• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Delightful Plate
  • Vietnamese Recipes
  • Recipe Index
    • Recipe Index
    • Recipe Filter
  • Cookbook
  • Pantry
  • About
  • Contact
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Vietnamese Recipes
  • Recipe Index
  • Recipe Filter
  • Cookbook
  • Pantry
  • About
  • Contact
    • YouTube
    • Facebook
    • Pinterest
    • Instagram
    • RSS
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Vietnamese Recipes
    • Recipe Index
    • Recipe Filter
    • Cookbook
    • Pantry
    • About
    • Contact
    • YouTube
    • Facebook
    • Pinterest
    • Instagram
    • RSS
  • ×

    Home » All Recipes » Salad and Vegetables » Vietnamese Rare Beef in Lime Juice Salad (Bo tai chanh)

    Vietnamese Rare Beef in Lime Juice Salad (Bo tai chanh)

    Published: May 25, 2017 Updated: Jul 13, 2020 by Sophie 1 Comment

    406 shares
    • 13
    Jump to Recipe

    Vietnamese Rare beef in lime juice salad

    Vietnamese Rare Beef in lime juice salad (bo tai chanh) is a very typical salad of Vietnam. It consists of beef cured in lime juice, crunchy veggies, refreshing herbs and roasted peanuts.

    Salad in Vietnamese cuisine is called “nộm” and it often includes:

    • Fresh vegetables: green lettuce and/or crunchy veggies such as cucumber, kohlrabi, onion, cabbage and green papaya.
    • Protein: chicken, beef, pork, small shrimp.
    • Sour and lightly sweet Vietnamese dressing: the dressing often consists of vinegar or lime juice, fish sauce, sugar, salt, and pepper. The ratio of these elements may differ according to one’s taste, but other than that there is almost no variation when it comes to salad dressing in Vietnam. I used to be fascinated that other cuisines have so many different types of dressing and vinaigrette.
    • Fresh and vibrant green herbs: cilantro, mint, basil.
    • Optional toppings: crunchy toasted peanuts, crispy fried shallots, toasted sesame seeds.

    As you can see, Vietnamese salads are like a symphony of different colors, different textures, and contrasting flavors. They are fun to eat, and every bite is full of surprise.

    How to make Vietnamese rare beef salad (Bo tai chanh)

    Vietnamese Rare Beef in lime juice salad (bo tai chanh) consists of beef cured in lime juice, crunchy veggies, refreshing herbs and roasted peanuts.

    The name of this salad describes how it is prepared. The beef is not cooked by heat, instead, it is sliced thinly, soaked in lime juice and chilled in the refrigerator. After 30 minutes to an hour (the amount of time depends on how rare you want the beef to be), it will be “cooked” by the lime juice acid. Yes, it is safe to eat and I hope you don’t get scared off by the cooking method of this recipe.

    However, I strongly recommend getting your beef from a good source. I always buy beef from my local farms, and I would not feel comfortable making this recipe with industrial beef. If you still feel uncomfortable, you can stir-fry the beef quickly in a pan after soaking it in lime juice.

    For bo tai chanh, it’s best to use lean cuts of beef and slice it thinly across the grain. You can leave the meat in the lime juice for longer than an hour but don’t leave it in there for too long because the acid in lime juice can make it mushy.

    I like to make this salad in the summer because it’s very refreshing thanks to the lime juice and the aromatic herbs also enhance that freshness. The lime juice also removes any strong and gamy flavors from the beef. Besides, the salad can be enjoyed cold which is perfect for hot summer days.

    In Vietnam, people sometimes use veal in the same manner and the salad with veal is called be tai chanh (veal means “bê” in Vietnamese). If you have high quality veal meat on hand, you can try this recipe with it. Then top the salad with a lot of toasted sesame seeds instead of roasted peanuts.

    More Vietnamese salad recipes you may be interested in:

    • Vietnamese Potato Salad
    • Chicken Cabbage Mango Salad
    • Vietnamese Beef Noodle Salad (Bun Bo Xao)
    • Vietnamese Beansprouts & Lemongrass Pork Noodle Salad

    Vietnamese rare beef in lime juice salad

    Vietnamese rare beef in lime juice salad (Bo tai chanh) is refreshing with a lot of fresh herbs and lime juice.
    4.5 from 2 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Appetizers and Side dishes, Salad
    Cuisine: Vietnamese
    Keyword: bo tai chanh, Vietnamese rare beef salad
    Prep Time: 10 minutes
    Cook Time: 5 minutes
    Total Time: 55 minutes
    Servings: 2 people
    Calories: 292kcal
    Author: Sophie

