This Southwestern Steak Salad comes together in under thirty minutes with easy to find ingredients and makes for a perfect grilled dinner!
This post originally appeared in 2015 as a sponsored post for the Wisconsin Beef Council, who I continue to greatly support.
This salad recipe will leave you feeling totally full and satisfied. It has the perfect Jalapeño Ranch Dressing to go on top. This salad is hearty enough to make a great dinner. Just throw some chips and guacamole on the table and a big pitcher of margaritas and you are good to go!
How to Make Steak Salad
- Make the dressing: This is a very simple steak salad dressing that comes together your blender.
- Season the beef: We are using a dry rub to season our top sirloin steak. I used my homemade taco seasoning, but you could certainly use a store bought packet to cut out a step.
- Grill the beef and corn: Throw them both on your warmed up grill until the beef is 145 degrees, and the corn has some great char marks.
- Combine the rest of the ingredients: We are also using tomatoes, avocado, red onion, and black beans in this great steak salad recipe.
Marinating vs. Dry Rub
I love marinating meat to grill. My favorite recipe to do that in is my Chicken Tacos. While a marinade both flavors and tenderizes meat, a dry rub just adds flavor.
What Cut of Beef to Use
For this recipe, since we aren’t marinating, we want to pick a tender cut of beef. The top sirloin that I used here is perfect, but you could also use a rib eye.
Using an Instant Read Thermometer
Because thickness of cuts of beef as well as the temperatures of grills vary so greatly, I always encourage people to buy an instant read thermometer. They are the most handy kitchen tool and allow you to cook beef, chicken, and turkey to perfection. This is the instant read thermometer I recommend.
I like taking this meat off the grill when it hits 130 (medium rare), and then letting it rest for 10 minutes before slicing it. But the beauty of an instant read thermometer is that you can control how done you want your beef. If you like your meat done medium, take it off at 140, medium well, take it off at 150, and well done, 160.
Variations and Substitutions
I love this recipe as is, but if you are looking to mix things up a little, here are a few things you could add.
- Change up the dressing. I often just add a combination of salsa and sour cream to taco salads, and I think that would be great here.
- Make it low carb. If you leave off the corn, you will have a low carb dinner, and it will still be delicious and satisfying.
- Add in some pickled jalapeños.
What to Serve with Steak Salad
This recipe works great as a complete meal for either lunch or dinner. It makes enough to easily serve four adults. But if you are looking to round things out a little further here are some great side dish ideas.
If you make this Steak Salad recipe or any of my other recipes, please leave me a comment and let me know what you think!
Southwestern Steak Salad with Jalapeño Ranch Dressing
Ingredients
For Dressing
- 1 clove of garlic
- 1/4 cup flat leaf parsley
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 tablespoon fresh chives
- 1/4 cup pickled jalapeños
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
For Salad
- 3 tablespoons taco seasoning or a 1 ounce storebought packet
- 1 pound top sirloin steak
- 2 Roma tomatoes diced
- 2 ears of corn
- 1 avocado sliced
- 1/2 red onion diced
- 1 cup black beans
- 2 heads of romain lettuce chopped
Instructions
To Make Jalapeno Ranch Dressing
- Add the garlic to the blender, and chop in blender. Add the rest of the dressing ingredients and blend until smooth, scraping down the sides intermittently to make sure it is well combined.
To Make the Salad
- Rub the taco seasoning into both sides of the steak and remove husk from corn. Grill both over medium heat until the steak is 130 degrees (for medium rare) and the corn begins to turn bright yellow and char.
- Remove the steak from the grill, tent with aluminum foil for 10 minutes and then slice thin, cutting against the grain of the meat. Combine with the rest of the salad ingredients and top with salad dressing to taste.
did you make this
Southwestern Steak Salad with Jalapeño Ranch Dressing
mat says
This is my kind of salad! so perfevt for summer and that dressing sounds amazing!
Thanks Mat! The dressing is definitely going to be a new go to! Seriously easy to make!
Deborah says
We are total beef lovers, and this salad is speaking to me!!
Thanks Deborah! It was so crazy good!
Jenny Flake says
Awesome salad! Great flavors!
Kim Beaulieu says
We’re huge beef fans here. We probably eat it 3 times a week. I could eat it every single day, quite honestly. This looks utterly delicious. Nothing beats a steak salad.
Trish - Mom On Timeout says
This steak salad has got my name written ALL over it! That dressing looks divine and that steak is ON POINT!
Thanks Trish!!
clarissa perez says
thankyou I will try this next time my girls come to see me. thank.
AVK says
What is a good low carb sub for butter milk?