Everyone loves a good steak salad, am I right? This easy steak salad with blue cheese dressing is a quick and easy dinner you can make any night of the week– and trust me, it’s so much better than anything you’ll buy at the store!
how to pick the right steak
Choosing a steak can be intimidating– I completely understand! I actually didn’t have a clue how to pick a steak until I married my husband and he taught me. So, time for a quick Steak 101:
- Flat Iron: Very thin – best grilled or seared in a hot pan, flavorful but can be tough.
- Flank Steak: Also thin – best grilled or seared in a hot pan, more tender than flat iron.
- Skirt Steak: Very thin — best when marinated as it can be very tough.
- T-Bone/Porterhouse: Often come T-shaped and Bone in — best when grilled or reverse seared. Contains both the strip and tenderloin portions.
- Sirloin: inexpensive but can be tough — very lean so it can be dry if overcooked — best when quickly pan seared.
- New York Strip: Good marbling lends to good meaty flavor — delicious when used with a dry rub — great for grilling or reverse searing.
- Ribeye: typically a very large steak for one person to eat — great fat marbling and thus, great flavor — season with salt and pepper and grill or reverse sear.
- Filet Mignon: aka: Chateaubriand or Beef Tenderloin — very lean and important not to overcook but extremely tender. Never season with anything more than salt and pepper.
You can use any steak for this recipe but I’d recommend a Flank, Sirloin, or Filet (if you’re feeling fancy).
Let’s talk ingredients
Salad Greens: What kind of greens you want to use it totally up to you– use your favorite or whatever you have on hand. I always opt for arugula or a spring mix.
Steak: Check out the Steak 101 above and pick out your favorite!
Blue Cheese: This recipe lends itself best to a Gorgonzola or Danish Blue but a Stilton or Roquefort would also be delicious.
Add-Ins: I like carrots for the freshness and avocado for the creaminess– croutons would also be delicious!
Worcestershire Sauce: Adds a level of complexity to the dressing and helps emphasize the blue cheese flavor. You can find it in any grocery store near the condiments.
how to make a steak salad
Step one: Sear the steak
Bring the steak to room temperature. Cut it into 1″ cubes and pat them dry with a paper towel. Season with salt and pepper. Heat a cast iron pan (non-stick is not recommended) over medium-high heat until it is hot (about 3-5 minutes). Add the olive oil. Add the steak to the pan in an even layer and let it cook for 2 minutes or until it develops a crust on the first side.
Flip the steak to the second side and sear for another minute. Then, add in the crushed garlic clove, rosemary, and butter. Took the steak cubes in the melted butter and cook until your desired temperature.
Note: Time is not an accurate way to cook meat. A meat thermometer is highly recommended.
Step two: Make the dressing
Warm 1 oz of blue cheese in a small bowl in the microwave for 15 seconds. Add the remaining ingredients and stir until combined. The blue cheese dressing will be lumpy– that’s totally normal. The dressing can be made the night before if you’d like to use this recipe for meal prep!
step three: Assemble
Assemble the salad by placing the lettuce, followed by the steak, add-ins, and finally with blue cheese dressing to taste.
Wine pairing
Steak and blue cheese pair perfectly with a nice California Cabernet Sauvignon– it’s big, full bodied, and can stand up to the heavy flavors in the salad.
the recipe
Steak Salad with Blue Cheese Dressing
Ingredients
For the Steak
- 10 oz steak of your choice (see post)
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pepper
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 sprig of rosemary or thyme
- 1 garlic clove smashed
For the Salad
- 4 cups salad greens
- 3 oz blue cheese crumbled
- 1 large carrot sliced thin and rolled
- 1/2 avocado sliced
- sourdough bread for serving
For the Dressing
- 1 oz blue cheese
- 1/4 cup mayonaise
- 1/4 cup milk or buttermilk
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp freshly chopped parsley or 1/2 tsp dried
- 1/4 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1/4 tsp salt or to taste
- 1/4 tsp pepper or to taste
Instructions
Cook the Steak
- Bring the steak to room temperature. Cut it into 1" cubes and pat them dry with a paper towel. Season with salt and pepper.
- Heat a cast iron pan (non-stick is not recommended) over medium-high heat until it is hot (about 3-5 minutes). Add the olive oil.
- Add the steak to the pan in an even layer and let it cook for 2 minutes or until it develops a crust on the first side.
- Flip the steak to the second side and sear for another minute.
- Then, add in the crushed garlic clove, rosemary, and butter. Took the steak cubes in the melted butter and cook until your desired temperature.*
Make the Blue Cheese Dressing
- Warm 1 oz of blue cheese in a small bowl in the microwave for 15 seconds.
- Add the remaining ingredients and stir until combined. The blue cheese dressing will be lumpy– that's totally normal. The dressing can be made the night before if you'd like to use this recipe for meal prep!
Assemble the Salad
- Assemble the salad by placing the lettuce, followed by the steak, add-ins, and finally with blue cheese dressing to taste.
Notes
Nutrition
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Love it!!!