This Japanese-YAKINIKU-syle BBQ steak salad is loaded with thinly-sliced beef steak (made on the grill or stovetop), glass noodles, cucumbers, carrots, and your choice of leafy greens.
Topped with my homemade Yakiniku sauce and Asian sweet chili sauce to add extra Asian flavors.
The beef steak is super tender by marinating with also Yakiniku sauce! This meal salad recipe is definitely flavorful and filling.
How To Make A Good YAKINIKU Steak Salad
The Marinade Sauce
The best result of homemade Japanese BBQ sauce (Yakiniku sauce) is much better to make the day before.
The flavors in the sauce will combine well and the taste will be rounded sweet and flavorful.
Marinade the beef steak with this BBQ sauce overnight.
The Salad Dressing
You can use homemade Yakiniku sauce for dressing this salad bowl, but also, you can drizzle Sweet Chili Sauce for the extra Asian flavor.
If you prefer no additives product, this is my best sweet chili sauce ever.
Corn Syrup Cane Sugar-Free, MSG, Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Vegan.
Asian Peanut Butter Dressing
This homemade peanut butter dressing is for you when you want to try a different flavor or more than soy sauce.
It’s reminiscent of Asian restaurant salads, and guarantee that you’ll love it.
It’s super-easy to make, and just adding peanut butter to this Asian sesame dressing.
The Steak For Japanese-YAKINIKU-Style
You can use your choice of beef steaks such as
sirloin, flank steak, skirt steak, or even chuck steak.
Sliced thinly against the grain, with a perfect medium-rare sear-It’s Japanese YAKINKU style.
For the upgrade version, slice up filet mignon, rib eye, or Kalbi beef short ribs.
(by the way, pork, chicken, and shrimp are worth trying for another day!)
Here’s the suggestion to get fillet mignon for BBQ salad.
We purchase a Whole Tenderloin (Filet) at Costco, then, trim and slice it up into pieces for steak dinner at home.
We collect small cuts or the top and end and slice them up to make Japanese BBQ beef steak.
Just throw them and homemade Yakiniku sauce in a freezer bag and store them in the freezer.
What’s Kalbi

Kalbi or galbi or flanken generally refers to thin-sliced bone-in short ribs. Unlike American and European-style short ribs, Korean-style short ribs are cut across the rib bones and can be cooked quickly.
Korean short ribs are also called Kalbi in Japan, which are ranked in the top popular menu in BBQ restaurants.
How To Slice The Steak
Slice the beefsteak against the grain.
It’s an important tip to make the tough meat tender and also it can help to marinate meat quickly.
Find the direction of the grain (parallel muscle fibers) and then slice beef against the grain.
If possible, cut diagonally to increase surface area since it can help the sauce season the meat efficiently.
Moreover, pound skirt steak, flank steak, and sliced chuck roast beef with a meat mallet before slicing.
How To Cook Thin-Sliced Beef For Yakiniku Salad
After marinating the beef, add corn/potato starch or rice flour (gluten-free) to it.
This process helps to keep the juice inside the beef, thicken the sauce, and add texture.
Drain the sauce if needed before adding the starch.
Can you skip coating the beef with the sauce and starch mix?
Personally, I highly recommend doing this process to make a flavorful crust on the beef.
Also, I use a non-stick frying pan to cook sticky beef steak. It is an easy way to cook and clean, besides, it’s easy to flip over the sliced beef.
Of course, you can use a cast-iron skillet like my hubby. In this way, you can make each beef crispier.
The Salad Base
You want to experience all the crispy, crunchy, healthy vegetables (instead of going on rice) in this meal salad.
Loads of crisp and crunch vegetables such as cucumber, carrot, radish, broccoli, juicy cherry tomatoes, and creamy avocado, don’t forget chopped green onions!
Use spring mix or chopped your choice of lettuce greens.
Even adding coleslaw on the top will be a great combination with juicy greasy beef steak.
Add glass noodles to make it more filling.
Do You Know?
Do you know how to keep leafy greens fresh longer at home?
Already know it?
Read this post to check out my tips and hacks!
How To Cook Glass Noodles
Glass noodles are often used in Asian cooking and as the name suggests, the noodles are clear and translucent.
They are known by many names – cellophane noodles, Fensi, Chinese vermicelli, and Bean Thread Noodles.
Adding glass noodles is optional, however, we like them in the salad.
Unique texture, absorbing the sauce and dressing, and it goes well with soy-sauce based marinated beef. Moreover, it makes your stomach filled.
Cook following the package direction.
If you are interested in my way, here it is.
- Put glass noodles in a bowl, and pour boiled water.
- Allow it for 3 – 4 minutes until the noodles become clear and soften.
- Drain the water, rinse the noodles with running cold water with few times
- Drain the water, and cut into short if desired.
Japanese BBQ Beef Steak Salad Bowl With Homemade YAKINIKU Sauce
Equipment
- 1 non-stick frying pan
Ingredients
For the beef
- 1 pound Thinly sliced your choice of Beefsteak *see in the post
- ¼ cup My Japanese BBQ Sauce *See the recipe in the box
- 3 tbsp Potato starch or corn starch *addn more tablespoos if needed
- 1 tbsp Toasted Sesame oil to cook the beef
For the salad
- Your choice of vegetables *see in the post
- 7 oz dried glass noodles (bean/rice thread noodles)
- Boiled water for glass noodles
Vegetable Suggestions
- ¼ cup sliced cucumber
- ¼ cup Julianned carrot
- ¼ cup chopped green onion
- 2 cups spring mix
- ½ chopped Romaine lettuce
For the garnish/topping
- ¼ cup Chopped Cilantro
- Toasted sesame seeds
For the Dressing
- My BBQ sauce/ Peanut butter dressing *see in the post/ note
- Sweet Chili sauce
- Sriracha sauce *optional
Instructions
Make Homemade Yakiniku Sauce
- Make my BBQ sauce the day before. (Recipe)
Marinade the beef
- Marinate thinly sliced beef with Japanese Yakiniku sauce overnight. *You can marinate for a minimum of 30 minutes, however, the beef will be tender when marinating overnight.
Cook Glass noodles
- In a bowl, add dried glass noodles and boiled water. Let it sit for 4-5 minutes. Drain the noodles and rinse them well changing cold water. Drain the noodles well, and cut the noodles to your preferred length.
Cook the beef
- Add enough potato/corn starch to marinated beef (with sauce) and coat them evenly. *Drain the excess sauce if needed.
- In a non-stick frying pan or wok, heat sesame oil over medium-high heat, and add in coated marinated steak.
- Cook steak for about 5 minutes or more, or until nicely browned.
Assemble the Salad
- Make a salad base, and place glass noodles on the top.
- Drizzle your choice of dressing and sweet chili sauce.
- Top with the BBQ beef and sprinkle chopped cilantro and toasted sesame seeds.