Crying Tiger is a Thai classic, and this is my version - glazed beef, minty coriander dressing - you’ll love it.
I nicknamed this version of Crying Tiger Beef “Tearful Tiger”, because it’s inspired by Crying Tiger but has a few key differences.
It’s still got that irresistibly sticky glazed steak, and we dress it with an ultra juicy and fresh dressing packed with mint and coriander, lime juice, brown sugar, sesame and tangy fish sauce. I like to pour the dressing all over the beef, and then top with a few mint and coriander leaves for good measure.
To make it a more complete meal, I’ve added green beans and rice.
This is a really easy dinner, ready in just 7 steps, and guaranteed to have everyone coming back for more.
Ooh, and if you enjoy sticky Asian inspired dinners, don't forget to try my Mongolian Lamb recipe.
Crying Tiger Beef Ingredients
- Marinade - Brown sugar, oyster sauce, soy sauce, Fish sauce, Sesame oil and Sirloin steak.
- Dressing - Coriander, Mint, Brown sugar, Lime, Sesame oil, Rice flour (sub cornflour), Fish sauce, Chilli flakes (opt.).
- Serve with green beans and rice
See recipe card for quantities.
How to make Crying Tiger
1. Place the brown sugar, oyster sauce, soy sauce, fish sauce and sesame oil in a bowl and mix, then add the steaks and set aside at room temperature.
- 2 teaspoon brown sugar
- 2 tablespoon oyster sauce
- 2 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon fish sauce
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 500g sirloin steak
2. Top and tail green beans, and slice lengthwise through the middle if you like. Roughly chop coriander. Pick mint leaves. Juice limes.
- 300g green beans
- ⅓ bunch coriander
- ½ bunch mint
- 2 limes
3. To make dressing, place most of the mint and coriander in a blender or food processor (reserving some leaves for garnish), and add rice flour, brown sugar, sesame oil, fish sauce, and lime juice. Hold chilli flakes, salt and pepper to the end. Blitz until smooth. Set aside.
- ½ bunch mint
- ⅓ bunch coriander
- 1 tablespoon rice flour (sub cornflour)
- 1 teaspoon brown sugar
- 2 tablespoon sesame oil
- 2 teaspoon fish sauce
- Juice of 2 limes
4. Place a small saucepan of water on the stove to boil.
5. Place a frying pan on high and add a small amount of oil. Sear the steaks for 2-3 minutes each side (depending on thickness), then set aside to rest.
TIP: Remove excess marinade on the steaks or it will burn.
- 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
6. When water is boiling, add green beans and cook for just a minute, or until they turn bright green. Drain. Meanwhile, heat the rice in the microwave.
- 300g green beans
- 450g microwave rice
7. To serve, slice steak into strips.
For children, serve rice, green beans and strips of steak.
To serve adults, season beef with chilli flakes (opt.), salt and pepper, and then serve on a bed of rice with green beans, coriander and mint dressing, and scatter reserved mint and coriander leaves.
- 1 teaspoon chilli flakes (opt.)
- Salt and pepper
- Reserved mint and coriander
Substitutions
- Alternative proteins - Swap Beef for Pork Loin steaks or Lamb Leg Steaks.
- Vegetarian - Swap fish sauce for Vegan Fish sauce and swap oyster sauce for Vegetarian oyster sauce. Swap Beef for portobello mushrooms.
- Gluten Free - Swap Soy sauce for Tamari.
- Dairy Free - This recipe is dairy free.
Kid-Friendly Variations
- Skip Chilli Flakes.
- Skip the dressing (or put on the side).
- Serve fingers of steak with rice and beans.
Equipment
You will need a blender or food processor, a saucepan, a stovetop, a frying pan, a microwave.
Top tip
When you are putting the steaks in a hot pan remove excess sauce, otherwise the sauce will burn. You’ll have enough lovely flavour coming through.
Recipe
Crying Tiger (my version)
Equipment
- Blender or food processor
- Saucepan
- Stovetop
- Frying pan
- Microwave
Ingredients
- Brown sugar 1 tbsp
- 2 tablespoon oyster sauce
- 2 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon Fish sauce 1 tbsp
- 1 teaspoon Sesame oil 2.5 tbsp
- 500 g sirloin steak
- 300 g green beans
- ⅓ bunch coriander
- ½ bunch mint
- 2 lime
- 1 tablespoon rice flour sub cornflour
- 1 teaspoon chilli flakes opt.
- 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
- 450 g microwave rice
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
- Place 2 teaspoons brown sugar, oyster sauce, soy sauce, 1 teaspoon fish sauce and 1 teaspoon sesame oil in a bowl and mix, then add the steaks and set aside at room temperature.Brown sugar, 2 tablespoon oyster sauce, 2 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 teaspoon Fish sauce, 500 g sirloin steak, 1 teaspoon Sesame oil
- Top and tail green beans. Roughly chop coriander. Pick mint leaves. Juice limes.300 g green beans, ⅓ bunch coriander, ½ bunch mint, 2 lime
- To make dressing, place most of the mint and coriander in a blender or food processor (reserving some leaves for garnish), and add rice flour, 1 teaspoon brown sugar, 2 tablespoons sesame oil, 2 teaspoons fish sauce, and lime juice. Hold chilli flakes, salt and pepper to the end. Blitz until smooth. Set aside.Brown sugar, 1 teaspoon Fish sauce, 1 teaspoon Sesame oil, ⅓ bunch coriander, ½ bunch mint, 1 tablespoon rice flour, 2 lime
- Place a small saucepan of water on the stove to boil.
- Place a frying pan on high and add a small amount of oil. Sear the steaks for 2-3 minutes each side (depending on thickness), then set aside to rest.TIP: Remove excess marinade on the steaks or it will burn.1 teaspoon vegetable oil
- When water is boiling, add green beans and cook for just a minute, or until they turn bright green. Drain. Meanwhile, heat the rice in the microwave.300 g green beans, 450 g microwave rice
- To serve, slice steak into strips.For children, serve rice, green beans and strips of steak.To serve adults, season beef with chilli flakes (opt.), salt and pepper, and then serve on a bed of rice with green beans, coriander and mint dressing, and scatter reserved mint and coriander leaves.1 teaspoon chilli flakes, Salt and pepper
Nour
OMG this was delicious! The sauce is sooooo good.
Anna Bay
Oh so glad!