Grilled Steak Salad with Roasted Jalapeño Dressing
One of my favorite year-round salads is Grilled Steak Salad with Roasted Jalapeño Dressing. It’s robust enough that you won’t feel like you’re eating a salad. And with my Roasted Jalapeño Dressing? Forget about it! You will pour it over everything! This mouthwatering salad celebrates fresh ingredients-grilled corn, poblano peppers, onions, zucchini, radishes, and tomatoes, with fresh avocado and finished with a squeeze of lime. Delicious!
Table of contents
How to make a great Grilled Steak Salad
The best grilled steak salad has a combination of textures and flavors. The dressing should be the finishing touch to marry all the delicious flavors on the platter. I add grilled veggies to my fresh ingredients for my Grilled Steak Salad. Fresh corn, zucchini, red onions, and poblano peppers grilled to perfection. Fresh romaine, tomatoes, radish, and cilantro complement the flavors fabulously. The Roasted Jalapeño Dressing is creamy but with a lighter consistency and a fresh, bright taste. Don’t be alarmed by the roasted jalapeno pepper; it has a smokier flavor with just a hint of heat. (The trick is to remove the seeds and membrane.)
This beautiful salad is perfect for serving a crowd. I like to serve the grilled steak on a large platter and arrange the salad ingredients on the edges so everyone can pick and choose their favorites. Last but not least, this is a perfect make-ahead salad, and boy, do I love that! Prepare all the grilled veggies, fresh veggies, and the Roasted Jalapeño Dressing earlier in the day, and all you have to do is grill the steak before serving. 🙌🏼
Best cuts of beef for a steak salad
There are two types of steak for these types of salads. If you serve this salad to a crowd, I suggest a sizeable lean cut like flank steak, sirloin, or a London broil. These cuts are significant in size, lean, and slice up beautifully for a large group. The other options for smaller portions are hangar steak, skirt steak, sirloin, and filet mignon, which are delicious in this salad and on a smaller scale. If you use sirloin or London broil, allow it to rest for 10-15 minutes to maximize tenderness and cut against the grain. Smaller steaks like pieces of hanger, skirt steak, and filet mignon slice up nicely right away, but I still recommend five minutes of resting before slicing.
Best dressings for a grilled steak salad
And what do you pour over a fabulous Grilled Steak Salad? An equally fabulous Roasted Jalapeño Dressing that you will love. A creamy vinaigrette-type dressing works best with a hearty salad every day of the week. Bold vinaigrettes complement the robust flavor of grilled steak. If you love intense, creamy dressings, think blue cheese, gorgonzola, ranch-type dressings, or something like my Rich and Spicy Avocado Dressing. My grilled steak salad has grilled and fresh veggies, and my Roasted Jalapeno Dressing is the perfect complement for both.
Ingredients
My Grilled Steak Salad with Roasted Jalapeño Dressing can be prepared quickly. I recommend grilling the vegetables first, preparing the fresh ingredients, making the dressing, and finishing grilling the steak.
Roasted Jalapeño Dressing
- 1 roasted jalapeno pepper (seeds, stem, and membrane removed after roasting.)
- 1 teaspoon of extra virgin olive oil + extra to spray or brush onto zucchini and red onion
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1 tomatillo, husk removed and cut into large chunks.
- 1/3 cup fresh Cilantro
- 1 clove garlic, peeled
- 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped shallot
- 1 teaspoon sugar, honey or agave syrup
- 1 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt (use less if using table salt or sea salt)
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
Grilled Steak Salad
- 6-8 Romaine lettuce leaves
- 1 large zucchini, sliced lengthwise
- 1 medium red onion, peeled, sliced thick
- 2 poblano peppers, roasted/grilled (stem, seeds, and membrane removed) sliced into strips
- 2 cobs of fresh corn, husks removed, grilled and cut off the cob
- Ripe avocado, peeled, pit removed and sliced
- Radishes, whole or sliced
- Cherry tomatoes, whole or sliced
- 1 1/2 pounds of lean steak, like flank or sirloin
- 2 teaspoons of coarse kosher or sea salt
Grilling vegetables
For this Grilled Steak Salad, I grill vegetables and roast jalapeño pepper. While the vegetables are grilling, I prepare the fresh ingredients.
Preheat grill to medium-low. Using a small piece of aluminum foil paper, place a fresh jalapeno pepper and drizzle with some extra virgin olive oil. Fold the foil paper over the jalapeño pepper so it’s a packet and the oil doesn’t leak.
Next, spray or brush extra virgin olive oil on the sliced zucchini and red onions. Remove husks and silk threads. Last, wash and dry the poblano peppers.
