Thai beef salad brings together spicy Thai flavors and the freshness of ingredients to make one easy, weeknight salad in under 30 minutes.
Thai beef salad reminds me of life before kids. Don’t get me wrong; I love my life with kids. But there are those days when bedtime can’t come soon enough and dinner is better spent with my husband vs. with the toddler who throws dinner. This salad is for those nights when the kids are in bed and I can add extra crushed red pepper flakes to the peanut sauce.
Before children, and marriage for that fact, Ted and I lived in California. We enjoyed Asian cuisine on a weekly basis and frequented Thai restaurants often. I know my rendition of Thai beef salad is not as authentic as most Thai cuisine. But it’s the best I can do right now to get Thai flavor and spice with two little kiddos wanting in on the action too.
I turn to this Thai beef salad when I want a little taste of history. If I had to picture one meal that represented our life in San Francisco it would be this Thai beef salad. The freshness of the produce pairs perfectly with the creaminess of the peanut + beef mixture.
It reminds me of the wide availability of fresh produce in California and the flavors and spice in any Thai sauce you’d find in the Bay Area. Add some ground beef and you’d think I’m on the next flight to San Francisco! Reality check: I’m still in Michigan. And have been for most of my life. But those two years spent on the West coast really made an impact on my tastebuds!
So here’s to NOT only cooking for our kids, but for making meals that please number one too. Because if momma ain’t happy, ain’t no one happy! Ok that quote had nothing to do with my love of Thai food but it was the first quote that came to mind when I was thinking of cooking for ME too… makes sense, right?!
- 1 pound of lean ground beef
- 2 cups of spicy peanut sauce [I used this recipe]
- 2 cups of leafy greens
- 1 cup of broccoli slaw
- 1 cup of red bell pepper, sliced
- ½ cup of red onion, sliced
- Heat large nonstick skillet over medium heat until hot. Add Ground Beef; cook 8 to 10 minutes, breaking into ½-inch crumbles and stirring occasionally. Remove drippings.
- Stir in sauce; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer 10 minutes.
- Place the leafy greens in a large bowl. Add the additional toppings and beef. Toss to combine. Serve immediately.
I love this simple approach to this salad. We make taco salads similar to this all the time so next time I’m going to switch it up with a thai flavor.
I love thai-flavored food! This looks like a nice healthy lunch or light dinner 🙂
Yes and the leftovers are fantastic!!
Yay for extra pepper flakes in the peanut sauce! This would be a hit in my home -though, I might have to sub turkey for the beef.
I hope you give it a try!!
Oh man, I’m having a major, “my life is about to change day”. And the reality is starting to set in… I had breakfast with a friend and her temper tantrum throwing 1.5 year old and now this food thing and I’m like OMG what am I getting myself into.
Hahahaha your sweet boy will bring you more joy than stress. But yes, the stress does happen. Just remember to surround yourself with people struggling with the same thing: toddler chaos!
Great salad-Thai is one of my favorite cuisines! I love that it’s so simple, and you used broccoli slaw too. Can’t wait to make this for MYSELF! 🙂
Go mom go!!! Love me meals lately 🙂
Aww loved reading about your fond food memories! Thai food is DEF one of my fav cuisines! San Francisco holds a very special place in my heart as it’s where my husband proposed 9 years ago ;).
❤️❤️❤️ that’s so sweet!!
This looks super good! <3 The one and only Thai restaurant near-ish me recently closed down (I never even got to try it out! ;_; ), so I'm going to have to make this to feed my sorrows! :O
It satisfies my Thai craving!
I love the before and after pics , my hubby and I totally feel your pain (but of course also your joy)! We just got back from vacation in NYC, we had about 36 baby free hours and in that time we squeezed in 4 of our favorite restaurants including Thai, Korean, Japanese and Chinese. Notice a theme? We just can’t find great Asian food down here in Fort Lauderdale. Maybe you can come visit and make me this salad, it would definitely satisfy our cravings!!
Name your date and time and I’m there! We visit FL a lot in the winter (I say a lot, but maybe once— I’d like to piggy back on grandma and grandpas trips but we’ll see…). We are with you on the Asian cuisine. When we make it back to the Bay Area I might just eat for 24 hours straight!
Oh I can totally relate…I remember enjoying dinner with my husband after my kids went to bed, dinner that we wanted and loved (spicy! lol). Now 2 of my kids are a little older (8 & 10) so they eat what we eat…I find myself toning down the spice and creativity, but really that’s out of tiredness and laziness most of the time…ha ha. Having a toddler in the mix adds to it! They are pretty adventurous eaters so I just need to keep trying new recipes 🙂 I want to try this salad so much, it looks absolutely delicious!!!
I could bring the heat any meal of the day! But now the hot sauce sits next to me at the table vs in the meal 😉 I love that your kiddos are into trying new foods. They have a great role model!!