The best steak salad recipe (2024)

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This is seriously the best steak salad recipe that you can make at home in under 20 minutes. Restaurant quality juicy, melt in your mouth Ribeye steak, mixed greens, red onions, cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, avocado and delicious balsamic vinaigrette dressing. The perfect, healthy and delicious lunch or dinner salad.

Not sure why, I haven’t shared this Ribeye salad on the blog earlier. I make it once every few months, more often in the summer, during Grilling season.

I’m still in Europe and restaurants are closed here. My birthday was 3 days ago and I wanted to celebrate it with some of my favorite meals, so steak was on the menu. I thought why not make a steak salad. So good, foolproof and easy to make. Definitely worth trying, if you are a steak lover like me.

Why this is the best steak salad recipe?

I’ve been on a salad kick since the beginning of the year. Not really on a diet, but I try to make a different salad almost every day. There are plenty of old salad recipes on my blog, but I’ve also tried some new ones.

This salad recipe works, because you have a nice combination of excellent quality steak, that is perfectly cooked in a pan on the stove top and fresh, crunchy and nutritious veggies.
The steak could be cooked on the stove top or on the grill. Since I’m living “city life” lately, I don’t do any grilling during the week. When I go to our house in the suburbs on the weekend, I can fire up the grill. This means that all the steaks I cook during the week are cooked in a hot pan on the stove top. This is so easy! Almost mess free, excluding the splashes of oil around the pan, when cooking the steak.
You can use your favorite greens and veggies.
Use a dressing of your choice. While homemade is always best, store bought dressings could be used to save some time. Even plain oil and balsamic vinegar will work as a dressing, if you have nothing else.
This salad could be made in advance. Just store the steak in a different container. Take to work or to a potluck.
Add a piece of crusty no knead Dutch oven bread or some oven roasted red potatoes for a complete meal.
The best steak salad is easy to customize to your taste. Use the type of steak you like (even leftover steak can be used), favorite dressing, add more veggies like peppers, radishes, green onions or even mushrooms.
For the greens I used mixed greens from a package. You can chop your lettuce and mix it with spinach and arugula. Only spinach or only arugula could be used as well. I personally prefer the lightness and crunch of romaine lettuce, mixed with just a little bit of peppery arugula.
I added some feta cheese, but honestly, I prefer the taste of this particular salad with Blue cheese.

What steak to use

You can use whatever steak you like for this salad. But the quality of the beef steak matters. Especially here in Europe – it is quite hard to find good steak. I go for imported meat from the USA for best results. Luckily I know where to get them from.

Choose thicker steak – it will cook well and stay tender and juicy.

You can use leftover grilled steak, if you have any.

I used fatty and flavorful Ribeye, because it is my favorite cut of steak. And then comes Prime Rib.

Thinner cuts of steak (like flank and skirt steak)would also work, but for them the pan cooking method will not the the same. They will cook a lot faster. They are not as tender as Ribeye for example, so they may require some extra tenderizing or marinating.

Here are some cuts of beef you can choose from.

Sirloin – not as tender and thick as Ribeye. Not my preferred steak for this “fancy” salad, but it would work.
Ribeye – the perfect addition to the salad – easy to cook, does not need a lot of seasoning, great flavor, quite easy to find.
Prime rib – it is not as widely available as Ribeye.
Fillet Mignon – the perfect addition to my favorite salad. I also have a Fillet mignon Steak salad recipe, that is worth trying. I usually make it for Valentine’s day.
Flank steak – too lean for this salad, but could be used.
Skirt steak – thin and not as tender (melt in your mouth), but if prepared right it will make the salad taste amazing. Check my Grilled Skirt Steak With Chimichurri Recipe, if you decide this cut of steak.
New York Strip Steak – Maya from Wholesome Yum shares the best way on how to cook this cut of beef in the oven. And yes, it can be served with salads, too.

Dressing

Balsamic Vinaigrette

As I mentioned already – there are quite a few dressing options for this salad. An dI always make it with homemade Balsamic vinaigrette. I use olive oil, balsamic vinegar, sweetener (preferably liquid), salt, pepper, garlic, oregano and Dijon mustard (or old fashioned grain mustard – for texture and better taste).

Blue cheese dressing

Not a fan of Balsamic vinegar? No problem! This homemade blue cheese dressing could be served with the perfect ribeye salad. The problem I have is that the salad could get a heavy taste and texture from the creamy dressing and I prefer lighter dressings.

Berry vinaigrette

Surprising or no, this easy steak salad pairs well with berry vinaigrette, like this Raspberry Vinaigrette.

Oil and vinegar

Pretty simple – no store bought dressing? Don’t have time to make a homemade dressing for your favorite salad? You can just drizzle some oil and balsamic vinegar on top. Add salt, pepper and oregano (optional). Toss to coat the greens and veggies. Add the steak. The final result will be pretty delicious.

Apple Cider Vinegar Dressing

This Apple Cider Vinaigrette dressing from Healthy Seasonal Recipes is easy to make from scratch and will be perfect for a salad like this one.

How to make:

Make the dressing: In a bowl, whisk together balsamic vinegar, mustard, sweetener, salt, pepper, oregano (optional), garlic powder (optional) and olive oil. Set aside or refrigerate for up to 1 week.
Cook the steak. In order for it to be properly cooked, take it out of the fridge 30 minutes prior to cooking.
Add 1 tbsp vegetable or grape seed oil to a cast iron pan. Heat at high heat.
Season the Ribeye with just salt. Cook for 3 minutes per side for medium. (This applies for a 10 oz 3/4 to 1 inch thick steak).
Let the steak rest for 5-10 minutes. Season with black pepper. Slice.
In a bowl combine the greens, cucumbers, tomatoes, onions, avocado and steak. Add blue cheese or feta (optional). Drizzle with dressing on top. Serve.

Tips for this easy steak salad recipe

Season the steak well with just salt. Salt is enough. Of course you can add seasoning of your choice, but there is no need to. Use oil with higher burning point – like avocado or grape seed oil. This way you can heat it in a pan on the stove top and cook the steak at high temperature. I used a 10 oz Ribeye
Cook your steak at the time you are making the salad. Let it rest for 5-10 minutes before cutting, so it stays juicy and slightly warm.
Make your vinaigrette dressing in advance. This way you save some time.
Add veggies of your choice of you’d like. Check out your fridge – you may have some vegetable you’d like to add to the salad, that are not mentioned in the recipe.