Thai Beef Salad, or Yam Neua has as many variations as there are Thai cooks… or so I’ve heard. One thing is for certain, the beef is always grilled. Well… I’m going to break that cardinal rule by broiling the steak. Think of your broiler as an upside-down grill. You’re cooking the food using direct heat which sears the outside while keeping the inside tender. It’s clean, easy, and it’s my go-to method when I don’t have the time or patience for preparing coals. Or if the weather is just not conducive for grilling.
Another benefit to the broiler, is that if you have an oven, you have a broiler – no extra piece of equipment is needed! You may use a grated broiler pan (which allows air to circulate under the food), however you can accomplish the same thing by turning the steak half way through the cooking time.
Broiling is super easy, but there are a few tips to keep in mind:
- Move the oven rack to the highest possible position.
- Most broilers have only two settings, on or off. However, there are some that have a high or low setting. If that is the case, use the high setting for this recipe.
- Be sure to preheat the broiler as you would the oven.
- When you place the food under the broiler, be sure to center the item directly under the flame to ensure even cooking.
This recipe is all about delicious convenience – quick, easy, full of flavor and it’s healthy! I’d say that makes for a perfect weekday meal!
Brush the Flank Steak with Oil and Season with Salt and Pepper:
Broil the Steak for 8 Minutes and Allow to Cool Before Slicing:
Add the Prepped Veggies to a Large Bowl:
Serve and Enjoy:
- 4 tablespoons fish sauce
- 4 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1-2 Thai chilies, seeded and thinly sliced
- 1 - 1 pound flank steak
- kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 8 ounce mixed greens
- 1 English cucumber, halved lengthwise, seeded, and sliced
- 3 scallions, thinly sliced
- 2 medium carrots, julienned
- ½ cup fresh mint, torn
- ½ cup fresh cilantro, torn
- ½ cup Thai basil, torn
- 1 lime, quartered
- Place a rack at the very top of the oven and preheat the broiler.
- To make the dressing, in a small bowl, combine the fish sauce, water, lime juice, sugar, and thai chilies. Stir until the sugar dissolves.
- Place the flank steak on a sheet pan, brush with oil, and liberally season both sides with salt and pepper. Place under the broiler and cook for 8 minutes, turning once at the 4 minute mark. Remove from the oven and allow to cool 10 minutes before slicing.
- Prep the vegetables and add to a large bowl. Toss and then divide among 4 smaller bowls. Thinly slice the steak across the grain and add it to the bowls. Dress the salads, add a lime wedge to each bowl, serve, and Enjoy!
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Making this with flank steak is a great idea! Why wouldn’t I have thought of that? Flank is so much cheaper than rump which is what I usually use 🙂 I also love the way you have scooped out the seeds from the cucumber – I do that too! People always comment that it looks quite fancy, but the reason I do it is because it drops water and thins the dressing 🙂
I seed cucumbers for the exact same reason! They just exude so much moisture, they can water-log other ingredients! Flank steak is one of my favorite cuts – lean, yet flavorful and juicy, and inexpensive!
Thai is one of my favorite cuisines and I really should cook more Thai dishes. This might be my first.
I hope you give it a try! 🙂
I love all the fresh flavors here! I’m with you, usually can’t be bothered to grill (maybe I am just bad at it) but I’ll broil meet anytime, anywhere. I know flank steak is a common cut of meat but I tend not to buy it because I don’t always know exactly what to do with it. Even though it’s so easy to work with, I just have never tried. So I think once I broil it once following your recipe, I’ll be good to go! Pinning this gorgeousness!
Oh try broiling flank steak! This is one of my favorite methods of cooking this type of steak. Cooked right, it’s just as tasty as a more expensive cut! 🙂
I didn’t know that there were so many varieties of beef salad, actually. Good to know, though! I guess you could sub the beef for chicken here, too. I love the flavours you’ve marinated the meat in!
Yes, this is the lighter variety of beef salads that I’ve seen. Chicken would work well here too, if you’d like to sub-out the steak 🙂
I’m in love with the beautiful salads I see on your blog! This looks so good! I buy rank steak very often and will be giving tho one a try! Pinned!
Thanks, Mira! I hope you enjoy it! 🙂