Vietnamese Steak Salad

I could enjoy steak any time of day, for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Really! One of my favorite ways to enjoy it is in a steak salad. This wholesome Vietnamese Steak Salad has everything: crisp vegetables, rice noodles, and the most incredible salad dressing!

Inspired by Vietnamese cuisine, my Vietnamese salad dressing recipe is both zesty and nutty from lime juice and sesame, rounded out by the sweet flavor of honey.

It's the perfect complement to the steak marinade! Garlic ginger paste brings out an amazing flavor in beef. I guarantee you're going to want to use it for more than just this recipe for steak salad!

Give it a try, and I know you'll love it. Vietnamese rice noodle salad is always a winner at my house, and it's so simple and light that you'll feel good eating it, too!

Three plates of Vietnamese beef salad with dressing on the side

What is a Vietnamese beef salad?

There are a lot of different kinds of Vietnamese salads, but mine is most like what you would find in a Gỏi bò salad. Gỏi bò literally means "beef salad", and generally consists of beef, lime, fish sauce, chili sauce and peppers, mint, cucumbers, carrots, tomatoes, and other vegetables and seasonings commonly enjoyed in Vietnamese cuisine.

The beef is marinated, sliced thinly, and placed on top of the salad after grilling.

Some steak salads will have their beef sliced into even thinner pieces, or cooked to a different degree of doneness; you can cook yours according to your preference, though I find medium rare, thin but long slices of steak are delicious in this dish.

Vietnamese beef salad in a bowl close up

Steak Salad Ingredients

sirloin steaks, 8 oz. each
carrots, peeled and cut into strips
cucumber, peeled in ribbons
butter lettuce, roughly chopped; or baby gem lettuce
fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
fresh mint leaves, torn
red chili, finely sliced with seeds
dried rice noodles

Vietnamese Steak Recipe Marinade

lime juice
fish sauce
garlic ginger paste, or equal parts garlic and ginger mixed into a paste

Steak Salad Dressing Ingredients

sesame oil
lime juice
fish sauce
honey

Vietnamese salad dressing has a classic zesty sweet-and-sour flavor. It will separate over time, so remember to give it another stir before pouring it over the salad!

Steak Salad Recipe Instructions

In a small bowl, mix juice from limes, fish sauce, and garlic ginger paste.
Pour over sirloin steaks brought to room temperature. Cover and soak for at least 20 minutes.
Place dried rice noodles in a bowl and cover them with boiling water. Let them sit for 1 minute, then carefully drain and rinse under cold water.
Peel and cut carrots into strips. Slice cucumber into ribbons using a vegetable peeler. Chop lettuce, cilantro, and mint leaves. Finely slice red chili, and leave the seeds in. Place your prepared vegetables in a large bowl.
Add the noodles, then cover and place in the refrigerator.
Heat a griddle pan or skillet over medium heat. When hot, add the marinated steaks.
Cook for 3-4 minutes on each side for medium rare, or for longer if you want them more well done. Remove and wrap loosely in foil to rest for 10-15 minutes before slicing.
In a bowl, mix sesame oil, juice from lime, fish sauce, and honey. Mix well.
Toss everything together to mix the salad ingredients with the noodles. Unwrap and slice the steaks, then add them to the top of the salad.
Pour the Vietnamese salad dressing and mix. Serve, and enjoy!

Vietnamese Noodle Salad Tips

Let the steaks sit for 30 minutes before you plan to cook them to let them come to room temperature. This helps them to cook evenly.
Do not move or flip the steaks while they're cooking on each side. Let the steaks cook through and get nice grill marks on each side.
Always let your steaks rest after cooking for at least 10-15 minutes. This way they will retain the juices and make for an amazing eating experience.
Use a meat thermometer if you aren't sure about the timing.
Slice steak against the grain for the most tender cuts of beef.
Butter lettuce or gem lettuce are both soft lettuces that work well for Vietnamese beef salad recipes. If you can't find them, I recommend using a green leaf lettuce mix.
Very thinly slice the carrots and cucumbers for best results. A vegetable slicer is perfect for this. See below for a guide on cutting cucumbers into thin ribbons.
You can swap rice noodles for other thin noodles, such as Chinese egg noodles or Japanese ramen noodles.
Leaving the seeds in the chilies will give the salad a kick of spice. If you want a salad without any spice, remove the seeds from the chilies.
If you're not a fan of cilantro, replace it with parsley.

Close up of Vietnamese steak salad with rice noodles

How to Make Cucumber Ribbons

For this recipe for beef salad, I cut the cucumbers into ribbons. You can do this very easily if you have a straight vegetable peeler or a Y-peeler.

Cut off both ends of the cucumber.
Slice the length of the cucumber into long, thin ribbons using a vegetable peeler until you reach the seeds.
Turn the cucumber a quarter of the way, then repeat slicing until the entire cucumber is cut into ribbons.

Family Foodie Tip: Another option is to cut the cucumber into thin strips. This will add the perfect crunch to this healthy meal.

What is the best cut of steak for steak salad?

Sirloin steak is a perfect choice for steak salad recipes, and is the best fit for this Vietnamese beef salad. It's tender, juicy, and cooks quickly.

Skirt steak and flank steak also make good choices. They are thin, quick to cook, and slice perfectly thin, just like sirloin. Another easy choice is grilled London broil.

Or, just use leftovers! Anytime I happen to have leftover steak, like ribeye or chuck, you bet I'm going to make this delicious steak salad!

Vietnamese Beef Salad FAQ

Can you eat steak cold in a salad?

You can enjoy steak either warm or cold in steak salads like this Vietnamese beef salad, making it a great way to use leftover steak. Simply slice the steak thinly, add it to the salad, and enjoy without warming it up.

What to serve with steak salad?

Steak salads can be enjoyed alone as a main course salad, or with side dishes as desired. For Vietnamese beef salad, try pairing it with a side of Shrimp Shumai or even Korean Cream Cheese Garlic Bread.

Try my Japanese Ginger Dressing next!