Thai Beef Salad (Nam Tok)

4.79 from 14 votes

Thai Beef Salad (Nam Tok) is made with tender strips of steak tossed in a sweet, sour, spicy dressing with fresh herbs and cucumbers for this popular, flavorful Thai-style salad. This recipe includes instructions for cooking the steak over the grill or stovetop.

Prep Time30

Cook Time10

Total Time40

Course: Salad

Cuisine: Thai

Keyword: beef recipe, easy salad recipe, easy Thai recipe, Entree Salad, gluten free, thai salad

Servings:

Author: Jess Smith via Inquiring Chef

Cost: $9.00

Equipment

Mixing Bowls
Shallow Baking Dish for Marinating
Grill or Skillet
Cutting Board

Ingredients

Dressing / Marinade:

2 Tablespoons Fish Sauce
4 Tablespoons Lime Juice
1 teaspoon Light or Dark Brown Sugar, packed
1/2 teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes (more or less, to taste)

Salad:

1 pound Skirt or Hanger Steak
1/4 cup thinly sliced Shallots
2 Tablespoons Cooking Oil
1 cup Chopped Fresh Mint
1 cup Chopped Fresh Cilantro
1 Tablespoons Toasted Rice Powder (see note)
8 ounces Cucumber, thinly sliced
Lime Wedges, for serving
Sriracha or other hot sauce, for serving (optional)

Instructions

Whisk together fish sauce, lime juice, sugar, and red pepper flakes.
Place steak in a shallow baking dish. Use a fork to pierce steak all over on both sides (this will tenderize the meat and allow more of the marinade to soak in). Pour 3 Tablespoons of dressing / marinade over top (you should have about 3 Tablespoons remaining) and turn steak to coat. Leave steak out to come to room temperature (not more than 20 minutes), turning every once in awhile to coat in marinade.
In a large mixing bowl, combine remaining 3 Tablespoons dressing / marinade and shallots. Stir well. Set aside.
If using a grill, heat grill. If using a skillet, place skillet over medium heat right before you're ready to cook.
Brush grill grates with cooking oil or pour cooking oil into prepared skillet.
Season steak on both sides with some salt and black pepper and then sear on both sides until browned and just cooked through. (Cook time will vary depending on the thickness of the steak, but cook it however you like your steak done - rare to well-done.)
Transfer steak to a cutting board and let rest and cool for 10 minutes (this will allow the juices of the steak to distribute and lead to tender steak).
After steak has rested, thinly slice it against the grain.
Add sliced steak to mixing bowl with shallots and toss well to combine.
Add herbs and toasted rice powder and toss well.
Gently fold in sliced cucumbers.
Serve steak immediately with lime wedges and hot sauce if you want to add extra spice at the table.

Notes

Toasted Rice Powder - For really authentic flavor and texture, don’t skip this ingredient. It is easy to make yourself and can be used in many Thai recipes. Check out this post for easy instructions on making it yourself.

Nutrition