Spicy Thai Beef Salad

This fragrant Thai beef salad is packed with tender meat, juicy mango and a delicious toasted ground rice topping.

By The Good Housekeeping Cookery TeamUpdated: 16 May 2023

Our spicy Thai beef salad is one of our favourite meals to make when the weather starts getting warm and the exotic ingredients keeps it interesting and fresh.

Thai basil is used here, which gives this dish an intensely aromatic, slight aniseed flavour that pairs well with the cooling mint and fruity mango, but you could swap it for coriander if you'd prefer.

Toasting the rice gives a lovely flavour to the grains and grinding rice is a traditional method to add crunch and flavour to fresh and punchy salads like this one here.

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Yields:: 4 serving(s)
Prep Time:: 30 mins
Cook Time:: 15 mins
Total Time:: 45 mins
Cal/Serv:: 297

Ingredients

For the dressing

5 tbsp.
lime juice (about 3 limes)
2 tbsp.
fish sauce
2 tsp.
sugar
2-3 bird's eye chillies, deseeded and sliced
4
fresh kaffir lime leaves (2 doubles), de-veined and finely shredded, see GH Tip
1
echalion shallot, thinly sliced into rings

For the salad

1 1/2 tbsp.
Thai sticky rice or other short grain rice
2 tsp.
vegetable oil
2
x 200g beef fillet steaks, trimmed
1/2
cucumber, sliced in half moons
1
mango, peeled, de-stoned and shredded/julienned
100 g
mizuna or wild rocket
25 g
bunch mint, leaves picked
25 g
bunch Thai basil, leaves picked
40 g
salted peanuts, roughly chopped

Directions

1. Step 1Make the dressing. In a small bowl, mix the lime juice, fish sauce and sugar until sugar dissolves. Stir in the chillies, shredded lime leaves and shallot rings and set aside.
2. Step 2For the salad, toast the rice in a frying pan over medium-high heat, shaking the pan frequently, until the rice is deep golden-brown, about 5-10min. Tip on to a plate, leave to cool completely then grind to a coarse powder with a pinch of salt using a pestle and mortar.
3. Step 3Return pan to high heat and add the oil. Pat steaks dry using kitchen paper and fry for 4-6min, turning halfway, until well browned on the outside but still rare in the middle. Remove to a plate and leave to rest for 5min while you assemble the rest of the salad.
4. Step 4In a large bowl toss ½ the dressing, the cucumber, mango, salad leaves, herbs and most of the peanuts. Tip on to a large platter (or divide between 4 plates). Thinly slice the steaks and arrange on top. Spoon over remaining dressing and scatter over the remaining peanuts and the ground toasted rice. Serve.

GH Tip

If you can’t find fresh kaffir lime leaves you can crumble in dried instead, or use the finely pared zest of 1 lime. It won’t have quite the same perfumed aroma, but will be close.