I absolutely adore all of my Asian recipes. Some of the most noteworthy include Thai Butternut Squash Soup, Asian Quinoa Salad, and Thai Beef Curry in Slow Cooker. But I must admit, this easy Thai beef noodle salad tops all of my summer salads.
Why Should You Try This Recipe?
I can assure you that you are going to fall in love with this Thai beef salad with noodles upon the first bite. I know you’ll love it because:
- Crunch, crunch and more crunch. The more texture there is in my salad, the more crave-able they become. This has all the crunch, along with some creamy, too.
- Balanced and flavorful. It has a little bit of everything – sweet, savory, salty, spicy, sour, and that special umami essence you just can’t put your finger on. And the beef is phenomenal here. It is first soaked in a flavor-packed marinade, then quickly cooked on the grill or stovetop. You will be making this beef noodle salad all summer long!
- Easy to make ahead. The steak, dressing, and noodles can all be made ahead. This means all that’s left to do is some chopping and tossing come serving time.
Ingredients
The ingredients for this Asian steak noodle salad are broken down into a few parts – steak marinade, salad dressing, noodles, and salad.
For the steak marinade, you will need fresh ginger, garlic clove, soy sauce, coconut sugar, fresh lime juice, fish sauce, black pepper, olive oil, toasted sesame oil, NY strip steak, and Kosher salt.
For the Thai dressing, gather together fresh lime juice, hot chili paste, avocado oil, fish sauce, raw sugar, and honey.
For the noodles and salad, you will need ramen noodles, toasted sesame oil, large mango, arugula, carrots, scallions, savoy cabbage, tomatoes, avocado, cilantro, basil leaves, mint leaves, salted peanuts, and lime wedges.
Substitutions and Helpful Ingredient Notes
- Soy Free: Replace the soy sauce with an equal amount of coconut aminos or tamari.
- Sugar: Replace the coconut sugar with light brown sugar for the marinade and use regular granulated sugar in place of the cane sugar for the dressing.
- Steak: Use your favorite cut of steak, such as NY strip steak, sirloin steaks, Filet Mignon, flank steak, or skirt steak. Note cooking times will vary.
- Hot Chili Paste: My favorite chile paste is Sambal Oelek, easily found in the global/international food section.
- Noodles: Replace the ramen with thin rice noodles, like vermicelli or lo mein noodles.
- Fruit: If mango is unavailable, swap it out for pineapple or mandarin oranges.
- Greens: Go the Houston’s route and swap out the arugula for watercress instead.
- Cabbage: If you can’t find savoy cabbage (a bit milder and sweeter), regular green cabbage can be substituted.
- Tomatoes: Replace the tomato with 1 cup cherry tomatoes.
- Peanut Free: If you or your friends have a slight aversion to peanuts, crunchy and salted almonds are the next best thing. Sesame seeds are a great sub, as well.
How to Make
Houston’s Thai steak noodle salad recipe takes some prep work and an overnight marinade, but your patience will be rewarded. Here’s how I like to do it:
- Prepare marinade: In a small bowl, whisk together the ginger, garlic, soy sauce, sugar, lime juice, fish sauce, black pepper, olive oil, and toasted sesame oil. Pour into an airtight container with a lid or a large resealable plastic bag. Place the steak in the marinade (or a small resealable plastic bag) and give it a gentle toss to ensure all parts of the steak are coated. Seal and let it marinate for 6-12 hours.
- Prepare steak: Remove the steak from the marinade and place it onto a large plate lined with paper towels. Pat dry with another paper towel to remove the excess liquid. Discard marinade. Season with salt on both sides.
- Grill steak: Preheat a gas grill to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Grill, flipping the steak a few times during cooking until lightly charred on both sides. Check for doneness by inserting a thermometer (affiliate link) into the thickest part of the steak. Pull it off when it registers 120 degrees Fahrenheit for medium-rare or 130 degrees Fahrenheit for medium, depending on your desired degree. This takes about 9-11 minutes in total. Once off the grill, tent with aluminum foil. Allow it to rest on a cutting board for 10 minutes. Then, slice into 1-inch thick slices or cubes right before serving.
