Grilled Steak Salad is just that! Tender, juicy, spiced rubbed steak thinly sliced and served with crisp mixed greens, goat cheese and zesty Catalina dressing. It’s low in carbs, high in protein and filling enough for lunch or dinner.
For this recipe I used sirloin steaks that were about 1” thick. They’re relatively lean and price friendly compared to their classy cousin the tenderloin. Either steak works here, choose what suits your mood and budget. Fattier cuts like ribeyes are not the best option even though all that marbling makes for the ultimate juicy grilled steak, it sorta defeats the purpose of eating a salad for the main course. Kinda like drinking diet pop while eating a hamburger and fries. I’m sure you get my point.
Of great importance is to “rest” the meat. The resting allows all the juices to be reabsorbed back into the muscle of the meat, helping to retain its moisture and therefore tenderness and juiciness. Cutting a steak or roast without letting it rest will spill out all the meat juices that have accumulated towards the centre of the meat from the heat of cooking.
Once your steak is cooked and rested to perfection, those slightly charred and thinly sliced pieces are fantastic drizzled with a vibrant Catalina dressing. Of course homemade is preferred and you can get the recipe here Catalina Dressing It’s easier than you think and you probably have everything on hand already. Enjoy!
Recipe source for Grilled Steak Salad: Compelled To Cook
- 1 tsp brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp dried parsley
- 1/4 tsp cumin
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp chili powder
- 1/4 tsp dried oregano
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1/8 tsp garlic powder
- 1/8 tsp onion powder
- 8-10 ounces lean steak such as tenderloin or sirloin I used sirloin
- 2-3 tsp olive oil
- 4 cups mixed greens lightly packed
- 1 each roma tomato sliced
- 4" piece english cucumber sliced
- 1/4 cup crumbled goat cheese
- as needed red onion thinly sliced
- as needed Catalina Dressing see note
- In a small bowl stir together first 10 ingredients. Sprinkle steaks generously on both sides with spice rub, pressing gently to slightly adhere. Drizzle with oil and rub paste evenly over steak. Cover and set aside at room temperature while grill preheats.
- Preheat grill to medium high.
- Clean and dry mixed greens ( I like to use a salad spinner). Clean and slice vegetables, subbing in others as you like.
- Grill steak to desired doneness. 4-5 minutes per side for a medium 1" steak. It will depend on thickness of steak. Remove steak and cover with foil and allow to rest at least 5 minutes.
- While steak rests, arrange mixed greens on plate and top with sliced vegetables and crumbled goat cheese.
- Slice steak across the grain and arrange on salad. Drizzle with Catalina dressing and serve immediately.
I recommend using homemade dressing, you just can't beat it. Here's a link to my Catalina Dressing.