This impressive Steak Salad is loaded with grilled New York steak strips, colorful vegetables, blue cheese, and fresh herbs dressed in a zesty vinaigrette. It’s quickly becoming my new favorite lunch because just one bowl fills me up. Plus, I can easily customize the toppings with what’s in my fridge.
As someone who eats a salad almost every day for lunch, I always make sure to top mine with a hearty protein to help keep me going until dinnertime. I like to keep things interesting by mixing it up day-to-day, whether I decide to make my Watermelon Feta Salad with Grilled Steak for a pop of color or my Chicken Salad to keep it classic.
Grilled Steak Salad
When you order a steak salad at a restaurant, you’ll likely get a bowl of leafy greens topped with tender steak strips, fresh vegetables, crumbled creamy cheese, and a bold dressing that ties it all together. It’s both an indulgent and nourishing meal that will fill you up for hours.
As a chef who has grilled hundreds of steaks and someone who eats a salad every day for lunch, a steak salad is pretty much my ideal meal. I took the salad toppings a step above the restaurant version. I top a bed of mixed greens with juicy, garlic-rubbed New York strip, fresh herbs, a medley of vegetables, avocado, and blue cheese. Then, I finish it by drizzling a homemade red wine vinaigrette over top. The textures and flavors strike the perfect balance, and it looks just as gorgeous as it tastes.
What I love most about this salad is its flexibility. I can change the recipe every day based on what I’m craving or top it with the fresh ingredients I have on hand. Don’t feel like you’re stuck with the toppings in the recipe card—it’s your salad. You have complete control over what you serve with it.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Steak – I went with two 12- to 14-ounce well-marbled New York strip steaks. Ribeye, sirloin, flank, or skirt steak are also good cuts if that’s what you already have at home.
- Garlic – I rubbed the steaks with fresh garlic cloves to infuse the meat with a savory flavor. You could also season the steaks with garlic powder.
- Oil – Olive oil or avocado oil works well, thanks to their high smoke point.
- Lettuce – I made the salad with a mix of romaine, spring mix, and baby spinach. If you’d prefer to switch it up, use a mix of arugula, butter lettuce, radicchio, kale, and/or shredded cabbage instead.
- Vegetables – I like adding cherry tomatoes, cucumber, Fresno peppers, avocado, and radishes to my steak salads.
- Cheese – I prefer blue cheese crumbles here, but crumbled feta, goat cheese, or shaved parmesan work well as substitutes.
- Herbs – I wake up the salad with fresh chives and thyme.
- Seasonings – Just kosher salt and black pepper.
- Dressing – I dressed the salad with my homemade red wine vinaigrette.
How to Make Steak Salad
Preheat the grill: First, I preheat the grill to high heat (between 450°F and 550°F). This ensures a good sear and that smoky, charred crust we want on the steak.
Season the steak: While I wait for the grill to heat up, I place the steaks on a plate. Then, I rub both sides with minced garlic and olive oil. I set them aside while I prepare the salad vegetables. Just before grilling, I generously season the steaks on both sides with salt and pepper.
Grill: I place the steaks on the hot grill and close the lid. I cook them for 1 minute, then flip and cook for another minute with the lid closed. I repeat this flipping process two more times to build a beautiful crust while keeping the inside a juicy medium-rare.
Rest: Once I finish grilling the steaks, I remove them from the grill and let them rest for 5 to 7 minutes.
Assemble the salad: Meanwhile, I arrange a bed of lettuce in a large bowl. Then, I scatter the tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, avocado slices, radishes, and herbs evenly over the top. Finally, I gently season everything with more salt and pepper.
Add the steak: Finally, I slice the rested steak against the grain, fan it out over the salad, and finish with crumbled blue cheese and a drizzle of dressing. I like to serve the salad right away while the steak is still hot and the vegetables are crisp.
