Steak Salad

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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.

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!

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.
steak sliced on wood cutting board for steak salad.

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.
Drizzling creamy cilantro lime dressing over steak salad with spoon.

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.

steak salad with avocados, tomatoes, red onion, and corn.

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Steak Salad

Grilled Steak Salad with sweet corn, tomatoes, avocado, and red onion. You will love this fresh and simple summer salad!
4.50 from 74 votes

Equipment

Ingredients
  

For the steak:

For the salad:

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

Feel free to serve with your favorite dressing. My basil vinaigrette and balsamic vinaigrette are also good options. 

Nutrition

Calories: 281kcal, Carbohydrates: 8g, Protein: 29g, Fat: 15g, Saturated Fat: 5g, Cholesterol: 75mg, Sodium: 740mg, Potassium: 791mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 2g, Vitamin A: 1180IU, Vitamin C: 20mg, Calcium: 96mg, Iron: 3mg
Keywords steak

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Maria

I'm Maria and my husband is Josh. We share a love of cooking, baking, and entertaining. We enjoy creating recipes that are simple, fresh, and family friendly. We love sitting around the table with good food, good conversation, and good friends and family! Our kitchen is always open!
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  1. 5 stars
    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!

  2. 5 stars
    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.

  3. 5 stars
    Outstanding. This shines with fresh ingredients. Plus you can get this ready earlier in the day and just grill at the last minute.

  4. 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.

  5. I made this salad tonight which my husband wasn’t looking forward to eating. He doesn’t 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!

  6. 5 stars
    I absolutely love this Steak Salad recipe. Fresh ingredients, a nicely spiced steak and a delicious dressing! Yum!!!

  7. 5 stars
    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.