Savor a light yet satisfying meal with this delicious Steak Salad Recipe! The combination of tender, juicy steak with a medley of fresh vegetables, tossed in your favorite dressing is the easy mealtime solution you need. This tasty salad is made with simple ingredients and is ready in 30 minutes for a busy weeknight dinner or laid-back weekend lunch.
Disclaimer: This post was originally published in April 2018, but has been updated for clarity, with better instructions, pictures, and tips. We hope you enjoy the new look!
This juicy steak salad is one of our favorite summertime salads! A bed of mixed greens and arugula gets topped with tender sirloin steak pieces, juicy cherry tomatoes, creamy avocado, grilled red onions, crunchy cucumbers, tangy feta cheese, and a homemade dressing. We love serving it with our honey lemon vinaigrette or our creamy balsamic dressing.
Looking for more tasty salads? Try our burrata and prosciutto arugula salad, this strawberry goat cheese salad, this arugula and spinach salad, this grilled peach salad, or this blackberry salad.
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❤️Why we love this recipe
- Quick and easy. This hearty salad comes together in 30 minutes with straightforward steps, making it one that beginner cooks can master. It's perfect for those who are pressed for time but still want a nutritious, home-cooked meal. This recipe is nearly foolproof with our step-by-step photos and instructions to help you get it right!
- Satisfying, restaurant-quality meal. If you're looking for the best steak salad recipe to rival restaurants, this recipe hits all the boxes and will delight your taste buds with tons of flavor. With the perfect mix of crunchy fresh vegetables, and savory steak, this dish is simple yet satisfying that can keep you going for hours. It's also fit for entertaining, you'll impress your guests with the stunning presentation!
- Made with simple ingredients. You can use whatever veggies, cut of steak, salad dressing, and leafy greens you have on hand to bring this recipe together. Anything you don't already have on hand can be found at any grocery store.
- Suitable for multiple diet types. This recipe is naturally low in carbs, gluten free, and nut free, plus, it can be made dairy free as well with one simple swap.
🥩Ingredients
Here are the ingredients we used for this recipe. You can find more information for substitutions below.
- Steak of choice. We like to use top sirloin steak because it's lean, yet juicy and tender. You can use leftover steak if you don't want to sear it up fresh.
- Kosher salt & black pepper
- Red onion
- Olive oil
- Spring mix & arugula.
- Cherry tomatoes.
- Cucumbers. We prefer to use Persian cucumbers (small cucumbers) or English cucumbers because the skin is soft, sweet, and edible. No peeling required!
- Avocado.
- Feta cheese.
- Dressing of choice. Our top choices would be a tangy balsamic dressing (like this creamy balsamic dressing) or this honey lemon vinaigrette dressing. Our pesto vinaigrette would also be delicious, or some blue cheese dressing!
Visit the recipe card for the full quantities and nutritional information.
✨Substitutions & variations
Here are a few suggestions on additional flavors to try, or simple variations to this recipe.
- Swap the steak cut. You really can't go wrong, and you should use the steak that you like! We tend to prefer a nice tender steak that doesn't require any marinating, but the choice is yours. Some great options that we use when making this recipe when we don't have top sirloin include bavette steak (flap meat), flank steak, New York strip steak, filet mignon, skirt steak, and ribeye (like this air fryer ribeye).
- Use your favorite mixed greens. Use your favorite salad greens for this recipe. Romaine lettuce, baby spinach, and butter leaf lettuce make great choices.
- Swap the veggies. You can use any of your favorite fresh veggies that you have on hand, like bell peppers, fresh corn, mushrooms, zucchini, and more. You can also add some cherry tomato confit along with some of the oil for a ton of rich, delicious flavor.
- Add a crunch, heat, or texture. Try adding a little crunch with some croutons, or more depth with some crispy potato pieces.
- Experiment with onions. If you don't like red onions, feel free to swap them with sweet yellow onions, green onions, or even shallots. You can also leave the onions raw if you prefer, just be sure to cut them quite thin.
- Add citrus. You can add some fresh lemon juice or lemon zest, or even a little lime juice and zest for some extra tangy flavor.
- Use your favorite cheese. You can use any cheese you prefer for this recipe. Some good options include creamy goat cheese, blue cheese crumbles, or these marinated mozzarella balls!
- Add herbs. Feel to add some parsley, or fresh basil for an added pop of flavor.
- Make this dairy free. Use your favorite dairy free cheese (we like Follow Your Heart) or just omit the cheese if you want.
