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Make a quick and easy steak salad recipe, perfect for all the barbeques. This hearty salad is made in minutes and features juicy sirloin steak on top of refreshing greens in a classic balsamic vinaigrette.
Summer is here, at least in the Northern half of the world, and it’s time to light up those grills! And if you enjoy the grilling season like me, you’ll love my chicken burgers, tomahawk steak, and grilled red snapper.
Whether it is sautéed arugula, broccoli salad, or even air-fryer beans, I love my meals with a generous helping of veggies. Bringing you the best of meat and veggies, try this steak salad recipe for a wholesome meal.
Table of Contents
- Why you’ll love this steak salad recipe
- Ingredients Needed
- How to make delicious steak salad?
- What to serve with steak salad?
- Tips to make the best recipe
- Flavor variations
- Storage instructions
- Recommended tools to make this recipe
- More steak recipes to try:
- Frequently asked questions
- Steak Salad Recipe (Recipe Card)
Why you’ll love this steak salad recipe
- Customizable. You can add all the fresh summer produce available. From cucumbers, tomatoes, lettuce, and arugula, to avocado, roasted potatoes, and broccoli, add all you want to make it to your liking.
- Make ahead. Marinate your steaks ahead of time, keep your greens ready, and make your dressing. Cook the steaks and assemble the salad fresh.
- Delicious. You’ll love the tangy, umami, zingy, yet creamy marinade of balsamic vinegar, dijon mustard, olive oil, and soy sauce.
- Crowd pleaser. Even those people who roll their eyes at salads love this recipe. So, whip it up for your next party (like our cauliflower or cabbage steak!).
Looking for more protein-packed salads? Try our shrimp salad, chicken salad with grapes, or Caesar salad with chicken.
Ingredients Needed
The best part about this dish is that you’ll probably have all the ingredients except the steaks in your pantry or fridge. Here’s what you’ll need:
- Sirloin steaks. I have used four steaks, each weighing about 6 ounces. If I’ve made some reverse seared ribeye, that one is also a solid option.
More steak options
Want to use pre-cooked steak? My pan seared steak, air fryer steak, cast iron steak, sous vide flank steak, or sous vide steaks are great, as are leftover picanha steak, ribeye steak, or skirt steak.
- Olive oil. For the marinade, dressing, and to cook the steak using an iron skillet.
- Balsamic vinegar. Use good quality balsamic vinegar for the perfect sweet acidity.
- Soy sauce. It may seem unconventional in this recipe, but trust me, it works!
- Dijon mustard. Its peppery zing works wonders in the marinade.
More marinade options
Prefer to marinade your steak differently? Try a 3 ingredient marinade.
- Salt and pepper. To season.
- Mixed greens. Use a mix that you like the best. Feel free to add romaine, kale, baby spinach, or other baby greens.
- Grape tomatoes. I love them for their taste and texture. You can also substitute them with cherry tomatoes if they are more accessible to you.
- Red onion. For the crunch. Sometimes, I even swap it with bell peppers.
- Radish. The sweet, spicy crunch of radish works well with the meaty steak and zingy dressing.
- Blue cheese. Crumble the blue cheese roughly and stir in with the salad. If you’re not a big fan of blue cheese, use crumbled goat cheese or feta instead.
- Olive oil and balsamic vinegar. To dress the salad.
How to make delicious steak salad?
Except for the hands-on grilling, this recipe is super simple to make. What are you waiting for? Let’s get grilling!
Step 1- Prep the marinade
Prepare the marinade by whisking Dijon mustard, soy sauce, olive oil, and balsamic vinegar in a bowl until creamy and pour it over the steaks seasoned with salt and pepper. Let the meat marinate for at least 5 minutes.
Step 2- Cook the steaks
Then, grill the steaks on high flame on a preheated grill or iron skillet. Sear the meat for 5-7 on each side and remove it once the internal temperature reaches 140-150F.
After resting the steaks at room temperature for 5-10 minutes, slice them against the grain.
Step 3- assemble the salad
Toss together tomatoes, radishes, red onions, and greens in a large shallow bowl, and arrange sliced steak on top. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar and olive oil, and serve.
What to serve with steak salad?
In my opinion, steak salad is a complete meal by itself. But if you must serve it next to other courses, a side of roasted asparagus, grilled sweet potatoes, or cauliflower fried rice.
Another slightly indulgent yet classic pairing is with curly, zucchini, or good old french fries.
Or make yourself surf and turf by pairing it with lemon pepper salmon or grilled mahi mahi.
Tips to make the best recipe
- Choose a thick steak. To avoid overcooking, pick a steak piece with a thickness of over an inch.
- Get your grill really hot. To get a beautiful char on your steak, ensure your grill or skillet is piping hot and your steak is well-oiled.
- Make thin steak slices. For enjoying a mouthful of steak and veggies in a bite, slice steaks such that the thickness is between ¼-⅓ inch.
- Always use a meat thermometer. To cook the meat perfectly, use the meat thermometer to monitor the internal temperature. The steak continues to cook after being taken off the grill. So, remove it from the pan or grill for a medium-rare steak as soon as the internal temperature hits 140F.
Flavor variations
- Add sweet elements. Sweet corn and pineapple cubes work wonders in this recipe. You can also add apple slices or grapes for a sweet-sour flavor.
- Dressing variations. Make one with fresh lime juice, cilantro, parsley, garlic, and olive oil if you love fancy herb dressing. Or make a creamy dressing with Greek yogurt, lemon juice, and blue cheese (or try one of these eight dressing ideas).
- Make it spicier. Sometimes, I just crave some spicy hotness. When pepper and mustard just don’t cut, I sprinkle paprika or chili flakes on my steak salad.
- Add seeds or nuts. Make your salad healthier and crunchier by adding a handful of pine nuts, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, or walnut pieces.
Storage instructions
To store. When stored in an airtight container, the salad keeps well in the fridge for up to 3 days. Word of advice, store dressing, salad, and steak separately to avoid soggy salad.
To freeze. Freeze the grilled steak in a freezer-safe container for 2-3 months. When you’re ready to eat, thaw it a day in advance in the refrigerator, heat it, and enjoy.
Recommended tools to make this recipe
- Grill. Summer or not, you must have this grill for all your barbeque needs.
- Non-stick skillet. Cooking chicken, fish, veggies, or steaks, I depend heavily on this heavy-duty skillet.
- Tongs. To flip the steaks midway.
More steak recipes to try:
Frequently asked questions
Sure, you can. Heat it briefly if you prefer a warm steak. Else use shredded or sliced leftover steak to make this salad.
I prefer sirloin, but ribeye, strip, flank, or t-bone steaks also work for this salad.
It is entirely up to your preference. If made fresh, I like to serve it hot. But when repurposing the leftovers, I serve it cold.
Steak Salad Recipe
Ingredients
For the salad
- 2 cups Mixed greens
- 1 cup grape tomatoes
- 1 red onion sliced
- 1 radish finely sliced
- 1/4 cup blue cheese crumbled
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
Instructions
- Whisk together the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, soy sauce, and Dijon mustard.
- Season the steaks with salt and pepper, then drizzle the marinade over each one. Let the steaks sit for 5 minutes.
- Preheat a grill to medium-high heat or alternatively, add oil to a large skillet. Once hot, cook the steaks for 5-7 minutes on each side until they reach an internal temperature of 140-150F.
- Let the steaks rest for 5 minutes before slicing against the grain.
- Assemble the salad by tossing together the mixed greens, tomatoes, red onion, and radishes.
- Add the sliced steak on top of the salad, sprinkle some blue cheese, and dress with olive oil and balsamic.
