Leftover steak makes quick work of these satisfying dinner salads, which are easy to customize with a variety of refrigerator and pantry staples.
One of my go-to “fast food” meals is this grilled steak salad.
Typically, I use leftover flank or flatiron steak, purchased from a grass-fed beef stand at our local farmers market. Recently, my family has been savoring the leftovers of this flavor-packed Marinated Hanger Steak, which again, works with one of the similar cuts.
Strip steaks and tenderloin are fair game too, or you could go rogue and make this a delicious grilled chicken salad. And though you may certainly make this salad with fresh-off-the-grill meat, it really is a great way to stretch those leftovers.
To ensure an easy meal on a busy night, I intentionally buy enough beef to enjoy straight off the grill one night and for leftovers later in the week. When sliced thinly and served on a hearty salad, half as much steak will more than adequately feed my family of four guys.
Flank steak is a relatively inexpensive cut of meat that tastes great with a mere sprinkling of sea salt and freshly ground pepper and grills to medium-rare in a quick four minutes per side. I often use a spice rub similar to Montreal steak seasoning (the spice guy at our local market calls it “Quebec” seasoning, which I get a kick out of), but the brand name version tastes great too.
This recipe can be viewed as a framework. Vary it according to what you have on hand and what you like. Avocado is a deliciously satisfying addition; black beans work well, too. Leftover corn and snipped fresh herbs in the summer months similarly kick the flavor up an extra notch.
My homemade ranch dressing is light but flavorful and really makes this meal special. So fresh, flavorful, and versatile is this easy dressing, I like to make a double batch and to have on hand. (It’s also great as a dip.)
For the classic steak and blue cheese pairing, you may enjoy Greeked-Out Gorgonzola or your favorite store-bought blue cheese salad dressing. For a complementary vinaigrette that feels light but is big on flavor, I highly recommend this Red Wine Vinaigrette.
- Leftover grilled steak (like flank, flatiron, or strip), sliced thinly across the grain (Try leftovers of this easy marinated steak!)
- Mixed greens, chopped romaine, or lettuce of choice
- Cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
- Leftover fresh corn or thawed frozen corn
- Slivered red onion
- Other options: crisp bacon, crumbled blue cheese, Parmesan Croutons or Polenta Croutons, quartered or sliced Easy Peel Boiled Eggs, black olives, chopped celery, avocado, black beans, thinly sliced scallions and/or chives
- Ranch or Blue Cheese Dressing or Red Wine Vinaigrette
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Layer steak and veggies over greens.
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Drizzle with dressing of choice and toss. Sooooo easy!
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