Classic Thai Beef Salad (Larb Neua) so easy and flavorful
If you ask what my top 5 favorite Thai dishes are, beef salad 100% makes the list. It has all the flavors that my Thai taste buds crave!
Salads are quick and easy, but this Thai beef salad (Larb Neua) is packed with bold flavors like no other. Cook the steak to your liking then thinly sliced the steak to toss in onion, cilantro, pepper flakes, lime juice, fish sauce, and toasted rice. This one definitely hits the spot. Next time when your wondering what a great Thai dish you should try next, beef salad is the one!
Larb is a classic Esaan regional dish in Thailand. There are many different variations of Larb you could make depending on what you're feeling, but we love Larb Neua the best, Neua meaning beef. Larb can be made with either ground meat or in this case strips. Since we are making Larb Neua, I think using strips of meat adds texture and flavor that is otherwise lacking with ground meat, so thats what I use. If you are not a big beef eater, you could substitute the steak and use ground chicken to make Larb Gai (Chicken) or sliced pork to make Larb Moo (Pork).
I can't believe it took me this long to share this classic Thai dish. I've never met anyone who has eaten beef salad and dislike it. My husband especially is the biggest fan of this dish. Don't let the name beef salad fool you into thinking it's a salad because it's not! We eat beef salad with regular white rice or sticky rice and a side of fresh crunchy vegetables like cucumbers or romaine lettuce.
gather your ingredients
Your bound to see beef or chicken salad at Thai parties or gatherings. It's great with rice or lettuce eaten as a lettuce wrap.
If you've never had beef salad before, this is a sign that you should try it next time your at a Thai restaurant or of course make this easy recipe at home! Start by cooking your steak to your liking and slice them thin to toss in with the rest of the ingredients. Beef salad is one of the quickest dish I can easily prepare at home when craving Thai food since it doesn't require too many ingredients. I promise your taste buds are about to go on an adventure of a life time with this dish. That's because a Thai dish hits all flavor profiles. Your going to get citrus from the lime, umami saltiness from fish sauce and the toasted rice, spiciness of the pepper flakes, and a hint of sweetness with sugar. Oh, did I mention the crunchiness of fresh red onion. My mouth is watering typing this.
Don't be afraid of some of the ingredients especially the fish sauce. It tastes better than it smells! If you've eaten and like Thai food, you've had fish sauce in your dish. I've tested this recipe many times to get it down to a T with the flavors, but feel free to adjust your lime, pepper, and fish sauce to your liking. A real Thai cook makes Thai food this way anyways. We adjust the flavors as we go. I'm confident you guys will absolutely love this dish!
Classic Thai Beef Salad (Larb Neua) So Easy And Flavorful
Thinly sliced steak tossed in onion, cilantro, pepper flakes, lime juice, fish sauce, and toasted rice. Eaten with rice or as a lettuce wrap.
Equipment
- Cast iron pan or medium size skillet for the steak
- Coffee grinder or food processor for the toasted rice
- Large size mixing bowl
- Spatulas for tossing the salad
Ingredients
- 1-1½ lbs sirloin or your favorite tender cut. My sirloin was a 1 inch thick cut.
- ½ medium red onion, sliced
- handful cilantro, chopped
- 1 lime or 2 tbsp lime juice
- 2 tbsp fish sauce
- 2 tbsp toasted rice
- 2 tsp sugar
- salt for the steaks
- romaine lettuce optional
- 1 tbsp red pepper flakes more or less to your liking
Instructions
Steak
- Preheat the oven to 350℉ and heat up a cast iron pan or a skillet on the stove. You can go ahead and disregard the below steps and cook your steak to your preference.
- While the pan is heating up on a medium-high heat, pat the steak dry with paper towels then lightly salt both sides of the steaks. No need to be generous with salt since we don't need a crispy sear with these steaks. We'll be slicing them thin for the salad. Plus, the fish sauce is providing the salad with umami saltiness.
- Sear both sides of the steaks on a hot skillet/cast iron pan for 2 minutes. Once done, pop the steaks into the oven to finish cooking for about 10 minutes. The cooking time will depend on how thick your steak is. My 1 inch sirloin took 10 minutes in the oven to achieve medium well. Alternatively, you can leave the steaks in the oven shorter or longer depending on how you like your steak.
- While the steaks are in the oven, slice up some red onion and chop handful of cilantro. Set aside until the steaks are done.
- Pull the steaks out of the oven after 10 minutes. Let them sit for another 10 minutes in room temperature. Here, you can start preparing for the toasted rice while waiting.
Toasted rice
- In a small pan. Toast 1/4 cup white rice until golden brown on a medium heat. Make sure to stir occasionally to ensure the rice doesn't burn. The toasted rice should have a deep golden brown color once done. Ground up the rice in a blender until it's course and close to powder. I used a coffee grinder to achieve the coffee ground like texture.
Assembling the salad
- Slice the steaks thin against the grain. In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients; sliced steak, cilantro, onion, lime juice, pepper flakes, fish sauce, sugar, and toasted rice. Toss together. Feel free to add more fish sauce, lime, pepper flakes to your liking.
- Enjoy with a bowl of rice or with lettuce as a lettuce wrap!