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This simple to make Vietnamese Beef Vermicelli Salad, also known as bun bo xao, is a traditional salad that is served with a dressing called Nuoc Mam. And is a very popular dish that is served across most of Vietnam and even Thailand which has slight variations. 

Looking for another way to make this tasty dish. Then be sure to also try my Vietnamese Shrimp Bowls!

BEEF THAI SALAD DRESSING

Is called “Nuoc Mam” sauce which is a sweet, salty, sour and spicy.

What kind of Beef to Make Thai Beef Salad

You want to use a good quality beef such as sirloin steak. You can purchase it pre-cut or slice it yourself to marinade. 

VIETNAMESE MARINADE FOR BEEF

1. Start by slicing your beef into thin strips
2. Place in a bowl and toss in either freshly sliced lemongrass or pureed lemon grass, garlic, fish sauce, lime juice, brown sugar, soy sauce
3. Mix and marinade a minimum of one hour in the fridge. 

NOTE the more sugar the sweeter the beef will be 

How to make Nuoc Mam / Vietnamese Salad Dressing

1. 3 cloves garlic (minced)
2. 1/2 cup cold water
3. 1 lime (juiced)
4. 2 tbsp rice vinegar or white vinegar
5. 1/4 cup fish sauce
6. 3 tbsp sugar
7. 1 red chili (de-seeded and sliced, or substitute 2 teaspoons chili garlic sauce or Sriracha)

This makes enough for roughly 2 people. 

Step-by-Step Instructions for Making Vietnamese Salad Vermicelli 

HOW TO MAKE  VIETNAMESE VERMICELLI SALAD

Bun Bo Xao 

• You will want to make two marinades, one for the beef and one for the sauce that you will serve alongside these bowls.
• Fresh lemongrass is very important here for the beef marinade, it gives it that really intense lemon taste. So be sure to get your hands on a few stocks or a simple pre-made one that you will simply place into the marinade.
• The longer you marinade the beef the better. If your making it for dinner then simply marinate it in the morning or the night prior. Then basically the rest of the dish can be pulled together in less than 30 minutes. Easy peazy!

What makes these rice bowls so good is the fresh ingredients and the authentic Vietnamese Salad Dressing that it is served with.

WHAT IS VIETNAMESE SALAD DRESSING

It is a traditional dressing that is used on almost every type of Vietnamese salad dish and the recipe can be found below. It serves very well over cold salads, that are then topped with a marinated then grilled meat protein of your liking.

Want to try some THAI FOOD? 

Sweet Thai Chili Chicken

 Thai Red Crab Curry

Thai Basil Mussels

Red Thai Chicken Curry

DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?

If you make this recipe, I would love to hear about it! You can leave a 5 star review in the comments below! Thank you very much for reading and until next time see ya in the kitchen. Don’t want to miss a recipe? Sign up for our NEWSLETTER delivered right to your inbox!

Vietnamese Beef Vermicelli Salad

Yield: 2

Cook Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 1 hour

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Ingredients

• BEEF MARINADE
• 300 grams of sliced beef sirloin
• 2 cloves Garlic
• 2 tbsp Fish Sauce
• 2 tbsp Fresh Lime Juice
• 2 tbsp Brown Sugar
• 1 tbsp Low Sodium Soy sauce
• 1 stalks Lemongrass, sliced
• VIETNAMESE SERVING SAUCE / SALAD DRESSING
• 3 cloves garlic (minced)
• 1/2 cup cold water
• 1 lime (juiced)
• 2 tbsp rice vinegar or white vinegar
• 1/4 cup fish sauce
• 3 tbsp sugar
• 1 red chili (de-seeded and sliced, or substitute 2 teaspoons chili pepper flakes or Sriracha)
• RICE BOWLS
• 1, 8-ounce package Rice vermicelli noodles
• 1 cup Cilantro, chopped fine
• 2 carrots, chopped or sliced
• 1/2 head Iceberg lettuce, choped

Instructions

TO MAKE THE VERMICELLI BEEF BOWLS: START BY MARINDING THE SLICED BEEF

1. Add all the BEEF marinade ingredients and BEEF into a bowl and toss to coat. Place in the fridge in a sealable container from anywhere from 1 hour to 24. Note: the longer the beef marinades the better it will taste.

TO MAKE THE SERVING SAUCE:

Add all the serving sauce ingredients to a small bowl stir with a small whisk and set aside.

COOK THE VERMICELLI RICE NOODLES:

1. Next bowl some water in a large pot
2. Once the water is boiled pour it over a heatproof bowl that has the vermicelli noodles in it.
3. Soak according to package instructions, then drain and rinse under cold water till cooled and set aside.

COOK THE MARINATED BEEF

1. In a large frying pan add 1 tbsp of oil and place the marinated beef along with the sauce/lemongrass in and cook over medium heat and cook for about 8 minutes till cooked throughout. Then remove the cooked beef from the pan and allow it to cool down on a cutting board.

JULIEN AND SHRED THE VEGETABLES :

1. Julienne the carrots, cucumber and shred the iceberg lettuce.

MAKING THE VERMICELLI BEEF RICE NOODLE BOWLS:

1. Place the cooled noodles into each bowl and then place the julienned carrots on top along with the cucumber and shredded lettuce. Drizzle 4 tbsp of "serving sauce " overtop of everything. Then place the sliced beef in the middle of the bowl. Serve the bowls with the remaining "serving sauce" on the side, cilantro, basil and lime wedges. Enjoy!

Notes

You can have more of one veggie than another if you prefer.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 2 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 1655Total Fat: 81gSaturated Fat: 21gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 53gCholesterol: 237mgSodium: 8437mgCarbohydrates: 142gFiber: 13gSugar: 57gProtein: 93g

These calculations are based off Nutritionix

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