This Thai beef salad recipe is a quick and easy dinner idea. It's packed with crunchy vegetables and sits atop a bed of vermicelli noodles, plus any leftovers will make a great work or school lunchtime treat.

What you need to know before you start

To prepare this meal at home, we recommend using a chargrill or barbecue to cook the beef eye fillet. Cooking over an open flame will give the meat a beautiful seared crust with a slightly smoky taste. This technique of preparing the eye fillet is also faster than other methods, making it a great option for those short on time. 

Why is this the best Thai beef noodle salad recipe?

Ready to serve in less than 30 minutes, our Thai noodle salad is the ultimate speedy dinner. Featuring big, bright flavours, the tender beef, slippery noodles and punchy dressing with textural crunch from fresh greens combine to create a delicious salad that’s earned a 4.7-star rating from our readers.

Is Thai beef noodle salad spicy?

Thai food can be synonymous with spice. While this recipe uses a whole long red chilli, these chillies usually impart mild heat, although this can vary, so it’s always worth testing beforehand if you’re worried. If it is too hot, simply halve the amount you use. We have also removed the seeds from the chilli in this recipe, which reduces the heat level. However if you can handle the heat, or you prefer it spicy, leave the seeds in, or use a bird’s-eye chilli, Thai red chilli or bullet chillies instead. 

What ingredients you’ll need 

Beef eye fillet: This lean cut of beef is chargrilled and sliced for melt-in-your-mouth tender results. If you don’t have access to eye fillet, you can also use porterhouse or T-bone steak. 

Extra virgin olive oil: The slightly peppery and fruity flavours of olive oil, brushed on the beef before grilling, complement its rich flavours. 

Dried rice vermicelli noodles: These light rice noodles form the basis of the salad, and are a carrier for the bold dressing.

Telegraph cucumber: Cucumbers add crunch, sweetness and juiciness to the salad. 

Red capsicum: The capsicum is kept raw and thinly sliced to maintain its crunchy texture while adding sweetness. 

Red onion: Milder in flavour compared to its brown counterparts, raw red onion has a slightly spicy flavour to add a zesty punch to the dish. 

Cherry tomatoes: Bright and sweet, bite-sized cherry tomatoes have a concentrated tomato flavour to add freshness to the salad. 

Thai basil: Thai basil leaves are a staple in Thai cuisine. They have an aniseed-like taste with a slightly spicy hit. They add a unique aromatic flavour to complement the savoury, tangy and sweet flavours of the salad. If you can’t find Thai basil, don’t substitute with regular basil, as the flavours are very different. Instead, increase the amount of coriander and mint. 

Coriander: Sweet and fragrant, fresh coriander leaves enhance the flavours of the salad and provide a textural contrast with each bite.

Mint: Mint completes the trio of fresh herbs and can have a lingering cooling effect to counteract the kick from the chilli. 

Long red chilli: Considered one of the mildest of the chillies, finely chopped red chilli with the seeds removed adds a hum of subtle spice. 

Lime juice: The zesty juice of lime brightens the salad and balances the umami tang from the fish sauce in the dressing. 

Sesame oil: The slightly nutty and earthy flavours of sesame oil add a complexity to the dressing and mellow out the zing from the lime. A little goes a long way!

Brown sugar: Brown sugar completes the salty-sweet-sour flavour of the dressing with hints of caramel. 

Fish sauce: Salty and briny with a distinct ‘fishy’ taste, fish sauce maintains the authenticity of this classic Thai dish by adding a nuanced depth of flavour loaded with umami punch.

Light soy sauce: The savoury saltiness of light soy sauce enhances the umami flavours of the zingy dressing while imparting colour. 

Ginger: When grated, ginger contributes a lovely spicy peppery flavour while releasing some of its juices for body. 

Garlic cloves: The robust aroma of grated garlic cloves helps to balance the sweetness from the sugar, saltiness from the fish sauce and heat from the chilli for a well-rounded dish.

How to make a Thai salad dressing

It’s simple to prepare this Thai-style salad dressing at home. There’s no need for whisks or zesters to quickly and easily make our recipe. Simply place all the ingredients into a screw top jar and shake until the ingredients have been thoroughly combined. Thai dressings are salty, sweet, tangy and sour at the same time. You can adjust the dressing to suit your palate.

How to store leftover Thai beef noodle salad

Any leftovers make for an easy lunch. Pack leftover salad and dressing separately and keep them in airtight containers in the fridge for up to two days. Once dressed, this salad is best eaten fresh, so if you have stored the dressed salad in the fridge you may notice the herbs have wilted slightly and the texture of the vermicelli noodles may have changed. 

What to serve with a Thai beef noodle salad

The big, bold flavours of this fresh noodle salad can be paired with other classic Thai dishes for an at-home feast. Ditch your local takeaway and serve alongside our Green chicken curry, Thai chicken meatballs and homemade fishcakes. 

Drink pairings for a Thai beef noodle salad

A bright and citrusy riesling or pinot gris will beautifully complement the aromas of the punchy salad dressing. Our boozy take on a Thai-style tea or a classic Singha beer will also go down a treat. 

If you love our Thai beef noodle salad recipe, try this 

Expand your noodle salad repertoire with some of our light and refreshing dishes, perfect for summer barbecues, no-fuss dinners and picnics under the sun:

• Spatchcock with green papaya noodle salad
• Sesame-crusted tuna with green tea noodle salad
• Crispy kimchi noodle salad