- Make the salad dressing: In a small bowl or mason jar, whisk together lime juice, hot chili paste, avocado oil, fish sauce, sugar, and honey. Give it a taste and add more salt if needed.
- Cook noodles: Bring a small pot of water to a boil. Cook noodles for 3 minutes, or according to package directions. Drain and transfer to a large salad bowl. Drizzle with the sesame oil and give it a gentle toss to coat.
- Assemble salad: Place the mango, arugula, shredded carrots, scallions, finely shredded savoy cabbage, and tomatoes in the bowl with the noodles. Drizzle with the dressing and toss to combine. Finish with the sliced steak, avocado, fresh cilantro, basil, mint, and peanuts. Gently toss and divide amongst four plates. Serve with lime wedges on the side.
What to Serve it With?
This Thai steak salad recipe needs nothing more than some company to share it with. Serve it as:
- Main Meal: All it needs is a glass of red wine on the side.
- With Vegetables: Serve it alongside even more veggies on the side, such as baked asparagus, sauteed asparagus and mushrooms, garlic green beans or roasted shiitake mushrooms.
How to Store
This beef Thai salad will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. After the 2-day mark, the vegetables break down and become mushy.
Expert Tips
- Marinate the steak the night before. The steak can sit in the marinade for up to 12 hours without it affecting the texture.
- Prepare steak, dressing, and noodles up to 2 days in advance. Grill the steak, mix the dressing, and boil the noodles. Store each in their own airtight container in the fridge. This salad (including the meat) can be served at room temperature. However, if you prefer, you can lightly warm up the grilled meat before assembling the salad.
- Use a stovetop grill pan. Grill the steak on an indoor grill pan or cast-iron skillet instead.
Other Thai Cuisine Recipes You’ll Enjoy:
- Thai Butternut Squash Curry Soup
- 30-Minute Thai Lemongrass Chicken
- Thai Inspired Coconut Milk Mussels with Ginger, Garlic and Lemongrass Recipe
- Sweet Potato ‘Noodle’ Pad Thai
- Thai Cashew Chicken Salad
- Thai Quinoa Salad
If you try this Thai Steak and Noodle Salad recipe or any other beef recipes on Foolproof Living, please take a minute to rate the recipe and leave a comment below. It helps others who are thinking of making the recipe. And if you took some pictures, be sure to share them on Instagram using #foolproofeats so I can share them on my stories.
This recipe is adapted from Bon Appetit’s Thai Steak Noodle Recipe.
Thai Steak and Noodle Salad Recipe
This Thai Steak and Noodle Salad is colorful, refreshing, and bursting with all the Asian flavors you love. This Houston's copycat summer salad combines a fresh herb and veggie base with sweet-spicy Thai dressing and perfectly marinated steak. Serve it as a complete meal next time you're craving Thai cuisine!
Ingredients
For The Steak Marinade:
- 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger, from a 1 inch piece ginger
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons coconut sugar, or light brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- 1 pound New York Strip Steak , or Filet Mignon Steak – 1 inch thick
- ¼ teaspoon Kosher salt
Salad Dressing:
- ¼ cup fresh lime juice
- ¼ cup hot chili paste, such as sambal oelek
- ¼ cup avocado oil, or any other tasteless vegetable oil
- 1 clove of garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce
- 2 tablespoons cane sugar or granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon honey
For The Noodles:
- 2 oz. dried ramen noodles, seasoning package discarded
- ½ teaspoon toasted sesame oil
For The Salad:
- 1 ripe mango, peeled, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1 cup arugula, washed and rinsed
- 2 carrots, peeled and shredded
- 2 green onions, sliced thinly
- 2 cups savoy cabbage, sliced thinly – or green cabbage
- 1 cup chopped tomatoes, from 1 large tomato
- 1 ripe avocado, cut into cubes
- ½ cup fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
- ½ cup fresh basil leaves, torn
- ¼ cup fresh mint leaves, torn
- ½ cup salted peanuts, roughly chopped
- Lime wedges, for serving on the side
Instructions
- To make the marinade: Whisk together ginger, garlic, soy sauce, sugar, lime juice, fish sauce, black pepper, olive oil, and toasted sesame oil in a bowl. Transfer it to an airtight container with a lid or pour it into a resealable plastic bag. Place the steak in the marinade, seal, and let it marinate for at least 6 hours or up to 12 hours.
