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    Home » Recipes » Beef » Vietnamese Beef Salad

    Vietnamese Beef Salad

    Published: May 10, 2023 Modified: Jun 13, 2023 by Isabel Laessig

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    Complete with thinly sliced sirloin steak, crisp veggies, rice noodles, and a zesty Vietnamese dressing, my Vietnamese Beef Salad recipe is a delicious lunch or dinner! After a little bit of prep and marinating the steak, it’s ready in no time.

    Slices of sirloin steak over rice noodles and vegetables
    Jump to:
    • Vietnamese Steak Salad
    • What is a Vietnamese beef salad?
    • Steak Salad Ingredients
    • Steak Salad Recipe Instructions
    • Vietnamese Noodle Salad Tips
    • How to Make Cucumber Ribbons
    • What is the best cut of steak for steak salad?
    • Vietnamese Beef Salad FAQ
    • 📌 Pin it for later!
    • 📋 Recipe
    • 💬 Reviews

    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.

    If you love Vietnamese recipes, give my Instant Pot Pho a try, too! It’s a great way to make homemade pho more quickly.

    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

    1. In a small bowl, mix juice from limes, fish sauce, and garlic ginger paste. 
      Sirloin steak marinade mixed in a small bowl next to a squeezed lime
    2. Pour over sirloin steaks brought to room temperature. Cover and soak for at least 20 minutes.
      Pouring Vietnamese beef marinade over sirloin steaks on a white plate
    3. 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.
      Pouring hot water over rice noodles in a bowl
    4. 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.
      Vietnamese beef salad ingredients in a bowl before mixing
    5. Add the noodles, then cover and place in the refrigerator.
      Tossing rice noodles with Vietnamese beef salad ingredients using tongs
    6. Heat a griddle pan or skillet over medium heat. When hot, add the marinated steaks.
      Flipping sirloin steaks in a grill pan using tongs
    7. 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.
      Grilled sirloin steaks on a piece of aluminum foil
    8. In a bowl, mix sesame oil, juice from lime, fish sauce, and honey. Mix well.
      Adding ingredients for Vietnamese steak salad dressing to a bowl
    9. 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.
      Sirloin steak sliced thinly over rice noodles and crisp veggies in a bowl
    10. Pour the Vietnamese salad dressing and mix. Serve, and enjoy!
      pouring salad dressing over Vietnamese steak salad in a bowl

    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.

    1. Cut off both ends of the cucumber.
    2. Slice the length of the cucumber into long, thin ribbons using a vegetable peeler until you reach the seeds.
    3. 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.

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    📋 Recipe

    Top-down view of vietnamese steak salad with sirloin and rice noodles

    Vietnamese Beef Salad

    Isabel Laessig
    Made with thinly sliced sirloin, crisp veggies, rice noodles, and a zesty lime dressing, our easy Vietnamese Beef Salad recipe makes a delicious lunch or dinner!
    5 from 3 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 10 minutes mins
    Cook Time 10 minutes mins
    Marinating Time 20 minutes mins
    Total Time 40 minutes mins
    Course Main Dish
    Cuisine Vietnamese
    Servings 4 servings
    Calories 494 kcal

    Equipment

    • Griddle pan or skillet

    Ingredients
      

    • 2 sirloin steaks 8 oz. each
    • 2 medium carrots peeled and cut into strips
    • 1 large cucumber peeled in ribbons
    • 1 butter lettuce roughly chopped, or 2 baby gem lettuce
    • 1 handful fresh cilantro roughly chopped
    • 10 fresh mint leaves torn
    • 1 red chili finely sliced with seeds
    • 1 cup dried rice noodles

    Beef Marinade

    • 2 limes juiced
    • 1 teaspoon fish sauce
    • 1 teaspoon garlic ginger paste or equal parts garlic and ginger mixed into a paste

    Vietnamese Salad Dressing

    • 2 Tablespoons sesame oil
    • 1 lime juiced
    • 1 teaspoon fish sauce
    • 1 Tablespoon honey
    Cooking Conversions

    See our Cooking Conversions Chart for help converting measurements!

    Instructions
     

    • In a small bowl, mix juice from limes, fish sauce, and garlic ginger paste.
      2 limes, 1 teaspoon fish sauce, 1 teaspoon garlic ginger paste
      Sirloin steak marinade mixed in a small bowl next to a squeezed lime
    • Pour over sirloin steaks brought to room temperature. Cover and soak for at least 20 minutes.
      2 sirloin steaks
      Pouring Vietnamese beef marinade over sirloin steaks on a white plate
    • 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.
      1 cup dried rice noodles
      Pouring hot water over rice noodles in a bowl
    • 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.
      2 medium carrots, 1 large cucumber, 1 butter lettuce, 1 handful fresh cilantro, 10 fresh mint leaves, 1 red chili
      Vietnamese beef salad ingredients in a bowl before mixing
    • Add the noodles, then cover and place in the refrigerator.
      Tossing rice noodles with Vietnamese beef salad ingredients using tongs
    • Heat a griddle pan or skillet over medium heat. When hot, add the marinated steaks.
      Flipping sirloin steaks in a grill pan using tongs
    • 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.
      Grilled sirloin steaks on a piece of aluminum foil
    • In a bowl, mix sesame oil, juice from lime, fish sauce, and honey. Mix well.
      2 Tablespoons sesame oil, 1 lime, 1 teaspoon fish sauce, 1 Tablespoon honey
      Adding ingredients for Vietnamese steak salad dressing to a bowl
    • 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.
      pouring salad dressing over Vietnamese steak salad in a bowl
    • Pour the Vietnamese salad dressing and mix. Serve, and enjoy!
      Sirloin steak sliced thinly over rice noodles and crisp veggies in a bowl

    Video

    Notes

    • 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.
    • 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.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1servingCalories: 494kcalCarbohydrates: 64gProtein: 29gFat: 13gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 69mgSodium: 394mgPotassium: 811mgFiber: 5gSugar: 7gVitamin A: 6802IUVitamin C: 37mgCalcium: 103mgIron: 4mg
    Keyword Steak Salad, steak salad recipe, vietnamese beef salad, vietnamese steak salad
    Did you try this recipe?Tag #SundaySupper on social and leave a comment below!
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    Isabel, AKA Family Foodie

    About Isabel Laessig

    Hi! I’m Isabel Laessig, also known as Family Foodie, creator of Sunday Supper Movement and author of the Boujee Steak Cookbook. Sunday Supper is my mission to bring family back around the dinner table. Join me in making family meal-time a tradition to celebrate!

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