This Beef Salad, also known as Salata de Boeuf in Romania, is a traditional salad made for Easter, Christmas and New Year’s Eve. It can be served as a side dish, or a meal on its own. You can make it with beef, turkey or chicken, potatoes, peas and lots of mayo. It’s like a potato salad gone wild!
Salata de Boeuf
Bet you’ve never had this salad before and I can literally say I’ve never had this anywhere else or seen it on any menu. But it is the most traditional salad in Romania for all holidays. If we didn’t make this, it just wouldn’t feel like Christmas, or New Year’s Eve.
Sometimes I like to give you guys a glimpse into Romanian cuisine, since I get asked about it often. It’s not as known as other cuisines like Italian or Chinese, but we do have some interesting recipes like this salad. We call this “salata de boeuf” and boeuf isn’t even a Romanian word, it’s actually French for beef, so this literally means beef salad. The funny thing is my mom almost always makes this with turkey breast or chicken because she doesn’t even eat beef.
I think the reason this salad is only made around the holidays is because of all the chopping required. Growing up I was always in charge of cutting up all the meat and vegetables. It was my favorite thing to do and I took my job as a sous chef quite seriously.
Now that I’m married to a Romanian, I almost always make this with beef. However, turkey, chicken, beef, it will all work. The salad is quite delicious and if I were to compare it to any kind of American salad, I’d say it’s probably the closest to a potato salad.
What You Need To Make Salata de Boeuf
- Meat – stewing beef, turkey or chicken, either will work. I’ve never tried this with pork but pork loin would work as well.
- Veggies – potatoes, carrots and frozen peas. I usually use Yokon Gold potatoes or Russets. Canned peas will work as well, just drain them and place them in a bowl lined with paper towels to dry them up as much as possible.
- Pickles – lots of pickles, this salad wouldn’t work without pickles.
- Mayonnaise and mustard – lots of mayo and lots of mustard. You can’t skip the mustard, it will give it a nice tang that is a must in this salad.
- Salt and pepper – to taste.
Other Ingredients You Can Use In This Beef Salad
Although using the above ingredients is the only way I’ve ever made this salad, there are lots of other ingredients you can use. Here are some suggestions:
| Meat/Protein | Veggies | Garnish |
|---|---|---|
| Turkey | Celery | Roasted red peppers |
| Chicken | Onion | Olives |
| Pork loin | Parsnips | Hard Boiled Eggs |
| Hard Boiled Eggs | Mushrooms | |
| Salmon | Olives |
How To Make Beef Salad
- Cook the beef: Add the beef to a pot of boiling water and cook it for about 2 hours. You can also use an Instant Pot to cook it faster. If using an Instant pot cook it on high pressure for 35 minutes. Transfer the meat to a bowl and let it cool before chopping.
- Cook the potatoes and carrots: Add the potatoes and carrots to a large pot and cover with water. Season with the tsp of salt. Bring the water to a boil and cook the potatoes and carrots until they are fork tender, should take about 15 minutes. Drain and cool slightly.
- Prep the veggies and meat: Chop the meat, potatoes, carrots and pickles; they should all be small pieces about 1/4 inch by 1/4 inch. Drain all the juice from the diced pickles and the peas. I usually place them in a paper towel lined bowl to soak up all the extra liquid.
- Make the salad: Add all the veggies and meat to a big bowl, then add the mayo and mustard, season with salt and pepper and mix everything together. You will end up with a big bowl of salad, traditionally we smooth out the top of the salad with a knife and spread more mayonnaise and smooth that out.
- Serve: Serve salad cold, do not warm it up.
How To Serve Salata de Boeuf
Typically we serve this as a side dish with our roast turkey or even as a starter before our main meal. We also, believe it or not, have it for breakfast on Christmas morning or Easter Sunday. If we have it for breakfast we serve it with bread.
So the great thing about this salad is that it can be served as a meal on its own or as a side. You’ll love it, it’s so filling and comforting.
Tips For Making The Best Beef Salad
My mom never uses a recipe to make this. She always says that the quantities for the ingredients should be somewhat equal. However, here are some things to keep in mind:
- Make sure you use enough pickles. Usually I use a whole jar of pickles.
- Place the peas and pickles in a bowl lined with paper towels to make sure you soak up all the extra liquid. If you don’t do this, as the salad sits, it will release liquid at the bottom of the bowl, which is not nice, but if it does just throw out the liquid or soak it up with paper towels.
- Use a butter knife to even the top so that it’s shaped like a dome. Traditionally we top it with mayonnaise then decorate it with hard boiled eggs, roasted red peppers, and olives to make flowers.
How To Store Leftover Beef Salad
This salad will last up to 5 days in the fridge in an airtight container. If stored in a bowl, make sure to cover it tightly with plastic wrap or aluminum foil.
This salad does not freeze well, so I wouldn’t recommend freezing leftovers.
