Also check out all my essentials from Thrive Market: http://l.thrv.me/td-kfk
This video does contain a paid partnership with a brand that helps to support this channel. It is because of brands like this that we are able to provide the content that we do for free.
Join my Email List: https://www.thomasdelauer.com
Full Keto Day of Eating with Thomas DeLauer – Part 1
Get my Free Newsletter and Downloadable Cheatsheets (eating out, travel, etc): https://www.thomasdelauer.com/life-optimization-tactics/
Follow More of My Daily Life on Instagram: http://www.Instagram.com/ThomasDeLauer
This is part 1 of my full (keto) day of eating that will take us through a typical filming day in my life whilst adhering to a keto diet! Enjoy, and I’ll see you in the comments!
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy.
This easy Thai Steak Salad is made with marinated flank steak, crisp vegetables, fresh herbs, and a light peanut dressing for a high-protein dinner packed with flavor.
Thai Steak Salad
This Thai Steak Salad is the kind of dinner that feels restaurant-worthy but is easy enough for a weeknight. The marinated flank steak is charred and caramelized on the outside, then sliced thin and served over mixed greens, crunchy vegetables, herbs, and the most delicious light peanut dressing. It has all the elements I crave in a big salad—savory, tangy, a little sweet, a little spicy—with plenty of protein to keep it satisfying. I love this for summer because it’s both fresh and hearty, especially with steak hot off the grill. For another steak salad with big flavor, try my Vietnamese Shaking Beef Salad.
Why This Steak Salad Recipe Works
Although this salad has several components, you can do a lot of the prep ahead of time to make it more convenient for weeknights. Prepare the marinade and dressing, and slice the vegetables the day before. In the morning, marinate the steak. Then, at dinnertime, all you have to do is grill the steak and assemble the salads.
Complete meal: With 39.5 grams of protein, there’s no need for a side dish.
Perfect for summer grilling, but if it’s the dead of winter, you can cook it on the stove.
Cooks quickly: The steak cooks in less than 15 minutes.
Ingredients You’ll Need
There are three sets of ingredients for this healthy Thai-inspired flank steak salad. See the recipe card below for the exact measurements.
Thai Steak Marinade
Low-sodium soy sauce adds umami. Use low-sodium to reduce salt; tamari is a good gluten-free alternative if needed.
Fish sauce for complexity
Lime juice and zest for brightness and acidity to balance the salty and sweet ingredients
Brown sugar or honey for a touch of sweetness
Avocado oil or any other neutral oil helps keep the meat moist.
Aromatics: Minced garlic cloves and freshly grated ginger
Sriracha or chili garlic sauce gives it a little kick.
Thai Peanut Dressing
Powdered peanut butter delivers peanut butter flavor with less fat and fewer calories. I like PBfit and PB2.
Lime juice for acidity
Water thins the dressing and peanut butter powder
Low-sodium soy sauce or tamari
Maple syrup for sweetness. I’ve been loving this sugar-free maple syrup lately if you’re trying to reduce added sugar.
Oil: Use toasted sesame oil for a nutty flavor or avocado oil to keep it neutral.
Sriracha or sambal oelek to make it spicy. Feel free to omit if you prefer it mild.
Grated ginger for warmth
Steak Salad Ingredients
Flank steak is a thin, budget-friendly cut of meat. Marinating it for hours makes it more tender.
Neutral oil, like avocado oil, to grease the grill pan
Roasted peanuts are optional, but they provide a nice crunch.
How to Make Thai Flank Steak Salad
The longer you marinate the steak, the better it will taste. However, don’t go past 8 hours, as lime juice can ruin the texture. See the recipe card at the bottom for printable directions.
Marinate the steak: Mix all marinade ingredients in a large bowl or bag. Then, let the meat sit in the fridge for 2 to 8 hours. Before grilling, bring the steak to room temperature to help it develop a crust.
Make the peanut dressing: Whisk all the ingredients in a small bowl.
Grill the steak: Pat the meat dry with paper towels to remove any excess marinade, which helps it sear better. Heat a large cast-iron skillet, grill pan, or outdoor grill over medium-high heat. Cook for 5 minutes, flip it over, and cook for 6 to 7 minutes until the steak reaches medium-rare. If you prefer your steak more done, continue cooking. Let it rest for 10 minutes before slicing to keep it juicy.
Assemble the salad: Divide the 4 vegetables between 4 bowls, and drizzle with dressing.
Garnish: Place the steak on top of the salads and top with cilantro, mint, and peanuts.
Customize It
Adjust the heat: You can make this salad spicier or milder by adjusting the sriracha in the marinade and the dressing.
Seafood allergy? Try a vegan fish sauce.
No powdered peanut butter? You can use the same amount of regular peanut butter. Just keep in mind that the nutritional info will change.