Place the wrapped jalapeno pepper, zucchini, red onions, corn, and poblano peppers on the grill. The poblano peppers should be placed on the grill whole. Grill and turn the zucchini and red onion slices until they are tender and grill marks are present. Next, rotate the corn on the grill every 4 minutes until tender with a little char marks. The corn will grill for about 10-15 minutes. Rotate the poblano peppers until the skins are charred, about 15 minutes.
- Remove grilled onion and zucchini and place on a platter.
- Remove the corn from the grill and place it on another plate. Once it is cool enough to handle, cut off the cobs.
- Remove the charred poblano peppers and place them in a clean kitchen towel. Using the same towel, cover and allow the poblano peppers to rest for about 10 minutes. When they are cool enough to handle, remove the charred skin, stems, and seeds and discard them. Slice the peppers into strips.
- Remove wrapped jalapeno pepper from the grill and allow to cool. Once cooled, remove the stem, seeds, membrane, and any loose charred skin (if any).
How to make Roasted Jalapeño Dressing
Using a food processor or a small blender, add the sour cream, mayonnaise, roughly chopped tomatillo, fresh cilantro, vinegar, shallot, garlic, roasted jalapeño, sugar, salt, and pepper. Pulse until completely creamy. Adjust salt if needed. This dressing has the consistency of a vinaigrette, not a thick dressing. It is intended to be this way. Place in a bottle or jar with a lid and chill while preparing the rest of the salad. This recipe will yield 1 1/2 cups of dressing.
Grilling steak for the salad
Now it’s steak time! Increase the grill’s temperature to medium-high. Pat the steak dry with paper towels and remove any moisture. Season the steak generously on both sides with coarse kosher or sea salt.
A well seasoned steak necessary for a great grilled steak salad. I like to use coarse ground kosher or sea salt, and sometimes, I use my own Ancho chile seasoning, which complements this particular salad and its ingredients but is optional.
Place the steak on the grill on medium-high heat. I like to grill the steak on medium-high heat on both sides to get some color on the steak—about 2 minutes on each side. Then, I lower the heat to medium or medium-low. I then grill the steak until the appropriate temperature is desired. Once the steak has reached the desired internal temperature, remove it from the grill and rest for 5-10 minutes. A reminder that while the steak rests, it will continue to cook approximately 5 degrees more.
Suggested steak temperature for salads
The internal temperature of a steak depends on your personal preference. I like my steak medium rare or red on the inside, as shown in the photograph. Below are suggested cooking times and resting times to grill the steak perfectly. I highly recommend using an instant-read thermometer. I rely on this all the time.
For a one-inch thick steak:
For doneness, the thermometer should read 125° for rare, medium rare 135°, medium 145°, medium well 150°, and well 160°.
The steak will continue to cook while it’s resting, so I suggest you remove it sooner rather than later. For example, if you desire medium rare, remove at rare temp, cover loosely with foil, and let sit for about 10 minutes. It will be perfect upon serving.
How to arrange and serve this salad
A large platter is best to arrange the salad. Once the steak has rested, slice it against the grain and arrange it onto the center of the platter.
Next, add the fresh romaine leaves and the grilled corn, poblano peppers, and onion. Second, enter the fresh ingredients: fresh radishes, cherry tomatoes, and fresh sliced avocado. Third, garnish with cilantro leaves and some fresh lime wedges. Lastly, serve up that delicious Roasted Jalapeño Dressing.
I highly recommend that your family or guests dress the salads to their taste. This will allow any leftovers to be stored without the dressing, which is preferable.
Side dishes
This salad doesn’t need a side dish; potatoes, roasted or fried, are always a good idea! To serve this buffet-style for a crowd, a complimentary Cilantro Pesto Pasta with Zucchini is terrific, or you can serve it with Santa Maria-Style Pinquito Beans.
Questions and tips
The steak can be broiled in the oven or cooked on the stove top on a cast iron pan, griddle, or grill.
I prefer to serve this salad with warm steak, veggies, and crisp, cool veggies. The contrast of both works fabulously in this salad. However, both are delicious!
Ideally, all the salad ingredients should be separated from the steak before being stored. Steak can be used for leftover salad, tacos or bowls.
This dressing is perfect for fresh veggies, chips, and bowls. My favorite is using a dip for Fritos 🙂
Steak lovers! If you love a good steak recipe, try my Two Ingredient Grilled Tri-Tip Roast for a great Santa Maria Style Barbecue, Grilled Steak with Grilled Pineapple Jalapeño Salsa, or Flat Iron Steak with Lemon, Soy, and Crispy Garlic!
If you tried this recipe, please help other readers by commenting below and sharing some stars! We 🫶🏼 appreciate you!
All content and photographs ©Claudia’s Table and claudiastable.com
Grilled Steak Salad with Roasted Jalapeño Dressing
July 24, 2024
Ingredients
Roasted Jalapeño Dressing
- 1 roasted jalapeno pepper seeds and membrane removed after roasting.
