13 Steak Salads for Hearty, Satisfying Meals
The best steak salad recipes transform seemingly disparate elements—crisp greens, brawny beef—into cohesive, craveable dishes. They run the gamut from casual weeknight cookout fare to elegant dinners you’ll want to whip up for your most discerning guests. And let’s not underestimate the potential of leftover steak; you can rework it into an easy, hearty meal in 15 minutes or less.
There are so many ways to steak salad your way to happiness. You could top romaine lettuce with balsamic vinaigrette and special-occasion-worthy rib eye to celebrate a promotion, an anniversary, or a sale at the butcher. Or maybe it’s a run-of-the-mill Wednesday, and you’ve decided to take the bull by the horns by tossing a vibrant tangle of chewy rice noodles with chile-garlic-marinated skirt steak, crunchy cabbage, and salty roasted peanuts.
Whatever mood you’re in or company you keep, there’s a steak salad for you. Here are just a few of our favorites.
Photo by Travis Rainey, Food Styling by Micah Marie Morton, Prop Styling by Christina Allen1/13Steak Salad With Feta Dressing
Your blender does the heavy lifting for this steak salad recipe, transforming a handful of pantry ingredients into an irresistibly tangy dressing for tender ribeye, romaine lettuce, and pita croutons. Did we mention the whole thing comes together in just 30 minutes? Dreams really do come true.
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Susan Ottaviano, Prop Styling by Stephanie De Luca2/13Grilled Corn and Steak Fattoush
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Micah Morton, Prop Styling by Sean Dooley4/13Steakhouse Salad With Balsamic and Blue Cheese
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Sean Dooley, Prop Styling by Marina Bevilacqua5/13Steak With Preserved-Lemon-Marinated Tomatoes
Not only does this vibrant steak salad come together in just 20 minutes, but the total time you’ll spend on it is strategically efficient. The beef comes to temperature while you prepare the tomato mixture, and you can refrigerate the latter until you’re ready to heat your cast-iron pan and start cooking.
Alex Lau6/13Ramen Noodles With Steak and Sesame-Ginger Dressing
Turn instant ramen into a salad by tossing the noodles with a heap of vegetables and herbs. This recipe calls for kohlrabi, Napa cabbage, scallions, and cilantro, but you could use up whatever is in the crisper (bell peppers, cucumbers, shaved brussels sprouts, etc.). It’s all brought together by the tahini, lemon, and ginger dressing.
Photo by Chelsie Craig, food styling by Kat Boytsova7/13Steak Salad With Harissa Potatoes and Crunchy Radishes
Arguably the best steak salad for meal preppers, this flavor-packed recipe is just as delicious served warm for dinner or cold for lunch the next day. The potatoes soak up flavor as they hang out in the harissa-and-olive-oil marinade, which does double duty as a dressing for mixed greens. If you have trouble finding skirt steak, use flank steak instead.
Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Rebecca Jurkevich, prop styling by Amy Wilson8/13Grilled Strip Steak With Blistered Tomatoes and Green Beans
Cooking half the tomatoes in a skillet directly on the grill lets you capture all their juices and turn them into a saucy condiment for the sliced steak. You can use trimmed green beans, runner beans, or haricots verts—and if you have a red onion you want to substitute for the shallot, we won’t tell.
Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Chris Morocco, prop styling by Emily Eisen9/13Weeknight Steak and Rice Noodle Salad
Roasted peanuts, kicky chiles, and chewy rice noodles create layers of texture and flavor in what one BA reader calls “an endlessly riffable salad” that they “will make again and again.” Marinate the skirt steak for anywhere from 10 minutes to 1 hour. Substitute soy sauce or tamari for the fish sauce, or try thinly sliced carrots or turnips in place of daikon.
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Thu Buser, Prop Styling by Stephanie De Luca10/13Steakhouse Salad With Pesto Vibes
Turning rib-eye steaks every minute while they cook over medium-high heat may seem fussy, but it results in a refined sear and uniform doneness. Let the cooked steaks rest on the cutting board while you chop the pesto ingredients; consider using walnuts, pine nuts, or a mix. Garnish the salad with shaved Parmesan or ricotta salata.
Photo by Heidi's Bridge11/13Steak Salad With Shallot Vinaigrette
“I made this last Christmas and my family insists on it for every holiday now,” writes one BA reader, who adds that the Dijon mustard-and-shallot-heavy salad dressing is in heavy rotation in their kitchen all year long. Seasoning the steak with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, and then letting the beef come to room temperature while prepping the other salad ingredients allows the flavors to infuse—and means the steak will cook quicker and more evenly.
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Sean Dooley, Prop Styling by Allison Ritchie12/13Curried Steak With Sweet-and-Sour Cucumber Dressing
