Grilled Steak Salad features grilled steak, pita bread, spinach, cucumbers, tomatoes, olives, feta, and a sweet lemon-honey vinaigrette.
I love adding grilled steak to a hearty salad; try this Steak Salad Recipe next!
Grilled Steak Salad
I’ve made again several recipes from the restaurant I worked at in high school and college, including creme brûlée, butternut squash soup, and bread pudding. After many double shifts, I got to try almost every meal, including the twice-a-year menu changes.
One favorite was the grilled pita and steak salad, a customer favorite that was on the menu all seven years I worked there. I’ve finally made my own version and am happy to share this Grilled Steak Salad recipe!
With grilled pita, medium-rare steak, crisp veggies, feta, and lemon-honey dressing, it’s as good as it gets!
Grilled Steak Salad Ingredients
- Steak: A New York strip steak is best for this salad, but ribeye is also good.
- Pita bread: Sprinkled with salt, grilled, and cut into triangles.
- Baby spinach: I keep it whole, but feel free to chop it for the salad.
- Cherry tomatoes: The riper and fresher, the better!
- English or Persian cucumbers: Avoid regular cucumbers, as they get soggy quickly.
- Kalamata olives: If you don’t like olives, skip them. Black olives also work.
- Feta cheese: If you don’t like it, leave it out, but you may need a little extra salt.
Dressing Ingredients
With only five ingredients in this dressing and the simplest prep method, you’ll never go back to store-bought dressings again on your Grilled Steak Salad!
- Fresh lemons: A small juicer is helpful, and a microplane works well for zesting.
- Apple cider vinegar: I prefer Heinz® or Bragg® apple cider vinegar.
- Dijon mustard: Mustard thickens the dressing and adds a strong flavor. I like Grey Poupon® Dijon.
- Honey: You can adjust if you want it sweeter or less sweet.
- Extra virgin olive oil: The better the olive oil, the better the dressing (and salad) will taste.
Grilling Tips
- Choose thickness: Go for a steak at least 1 inch thick, preferably 1.5–2 inches. This helps get a red center.
- Coat the grill grates with oil: Once the grill is hot, clean it with a wire brush, then oil the grates by rubbing paper towels soaked in oil with tongs. This gives perfect grill marks and a nice brown crust.
- Preheat the grill: High heat browns the meat, keeping it moist and adding flavor.
- Let steak rest: After grilling, cover with foil and let it sit for 5-10 minutes to redistribute juices. For a steak salad, let it cool until warm.
- Grill the pita: Watch closely—it should be soft and fluffy with a slightly crusty exterior, not hard.
Quick Tip
Once dressed, Grilled Steak Salad needs to be eaten and enjoyed promptly. The dressing makes the lettuce wilt and pita bread soften. I’d recommend only dressing what you will enjoy the same day. Store the dressing and salad components separately for leftovers.
More Delicious Salad Recipes
- Panzanella Salad with a balsamic dressing
- Cobb Salad with an herby dressing
- Chipotle Chicken Salad with a sweet lime dressing
- Sun Dried Tomato Couscous Salad with a lemon dressing
- Caprese Salad with a basil dressing
Easy Grilled Steak Salad
This Grilled Steak Salad is a restaurant-worthy favorite! Juicy grilled steak, warm pita, spinach, crisp cucumbers, sweet tomatoes, olives, and feta come together with a tangy-sweet lemon-honey vinaigrette.
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 pound steak such as New York or ribeye
- Olive oil
- Salt and pepper
- 2 white pita breads
- 6 cups fresh baby spinach large stems removed and coarsely chopped, if desired
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes halved
- 1-1/2 cup English cucumbers or Persian (salad) cucumbers, coined (about 3 Persian cucumbers or 1 English cucumber)
- 1/2 cup Kalamata olives pitted and halved
- 1/3 cup feta cheese coarsely crumbled
Lemon Honey Vinaigrette
- 1 to 2 large lemons
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Dijon-style mustard
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 3/4 cup olive oil
Instructions
Grill Steak and Pitas
- Heat the grill to high heat (400–450°F). Once grill is hot, clean it with a wire brush. Roll up a few paper towels and drench them in canola oil. Using tongs, rub the paper towel wad along the grill grates generously. Remove the steaks from the fridge and drizzle with olive oil (about 1 tablespoon total), then generously sprinkle with salt and pepper over the top, sides, and bottom (about 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper).
- Place steaks on the grill and cook for about 4–5 minutes. Using tongs, flip the steak over and continue to grill for 3–5 minutes for medium-rare (internal temperature of 135°F; see note 1). Once steaks are cooked to your preference, remove them to a plate or cutting board and tent loosely with foil for 5–10 minutes to give the juices chance to redistribute. If not serving right away, chill until ready to eat. Cut steak crosswise (against the grain) into thin slices.
- Drizzle pita breads on both sides with olive oil and lightly sprinkle on salt. Grill 10 seconds per side. Remove, let slightly cool, then cut into small triangles or squares.
Lemon Honey Vinaigrette
- Combine 1/2 tsp lemon zest, 4 tbsp lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, mustard, salt and pepper to taste (I use 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper), honey, and oil in a large jar. Seal the jar and shake it well until the dressing becomes emulsified. Place in the fridge until ready to use, shaking again before dressing the salad.
- You might not use all the dressing—it makes a lot! Add dressing to your preference and store leftovers, up to 1 week, in the fridge.
Salad
- In a large bowl, combine the baby spinach, cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, olives, and half the feta cheese. If enjoying immediately, toss the salad with enough vinaigrette to coat (don’t dress anything you want leftover—see “Storage” below). Taste and season the salad with salt and pepper to taste. Add steak slices on top of the salad along with pita triangles. Top with remaining cheese and drizzle on a bit more vinaigrette over the steak. Serve and enjoy immediately!
Recipe Notes
Note 1: The grilling time will vary greatly based on your grill, steak (the thickness), and the actual temperature of your grill. For best results, use a meat thermometer and remove the meat when it is 5 degrees below your desired internal temperature. It will cook a bit more after being removed due to carryover heat. Below are the temperature ranges based on how well done you like your steak:
- Rare: 120–125°F
- Medium-Rare: 135°F (about 4–5 minutes on one side and another 3–5 minutes on the other side; high-heated grill)
- Medium: 140°F (about 5–7 minutes on one side and another 3–5 minutes on the other side; high-heated grill)
- Medium-Well: 150°F (about 8–10 minutes on one side and another 3–5 minutes on the other side)
- Well-Done: 160–175°F.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 646kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 50g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 31g | Cholesterol: 58mg | Sodium: 795mg | Potassium: 1708mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 22547IU | Vitamin C: 86mg | Calcium: 344mg | Iron: 9mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This is a great salad, everything’s better with steak, love the dressing too!
Excited to try something other than grilled chicken for salads!! YUM 🙂
You have to try this out! It’s absolutely amazing! I hope you enjoy! 🙂
Hi Chelsea,
This salad looks amazing, excited to try it! And I loved your intro video. I’m a boy mom too and they are just so incredibly sweet. I want to do a better job of letting them help in the kitchen. Sometimes it’s hard because you know it will be a total mess, but I also know the more I let them help, the better they’ll get and then maybe they’ll start cooking the dinners. I can dream, right? 🙂