serving to keep the vegetables crisp. If you need to prepare ahead, keep the dressing, salad and meat separate and combine just before eating.
Meat alternatives: While Yum Nua uses beef, the same approach works with pork, chicken or seafood such as prawns, squid or scallops.
Vegetable swaps: Feel free to change or add vegetables—radishes, celery, bean sprouts, julienned carrot, baby corn or blanched green beans and broccoli all work well.
Spicier dressing: For more heat, increase the number of Thai chillies or use a bolder dipping sauce as your dressing.
Noodles: Cold rice or egg noodles can be added to make the dish more filling—mix them through the salad before adding the beef.
Ready to get cooking?
This Thai Beef Salad is a quick and flavourful dish that works all year round. It’s particularly refreshing in warm weather and makes a great centrepiece for a casual Thai meal. Gather your ingredients and try it for your next dinner.
Make a meal of it. More Thai recipes.
If you want a fuller Thai spread, combine this salad with other classics such as:
- Gaeng Hung Lay (Northern Thai Pork Curry)
- Thai-Style Grilled Chicken (Gai Yang)
- Thai Curry Noodle Soup with Salmon
- Chicken Larb (Larb Gai)
- Thai Satay Skewers
- Thai Omelette (Kai Jeow)
- Thai Peanut Dipping Sauce (Satay Sauce)
- Thai Red Curry Chicken
- Beef Massaman Curry
- Nam Khao (Crispy Rice Salad)
- Panang Chicken Curry
- Crying Tiger Beef with Nam Jim Jaew
Any Questions? (FAQ)
If you have a question about Thai Beef Salad (Yum Nua), leave a comment below.
Is Thai Beef Salad dressing spicy?
The dressing itself can be mild. You can add fresh or dried chillies to increase the heat to your taste.
What is Thai Beef Salad called in Thai?
Yum Nua.
What are Thai salads typically made of?
Thai salads often combine fresh raw vegetables, herbs, proteins (meat, fish or seafood) and a dressing balanced between sweet, sour and salty flavours, frequently with chillies for spice.
What are some popular Thai salads?
Popular options include beef salad (Yum Nua), Laab (ground meat salad) and Nam Khao (crispy rice salad).
Thai Beef Salad (Yum Nua)
Ingredients
For the Marinade
- 1 tsp palm sugar (or white sugar)
- 1 tbsp fish sauce
- Pinch white pepper
- 1 ribeye steak (about 300g / 11oz)
For the Dressing
- 1 tbsp palm sugar (or white sugar)
- 1 tbsp fish sauce
- Juice of ½ lime
- 1 Thai chilli, very finely chopped (adjust to heat preference)
- ¼ cup water
For the Salad
- 1 large shallot, thinly sliced (about ⅓ cup)
- 1 cup cucumber, peeled, seeded and cut into chunks
- 2 tomatoes, cut into chunks
- 1 red chilli (mild), sliced
- 1 Thai chilli, thinly sliced (seeded or not)
- 2 spring onions (scallions), sliced
- 1 cup fresh mint leaves
- ½ cup cilantro (coriander), roughly chopped
- ⅓ cup roasted unsalted peanuts
Instructions
To make the marinade
- Combine the sugar, fish sauce and white pepper and coat the steak. Leave to marinate for 30 minutes if time allows.
To make the dressing
- Stir the palm sugar, fish sauce, lime juice, chopped chilli and water until the sugar dissolves. Set aside.
To assemble the salad
- Cook the steak in a frying pan or on a barbecue for 3–4 minutes per side, until nicely charred. Remove from heat and rest for 10 minutes. Slice very thinly against the grain and allow to cool slightly.
- Toss together the shallot, cucumber, tomato, red chillies, spring onion, mint and cilantro.
- Add the sliced beef and about half the dressing, then gently toss to combine. Transfer to a serving platter or bowl and scatter over the roasted peanuts. Serve remaining dressing on the side to adjust seasoning as desired.
- Serve with sticky rice or fragrant Jasmine rice if you like. Cold rice noodles can also be mixed through for a heartier dish.
Notes
Peeling and seeding cucumber: Cut the cucumber lengthways and scoop out the watery seeds with a teaspoon if needed. Peel the skin unless using English/hothouse cucumbers, which are milder and usually need no peeling.
Serving: The salad is best eaten immediately after dressing while the vegetables remain crisp. It will keep in the fridge for up to 24 hours, but texture and freshness are at their best when served fresh.
Variations: Swap or add vegetables like radish, celery, bean sprouts, julienned carrot, baby corn or blanched greens. Use pork, chicken or seafood instead of beef for different versions.
Noodles: Add cold cooked rice noodles or egg noodles to create a more filling salad; toss through before adding the beef.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 161 kcal | Carbohydrates: 10 g | Protein: 11 g | Fat: 10 g | Fiber: 3 g | Sodium: 539 mg