I love the contrast between the textures in this Rice Noodle Salad with Steak: the tender, beefy steak, the light, delicate vermicelli noodles and the fresh, crunchy vegetables. Not only are the textures on point, but this dish packs a ton of flavor in both the Thai green chili sauce you’ll use to marinate the steak and the delicious dressing you’ll drizzle over the salad when you’re ready to serve it. The Thai green chili sauce is slightly spicy and earthy in flavor and the dressing helps to boost that flavor. A lot of my recipes may have challenged your idea of what a “salad” is, and this one will too! How many salads have you had with noodles in them??
The grocery list.
The salad.
- Thai green chili sauce – You can find this subtly spicy, flavorful sauce at Trader Joe’s.
- Flank steak – A delicious and lean cut of meat!
- Vermicelli noodles – These delicately thin noodles are a staple in Thai cooking.
- Little gem lettuce – A crisp base for your salad!
- Carrots, julienned – Carrots and cucumbers will add a delicious crunch to your salad! I think julienned vegetables are best for salads. To julienne a vegetable is to cut it into thin strips.
- Cucumbers, julienned
- Soft boiled eggs – Personally, I prefer soft boiled eggs to hard boiled because they’re more flavorful and I love the runny yolk!
- Serrano pepper – Serrano peppers pack a heck of a punch! Slice these thinly and distribute them evenly through the salad.
The dressing.
- Tamari (or soy sauce) – Soy sauce acts as a salty base for dressings and marinades. Since rice noodles lack flavor, a subtle yet tasty dressing will add a lot to this recipe. The marinated steak packs a ton of flavor so this dressing is perfect for not overpowering the Thai green chili flavor.
- Water – To thin out your dressing so it distributes evenly through the Rice Noodle Salad.
- Maple syrup – Adds a slight sweetness to the dressing.
- Lime juice – Lime juice provides a refreshing citrus taste that blends well with the green chili sauce.
- Rice vinegar – Rice vinegar is tangy and slightly sweet.
- Minced garlic – Minced garlic is great in recipes such as this one, it’ll dissolve into your recipe and evenly distribute the garlic flavor through your dish.
Red pepper flakes – The Thai green chili steak already packs its own punch, so the red pepper flakes help to slightly boost that spice.
The preparation.
The steak.
The first step to making this Rice Noodle Salad with Steak is to marinate the flank steak. In a large glass bowl, toss the thai green chili sauce with the steak. Marinate your steak in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
After you allow your steak to marinate, it’ll be ready to cook! Preheat the Traeger grill (or conventional grill!) to 450-500°F. Place the marinated flank steaks directly on the grill grates and cook for 3-5 minutes, then flip. Continue to cook the steaks for an additional 7-10 minutes, flipping them once or twice. The cooking time for your steaks isn’t very long because flank steak is a very lean cut and tastes best when cooked rare or medium-rare.
Cook until their internal temperatures reach 135°F. When the internal temperature of your flank steak is 135°F it will be medium-rare. If you prefer your steak to be rare, cook until its internal temperature reaches 125°F. Remove the steak from the grill and allow it to rest for 10 minutes before slicing. Resting your steak before slicing it will allow the meat to retain its flavorful juices. When you slice your steak, slice it against the grain. Cutting against the grain will make your meat more tender. To cut your flank steaks against the grain, look for the direction in which the muscle fibers are aligned. Cut perpendicular to the grain to slice against it. It’s that simple!
While your steak rests, prepare the remaining salad ingredients.
The rice noodle salad.
While the steak rests, cook the vermicelli noodles according to the package instructions and prepare the remaining ingredients. Prepare the little gem lettuce and julienne the carrots and cucumbers. Soft boil the eggs. Slice the serrano peppers.
The dressing.
Prepare the dressing. Whisk together the tamari, water, maple syrup, lime juice, rice vinegar, minced garlic and red pepper flakes.
Assemble the salad.
Lay a base of little gem lettuce on the plate. Top with vermicelli noodles, julienned carrots and cucumbers and sliced flank steak. Add soft boiled eggs and serrano peppers. When you serve the Rice Noodle Salad with Steak, drizzle each individual serving with dressing.
Substitutions.
Sometimes your local grocery store doesn’t have everything you need, I get it! Here are some substitution suggestions.
Thai vermicelli rice noodles are what I’ve linked, but any rice noodles or ramen will work for this recipe. The key is to have noodles that are as thin as possible! Even angel hair pasta could do the trick.
If you don’t have Trader Joe’s near you, the Thai Green Chili Sauce is available to buy online through the link in the grocery list above. You could also make your own! You can find relatively simple recipes online.
Flank steak is a lean cut of meat, so if you’re unable to find flank steak at the store hangar steak or skirt steak will work as a replacement.
Little gem lettuce is a variety of romaine, so either will work for this recipe.
Jalapeño peppers have a very similar flavor to serrano peppers (but are much less spicy), and are usually available at most grocery stores, unlike the harder to find serrano peppers.
Tamari and soy sauce have a similar flavor, so either will work! Tamari is perfect for any gluten free friends!
Looking for more salad recipes?
Here are a few to try:
Nectarine & Edamame Couscous Salad w/ Smoked Almonds & Pickled Shallots
Broccoli, Apple & Cheddar Salad with Dill Ranch Dressing
Or, try another dish with Thai Green Chili sauce:
Thai Green Chili Steak Ramen with Lemongrass Coconut Mushroom Broth
Lastly, if you make this Rice Noodle Salad with Steak recipe, be sure to leave a comment! Above all, I love to hear from ya’ll and do my best to respond to every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to snap a pic and tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of your dayyyummm good recreations is my favorite!
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Ingredients
Salad
- ¼ cup Thai green chili sauce
- 1 ½ pounds flank steak
- 1 package vermicelli noodles
- 8 ounces little gem lettuce
- 1 cup carrots, julienned
- 1 cup cucumbers, julienned
- 4 soft boiled eggs
- 1 serrano pepper, sliced thin for serving
Dressing
- ¼ cup tamari (or soy sauce)
- ¼ cup water
- 2 tablespoon maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 2 teaspoon rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
Instructions
- In a large glass bowl, toss the thai green chili sauce with the steak. Marinate in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
- When ready to cook, preheat the Traeger grill (or conventional grill!) to 450-500°F. Place the steaks directly on the grill grates and cook for 3-5 minutes, then flip. Continue to cook for 7-10 minutes, flipping once or twice until the internal temperature reaches 135°F. Remove the steak from the grill and rest for 10 minutes before slicing.
- While the steak rests, cook the vermicelli noodles to package instructions and prepare the remaining ingredients.
- For the dressing, whisk together the tamari, water, maple syrup, lime juice, rice vinegar, minced garlic and red pepper flakes.
- To assemble the salad. Lay a base of little gem lettuce on the plate. Top with vermicelli noodles, julienned carrots and cucumbers and sliced steak. Add soft boiled eggs and serrano peppers and drizzle each salad with dressing as needed.