🔪Prep work
- If you are making homemade dressing on the day of, do this first, then place in the fridge so the flavors have a few minutes to meld together.
- Preheat a large (12-inch diameter or larger) cast iron skillet over medium heat.
- Cut red onions into medium size strips.
- Dry off the steak really well with paper towels.
- Cut cucumbers into thin rounds (or desired shape).
- Cut the avocado into thin strips or dice it.
- Halve or quarter the cherry tomatoes (your choice).
- Measure out all remaining ingredients.
📋Instructions
Steps #1 & 2 are optional. Feel free to skip to step #3 if you don't want to cook the onions.
Add some of the olive oil to a hot skillet over medium heat, followed by the red onions with a big pinch of salt. (Image 1)
Cook stirring occasionally to prevent burning for about 5-7 minutes, until the onions are very soft with some golden brown edges. (Image 2) Remove from the skillet and set aside.
Add the remaining olive oil to the skillet, and increase the heat to medium-high. Season the steaks generously with salt and pepper on all sides. Add to the hot skillet in a single layer, and leave it alone so it can develop a nice crust. (Image 3)
✨Pro tip: Resist the urge to move the steak too often, as this will prevent it from achieving a nice crust and searing.
Once the steak naturally releases itself from the pan, flip to the other side and cook. This should take about 2-4 minutes depending on the thickness of the steak. Our steaks are quite different in shape, so each of them had unique cook times. Once the steak is flipped over, begin monitoring the temperature with a meat thermometer.
Remove the steak from the heat once it has reached a few degrees below your desired doneness. We like our steak between a rare and medium-rare, so we take it off the heat somewhere between 118°F -123°F. (Image 4)
Make sure to let the steak rest for 5-10 minutes before slicing against the grain! This helps lock in all the juice, so your steak stays nice and tender. Set aside while you build the salad.
✨Pro Tip: Use an instant read thermometer (affiliate link) to monitor the temperature of the steak while it cooks. This way, you won't over or undercook it. A meat thermometer ensures accuracy!
Layer on mixed greens and arugula, then top it with some tomatoes and the grilled onions. (Image 5)
Add on the cucumbers, avocado, and feta cheese. (Image 6)
Lastly, layer on the steak pieces and dressing of choice. That's it! Enjoy!
✨Tips & tricks
- Don't skip cooking the onions! It's an extra step, but it's so worth it and adds so much flavor to this salad!
- Don't burn the onions. We like a little bit of golden brown color on there for flavor, but be careful not to burn the onions! This will just make them very bitter. Make sure the keep the stovetop temperature at medium, and stir the onions often to prevent burning.
- Use a meat thermometer. Depending on the cut of steak, the cooking times will be slightly different when it comes to achieving the desired doneness. Use an instant read thermometer to check the internal temperature.
- Take the steak out of the skillet a few degrees early. We recommend taking the steak out of the pan about 3-5°F below your desired cooking temperature because the temperature will continue to rise after cooking. This will prevent overcooking the meat. For medium-rare, the internal temperature should be around 130-135°F, so you can the steak out at about 125°F. See the temperature guide below for more details.
- Don't overcrowd the skillet. If there is too much steak too close in the pan (maybe you're cooking a lot of steak or the pan is too small) are too close, they will steam rather than fry. Give them space between each other for better results
- Let the steak rest. This will seal in the juices for maximum flavor! You only need 5-10 minutes to achieve this.
- Cut your veggies fresh. We don't recommend cutting veggies in advance. This way they won't get soggy. They only take a few minutes to cut, and this will give you the best flavor!
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💭Frequently Asked Questions
This recipe is best enjoyed right away, and we don't recommend making it in advance. However, if you need to save it, store the different ingredients in separate airtight containers in the fridge for up to 3 days. We don't recommend refrigerating the tomatoes however, so try to add those fresh to the salad. Do not freeze.
We don't recommend using frozen steak as it can become tough and cook unevenly. Make sure to thaw it completely for the best results.
No! You can use your favorite cut of meat for this recipe, whether that be filet mignon, ribeye steak, NY strip, eye of round steak, etc. Different cuts of steak have different fat-to-meat ratios and thicknesses, so we recommend using a meat thermometer to get the correct internal temperature.
♨️Temperature guide
Please note, that we can't guarantee cook times when reaching these temperatures. We suggest using an instant read thermometer. As mentioned, these are target internal temperatures, and the steak should be removed from the skillet 3-5°F before the target temperature is reached.
