Perfectly grilled steak atop a fresh mixture of salad greens, cherry tomatoes, sliced red onion, avocado, blue cheese, and crispy roasted potatoes. All tossed in a creamy balsamic dressing for a quick and satisfying salad.
Steaks salads are something that I only used to have when I would go to a nice restaurant. But I quickly realized it was simple enough to throw together at home. You just need a good quality steak (I buy mine from Whole Foods) and some fresh vegetables and you’ve got yourself a restaurant-quality steak salad. I love to serve this with my Creamy Balsamic Dressing, but this would also be delicious with Blue Cheese Dressing or even a classic Creamy Ranch Dressing.
What you need to make Easy Steak Salad
- ribeye steak (filet or NY strip would also be delicious)
- russet potato
- olive oil
- mixed greens
- arugula
- cherry tomatoes
- red onion
- Creamy Balsamic Dressing
- avocado
- chives
- blue cheese
How to make Easy Steak Salad
The most crucial part of nailing this recipe is cooking the steak properly. It’s not a difficult task, it just takes some patience and a digital thermometer to ensure it’s cooked perfectly.
I love using ribeye streak for this recipe because it has a good amount of marbling (fat running through the steak) so there is a lower chance of the steak drying out if slightly overcooked. It also has so much flavor because of that marbling, which is a great contrast to the fresh and crunchy vegetables in the salad.
How to perfectly sear a steak
Before even thinking about cooking your steak it’s important to let it come to room temperature for at least 30 minutes. This allows the steak to be an even temperature throughout which will lead to your steak being cooked evenly throughout when you pull it off the grill. If you try to cook an ice cold steak in a ripping hot pan you’ll end up with a steak that is charred on the outside, but still raw on the inside. A room temperature steak will cook evenly and result in a beautiful sear on the outside, and an evenly cooked flesh on the inside. (Sorry for using the word flesh, but it was the only word that makes sense.)
The second most crucial part of properly cooking a steak is allowing it to rest after cooking. Letting a steak (or any protein) rest before cutting into it gives it a chance to redistribute the juices throughout the steak which will result in a perfectly juicy steak. If you cut into a steak before it has a chance to rest, the juices will spill out all over your cutting board, making a mess, but more importantly, the steak will completely dry out. Let the steak rest for 10-15 minutes (you can cover it with foil to help it stay warm), then slice into it.
Prepping the salad ingredients
While the steak is coming to room temperature, toss potatoes in a medium bowl and drizzle with olive oil. Season the potatoes with salt and pepper and roast in a 425° oven for 25-30 minutes. Cook until browned on the outside and tender on the inside. The potatoes can also be cooked in the air fryer if you have one. The air fryer will take 15-20 minutes at 385°.
While the potatoes cook, prep and set aside salad greens, tomatoes, and red onion.
Finishing the salad
Once the steak has rested for 30 minutes, heat a grill pan or barbeque to medium-high heat. Once hot, lightly oil the grill and cook the steak, searing well on both sides, for 10-15 minutes. For a more well-done steak, cook longer, but for a medium or medium-rare steak, cook for less time. Cook your steak to an internal temperature of 135°-145° for medium-rare to medium. Well done will be closer to 165° but I don’t recommend cooking steak above 155°. This will help it stay juicy and prevent it from drying out.
While the steak rests, combine salad greens, tomatoes, onion, roasted potatoes, and enough dressing to moisten the salad. Toss to coat and transfer to a serving plate.
Top dressed salad with sliced steak, avocado, chives, and blue cheese.
Drizzle on more dressing if needed and serve immediately.
Easy Steak Salad with Roasted Potatoes
Ingredients
- 8 oz Ribeye Steak
- pinch Kosher Salt
- pinch Black Pepper
- 1 Russet Potato cut into 1" cubes
- 1 teaspoon Olive Oil
- 3 oz Mixed Greens
- 2 oz Arugula
- 1 cup, sliced Cherry Tomatoes
- ¼ small Red Onion thinly sliced
- ¼ cup Creamy Balsamic Dressing recipe linked below
- 1 Avocado sliced and seasoned with a pinch of salt
- 2 tablespoons thinly sliced Chives
- 2 oz Blue Cheese or Gorgonzola, crumbled
Instructions
- To prep the steak, allow it to come to room temperature for at least 30 minutes. Salt and pepper the steak before letting it sit to allow the flavor to penetrate the meat.
- While the steak is coming to room temperature, toss potatoes in a medium bowl and drizzle with olive oil. Season the potatoes with salt and pepper and roast in a 425° oven for 25-30 minutes, until browned on the outside and tender on the inside. The potatoes can also be cooked in the air fryer if you have one. The air fryer will take 15-20 minutes at 385°.
- While the potatoes cook, prep and set aside salad greens, tomatoes, and red onion.
- Once the steak has rested for 30 minutes, heat a grill pan or barbeque to medium-high heat. Once hot, lightly oil the grill and cook the steak, searing well on both sides, for 10-15 minutes. For a more well-done steak, cook longer, but for a medium or medium-rare steak, cook for less time. Cook your steak to an internal temperature of 135°-145° for medium-rare to medium. Well done will be closer to 165° but I don't recommend cooking steak above 155° so it stays juicy and doesn't dry out.
- After the steak is cooked to your liking, let it rest for at least 10 minutes before slicing. By this time the potatoes should be finished roasting.
- While the steak rests, combine salad greens, tomatoes, onion, roasted potatoes, and enough dressing to moisten the salad. Toss to coat and transfer to a serving plate.
- Top dressed salad with sliced steak, avocado, chives, and blue cheese. Drizzle on more dressing if needed and serve immediately.
[…] more salad recipes, check out my Easy Steak Salad, Pesto Tortellini Pasta Salad, or Harvest Chopped […]