Name: Thai Salad with Ginger Ground Beef and Peanut Dressing
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 30 min
Cuisine: Asian
Ingredients: 1 lb. lean ground beef (such as 90% lean); 1 tsp sesame oil; 2 cloves garlic, minced; 2 green onions, chopped; 1 tsp fresh ginger, grated (or ½ tsp ground ginger); 2 tbsp low sodium soy sauce; 1 tsp honey; ½ tsp red pepper flakes (or more to taste); 3 cups chopped Napa cabbage; 3 cups chopped baby spinach; 3 cups chopped butter lettuce; 2 green onions, chopped; ½ red bell pepper, cut into matchsticks; 1 large carrot, cut into matchsticks; ½ cucumber, thinly sliced; ½ cup frozen shelled edamame, thawed; 1 cup fresh herbs, roughly chopped (I use mint, cilantro, and basil); ¼ cup chopped peanuts; ¼ cup Thai peanut sauce, to taste

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This crisp, crunchy Thai chopped salad with ginger ground beef and Thai peanut dressing is a delicious, healthy ground beef dinner that's heavy on vegetables and flavor! (dairy-free, gluten-free option)

thai ginger ground beef salad on a grey plate with a jar of peanut sauce in the background.

Sometimes ground beef gets a bad rap because it's often used in heavy dishes that aren't exactly health food. But it's doesn't have to be used in heavy comfort-foods, or reserved only for burgers and tacos. In this delicious Thai-inspired salad, ground beef plays a role in a healthy meal with a crunchy salad that's full of healthy vegetables and fresh Asian flavors.

Why You'll Love This Thai Ground Beef Salad

This loaded, Thai-inspired salad is perfect for lighter dinners, especially during the summer months, because it’s so fresh and full of veggies. It’s topped with ginger ground beef that takes 10 minutes to make, and a Thai peanut sauce that you'll want to bathe in. This salad is great for using up whatever veggies you have, and leftovers are delicious the next day for lunch.

How To Make Chopped Thai Salad With Ginger Ground Beef

three image collage showing how to make peanut dressing, three lettuces in a bowl and thai peanut salad in a bowl.

Make the peanut sauce. It can be made ahead and stored int he fridge for up to a week.
Chop all of the veggies for the salad and place them in a large bowl, along with the edamame, herbs, and peanuts.
Heat the oil in a skillet and add the beef, stirring to break up the meat.
Add the other ingredients for the beef and cook until the beef is crispy and cooked though (it's done when it reaches 160°F.)
Toss the salad, divide among 4 plates, top with cooked ginger beef and dress to taste with the peanut dressing.

overhead view of thai ginger ground beef salad with a bowl of chopped peanuts and two gold and black forks beside it.

Can This Salad Be Made In Advance?

Yes! It holds up well in the refrigerator without the dressing and beef for 4-5 days. Store the chopped salad, ground beef, and peanut dressing in separate airtight containers. Reheat the beef in a skillet on the stove, then dress the salad and serve. The dressing will last in the fridge for a week or so.

Recipe Variations

For gluten-free, use tamari or coconut aminos in place of soy sauce.
Use any cabbage (such as purple) or greens (like butter romaine) that you like.
You can throw in any fresh veggies that need to be used, such as celery, red onion, or tomatoes.
I love fresh mint, cilantro, and basil in this salad, but if you don’t have one (or more) of them, leave them out!
I use my homemade Thai peanut sauce for the dressing in this recipe, but you can use store-bought peanut sauce or any soy sauce-based dressing.
You can also use ground turkey, chicken or pork in place of beef.
For babies under 1, omit honey.

closeup of thai ginger ground beef salad on a grey plate.

More Healthy, Delicious Dinners Using Ground Beef

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Thai Salad with Ginger Ground Beef and Peanut Dressing

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★★★★★

5 from 1 reviews

Author: Kaleigh
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Yield: 4-6 servings 1x
Category: salad
Method: stovetop
Cuisine: Asian

Ingredients

Scale

For the Ginger Ground Beef:

1 lb. lean ground beef (such as 90% lean)
1 tsp sesame oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 green onions, chopped
1 tsp fresh ginger, grated (or ½ tsp ground ginger)
2 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
1 tsp honey
½ tsp red pepper flakes (or more to taste)

For the Salad:

3 cups chopped Napa cabbage
3 cups chopped baby spinach
3 cups chopped butter lettuce
2 green onions, chopped
½ red bell pepper, cut into matchsticks
1 large carrot, cut into matchsticks
½ cucumber, thinly sliced
½ cup frozen shelled edamame, thawed
1 cup fresh herbs, roughly chopped (I use mint, cilantro, and basil)
¼ cup chopped peanuts
¼ cup Thai peanut sauce, to taste

Instructions

Chop all of the veggies for the salad and place them in a large bowl, along with the edamame, herbs, and peanuts.
Make the peanut sauce.
Chop garlic and onion for the beef.
Heat a skillet over medium heat and add the oil and ground beef, stirring to break up the meat.
Add remaining ingredients for the beef and continue cooking until the beef is cooked through and crispy. Ground beef is done when it reaches an internal temperature of 160°F.
Divide among 4 plates. Top with cooked ginger beef and dress to taste with peanut dressing.

Notes

Store undressed salad separately from ground beef in an airtight containers for 4-5 days. Reheat the beef in a skillet on the stove for the best tasting leftovers.

Ingredient Substitutions

For gluten-free, use tamari or coconut aminos in place of soy sauce.
Use any cabbage (such as purple) or greens (like butter romaine) that you like.
You can throw in any fresh veggies that need to be used, such as celery, red onion, or tomatoes.
I love fresh mint, cilantro, and basil in this salad, but if you don’t have one (or more) of them, leave them out!
I use my homemade Thai peanut sauce for the dressing in this recipe, but you can use store-bought peanut sauce or any soy sauce-based dressing.
You can also use ground turkey, chicken or pork in place of beef.
For babies under 1, omit honey.