Quick & Easy Crying Tiger Beef

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Juicy strips of steak served with a sweet, tangy, spicy Thai dipping sauce. This quick and easy crying tiger beef recipe is ready in 30 minutes with a pan (no grill required). It's a flavorful main dish perfect that's family-friendly and better-than-takeout!

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What is Crying Tiger Beef?
Ingredients & Substitutes
Variations
Expert Tips
Instructions
Storage & Reheating
Pairing Suggestions
FAQ
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What is Crying Tiger Beef?

Crying Tiger Beef (aka 'Crying Tiger Steak' or 'Suea Rong Hai' in Thai) features tender rib eye or sirloin steak marinated in oyster sauce, soy sauce, garlic, palm sugar, and lime juice.

Crying tiger steak is a popular Thai dish served at Thai restaurants. It comes from the Northeastern part of Thailand and a beloved dish for its complex and umami flavors!

It's best paired with Nam Jim Jaew, a sweet, tangy and spicy dipping sauce made of tamarind paste, rice flour, palm sugar, aromatics, fish sauce, lime juice, and Thai red pepper flakes.

One story behind the name of the dish is when the grilled beef cooks, the dripping fat looks like tears. To be clear, there is NO tiger meat in this recipe!

I love enjoying this dish with steamed rice, fresh cucumbers, tomatoes, and lettuce for a refreshing balance!

Ingredients & Substitutes

Please scroll down to below recipe card for exact measurements.

Rib-Eye Steaks or Sirloin Steaks: about 1-inch thick. Or substitute with flat iron steak, strip steak, sirloin cap, flank steak, or chuck eye steaks. This is the main ingredient, so make sure it's fresh and vibrant red.
Neutral Oil: like avocado oil, sunflower oil, grapeseed oil, peanut oil, vegetable oil, or canola oil. Avoid olive oil or any low-smoke point oil.

Marinade

Oyster sauce: or substitute with vegetarian stir fry sauce.
Palm Sugar: or substitute with brown sugar or coconut sugar.
Freshly-Squeezed Lime Juice: don't replace with lemon juice as it's too tart. Avoid using artificial lime juice.
Regular Soy Sauce: or substitute with low sodium soy sauce, light soy sauce, tamari sauce, or coconut aminos.
Garlic
Neutral Oil: see examples above.

Dipping Sauce

Tamarind Pulp: to make homemade tamarind paste. Or substitute this and the boiling water with a good quality tamarind concentrate.
Hot Boiling Water: to dissolve the tamarind pulp to create tamarind sauce.
Uncooked Glutinous Rice (aka Sticky Rice): or substitute with jasmine white rice to make the roasted rice powder.
Palm Sugar: or substitute with brown sugar or coconut sugar.
Shallots: or substitute with onion.
Cilantro: or substitute with Coriander.
Fish Sauce: a South-East Asian sauce made of fish oils and salt with a deep umami flavor. Or substitute with regular soy sauce to taste.
Freshly Squeezed Lime Juice: don't substitute with lemon juice.
Thai Chili Flakes: or substitute with Korean red pepper flakes (gochugaru).

Note: Most Asian grocers will carry these ingredients. You may find some at your select grocery store or online, like on Amazon.

Variations

Chicken version - Replace the beef with chicken thighs and cook to an internal temperature of 165 F.
Pork version - Replace the beef with pork chops or sliced pork shoulder and cook to an internal temperature of 145 F.
Gluten-free version - Use gluten-free oyster sauce instead and substitute the soy sauce with tamari sauce or coconut aminos.

Expert Tips

Use fresh beef steaks that are vibrant in red with some fat marbling for best taste. The fat gives the dish more flavor!
Use pure tamarind pulp instead of tamarind concentrate as the latter can be hit or miss, if it's not good quality.
Bring the steaks to room temperature before cooking.
Marinate the steaks for at least 15 minutes for more flavor.
Monitor the rice as you toast it and don't burn it!
Determine how rare you'd like the steaks to be before cooking, so you don't overcook them.
Rest the cooked steaks for 10 minutes before slicing, so the meat juices can redistribute.
Slice steak against the grain at an angle for a tender texture.

