Steak Salad
Published on May 29, 2023
Quick Summary
Grilled Steak Salad with sweet corn, tomatoes, avocado, red onion, and a creamy cilantro lime dressing. You will love this fresh and simple summer salad!
![steak salad on platter with creamy cilantro lime dressing.](https://www.twopeasandtheirpod.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/steak-salad-2.jpg)
We make and eat a lot of salads during the summertime and this Steak Salad is an all-time favorite! Adding a protein, like steak, is a great way to get a refreshing summer meal on the table in one dish that will keep everyone full and satisfied.
We grill the steak for maximum flavor and so we don’t have to turn on the oven. A win-win! The salad is great for lunch or dinner and perfect for entertaining because it is GORGEOUS and simple to make!
Table of Contents
Salad Ingredients
This is such a nutritious, colorful, and fresh salad! I just love this combination of flavors:
- Steak– we like flank steak for this salad. We add a simple spice rub with a little lime to flavor and tenderize the steak.
- Salad greens– use your favorite greens, any will work!
- Corn– fresh sweet corn is best! You don’t need to cook the corn, you can slice it off the cob and add the raw corn to the salad. If you want a boost of flavor, you can grill or char the corn.
- Tomatoes– grape or cherry tomatoes are our favorite!
- Avocado– use a ripe avocado and slice!
- Red onion– adds color and flavor!
- Pepitas– optional, but the crunch is nice! Almonds, sunflower seeds, or pecans also work!
- Queso fresco– finish the salad with a little cheese. We like queso fresco, but feta, goat cheese, or crumbled blue cheese are good too!
- Dressing– my creamy cilantro lime dressing is amazing with this salad! You can also my use basil vinaigrette or balsamic vinaigrette. You can make the dressing in advance and keep in the refrigerator.
Grilling the Steak
The steak for this salad is rubbed in spices and marinated for anywhere from 30 minutes to 4 hours. This infuses it with full, spiced flavor that’s out of this world!
- In a small bowl combine chili powder, cumin, paprika, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and coriander.
- Use your hands to rub the spices into the steak, turning it to coat the meat evenly and thoroughly. Cover the steak in plastic wrap and marinate in the fridge for 30 minutes to 1 hour. If you want to prep ahead of time it can refrigerate for up to 4 hours!
- When it’s about dinner time, preheat a clean, oiled grill to medium high heat and grill the steak for 4-5 minutes on each side. Medium-rare steak is 130-135°F and a medium steak is 145°F.
- Move the grilled teak to a cutting board, cover it loosely with aluminum foil, and let it rest for 10 minutes. This helps seal all the juices and flavor inside!
- Cut the steak against the grain into thin slices.
How to Make Steak Salad
Now, it’s time to assemble the salad! I love seeing all of the colors and flavors come together!
- Place the mixed greens on a large platter or in a large bowl.
- Add the steak, corn, tomatoes, avocado, red onion, pepitas, and queso fresco.
- Drizzle with desired amount of dressing and serve immediately.
How to Store
If you’re going to make this salad and eat it later, I’d recommend storing ingredients separately and then combining them right before you eat. This prevents things from getting soggy. And to prevent the avocado from browning, slice it when you are ready to serve the salad.
More Salad Recipes
Steak Salad
Equipment
- Traegar Grill ( I LOVE my Traeger for easy grilling!)
- Cutting Board (This John Boos board is so sturdy and pretty)
- Large Platter (This Threshold platter is so pretty for serving)
Ingredients
For the steak:
- 1 1/2 lbs flank steak
- Juice of 1 lime
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
For the salad:
- 6 cups mixed salad greens
- 1 ear sweet corn, sliced off the cob (about 1 cup)
- 2 cups grape tomatoes, halved
- 1 large avocado, sliced
- 1/4 red onion, thinly sliced
- 1/3 cup pepitas, optional
- 1/2 cup queso fresco
- Creamy Cilantro Lime Dressing
Instructions
- Place the steak in a large baking sheet and squeeze lime juice over the steak.
- In a small bowl, combine the chili powder, cumin, paprika, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and coriander.
- Add the spice rub to the steak, turning to coat the meat thoroughly with the rub and pressing with your fingers to help the rub stick to the meat. If you have time, cover the steak with plastic wrap and keep in the fridge for 30 minutes to 1 hour. You can let it marinate for up to 4 hours.
- When ready to grill, preheat a clean, oiled grill to medium-high heat.
- Place the steak on the hot grill and grill for 4 to 5 minutes on each side, depending on your preference. The steak should be 130-135°F for medium rare, and 145°F for medium.
- Transfer the steak to a large cutting board and cover it loosely with aluminum foil. Let the steak rest for 10 minutes. Cut the steak against the grain into thin slices.
- To assemble the salad, place the mixed greens on a large platter. Add the steak, corn, tomatoes, avocado, red onion, pepitas, and queso fresco. Drizzle with desired amount of dressing. Serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
Have you tried this recipe?
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This was Ah-mazing! So simple, yet so delicious. We added black beans and swapped dressing for a homemade Green Goddess instead. Everyone loved it. Thank you for the inspiration!
I was looking for steak salad recipe and came across this one in my search. It wasn’t exactly what I was thinking, but it looked so good I made it and YUM! All of the flavors are spot on. I added some tortilla strips for that little extra.
Outstanding. This shines with fresh ingredients. Plus you can get this ready earlier in the day and just grill at the last minute.
I made this last night. Totally delicious! Everyone loved.
Thank you!
Jill
Making this tonight….was craving it and remembered I had seen it on one of your posts. Can’t wait. Thanks so much. That dressing looks amazing.
Recipe looks great, but no grill/BBQ for the steak. Any suggestions for cooking on stove or in oven? Thanks
This recipe has become a favorite for my husband and I.
Why don’t you ever tell how many servings it makes?
My husband and I have this salad on a regular basis. Simply delicious!!
Yay! Glad you enjoyed it.
I made this salad tonight which my husband wasnโt looking forward to eating. He doesnโt care for salad. Once we started eating, he loved the salad and said it was his favorite salad dressing ever! Of course we have had multiple of you recipes and love them. Thanks for the great recipes!
This is awesome. Thanks for sharing.
That was tasty and delicious! That was the best steak salad I have ever had!
Yahoo!
I absolutely love this Steak Salad recipe. Fresh ingredients, a nicely spiced steak and a delicious dressing! Yum!!!
This salad was soooooo good!!!!!
The best!
Great recipe. If you add hot french fries on top you will make a Pittsburgh salad. It is really delicious.
My favorite salad. Love your recipes and your pictures.
Now that sounds amazing!
This salad is so fresh and delicious! I wasn’t going to make the Cilantro Lime Dressing to go with it, but I’m so glad I did! This is definitely a keeper.
I am so glad you loved the salad and dressing.
Delish! Great blend of flavors and tasty dressing. I cooked the steak in the air fryer and had dinner ready in 20 minutes!
Awesome! Thanks for sharing!
This was delicious. I didn’t use the cheese or pepper in the salad and I added an extra avocado. The cilantro salad dressing was perfect. We all loved it!
Glad you loved it!
Do you cook the corn first or just add it raw?
You don’t have to cook the corn.
This is one of my favorites! I made this meal for a family when they had their baby and they loved it!
Oh good!
10/10!! Made last night for dinner and just had leftovers (they were just as good). Followed directions exactly, will make again!!!
Yahoo!