Steak Salad

5 from 1 vote

This Steak Salad is the perfect low-key weeknight dinner, or easy weeknight lunch. It's also suited for entertaining with its stunning presentation! It's a salad that you will actually crave, ready in 30 minutes!

Prep Time10

Cook Time10

Steak resting time10

Total Time30

Course: Main Course, Salad

Cuisine: American

Diet: Gluten Free

Servings: people

Calories: 438kcal

Author: Briana

Equipment

large cast iron skillet
tongs
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!

Nutrition