Thai Beef Salad Recipe (Nam Tok Neua)
This authentic Thai beef salad, known in Thailand as Nam Tok Neua, is grilled steak tossed with toasted rice, lime, chilli and fresh herbs. It's one of my favourite dishes to make at home. Som Tam and Larb might be the Thai salads you know best, but for me, this one takes centre stage.
It's also the perfect way to use leftover steak. I first made this version after a family barbecue, when we had beautiful sirloin left over from Macdonald & Son. This recipe works just as well with steak cooked fresh, and it's ready in about 35 minutes.
What is Nam Tok Neua?
Nam Tok means "waterfall" in Thai. The name comes from the juices that drip from the beef as it grills. Because it's dressed with those juices, Nam Tok is wetter and saucier than its sister salad, Larb.
It's traditionally made with beef (neua), so in Thai it's called Nam Tok Neua. Grilled steak is sliced into bite-sized pieces, then tossed with shallots, lime juice, fish sauce, roasted chilli flakes, fresh mint and coriander. The finishing touch is khao khua, toasted ground sticky rice, which adds a nutty flavour and a gentle crunch.
The result is a juicy salad that's smoky, spicy, sour and fresh all at once. It's quite the hit in our household!
Tips for the Perfect Thai Beef Salad
Choose a good steak: Sirloin, as we used, has a great balance of tenderness and flavour. Ribeye is even juicier, and rump is a good budget option. See our guide to the best beef for Nam Tok.
Cook it rare to medium-rare: The lime juice, fish sauce and sugar keep "curing" the beef after grilling, so it finishes tender and juicy. Overcooking will dry it out.
Don't skip the khao khua: Toasting and grinding the sticky rice is an extra step, but it gives the salad its authentic nutty flavour and texture. Make a batch in advance for future salads.
Balance the dressing to taste: Thai cooking is all about balance. Adjust the fish sauce, lime and chilli until it tastes right to you. For a milder salad, use less chilli powder.
Serve it straight away: The longer it sits, the more the lime cures the beef, which changes its texture.
Nam Tok Variations
Beef is traditional, but the same dressing works with other meats. Just keep the method the same.
Nam Tok Moo (pork): Use grilled pork shoulder or pork neck (collar). It's juicy, slightly sweet and very popular in Thailand.
Nam Tok Gai (chicken): Use boneless chicken thighs, which stay tender on the grill and soak up the dressing well. Cook them all the way through.
Vegetarian Nam Tok: Grill firm tofu or meaty mushrooms like king oyster until golden, and swap the fish sauce for light soy sauce.
Nam Tok is often confused with Larb, its closest cousin. Larb uses minced meat, while Nam Tok uses grilled, sliced meat. Read our guide to Thai salads for how they compare with Som Tam.
From Jum’s Kitchen
There’s something quietly profound about Nam Tok that speaks to how I was raised: the belief that the best meals come from simplicity and respect for the ingredients. The name means “waterfall”, after the way the meat’s juices fall as it grills, and that image has always stayed with me. It isn’t just poetic. It’s the truth of how food works when you don’t overcomplicate it.
In my family’s kitchen in Southern Thailand, Nam Tok appeared on the table whenever we had good meat to use, which wasn’t often. My mother taught us that the lime juice, fish sauce and sticky rice powder weren’t just there for flavour. They did the work of transforming the meat, making it more tender and more alive on the palate. Nature gives us what we need, and we use it wisely.
When you make this at home, whether with Scottish beef like ours or the best meat you can find, you’re cooking something with deep roots. The khao khua (toasted sticky rice powder) is your anchor, the nutty base that brings everything together. Adjust the chilli, lime and fish sauce to your own taste, because that’s what Thai cooking asks of you: attention, and the freedom to make it your own.
Serve it fresh, whilst the beef is still warm and the herbs are bright. This isn’t a dish that keeps. It’s meant to be eaten in the moment and shared.
Nam Tok Neua
- 500 g Beef Steak
- 200 g Shallots
- 70 g Sticky Rice (Glutinous rice)
- 90 g Fresh Mint Leaves
- 40 g Fresh Coriander Leaves
- — Large Limes (1 or 2 to taste)
- 2 tbsp Roasted Chilli Powder ( To Taste)
- 2 tbsp Sugar ( To Taste)
- 4 tbsp Fish Sauce ( To Taste)
- 50 ml Hot Water
Where have all the recipes gone