More Must Try Romanian Recipes:
- Cabbage Rolls
- Stuffed Peppers
- Walnut Roll
- Meatball Soup
- Chicken Potato Soup
- Roasted Red Peppers
- Eggplant Dip
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Beef Salad (Salata de boeuf)
Ingredients
- 2 lbs beef or turkey or chicken, white or dark meat
- 2 lbs potatoes peeled
- 1 lb carrots peeled
- 1 1/2 cups pickles chopped
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup mustard
- 1/2 tsp salt or to taste
- 1/4 tsp pepper or to taste
Instructions
- Cook the beef: Add the beef to a pot of boiling water and cook it for about 2 hours. You can also use an Instant Pot to cook it faster. If using an Instant pot cook it on high pressure for 35 minutes. Transfer the meat to a bowl and let it cool before chopping.
- Cook the potatoes and carrots: Add the potatoes and carrots to a large pot and cover with water. Season with the tsp of salt. Bring the water to a boil and cook the potatoes and carrots until they are fork tender, should take about 15 minutes. Drain and cool slightly.
- Prep the veggies and meat: Chop the meat, potatoes, carrots and pickles; they should all be small pieces about 1/4 inch by 1/4 inch. Drain all the juice from the diced pickles and the peas. I usually place them in a paper towel lined bowl to soak up all the extra liquid.
- Make the salad: Add all the veggies and meat to a big bowl, then add the mayo and mustard, season with salt and pepper and mix everything together. You will end up with a big bowl of salad, traditionally we smooth out the top of the salad with a knife and spread more mayonnaise and smooth that out.
- Serve: Serve salad cold, do not warm it up.
Recipe Notes
- You can use chicken or turkey instead of beef for this recipe.
- You can use the broth from boiling the meat and veggies to make a soup.
- Roasting cuts like sirloin or chuck roast work best for this recipe.
- This salad will last up to 5 days in the fridge in an airtight container. If stored in a bowl, make sure to cover it tightly with plastic wrap or aluminum foil.
- This salad does not freeze well, so I wouldn’t recommend freezing leftovers.
- Please keep in mind that nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary greatly based on products used.
michael david says
Made a few times, excellent recepe. I usually add to the mix also a little mustard, about 1/4 as much mustard as mayonase. Dijon is good, but any mustard will do
michael david says
Old memories from my mothers cooking (Jewish Romanian). Always loved it. Did not have it in maybe 40-50 years, but I came across your recepee a few mos back and made maybe 6-8 times since. Everyone loves it. Tastes just as recall from home! Cut back a little on carrots — too sweet. Never made but w chicken breast, will try beef next. Adorn it with sour roasted pepper strips, maybe olives. Preferably use a brown mustard — works better than Dijoun.
Marie says
I am making this today. I have had it a few times but do not remember ever having meat in it (wondered about “boeuf” in name) but it did have hard cooked eggs. Hoping this is our new summer potato salad! Thank you.
David says
I just made this recipe but I make it without meat. I’ve always wondered why they called it “salata de boeuf”. My father always made it with chunks of cooked ham.
David D.
Joanna Cismaru says
Yeah, although the name means beef salad, we always make it with various meats too. My mom loves using turkey, so we make it a lot with turkey or chicken as well. Never tried ham though. 🙂
Mariana says
Of course the real recipe has parsley and celery root and no peas but I guess yours is good too.
Joanna Cismaru says
It depends what part of the country you’re from, and everyone has their own recipe. This is my mother’s recipe.
Marta says
My family loves this dish but I omit any meat, otherwise I make it exactly as written and decorated the same as in other comments.
Thanks
Dayzee says
My lady boss said that her husband is not eating this kind of salad, but when he tasted it..he already liked it.
Jami says
What kind of mustard do you use? Will french’s work? I want to surprise my Romanian boyfriend with this 🙂
Joanna Cismaru says
French’s will be just fine, that’s what I usually use.
John says
Hi Jo,
Your recipes are amazing, most especially this one…the old authentic “Salata de boeuf”.
I decided to buy your cooking book which I just received but I am kind of disappointed because most of the recipes which are here, are not on the book.
There is anyway I cant get these ones?
Thank you
Joanna Cismaru says
The book has unique recipes, otherwise why would you have to pay for it, since the recipes here are available for free on the blog. 🙂
Dina says
I haven’t had this in years (decades?), but it was a staple in my Romanian/Jewish (secular) family–made for all sorts of occasions and for none. We made it with beef and–something I recommend highly–we added bits of diced fresh apple. The contrast between the apple and pickles worked well and added some interesting crunch.
After we came to the States, in the 1960s, we sometimes made it with canned (or frozen?) vegetables and used leftover meat–usually beef, but not always. It was “rasol” or chicken used to make soup. That variation wasn’t as tasty, and we certainly cut down on the mayo, but it was quick, used up things that were lying around and made for a quick cold lunch, whether at home or on the go. After I moved away from home, I took the quick route, but started to see it as something with no nutritional value and somewhat limited taste. But it may be time to give it another try…
Monica says
Hi Jo,
I know this is an older post but New Years always has me thinking Salata de Boeuf!
Great traditional recipe, we’ve substituted all kinds of meat over the years including elk.
