Juicy steak, plenty of crisp vegetables, a sprinkling of cheese, and a drizzle of the best sweet and spicy vinaigrette you’ll ever taste combine to make this Southwestern Steak Salad.
Ever since I shared How To Eat Salad Everyday (aka my Fritos Everyday Diet), I can’t stop coming up with more salad combinations.
This salad is a new favorite for Sean and I both – although the Fritos are optional for him and never optional for this girl.
The Chipotle Vinaigrette I use in this salad is one that I first shared in The Weeknight Dinner Cookbook.
The dressing is tangy and slightly sweet, with just a tiny hint of heat from the peppers. It’s become a family favorite and it doubles as a marinade as often as it is made for a salad dressing.
The only way I manage to get a daily salad into my meals is prepping those vegetables in advance and my having ready to eat proteins on hand to top them. How To Eat A Salad Everyday & LIKE IT!Play Video
Anytime I cook chicken or steak, make pulled pork or carnitas, pretty much anytime I’m cooking dinner, I’m considering which proteins I can double up on in order to have plenty left for lunches.
This salad and dressing will work great with almost any meat. Feel free to follow the steak grilling directions below or simply use any leftover steak or other meats to make a delicious salad.
The Southwest Chili Lime Steak Bites would also work beautifully in this salad!
You’ll notice a theme with the ingredients for this salad. You want to slice everything as thin as possible, giving you many different flavors in each bite.
This is not the salad for large bites of cucumber or peppers or huge chunks of meat. The best bites will be stacked with as many different ingredients as possible.
How To Grill Steak
- Remove steak from the refrigerator about 90 minutes before grilling. Steak should be at room temperature before it hits the grill. Preheat the grill on high heat.
- Rub a crushed garlic clove onto all sides of the steak. Crack fresh pepper all over the steak and rub it into all sides of the steak. Lightly sprinkle with kosher salt.
- Place the steak on the grill at a 45-degree angle for 2-3 minutes, then use tongs to rotate 45-degrees and cook 2-3 more minutes. Flip the steak over and repeat. Check the temp to avoid overcooking – aim for 140°F for medium-rare, as it will increase a few more degrees once removed from the grill.
- Based on how done you would like your meat to be, reduce heat to low and grill for an additional 3-5 minutes with the lid closed. A 1″ – 1 1/2″ thick steak should be medium-rare now, but again, this depends on thickness.
- Remove steak from the grill and place on a platter. Rest the steak on the platter for a full 5 minutes prior to cutting. This allows the juices and flavor to develop more fully.
Bonus Tip: The Chipotle Vinaigrette also makes a terrific marinade. If you want to try this, I recommend 30-60 minutes of marinating time.
Southwestern Steak Salad Recipe
- Layer the lettuce, peppers, cucumber, onions, avocado, and cilantro onto individual plates or a large serving platter. Slice the beef thinly and then cut the strips into bite-size pieces.
- Top the salad with the steak and then sprinkle with cheese. Drizzle or toss with Chipotle Vinaigrette just before serving.