Instructions

Below are step-by-step instructions on how to make crying tiger beef:

Combine marinade ingredients and marinate the steaks for 15 minutes.

Marinate steaks: In a large bowl, combine the marinade ingredients as listed above. Evenly coat the steaks in the marinade and marinate for at least 15 minutes at room temperature.

In a small bowl, add tamarind pulp and hot boiling water. Dissolve the pulp with a fork. Once it's cool, use clean hands to dissolve the pulp around the seeds. Run the paste through a fine sieve to remove any pulp or seeds. This is tamarind paste. Set aside.

Make tamarind paste: In a small bowl, add tamarind pulp and hot boiling water. Dissolve the pulp with a fork. Once cooled, dissolve the pulp around the seeds with clean hands. Run the paste through a fine sieve to remove any pulp or seeds. Set aside.

Toast the rice in a pan on medium heat and transfer to a mortar and pestle to grind into a powder.

Make toasted rice powder: Heat a pan on medium heat and toast rice grains until slightly brown or for 3-4 minutes. Transfer toasted rice to a mortar and pestle, spice grinder or a blender and grind into a powder.

Combine the tamarind paste, rice powder and remaining dipping sauce ingredients as listed above and set aside.

Make dipping sauce: In a small bowl, combine the tamarind paste, rice powder and remaining dipping sauce ingredients as listed above and set aside.

On medium-high heat, sear the steaks for 3-4 minutes per side for medium rare and cook longer for medium to well done.

Cook steak: Heat vegetable oil in a heavy-bottomed frying pan or cast iron skillet on medium-high heat. Sear the steaks for 3-4 minutes per side for rare to medium-rare, or until an internal temperature of 131-139 F checked with a digital thermometer. For medium-well, reduce to medium heat and cook for 1 extra minute per side, until it internally reaches 150-158 F. For well-done, keep cooking on medium heat for 2-3 extra minutes per side, or until the internal temperature reaches 158 F.

Slice steak and serve with dipping sauce.

Slice and serve with sauce: Remove the steaks from the pan and rest for 10 minutes before slicing against the grain into strips. Serve sliced steak with dipping sauce!

Storage & Reheating

Crying tiger beef and the dipping sauce can last up to 4 days stored in an airtight container in the fridge, once cooled. To enjoy, reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop until hot throughout.
Crying tiger beef can be frozen for up to 3 months without the dipping sauce. To freeze, wrap each piece of steak in plastic wrap and store in a freezer-safe bag. To enjoy, defrost overnight in the fridge and reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop until hot throughout.
I don't recommend freezing the sauce as the aromatics will become mushy.

Pairing Suggestions

Crying tiger steak pairs well with:

Starters: Egg rolls or Fresh spring rolls.
Rice Dishes: Steamed Jasmine Rice, Sticky Rice, Brown Rice, Thai Spicy Basil Fried Rice, or Thai Railway Fried Rice.
Noodle Dishes: Thai Drunken Noodles, Pad See Ew, Chicken Pad Thai or Shrimp Pad Thai, Thai Glass Noodle Stir-Fry, or Pad Woon Sen.
Raw Vegetables: shredded cabbage, chopped lettuce, sliced cucumbers, or chopped tomatoes.
Vegetable Dishes: Chinese Garlic Gok Choy, Spicy Garlic Bok Choy, Chinese Garlic Yu Choy, Chinese Garlic Gai Lan, Garlic Green Beans or Stir-fried Snow Pea Leaves.
Protein Dishes: Bang Bang Shrimp, Thai Garlic Shrimp, or Pad Kra Pao.

FAQ

Can I make crying tiger beef in advance?

Crying tiger beef can be made up to 4 days in advance and stored in an airtight container in the fridge, once cooled. To reheat, microwave or reheat on the stovetop until hot throughout. I suggest making the dipping sauce on the day of serving for best taste.

Can I use a grill or a griddle pan?

The beef can be cooked on a barbecue grill or griddle pan. If using a grill, pre-heat the grill until it reaches 500 degrees F and lightly oil the grates. Grill steaks for about 5-7 minutes per side until your preferred level of doneness.

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