- Rare - 120°F - The center of the steak will be cool to warm, very tender, and a red to pink color.
- Medium rare - 130°F - This is generally considered the "perfect cook" on most cuts of beef. The center will be red and warm.
- Medium - 140°F - This cook will have a hot pink center, and the meat will be slightly firmer in texture. We find this to be a little overcooked for our personal taste.
- Medium-well - 150°F - The meat will be mostly brown and firm in the center.
- Well done - 160°F+ - Finally, this cook will have absolutely no pink color in the center. It will be completely brown, firm, and very dry. We personally don't recommend cooking your meat to this temperature, as you won't retain very much moisture or flavor.
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📖 Recipe
Steak Salad
Equipment
- sharp knife
- cutting board
Ingredients
- 1 large red onion, sliced into strips
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1 pound sirloin steak
- 2.5 teaspoons kosher salt, divided (and to taste!)
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered (about 15 tomatoes)
- 2.5 ounces spring mix
- 2.5 ounces arugula
- 6 ounces feta cheese
- 2 medium Persian cucumbers, cut into thin rounds
- 1 medium avocado, cut into strips or diced
Instructions
- If you are making homemade dressing on the day of, do this first, then place in the fridge so the flavors have a few minutes to meld together. Preheat a large (12-inch diameter or larger) cast iron skillet over medium heat.
- (Optional step. Skip to step 3 if not cooking onions). Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to a hot skillet over medium heat, followed by the red onions with a big pinch of salt. Cook stirring occasionally to prevent burning for about 5-7 minutes, until the onions are very soft with some golden brown edges. Remove from the skillet and set aside.
- Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the skillet, and increase the heat to medium-high. Season the steaks generously with salt and pepper on all sides. Add to the hot skillet in a single layer, and leave it alone so it can develop a nice crust.
- Once the steak naturally releases itself from the pan, flip to the other side and cook. This should take about 2-4 minutes depending on the thickness of the steak. Our steaks are quite different in shape, so each of them had unique cook times. Once the steak is flipped over, begin monitoring the temperature with a meat thermometer. Remove the steak from the heat once it has reached a few degrees below your desired doneness. We like our steak between a rare and medium-rare, so we take it off the heat somewhere between 118°F -123°F.
- Make sure to let the steak rest for 5-10 minutes before slicing against the grain! This helps lock in all the juice, so your steak stays nice and tender. Set aside while you build the salad.
- Layer on mixed greens and arugula, then top with tomatoes, grilled onions, avocado slices, cucumbers, feta cheese, and strips of steak. Drizzle with dressing of choice. Enjoy!
- This recipe is best enjoyed right away, and we don't recommend making it in advance. However, if you need to save it, store the different ingredients in separate airtight containers in the fridge for up to 3 days. We don't recommend refrigerating the tomatoes, however, so try to add those fresh to the salad. Do not freeze.
Notes
- Disclosure: The nutrition facts do not include any salad dressing, they are for the salad only.
- Feel free to mix and match the greens, use whatever veggies, cut of steak, onions, and cheese you'd like!
- Don't skip cooking the onions! It's an extra step, but it's so worth it and adds so much flavor to this salad!
- Don't burn the onions. We like a little bit of golden brown color on there for flavor, but be careful not to burn the onions! This will just make them very bitter. Make sure the keep the stovetop temperature at medium, and stir the onions often to prevent burning.
- Use a meat thermometer. Depending on the cut of steak, the cooking times will be slightly different when it comes to achieving the desired doneness. Use an instant read thermometer to check the internal temperature.
- Take the steak out of the skillet a few degrees early. We recommend taking the steak out of the pan about 3-5°F below your desired cooking temperature because the temperature will continue to rise after cooking. This will prevent overcooking the meat. For medium-rare, the internal temperature should be around 130-135°F, so you can the steak out at about 125°F. See the temperature guide below for more details.
- Don't overcrowd the skillet. If there is too much steak too close in the pan (maybe you're cooking a lot of steak or the pan is too small) are too close, they will steam rather than fry. Give them space between each other for better results
- Let the steak rest. This will seal in the juices for maximum flavor! You only need 5-10 minutes to achieve this.
- Cut your veggies fresh. We don't recommend cutting veggies in advance. This way they won't get soggy. They only take a few minutes to cut, and this will give you the best flavor!
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