This grilled steak salad is drizzled with blue cheese vinaigrette and loaded with satisfying ingredients: avocado, pickled red onion, pepitas and more. It’s an easy weeknight go-to we make all the time.
Dinner tonight is going to be really good.
This salad is a regular in our rotation. I make it when I have leftover steak, extra blue cheese, or pickled onions on hand. It’s flexible, quick, and reliably delicious whenever we want a steak salad.
Sometimes I serve fries alongside it — and yes, you should try that.
When I make dinner salads I aim for a restaurant-quality result: bold seasoning, varied textures and a dressing that ties everything together. I usually start with a base of spring greens and add elements that complement the protein on top.
Must-haves for my salads are plenty of seasoning, bright texture and crunch — non-negotiables. We often do chicken or leftover burger salads, but when it’s steak night, this is how I make it.
The vinaigrette
The blue cheese vinaigrette is the star here. It brings tangy, briny flavor without coating the steak in cheese. The crumbled blue cheese softens and melds into the dressing as it sits, amplifying the overall flavor.
This vinaigrette is one of my favorite dressings to keep on hand. If you like blue cheese and a bright, vinegary dressing, you’ll love it.
For the steaks, filets are our top pick, though strip steaks work great too. Season simply with kosher salt and pepper, grill on high heat, and let the meat rest before slicing — that yields perfect, juicy results.
The rest of the salad is straightforward: spring greens, cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, pickled red onions and sliced avocado. Finish with roasted pepitas for crunch and a generous drizzle of the blue cheese vinaigrette.
This salad delivers big flavor, lots of texture, and real satisfaction — it tastes like something you’d happily order at a restaurant.
Our Favorite Grilled Steak Salad
Everyday Steak Salad
2 people, easily multiplied
Ingredients
- 2 filets or strip steaks
- kosher salt and pepper
- 12 ounces spring greens
- 2 baby cucumbers, chopped
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered
- 1 avocado, thinly sliced
- 3 tablespoons roasted pepitas
- pickled red onions, for topping
Blue cheese vinaigrette
- 3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 tablespoon chopped chives
- 1 tablespoon fresh dill
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
- pinch of salt and pepper
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 3 to 4 tablespoons crumbled blue cheese
Instructions
- Preheat your grill to the highest setting. Remove the steak from the fridge at least 30 minutes before grilling to take the chill off. While the steak comes to room temperature, prepare the dressing and the salad.
- Toss the greens with a big pinch of salt and pepper in a large bowl. Add the tomatoes, cucumbers and pickled red onions.
- Grill the steak: place on the grates and cook about 5 minutes, then flip and cook another 3 to 5 minutes. I prefer an internal temperature around 140°F for medium-rare. Remove and let rest 10 to 15 minutes before slicing.
- Add the avocado and sliced steak to the salad, sprinkle with pepitas, drizzle with the blue cheese vinaigrette and serve immediately.
Blue cheese vinaigrette
- Whisk together the vinegar, garlic, chives, honey and dijon. Stream in the olive oil while whisking until emulsified. Stir in the crumbled blue cheese. Store in the fridge for 2–3 days.
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Who can resist?