- 1 teaspoon olive oil extra virgin + extra to spray or brush onto zucchini and red onion
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1 tomatillo husk removed and cut into large chunks.
- 1/3 cup fresh Cilantro
- 1 clove garlic peeled
- 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped shallot
- 1 teaspoon sugar honey or agave syrup
- 1 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt use less if using table salt or sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
Grilled Steak Salad
- 6-8 Romaine lettuce leaves
- 1 large zucchini sliced lengthwise
- 1 medium red onion peeled, sliced thick
- 2 poblano peppers roasted/grilled (stem, seeds, and membrane removed) sliced into strips
- 2 cobs of fresh corn husks removed, grilled and cut off the cob
- Ripe avocado peeled, pit removed and sliced
- Radishes whole or sliced
- Cherry tomatoes whole or sliced
- 1 1/2 pounds of lean steak like flank or sirloin
- 2 teaspoons of coarse kosher or sea salt
Instructions
- For this Grilled Steak Salad, I grill vegetables and roast jalapeño pepper. While the vegetables are grilling, I prepare the fresh ingredients.
Grill vegetables
- Preheat grill to medium-low.
- Using a small piece of aluminum foil paper, place a fresh jalapeno pepper and drizzle with some extra virgin olive oil. Fold the foil paper over the jalapeño pepper so it's a packet and the oil doesn't leak.
- Next, spray or brush extra virgin olive oil on the sliced zucchini and red onions. Remove husks and silk threads. Last, wash and dry the poblano peppers.
- Place the wrapped jalapeno pepper, zucchini, red onions, corn, and poblano peppers on the grill. The poblano peppers should be placed on the grill whole.
- Grill and turn the zucchini and red onion slices until they are tender and grill marks are present. Next, rotate the corn on the grill every 4 minutes until tender with a little char marks. The corn will grill for about 10-15 minutes. Rotate the poblano peppers until the skins are charred, about 15 minutes..
- Remove grilled onion and zucchini and place on a platter.
- Remove the corn from the grill and place on another plate. Once cool enough to handle, remove remaining husks, silk and cut off the cobs.
- Remove the charred poblano peppers and place them in a clean kitchen towel. Using the same towel, cover and allow the poblano peppers to rest for about 10 minutes. When they are cool enough to handle, remove the charred skin, stems, and seeds and discard them. Slice the peppers into strips.
- Remove wrapped jalapeno pepper from the grill and allow to cool. Once cooled, remove the stem, seeds, membrane, and any loose charred skin (if any).
Roasted Jalapeño Dressing
- Using a food processor or a small blender, add the sour cream, mayonnaise, roughly chopped tomatillo, fresh cilantro, vinegar, shallot, garlic, roasted jalapeño, sugar, salt, and pepper.
- Pulse until completely creamy. Adjust salt if needed.
- This dressing has the consistency of a vinaigrette, not a thick, creamy dressing. It is intended to be this way.
- Place in a bottle or jar with a lid and chill while preparing the rest of the salad.
Grilled Steak
- Increase the grill's temperature to medium-high. Pat the steak dry with paper towels and remove any moisture. Season the steak generously on both sides with coarse kosher or sea salt.
- Place the steak on the grill on medium-high heat. I like to grill the steak on medium-high heat on both sides to get some color on the steak—about 2 minutes on each side.
- Then, I lower the heat to medium or medium-low. I then grill the steak until the appropriate temperature that you desire. Once the steak has reached the desired temperature, remove it from the grill and rest for 5-10 minutes.
- A reminder that while the steak rests, it will continue to cook approximately 5 degrees more.
How to assemble the Grilled Steak Salad
- A large platter is best to arrange the salad. Once the steak has rested, slice it against the grain and arrange it onto the center of the platter.
- Next, add the fresh romaine leaves and the grilled corn, poblano peppers, and onion. Second, enter the fresh ingredients: fresh radishes, cherry tomatoes, and fresh sliced avocado. Third, garnish with cilantro leaves and some fresh lime wedges. Lastly, serve up that delicious Roasted Jalapeño Dressing.
- I highly recommend that your family or guests dress the salads to their taste. This will allow any leftovers to be stored without the dressing, which is preferable.
Notes
For a one-inch thick steak:
For doneness, the thermometer should read 125° for rare, medium rare 135°, medium 145°, medium well 150°, and well 160°.
The steak will continue to cook while it’s resting, so I suggest removing it sooner rather than later. For example, if you desire medium rare, remove at rare temp, cover loosely with foil, and let sit for about 10 minutes. It will be perfect upon serving.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is calculated online and should be used as a guide.
All content and photographs ©Claudia’s Table and claudiastable.com
This salad is fun and delicious, love the added spice in the dressing!