Peanut allergy: Replace peanut butter with almond or sunflower seed butter, and leave out the chopped peanuts.
Reduce added sugar: Use brown monk fruit or this sugar-free maple syrup in the marinade and dressing.
Protein options: Sub hanger or skirt steak for flank. If you don’t eat red meat, use chicken thighs or shrimp. For shrimp, only marinate them for 20 minutes.
Want to keep it vegetarian? Swap the steak for tofu, or omit both the steak and marinade and add extra vegetables. You could also add soba, vermicelli, or rice noodles to make it more filling.
Salad greens: Replace mixed greens with romaine or little gem. Chopped cabbage would also be good if you want a heartier base that will hold up better for meal prep.
Vegetables: Add or substitute the cucumber or carrots for avocado, edamame, bell peppers, or snap peas.
No shallots? Use red onions.
Herbs: If you don’t like one of the herbs, use just one or try Thai basil.
Storage
Refrigerate the dressing, steak, mixed greens/herbs, and vegetables in separate containers. The meat will last for 3 days, and the dressing for about a week.
How to serve the leftovers: You can eat the meat cold, reheat it in the microwave or on the stove, or let it sit at room temperature for 15 minutes. Assemble the salad, add the steak, and drizzle with dressing and peanuts.
Freeze the cooked steak and peanut dressing for up to 3 months. You can store the dressing in one airtight container, or flash-freeze it in an ice cube tray before transferring it to a freezer-safe bag or container. The ice cube tray is perfect for individual portions. After thawing in the fridge, assemble the salad.
More Summer Salad Recipes You’ll Love
For more dinner ideas, check out these five healthy summer salad recipes that are satisfying enough to be a complete meal!
Prep: 20 minutesmins
Cook: 12 minutesmins
marinade time: 2 hourshrs
Total: 2 hourshrs32 minutesmins
Yield: 4servings
Serving Size: 1½ cups
Combine the marinade ingredients and add the steak. Marinate in the refrigerator 2 to 8 hours. Let it sit room temperature one hour before cooking.
To make the dressing, add all of the ingredients to a small mixing bowl and whisk until smooth. Set aside.
When the steak is ready to cook, remove from marinade and pat the meat dry with paper towels, discard the marinade. Heat a large cast iron pan or grill pan, or grill over medium high heat. Once the pan is hot, add the oil. Place the steak in the pan and cook, undisturbed, for 5 minutes, until a nice crust has formed, flip the steak and cook for another 6 -7 minutes for medium-rare (130-135° F) or longer to your desired doneness. Remove the steak from the pan and let rest for 10 minutes before slicing.
To assemble the salad, add the lettuce, carrot, cucumber, and shallot in 4 shallow bowls. Drizzle with the dressing.
Thinly slice the steak against the grain and arrange it on top of the salad. Top with the cilantro and mint leaves and peanuts (if using) before serving.
Last Step:
Please leave a rating and comment letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business to thrive and continue providing free, high-quality recipes for you.
For the nutrition calculation, I only count about 10% of the marinade since most of it is discarded after marinating and not consumed.
Girl dinner started as a joke, but the idea behind it is totally valid: sometimes the best dinner is just a bunch of small foods you’re actually excited to eat (and not plated perfectly like it’s designed for Instagram).
Steal my girl dinner routine!
I think “girl dinner” resonated with me because it validated something I already did.
When Ben’s not home, I’m definitely more likely to eat chips and a few slices of the big block of Sartori BellaVitano stashed in the fridge for dinner than to make a proper meal. (Truly, that cheese is one of my favorite finds in the hallowed aisles of Costco.)
But, you already know how to do that kind of girl dinner. Open package; eat.
So today, I’m going to share my favorite girl dinners for when I want something that feels a little more meal-like, but that’s still low-effort and easy to portion for one.
To me, the best girl dinners balance comfort and ease. They’ve also got:
Something crunchy
Something creamy
Some protein or fiber
A mix of textures and flavors
That’s why toast dinners work so well. Or snack plates. Or quick air fryer meals. They’re low-effort but still satisfying enough to feel like an actual meal.
Cottage Cheese Toast
Creamy cottage cheese with crunchy toasted bread and toppings is effortless to make, but still surprisingly satisfying. (Hat-tip to the cottage cheese for that!)
Check out this recipe
Air Fryer Tofu
You’ll see a theme with this collection of recipes: the air fryer does a lot of heavy lifting for my solo meals. It’s faster and when I’m cooking for one, it means I don’t have to make multiple batches. This tofu is a great way to add protein to salads, but I also love dipping it in peanut sauce.
Check out this recipe
Cottage Cheese Pizza
Because personal pizzas are fun at any age! This recipe has become a staple for protein-packed lunches and low-effort dinners.