    Ingredients

    US Customary - Grams

    For the beef

    • 6.5 oz beef
    • 3 tablespoon lime juice
    • 1/2 tablespoon garlic (finely chopped)
    • 1/8 teaspoon sugar
    • 1/8 teaspoon salt
    • pepper

    For the onion

    • 1 small onion
    • 1/8 teaspoon sugar
    • 2 tablespoon rice vinegar

    For the carrot

    • 1 small carrot
    • 1/8 teaspoon sugar
    • 1 tablespoon rice vinegar

    Other ingredients

    • 1/4 cup cilantro (roughly chopped)
    • 1/4 cup mint (roughly chopped)
    • 1/4 cup Thai basil (roughly chopped)
    • 1 teaspoon fish sauce
    • 1/4 teaspoon sugar
    • crushed toasted peanuts

    Instructions

    • Slice the beef very thinly against the grain. In a bowl, mix it well with lime juice, garlic, sugar, salt and pepper. Cover and put in the refrigerator.
    • Trim off the top and bottom of the onion, cut in half lengthwise and slice thinly. Mix it well with sugar and vinegar. Cover and put in the refrigerator.
    • Peel and julienne the carrot and mix with sugar and vinegar. Cover and put in the refrigerator.
    • Check the beef and give the beef slices a good stir in the bowl every 15 minutes to make sure they are all "cooked" evenly by the lime juice.
    • After 40 - 60 minutes (more or less depending on how rare you like your beef to be), remove the beef, onion and carrot from the refrigerator, drain them and discard any liquid left.
    • Put the beef, onion and carrot in a new clean bowl. Add all the herbs, fish sauce and sugar to the bowl and mix well. Adjust seasoning to taste.
    • Transfer to a serving bowl, sprinkle toasted peanuts and enjoy!

    Notes

    If you don't feel comfortable eating beef not cooked by heat, you can quickly stir fry your beef after soaking it in lime juice in step 5.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 292kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 65mg | Sodium: 470mg | Potassium: 485mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 5627IU | Vitamin C: 16mg | Calcium: 58mg | Iron: 2mg
    Tried this recipe?Comment & Rate below or Tag @delightfulplate on Instagram
    Liked our videos?Subscribe to our Youtube channel and cook along with us

    Related Posts:

    • Vietnamese Lemongrass Pork Noodle Salad (Bun Thit Xao)
      Vietnamese Lemongrass Pork Noodle Salad (Bun Thit Xao)
    • Vietnamese Fried Fish with Green Mango Salad
      Vietnamese Fried Fish with Green Mango Salad
    • Green Mango Salad with Seafood
      Green Mango Salad with Seafood
    • 12 Noodle Bowl Recipes to Make All Year Round
      12 Noodle Bowl Recipes to Make All Year Round
    Disclosure: Delightful Plate is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. As an Amazon associate, we earn from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you. We only recommend products we use and trust.
    Copyright: All content and photos on Delightful Plate are copyright protected. Please do not use them without our written permission. Thank you.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. jack

      May 04, 2021 at 11:49 am

      We had this in Chicago yesterday. Delicious.

      Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    About

    Hi, I'm Sophie! Delightful Plate is where I share authentic Vietnamese recipes that have been cooked in my family for years, as well as other Asian recipes and recipes inspired by ingredients and flavors from other cuisines. Read More…

    Never Miss A Recipe!

    Sign up and receive emails with free recipes once a month.

    BUY OUR EBOOK!

    Buy Now!

    Popular Recipes

    Vietnamese Fresh Spring Rolls (Goi Cuon)

    This Asian Steak Bites and Potatoes recipe features seared beef cubes and potatoes in a garlicky butter and soy-based sauce. It comes together in under 30 minutes and everything is cooked in just one pan. Easy weeknight dinner!

    Asian Steak Bites and Potatoes

    This scallop shrimp pasta with burst cherry tomatoes is perfect for not only quick and simple weeknight meals but also fancy date night dinners. It is so flavorful with sweetness from fresh seafood and umami from burst tomatoes.

    Scallop Shrimp Pasta with Burst Cherry Tomatoes

    This Vietnamese Pulled Pork Banh Mi features crispy bread, tender and flavorful pork, crunchy pickled vegetables and yummy sriracha mayo sauce. With the help of a slow cooker, this banh mi sandwich recipe is super easy to make.

    Slow Cooker Vietnamese Pulled Pork Banh Mi

    This baked shrimp toast features flavorful shrimp mixture on top of crispy bread. It is a quick and easy appetizer for parties, holidays or any occasions.

    Easy Baked Shrimp Toast

    Footer

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • About Us
    • Privacy Policy

    Stay Connected

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates
    • Contact Form

    Other Contents

    • Google Web Stories