Chef Tip + Notes
Remember to rest the steak after it comes off the grill. This is an important part of all of my steak recipes, no matter how the meat is cooked. Resting the grilled steak allows the meaty juices time to soak back into the meat to ensure every bite is tender, flavorful, and never dry.
- For the perfect char, make sure your grill is fully preheated before placing the steak on the grates and don’t move it around much once it hits the heat. Flipping the steak every minute helps build a crust without drying out the meat inside.
- Cook it to your liking: I like my steak medium-rare, but you can easily cook yours longer (or slightly less) depending on your preference. Use a meat thermometer to check for doneness: 135°F for medium-rare, 145°F for medium, 150°F for medium-well, and 155°F+ for well-done.
- Instead of grilling the steak, you can sear it in a grill pan or cast-iron skillet, or roast it in the oven.
- To prepare the toppings ahead of time, wash and chop the veggies (except for the avocado), crumble the cheese, and whisk the dressing together, then keep everything in separate containers in the fridge. The steak can also be grilled a day in advance, then sliced right before serving.
- Customize the salad toppings: I’ve given you plenty of topping options in the recipe card, but it’s your salad, so feel free to change up the toppings as you’d like. Pickled red onions, sliced carrots, snap peas, corn kernels, grilled zucchini, roasted potatoes, or croutons are all welcome here.
- Change the dressing: Red wine vinaigrette is my go-to, but balsamic vinaigrette, ranch dressing, or blue cheese dressing would also pair well.
Serving Suggestions
Since this salad is filling on its own, I tend to keep the side dishes pretty light. Sometimes I’ll pair it with a buttery baked potato for a classic steakhouse theme. I also like to keep it simple with a slice of garlic bread. If my sweet tooth is calling out when I’m done, I’ll treat myself to a slice of pistachio cake for dessert.
Make-Ahead and Storage
Make-Ahead: Serve the assembled steak salad immediately, as the hot steak will wilt the greens quickly.
How to Store: Refrigerate the salad and dressing separately to keep the meat tender and the vegetables crisp. Enjoy the leftovers within 2 to 3 days.
More High-Protein Salads
- Traditional Cobb Salad
- Classic Niçoise Salad
- Classic Chef Salad
- Taco Salad
- Lemon Chicken Chopped Salad
Steak Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 12-14 ounce New York Strip Steaks
- 3 finely minced garlic cloves
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 to 4 cups large dice romaine lettuce, rinsed
- 3 to 4 cups spring mix, rinsed
- 3 to 4 cups baby spinach, rinsed
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, sliced inhalf
- ½ thinly sliced cucumber
- 1 thinly sliced fresno peppers
- 1 peeled, cored, sliced avocado
- 3 to 4 thinly sliced radishes
- 1/2 to ¾ cup crumbled blue cheese
- 1 tablespoon thinly sliced chives
- 2 teaspoons finely minced fresh thyme
- coast salt and freshly cracked pepper to taste
- red wine vinaigrette
Instructions
- Preheat the grill to high heat, between 450°F and 550°F.
- Add the steaks to a plate or bowl and coat them with the minced garlic cloves and olive oil, and rub the ingredients on all sides. Briefly set them to the side.
- In the meantime, prep all the vegetables for the salad.
- Before grilling the steaks, generously season them on both sides with salt and pepper.
- Place the steaks down on the grill and cook them for 1 minute with the grill door closed. Flip them over and cook on the other side for 1 minute with the grill door closed. Then flip them back over and cook for 1 minute before finishing by doing one last flip and cooking for an additional 1 minute. This process will render you a medium-rare internal temperature.
- Rest the steaks for 5 to 7 minutes before slicing.
- Place the lettuce in a bowl or spread it out on a platter.
- Evenly spread the tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, avocado, radishes, and herbs over top of the lettuce. Gently season everything with salt and pepper.
- Finally, fan out the sliced steak on top and then top off with the cheese and the dressing.
Steak Salad Recipe