Check out this recipe
Air Fryer French Fries
Crispy homemade fries with dipping sauce and a glass of good wine are the foundation for many of my girl dinners.
Check out this recipe
Tartines
Tartines are a French classic, but in this post, I share some very non-traditional ways to gussy them up for a light dinner.
Check out this recipe
Air Fryer Grilled Cheese
Everything about this grilled cheese is just perfection. Sometimes if I’m feeling fancy, I’ll add caramelized onions, jam, or marmalade for a little sweet-and-savory contrast.
Check out this recipe
Kale Caesar Salad
Girl dinner doesn’t always mean toast and cheese. Sometimes it’s a giant salad with enough crunch, dressing, and toppings.
Check out this recipe
More Recipe Collections
Round Up
10 Dinners You Can Make for $10 or Less
Round Up
Why Bowls Took Over Weeknight Cooking
Round Up
Why Everyone Is Suddenly Talking About Fiber Again
Lola has never had a formal blog introduction, but she’s now 6 months old and I’m sharing some of the mischief she’s gotten into instead. It’s much more fitting this way.
We knew that we eventually wanted to get another dog. When Maisey started to act more grandma than puppy – sleeping on the couch and just seemed bored during the day – we figured it would be sooner rather than later. The Pilot and I had discussed it and knew we wanted to make it happen.
He wrapped up the pieces to this puzzle for Christmas:
The girls and I each had a piece and when we put it together, the girls squealed, and I shed a couple of tears because I was excited and it was so cute to see them so happy.
He figured we’d pick out a puppy and it would be a while until she was actually home with us, but the girls and I had Lola picked out the next day and he was flying out to Salt Lake City within a week to pick her up. (We act quickly around here haha.)
She is a tornado of joy and energy, and has been the sweetest best friend and sister to Maisey. They already love each other and chase each other around, play tug, wrestle, and nap together. I’m SO so glad we did it.
At the same time, I didn’t realize that goldens are a very unique breed. (Lola is a mini goldendoodle but I think they may have lied about the mini part because she’s already huge and not done growing haha.) They like to eat everything, get into everything, and pretend that they can’t hear you when you try to correct them. I’m not super worried about it because we have an amazing dog trainer and I know goldens are amazing dogs. (We have close friends who had a golden retriever and he was such a great boy.) As a puppy, it’s been a lot!
I realized that unlike our other dogs, Lola hasn’t had a proper internet introduction. This is mostly because I spend most of the time chasing her around and prying things out of her mouth. Instead of a formal introduction, let me tell you about all of the things that she has destroyed or consumed, just in the last month.
things that Lola has done (eaten)
The entire spongy inside of a pink highlighter marker. I was petting her and realized her beard was reddish. I was like, “What did you eat?” and she yawned to show off her neon pink tongue. I found the sad empty highlighter shell in her dog bed, but everything else was gone. She’s totally fine.
P’s homework. Not once, but twice. I took a picture so we could prove it to her teacher when we asked for another copy.
The entire bottom section of all four of our breakfast nook chairs. You know the foam underneath that gives the chair squish and support? It’s gone. Come sit with us for breakfast and your booty can sink down in your chair as you eat, too.
Multiple rolls of paper towels.
An entire Eegee’s sub sandwich. P set it on the table in between bites, Lola jumped up and CHOMP. The entire thing, down her throat.
A hibiscus bush, which continues to grow despite her chomping on it every day.
A baby bird in the backyard. Tom had to pry it out of her mouth and unfortunately the sweet little bird didn’t make it.
Fruit salad. Multiple times throughout the day, I have to ask Siri if it’s safe for a dog to eat certain fruit, because she’ll steal it off the counter. She likes pears, mango, and melon. She likes everything really.
Attempted to eat: our guinea pig. We have baby gates downstairs and one was open. She ran upstairs to where the guinea pig lives and our amazing house cleaner stopped her. Now we have to get an additional baby gate for the game room, where the guinea pig lives.
So tell me, friends: any tricks for golden doodles? She gets walked every day and still has a ton of energy, but I’m hoping we can start swimming with her soon.
I was thinking about getting her some treat puzzles if you can recommend any! And also waiting until I replace all of the breakfast nook chairs.
xo
Gina
Success! Check your email for a free 30-day meal and fitness cheat sheet
This filetto di pomodoro recipe comes from my friend Julia’s recipe box.
Julia is an amazing Italian cook. I always say, she could make leather taste good! She always has a jar of this homemade filetto di pomodoro sauce on hand; she makes it from scratch in the summer when tomatoes are at their peak and cans them to use throughout the year.
When fresh home-grown tomatoes aren’t an option, she uses imported canned tomatoes from Italy, which is what I’ve included in the recipe below. But, of course, when you can get fresh tomatoes, use those instead!
