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This fresh and easy steak salad recipe with tomatoes, corn, crisp red onion, and avocado is perfect for the grilling season! I top mine with funky blue cheese and a creamy balsamic dressing, but there are plenty of ways to make this salad your own.
Summery weather has me constantly looking out for fresh, light dinner ideas. I love steak in a salad, so when I picked up a juicy sirloin the other day, I knew exactly what was on the menu that night. This grilled steak salad has plenty of Southwestern flair, with juicy tomatoes, crisp onions, charred corn, and creamy avocado. Once the steak is cooked, the rest of the salad comes together in minutes.
Why I Love This Steak Salad Recipe
- Flavorful. Searing locks in all the flavors in the steak, and it’s easy to do on the grill, in a pan, or whichever way you’d like. I round out this salad with crumbled blue cheese and a tangy balsamic and Dijon dressing. Both pair so well with the steak!
- Satisfying. This steak salad has all the fixings of a full meal-in-one, or you can up the number of portions and make it a side. It’s one of my favorite salads to make in the summer since it’s fresh and filling at the same time.
- Adaptable. There are lots of ways that you can adapt this salad. Marinade the steak, change up the vegetables, or choose more tasty add-ins to make it how you like it.
Salad Ingredients
A nice cut of steak doesn’t need much in terms of seasoning, especially when it’s grilled. Most of the ingredients I’ll go over here are for the salad itself, and the dressing. Scroll down to the recipe card where you’ll find a printable list with the amounts.
- Steak – I use sirloin steak for this recipe. Feel free to use any cut you’d like. This salad is also a great way to use leftovers, like flank steak.
- Greens – Use a mix of lettuce and greens, or pick up a salad mix from the store. I like to make a peppery arugula salad with steak when it’s in season.
- Veggies – You can top this salad with any of your favorite vegetables. For me, that’s ripe grape tomatoes or cherry tomatoes, roasted corn kernels, thinly sliced onion, and sliced or diced avocado.
- Blue Cheese – I like to top my steak salad with a firm, crumbly blue cheese, like gorgonzola, Stilton, or Roquefort. If you aren’t a fan of funky blue cheese, feel free to swap it out for goat cheese or crumbly feta.
For the Dressing
- Olive Oil and Vinegar – I make this creamy oil and vinegar dressing with balsamic vinegar, but you can also use red wine vinegar. Choose a nice quality olive oil. Flavor counts!
- Garlic – Freshly minced garlic is best. If you don’t have a fresh garlic clove, you can substitute it with ¼ teaspoon of garlic powder in a pinch.
- Dijon Mustard – Dijon adds to the creaminess of the dressing. You can replace it with yellow mustard or whole-grain mustard if you’d like. Consider mixing in a little mayo in this case if you’d still like a creamy dressing.
Easy Roasted Corn
Roasting the corn for this steak salad is optional, but worth the extra step if you have the time. I use this same method in my roasted avocado corn salsa. Toss fresh corn kernels (or thawed and drained frozen corn) with oil, salt, and pepper. Spread the corn out on a baking sheet and roast at 450ºF for 20-25 minutes until it’s golden.
If your grill is already preheated, you can also grill corn on the cob and then shave off the kernels to use in this salad, too.
How to Make the Best Steak Salad
This easy steak salad comes together in two parts: cooking the steak, and bringing everything together on a plate to make your salad. Here’s a short overview. Be sure to scroll to the recipe card after the post for printable instructions.
Cook the Steak
First things first, you’ll want to cook your steak how you like it using your preferred method. We usually grill our steaks for 4-5 minutes per side for medium rare. You can also cook the steak in a skillet or make a sous vide steak, it’s up to you.
Afterward, make sure to rest the steak for at least 10 minutes before you slice it to serve over your salad. This lets all those savory juices redistribute and keeps the meat tender.
Assemble the Salad
- Make the dressing. While the steak is resting, whisk together the ingredients for the balsamic dressing. You can also add everything to a jar with a tight-fitting lid, and give it shake to combine.