- When you are ready to cook the meat, remove it from the marinade onto a large plate lined with paper towels and pat dry to remove the excess liquid. Season lightly with ¼ teaspoon kosher salt.
- To cook the steak: Preheat a gas grill* to 450 degrees. Grill, turning a few times until lightly charred on both sides and a thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the steak registers 120 degrees F for medium-rare or 130 degrees F for medium. This takes about 9-11 minutes in total. Cover it with aluminum foil, and let it rest on a cutting board for 10 minutes. Cut it into 1-inch pieces right before serving the salad.
- To make the salad dressing: Whisk together lime juice, hot chili paste, avocado oil, garlic, fish sauce, sugar, and honey in a bowl. Give it a taste and add more salt if needed. Set it aside.
- To cook the noodles: Cook noodles in a small pot of boiling water for 3 minutes. Drain and transfer to a large bowl. Drizzle with sesame oil and give it a toss.
- To assemble the salad: Place the mango, arugula, shredded carrots, scallions, cabbage, and tomatoes in the bowl with the noodles. Drizzle it with the prepared dressing. Give it a gentle toss to combine.
- Add sliced steak, avocado, fresh cilantro, basil, mint, and peanuts. Gently toss to combine.
- Divide amongst four plates and serve with wedges of lime on the side.
Notes
- *You can cook the steak on the stovetop in a grill pan or cast-iron skillet.
- Storing leftovers: This salad will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. After the 2-day mark, the vegetables break down and become mushy.
Nutrition
Calories: 981kcal | Carbohydrates: 66g | Protein: 37g | Fat: 68g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 9g | Monounsaturated Fat: 39g | Cholesterol: 91mg | Sodium: 2535mg | Potassium: 1558mg | Fiber: 12g | Sugar: 33g | Vitamin A: 7623IU | Vitamin C: 82mg | Calcium: 168mg | Iron: 5mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Hello,
I am new to the grain free diet and I found this page. I am so excited to try out some of these recipes! My only question about this meal, are the ramen noodles considered grain free?
Thank you!
Hello Kylie,
Welcome, I am so glad you found me.
To answer your question: Traditional ramen noodles are not gluten-free, but most supermarkets sell gluten-free alternatives made from rice, millet, potato, or other gluten-free flours. If you can’t find it in your grocery store, then you can look for it online.
I hope this helps.
This salad is so delicious and satisfying. The only decision you will need to make is what beverage am I going to choose.
Tough decision, indeed. Happy to hear that you liked it.
My mouth is totally watering now! This salad is so delicious looking and I love the ingredients.
Okay, we made over the weekend. I was a little skeptical about the initial prep of the spices, but it turned out so good. America’s test kitchen recipes never disappoint and I am so glad you made this. My husband loved it.
I printed the recipe so I will be making it again.
Thanks for sharing.
Hi Barbara,
I am so glad you guys liked it. Thanks for letting me know.
Cheers!
”to make the dried thai chili, all you need to do is to toast a teaspoon
sweet paprika with a teaspoon cayenne pepper in a dry skillet until
fragrant” < beyond priceless 411. grateful 🙂
Easy and delicious. 😉
Thanks for stopping by!
I just adore fresh asian flavoured salads like this. I love your tips on how to make Thai chili powder and toasted rice powder and those beautiful prep shots! Please send some of that summer heat here! <3 xx
Oh how about I bring it to you?!! :)) It would be a dream come true if we could share recipes with online friends. I know for sure that i’d be having that gorgeous cake you made the other day right now with my coffee. :))
PS: I am a sucker for food photos with hands. I struggle with finding ways to make it interesting. Though I am glad you liked them. XOXO
This is EVERYTHING I want to eat right now. Love these flavors! 🙂
Awww thank YOU my friend. I appreciate your kind words.