Steak Caprese

This Steak Caprese is just like the classic Caprese salad, but made into a main course! Juicy tomatoes, creamy mozzarella, and fragrant basil get served with a few extras over perfectly juicy and marinated steak slices. It's the perfect summertime dinner that's easy to prepare!

This recipe uses skirt steak because it's tender, flavorful, and cooks quickly. It sits in a honey-balsamic marinade before cooking then gets served with the usual Caprese salad ingredients. The combination of these flavors pair beautifully together, and this recipe is so easy to make!

If you're looking for more bright and summery savory recipes, try our whipped cottage cheese with peaches and tomatoes, this burrata caprese, or this steak salad!

❤️Why We Love This Recipe

• Easy to make. The most difficult part about making this dish is waiting for the steak to marinate. It's very simple to prepare!
• Crowd pleaser. The vibrant colors and bold flavors make this dish incredibly appealing and great to share!
• Made with simple ingredients. Everything you need to make this recipe can be found at the grocery store. Bonus points if you're using juicy, in-season tomatoes!

🥩Ingredients

Here are the ingredients we used for this recipe. You can find more information for substitutions below.

• Steak. We opted for skirt steak for this recipe but you could truly use anything you like. The marinating step is also technically optional (though we highly recommend it!)
• Tomatoes. We used a mixture of in-season heirloom tomatoes and juicy cherry tomatoes. You don't need to use both, just use what you like, and look for the sweetest tomatoes you can find!
• Mozzarella. Any fresh mozzarella works, whether that be slices, or mozzarella balls. We used ciliegine. Bocconcini or perlini also work well!

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 cheese. This recipe would taste great with burrata cheese as well, or try adding the steak to this burrata salad with pesto vinaigrette!
• Use roasted tomatoes. Not a fan of raw tomatoes? Try serving this dish with our delicious cherry tomato confit for extra richness!
• Different protein. Not a fan of red meat? This recipe would obviously work great with chicken or shrimp! Try our lemon herb chicken as the base instead!
• Swap the vinegar. You could use red wine vinegar, white balsamic vinegar, or even lemon juice instead of the balsamic vinegar in this recipe. If you use lemon juice, however, add a little extra honey to combat the extra acidity from the citrus.
• Add more greens. To make this even more of a salad, try serving it over spring mix, arugula, or romaine! You could try serving them over this arugula and spinach salad.
• More veggies. You can add in some grilled veggies like eggplant, bell peppers, zucchini, mushrooms, or onions. These caramelized onions and mushrooms, or this air fryer zucchini would taste excellent alongside this.
• Pesto version. Try ramping up the basil flavor with our delicious homemade walnut pesto!
• Serve them as skewers! Try swapping out the skirt steak for steak bites, and make this recipe as skewers instead for a quick and easy handheld bite!

This recipe hasn't been tested with any other substitutions or variations, so we can't guarantee any results. If you make a change, let us know how it goes in the comments below!

Steak Options

You certainly don't have to use skirt steak, and you can use anything you'd like. Here are a few other cuts to try. Feel free to use the marinade if you'd like (our recommendation!) or skip it altogether.

• This bavette steak is incredibly juicy and tender and would make a great addition to this meal.
• Filet mignon or tenderloin would make an excellent choice.
• Ribeye is a classic choice, so you may like this air fryer ribeye or this cast iron ribeye.
• Try using New York Strip or sirloin steak too!
• You may also enjoy these air fryer steak tips to pair with this salad.

🔪Prep Work

• Mince garlic.
• Measure out honey, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and seasonings.

Marinate the steak

In a non-reactive bowl or container, combine olive oil, balsamic vinegar, honey, minced garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, and red pepper flakes. Whisk to combine. (Image 1)

Add the steak, and toss to coat on all sides. Allow it to sit in the marinade, covered in the fridge, for at least 2 hours, but up to 24 hours to soak up the flavor. (Image 2)

⭑Pro tip: Don't let the steak marinate longer than 24 hours, or it will become mushy, and the acid in the vinegar can begin to cook the steak.

Sear the steak

When it's time to cook, preheat a skillet or grill pan over medium-high heat.

Cook the steak to your desired temperature, in our case, this was a medium/medium-rare and this took about 1-2 minutes per side because we're using a very thin skirt steak.

When the steak is done cooking, set it aside for at least 10 minutes to rest before cutting it against the grain. (Image 3)

⭑Pro tip: Cook times will vary widely based on the shape/thickness of your steak, so we recommend using a meat thermometer to monitor the temperature to reach your desired preference. Take a look at our temperature guide to help you determine the temperature you're going for.

Make the tomato mozzarella salad

While the steak is resting, make the salad. Start by adding balsamic vinegar, honey, olive oil, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, and basil to a bowl. Whisk to combine. (Image 4)

Add in the mozzarella and tomatoes, and toss to combine. (Image 5)

Assemble

To a serving plate, start with a layer of tomato and mozzarella salad. Add more fresh torn basil, and a drizzle of balsamic glaze, olive oil, and some salt and pepper. (Image 6)

Add the steak. (Image 7)

Now, add the remaining tomato mozzarella salad, and torn basil. Drizzle with more olive oil and balsamic glaze, and season with more salt and pepper. Enjoy right away!

⭑Pro tip: Serve right away! As delicious as this dish is, it doesn't make good leftovers, and it's best enjoyed super fresh.

✨Top Tips

• Be patient and let the steak marinate! We know it can be hard to wait but trust us, you want the steak to soak up all of those flavors! With that said, don't let the steak sit in the marinade for took long, or the acid in the vinegar will begin cooking the meat, and make it mushy.
• After cooking, let the steak rest. This allows the moisture to re-distribute throughout the steak, making it moist and juicy. Resist the urge to cut into it right away!
• Don't make the mozzarella tomato salad until just before serving. Tomatoes become soggy fast and can lose flavor just a quick. Make the salad right before serving for the best flavor!
• Use sweet tomatoes. In season, sweet tomatoes are going to give a ton of flavor! Use the freshest, most delicious tomatoes you can find!
• Use a meat thermometer. We always advocate for using a meat thermometer to monitor the temperature to ensure you don't over or undercook the steak!

🌡️Steak Temperature Guide

Please note, that we can't guarantee cook times to achieve the following temperatures, because it varies widely based on the thickness and shape of the steak. This is why we suggest using a thermometer. Here are some different doneness levels for steak at different temperatures.

• 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 steaks. It's a pretty popular temperature to order! The center will be read and warm.
• Medium - 140°F - This cook will have a hot pink center, and the steak will be slightly firmer in texture.
• Medium-well - 150°F - This steak will be mostly brown and firm in the center.
• Well done - 160°F+ - This steak will have absolutely no pink color in the center. It will be completely brown, firm, and very dry.