I think I’ve found a salad I could eat every day.
Not the over-the-top Snickers apple salad—though that one, with chocolate, Snickers and whipped cream, is undeniably a “salad” worth celebrating. This, however, is a real, everyday salad: a bit of prep, plenty of payoff. It layers bright, bold flavors and satisfying textures—crisp, creamy, tender, crunchy. If texture matters to you, it will matter here.
Beyond texture, I adore little surprises—like an unexpected shoe sale or the nostalgia of an old Lisa Loeb song. But back to the salad: in an ideal world I’d eat bowls like this every day, live somewhere charming, wear skinny jeans, and sip cappuccinos with perfect foam art. Reality is often less glamorous: days of microwaved tortilla chips with melted cheese have their place. Fortunately, those comfort lunches sometimes spark better ideas—like transforming chips-and-cheese into a fajita steak salad.
What makes this salad sing is the combination of a tequila-lime marinated flank steak and a bright chile-lime vinaigrette. Toppings include black beans, a sweet corn salsa with jalapeño and red onion, sautéed peppers, freshly grated Colby Jack, avocado slices and crunchy tortilla chips. The finishing dressing is tangy, slightly spicy, and sweetened a touch with honey—just enough to balance the tequila and lime in the steak.
Heads up: if you’re handling jalapeños or red pepper flakes, avoid touching your face—been there, done that. A margarita afterward certainly helps, though the salad holds its own without it.
This version is flexible: add more vegetables if you like, swap cook methods for the steak (grilling works beautifully), or adjust the heat in the dressing. The components are simple but layered: tequila-lime marinade for the steak, charred or sautéed peppers, beans and corn for heartiness, creamy avocado, melty cheese, and crunchy chips. Toss it all with the chile-lime vinaigrette and you have a bright, satisfying main-course salad.
Tequila Lime Flank Steak Fajita Salad with Chile Lime Vinaigrette
Yield:
2 to 4
15 mins
Pin Recipe
Leave a Review »
Ingredients
tequila lime flank steak
- 1 (about 2 lb, 1-inch thick) flank steak
- 1/3 cup tequila
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup lime juice
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- Zest of 2 limes
- 1/2 red pepper, thinly sliced
- 1/2 green pepper, thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon olive oil (for peppers)
- 1 head red romaine lettuce, washed, dried and torn
- 1/2 cup black beans
- 1/2 cup corn salsa (copycat Chipotle-style or homemade)
- 1 ounce Colby Jack cheese, freshly grated
- 1 avocado, sliced
- Tortilla chips for topping
chile lime vinaigrette
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1/2 tablespoon red pepper or chile oil
- 2 teaspoons honey
- Juice of 2 limes
- Pinch of salt and pepper
Instructions
tequila lime flank steak
- Whisk tequila, olive oil, lime juice, salt, pepper and lime zest together. Place the flank steak in a resealable bag or baking dish and pour the marinade over it. Refrigerate for 2–24 hours, turning occasionally.
- When ready to cook, preheat the broiler on high and position a rack near the top. Broil the steak 5 minutes per side for a medium-well result with a 1–1½ inch steak. Let the steak rest 5–10 minutes, then slice thinly on the bias. Grill or pan-sear if preferred.
- While the steak rests, heat a skillet over medium and add 1 tablespoon olive oil. Sauté the sliced peppers with a pinch of salt and pepper for 5–6 minutes until slightly softened.
- Assemble the salad: toss the torn lettuce with a pinch of salt and pepper, then top with sliced steak, black beans, corn salsa, sautéed peppers, grated cheese, avocado and tortilla chips. Drizzle with the chile-lime vinaigrette and toss to combine.
chile lime vinaigrette
- Combine all vinaigrette ingredients in a jar, shaker or bowl and whisk or shake until emulsified. Adjust seasoning to taste.
Did you make this recipe?
Share your photo and tag your post with the recipe name or hashtag. I appreciate your feedback!
Yeah—this one’s a keeper.