- Put it all together. Starting with the greens, layer over your salad ingredients and add the steak slices over top. Drizzle over your dressing, and serve.
How Can I Tell When Steak Is Done?
Cooking times can vary depending on the thickness of your steak, how well you like it, and the method you use to cook it. For this reason, the best way to tell if a steak is done to your liking is to use a meat thermometer. Take the internal temperature at the thickest part of the steak, and follow this easy guide:
- 130ºF for medium-rare
- 135ºF for medium
- 140ºF for medium well
Recipe Tips and Variations
- Don’t overcook the steak. Keep in mind that steak continues to cook a little even after it’s off the heat. For the best results, take your meat off the grill/stove when it’s slightly under your desired temperature. This way it will be done perfectly after it’s rested.
- Slice against the grain. For soft, tender steak slices, make sure to cut against the grain. Look for the direction that the muscle fibers (lines) run in the steak, and use a sharp knife to cut across the lines rather than with them.
- Try a marinade. For a fun twist, borrow the marinade from my Thai-inspired steak bites and make a Thai steak salad with shredded carrots, coleslaw mix, and chopped peanuts. In this case, I’d recommend a cilantro lime dressing! You might also like this spicy Thai beef salad.
- More salad ideas. Turn any salad into a steak salad! Serve your seared steak slices over more easy recipes like this classic tossed salad or Caesar salad.
What to Serve With Steak Salad
This steak salad is a filling meal on its own. It checks all the boxes in terms of meat and veggies! If I feel like something extra, I’ll sear up some crispy mojo potatoes. For a fuller meal, I love this hearty salad with shrimp pasta or sun dried tomato pasta and a side of cheesy garlic bread. It’s also great next to a bowl of French onion soup!
Storing Leftovers
Once you’ve dressed this salad, it won’t keep for very long in the fridge. If you absolutely must store leftovers, do your best to store the steak and salad in separate airtight containers. The salad will keep until the next day. Meanwhile, the cooked steak can be refrigerated for up to 3 days. I always recommend making a fresh salad to go with it!
More Salad Recipes
Steak Salad
Ingredients
For the Steak
- 1 pound sirloin steak or favorite cut
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- Salt and pepper
For the Salad
- 8 cups mixed greens or favorite lettuce
- 1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
- 1 cup roasted corn kernels
- ½ cup red onion, thinly sliced
- 1 avocado, sliced
- 4 oz blue cheese, crumbled
For the Dressing
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 3 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
Cook the Steak
- Preheat the grill to medium-high heat.
- Rub the steak with oil and season generously with salt and pepper. Place the steak on a hot grill and cook for 4 to 5 minutes per side, depending on how thick and how done you want. Check the internal temperature (130º for medium rare, 135º for medium, 140º for medium well).1 pound sirloin steak or favorite cut, 1 Tablespoon olive oil, Salt and pepper
- Remove the steak from the grill and let rest for 10 minutes before slicing.
- You can also cook in a hot skillet, Sous Vide Steak or whatever your preferred method is as well.
Make the Salad Dressing
- To make the salad dressing add all of the ingredients to a jar or container with a tight-fitting lid. Close and shake well for at least 30 seconds for the mixture to emulsify.1/3 cup olive oil, 3 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar, 1 clove garlic, 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper
To Assemble
- Arrange all of the ingredients for the salad on 4 plates or one large serving platter.8 cups mixed greens or favorite lettuce, 1 cup grape tomatoes, 1 cup roasted corn kernels, ½ cup red onion, 1 avocado, 4 oz blue cheese
- Once the steak has rested, slice it against the grain for the most tender results.
- Top each salad with sliced steak and serve with the prepared dressing.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I’ve never had a salad this good before. I usually just use eggs or chicken in my salad. Adding steak was such a nice change of pace, and there’s so much flavor in this one!
This salad is amazing! Light but filling and very refreshing! I could eat it every single day!
Holy Cow, this was THE BEST salad I’ve ever eaten.