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Cambodian

Beef lok lak

Non-vegetarian

ឡុកឡាក់ · lok lak

Cubes of marinated beef seared fast in a hot wok, served on lettuce, tomato and onion with a sharp lime and Kampot pepper dipping sauce.

Beef lok lak is a Cambodian main course, ready in about 59 minutes and made with beef sirloin steak and lime juice. It serves 4 and is rated easy to cook.

Start cooking
Beef lok lak: glazed beef cubes on lettuce with rice and a lime-pepper dipping sauce
Photo: Marcin Konsek / Wikimedia Commons · CC-BY-SA-4.0
Prep
15 min
Cook
14 min
Rest
30 min
Total
59 min
Serves
4
Level
Easy
Calories
285

Ingredients

4 servings

For the dipping sauce

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Toss the beef with the oyster sauce (opens in a new tab), soy sauce (opens in a new tab), fish sauce (opens in a new tab), ketchup (opens in a new tab), sugar (opens in a new tab), garlic (opens in a new tab) and cornstarch (opens in a new tab). Marinate for 30 minutes.

    • 5 min
    Meat coated in a spiced marinade in a bowl
    How it looks · Photo: Ip Photographer on Pexels

  2. Step 2

    Stir the lime juice (opens in a new tab), pepper (opens in a new tab), salt and sugar (opens in a new tab) together for the dipping sauce. Arrange lettuce (opens in a new tab), tomato (opens in a new tab) and cucumber (opens in a new tab) on plates.

    • 5 min

  3. Step 3

    Heat the oil in a wok (opens in a new tab) until smoking. Add the beef in a single layer, leave it for a minute to sear, then toss. Add the onion (opens in a new tab) and stir-fry until the beef is browned outside and still pink inside.

    Food safety: Minced beef should be cooked through to 71 °C; whole steak pieces can be served pink if seared on all sides.

    Ingredients tossed in a hot wok
    How it looks · Photo: Aesthos AR. Photography on Pexels

  4. Step 4

    If serving eggs (opens in a new tab), fry them in a little oil in the wiped-out wok (opens in a new tab) over medium heat until the whites are set and the edges crisp.

    Food safety: Cook the eggs until the whites are fully set.

  5. Step 5

    Pile the beef and its juices on the salad and serve with the dipping sauce, rice and an egg (opens in a new tab) on each plate.

    • 3 min

    Food safety: Cook eggs until set if serving young children, pregnant people or anyone vulnerable.

    A finished dish being plated
    How it looks · Photo: Willians Huerta on Pexels

About this dish

Origin
Cambodia · Commonly attributedClosely related to Vietnamese bò lúc lắc; both trace to French-era beef dishes in Indochina.More food from Cambodia
Dish
Lunch · Dinner · Main courses
Cooking method
Stir-fried, Marinated / cured
Taste
savoury, peppery, sour, sweet & savoury
Diet
Dairy-free · No nut ingredients · Low-carb · High-protein
All labelsNon-vegetarian · Dairy-free · No nut ingredients · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Low-carb · High-protein · Calorie-conscious
Without the optional extras: Egg-freeWith the listed swaps: Beef-freeWorked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for
Everyday
Cook more with
Beef sirloin steak · Lime juice · Oyster sauce · Soy sauce · Fish sauce · Tomato ketchup
Techniques
Searing · Stir-frying · Marinating · Curing

Allergens

  • Contains, can be adapted: Eggsfrom egg
  • Contains: Fishfrom fish sauce
  • May contain: Crustaceansfrom oyster sauce, fish sauce
  • Contains: Molluscsfrom oyster sauce
  • Contains: Wheatfrom oyster sauce, soy sauce
  • Contains: Glutenfrom oyster sauce, soy sauce
  • Contains: Soyfrom oyster sauce, soy sauce
  • May contain: Mustardfrom tomato ketchup
  • May contain: Celeryfrom tomato ketchup

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

285 kcal per serving

Calculated

1 serving ≈ 317 g · recipe makes 4

Where the energy comes from

  • Protein 42%
  • Carbohydrate 19%
  • Fat 38%
Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
Energy285 kcal90 kcal
Protein30 g9.5 g
Carbohydrate13.9 g4.4 g
Net carbohydrate11.8 g3.7 g
Sugars6.5 g2 g
Added sugars——
Fibre2.1 g0.7 g
Fat12.2 g3.9 g
Saturated fat2.5 g0.8 g
Trans fat——
Cholesterol75 mg24 mg
Sodium1232 mg389 mg
Salt equivalent3.1 g1 g
Vitamins & minerals per serving
Potassium
805 mg
Calcium
73 mg
Iron
2.8 mg
Magnesium
60 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)
116 µg
Vitamin C
17 mg
Vitamin D
0.1 µg
Vitamin B12
1.4 µg
Folate (DFE)
66 µg

How these numbers were made

  • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
  • *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
  • Optional ingredients are not included: egg, long-grain white rice.
  • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
  • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Tips

  • Cook in two batches if your wok is small so the beef sears instead of stewing.

Common mistakes

  • Overcooking the beef — it should be juicy and pink in the middle.

Serve with

  • Dip each bite of beef in the peppery lime sauce.

Storage

  • Best eaten freshly cooked.

Variations

  • Lok lak with fries: Common in Phnom Penh restaurants: served with chips instead of rice.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

Sauces, chutneys & dips for this dish

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

Built from the recipe’s own sections. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

What the dish is built around

Main ingredient

Used in steps 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Reviews & corrections

Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.

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