I’ve recently learned our Romo salata is based on the Soviet “Salad Olivier” invented in the 1860s. Kinda neat it’s roots go back that far.
La Multi Ani and I’m big fan of your blog!
Joanna Cismaru says
La Multi Ani! Very interesting! Still one of my faves for the holidays. 🙂
Amalia Young says
This is by far my husband’s and mine best treat for the holidays! We’ve served it to a lot of our family, friends, and neighbors, and everyone absolutely loved it! One time I even made my own mayo for it! (It was great, but I figured, too much work, the store bought mayo is perfectly fine). I like decorating it with thin strips of roasted bell peppers and the white part of a boiled egg. If we have kalamata olives, I use those, too, for decorating. This is such a fun and versatile recipe, and the taste is amazing. Thank you for sharing, Jo!
Joanna Cismaru says
My pleasure!! So glad you like this. When I was a kid I was in charge of decorating it with strips of pepper, olives and boiled egg. It was so much fun, and I always took my job seriously. 🙂
Adina says
Great salad, I totally forgot about it this Christmas. I will make it for Easter for sure. I have never ever eaten this with boeuf, it is always chicken. 🙂 I make it the way my grandma used to, no peas but lots of chopped eggs and homemade mayonnaise.
jo says
Yeah I’m sure there are many variations of this salad, this is just how my mom and mother in law makes it so that’s how I do it. 🙂 I heard some people put olives in it too, I think that’s something I’d like to try once.
Judy L in CA says
Thanks for the recipe. What kind of beef would be used? I’m thinking chuck roast?
jo says
Chuck roast would be just fine or sirloin. Any kind of roasting meat for this would be fine. Hope you like it!
Nancy says
I received a recipe very close to this one from my sister-in-law when she immigrated here from Croatia. She called it Francuska Salata (you can search for it). The only variation from what I can tell right off is that there is no meat but diced hard boiled eggs. Through the years we have replaced the mayonnaise with Miracle Whip which gives it even more of a tang. This is my son’s favorite potato salad. I make it now and then, but always for his birthday.
jo says
Interesting, never heard of the name. I use miracle whip sometimes too, and love it!
Diana says
I have only had Salat de Boeuf with hard boiled eggs, never meat. We also use Miracle Whip. It is my mother’s favorite dish to make, and my family is from judet Timis. Thanks for posting this recipe!
jo says
My pleasure!
Lilly says
I love this salad. Growing up we only made it with chicken so even though the dish says beef I am not in such a rush to try it true to name aha. And yes, it gets covered in mayo and then decorated with eighties style fruits and veggies lol. I like that you include romanian recipes on your blog, hopefully some people will try our food and learn how good it is! My boyfriend loves eating this with bbq lay chips. And yes I def understand the struggle with writing recipe, all our family friends would ask for one and it would always confuse u bc it seems so simple.
jo says
BBQ lay chips?? Ha ha ha, I have to try this!!
Gary says
Thank you for this recipe! My girlfriend is Romanian, and she is making this today. Since we will not be together for the holidays, she is telling me all about her traditions. This dish sounded so good, I looked it up and found your blog! I am looking forward to more of your traditional family recipes.
I have already learned to make a delicious zacusca, and will try my hand at sarmale and mici eventually. But this salată de boeuf is my next endeavor, and I will take it to my family get-together this weekend. After that, maybe ciorba de perisoare – have any recipes for it? 🙂
Multumesc!
jo says
Oh I’m making this today too, it’s one of my favorites for Christmas! Cu placere!
Judy says
My brother in law’s mother – survivors of the holocaust – makes this delicious salad but she doesn’t use meat of any kind.
Katherine says
Thanks for writing this post. I have a silly question, though…. What type of pickle do you use? Dill pickle? Bread & Butter style pickle? Do you have a favorite brand that you use?
Thanks in advance for your advice!
jo says
There’s no such thing as a silly question. I use dill pickles and my favorite brand is vlasic.
Ramona Fletcher says
Jo,
I plan on making the sarmale next week for a group of friends so hopefully i dont mess them up 🙂 I havent had them in over a year because my husband and i moved away from my family. Its tradition for us to have them for all the big holidays also!
Also, i have always loved salate de beouf but have never had it with beef before. Growing up it was always made with chicken. So its normally made with beef?
jo says
Yes it is traditional made with beef, hence the name salta de beouf, beouf meaning beef. 🙂 I know my mom always made it with chicken or turkey as well, but my husband loves it with beef, so since I’ve got married I always make it with beef. You’ve got to try it, it’s good both ways.
Ramona Fletcher says
Hi Jo,
I came across one of your recipes and thought it looked delicious, than started looking through them all and when I saw the recipe for stuffed cabbage it made me so happy! I am Romanian and grew up with my mom making all these Romanian dishes so it just has brought back so many good memories. I can’t wait to get started on baking and cooking now!
Thank you for making your recipes so easy to follow and so eye catching and beautiful!
Ramona
jo says
You’re welcome, you’ll have to let me know how they turn out. 🙂