Steak Salad
by This post may contain affiliate links.
Coffee crusted grilled flank steak tops this delicious, easy steak salad recipe. The salad is tossed with a balsamic dressing & topped with goat cheese, avocado & tomatoes! It’s packed with protein, vitamins & iron for a healthy meal. Best part is, it’s made in just 29 minutes!
Today’s post is sponsored by Vons, Don Francisco’s and Ready Pac Foods®, a Bonduelle brand.
Do you love coffee, steak and salad? I know, it might sound like an interesting combination, but these are three of my favorite things and they come together SO PERFECTLY in this new recipe!
I took my ALL TIME FAVORITE steak rub that I originally used in this recipe for Coffee Crusted Tri Tip & rubbed it on a flank steak. A flank steak is the perfect cut of meat for a steak salad, as it’s lean, it cooks up quickly and can be thinly sliced.
I used Don Francisco’s French Roast Coffee to create the rub. The dark roast coffee paired perfectly with the brown sugar, fresh rosemary and fennel seeds in the rub.
For the salad, I started with a base of Ready Pac Food’s Spinach Spring Mix. This delicious blend of greens is packed with vitamins. It pairs wonderfully with the balsamic vinaigrette salad dressing and juicy, grilled steak on top.
To top off this scrumptious Steak Salad, I added crisp slices of red onions, bright, juicy cherry tomatoes, velvety avocado and creamy goat cheese. The fun thing about this hearty salad is that you can always make it your own by adding the toppings of your choice.
Crispy croutons, pecans or almonds can be added for a little crunch. And for an added sweetness, try pears, apples or strawberries on top!
What You’ll Need
- Salad Blend – I love this Ready Pac Foods Spinach Spring Mix for this steak salad!
- Steak – preferably a flank steak, but a skirt steak will also work.
- Steak Rub – for this recipe I used THE BEST coffee rub, made with ground coffee, brown sugar, rosemary, fennel seeds, salt and pepper.
- Toppings – for this recipe, I topped the salad with red onions, cherry tomatoes, avocado and goat cheese.
- Quick Tip! It’s easy to mix up this salad by adding or switching out the toppings. Here are a few of my favorite options!
- More veggies! Diced bell peppers, sliced cucumbers or shredded carrots are all great, crisp vegetable additions to the salad.
- Different cheeses! Not a fan of goat cheese? Try blue cheese crumbles or small mozzarella balls on the salad.
- Fruit for sweetness! Sliced strawberries, diced apples or sliced pears all add a delicious sweetness to the salad.
- Add a crunch! Crispy croutons or nuts, such as almonds, pecans, cashews or pistachios add a nice crunch on top of the salad. For something even more interesting, try adding crispy onion strings on top! They pair perfectly with the steak on this salad.
- Quick Tip! It’s easy to mix up this salad by adding or switching out the toppings. Here are a few of my favorite options!
Step by Step Instructions
- Prepare the rub for the steak.
- In a small bowl, combine ground coffee, brown sugar, salt, pepper, fresh rosemary and fennel seeds.
- Rub the steak.
- Rub olive oil all over the flank steak, then coat with the coffee rub.
- Grill the steak.
- Heat a grill over medium high heat (approximately 450°F).
- Once the grill is heated, place the steak on the grill and grill for 4 minutes per side for medium rare.
- Remove the steak from the grill and let rest for 5-10 minutes before slicing.
- Quick Tip! Don’t have a grill? Heat a cast iron skillet on the stove over high heat and cook the flank steak in the skillet for 4 minutes per side.
- Slice the steak.
- Use a sharp knife or electric knife to thinly slice the steak against the grain.
- Prepare the salad.
- In a large bowl, toss spinach spring mix with balsamic vinaigrette dressing.
- Top the salad with sliced red onions, quartered cherry tomatoes, sliced avocado, crumbled goat cheese and the sliced, grilled flank steak.
Flank Steak Grilling Times & Temperatures
Flank steak should always be cooked on the grill at a medium high to high temperature, between 450°F to 500°F. Use the chart below to verify how long to cook a flank steak to the internal temperature of your choice.
I do not recommend cooking a flank steak over medium, as it’s a lean cut of meat and will dry out when overcooked.
- Rare: grill for 3 minutes per side to an internal temperature of 130°F.
- Medium Rare (recommended): grill for 4-5 minutes per side to an internal temperature of 135°F.
- Medium: grill for 6-7 minutes per side to an internal temperature of 145°F.
What cut of steak is good for a steak salad?
While flank steak is the preferred cut of steak for a steak salad, skirt steak can also be used in place of flank steak.
I picked up everything to make this great recipe at my local Vons. Be sure to grab a bag (or two!) of Ready Pac Foods Salad Blends to make this salad and your other favorites at home! Their Bistro® Salads are also totally delicious and great for an on-the go meal. I’m totally hooked on their new Kale Cran Pecan Bowl right now!
While Don Francisco’s Ground Coffee was perfect in this steak rub, it’s also wonderful for simply sipping on in the morning. Just ask Kurt, we drink Don Francisco’s K-Cups every morning! They come in a variety of flavors, all available at your local Vons.
Searching for more scrumptious salads? Try these 5 favorites!
- Caprese Quinoa Salad
- Pesto Grilled Chicken Avocado Salad
- Roasted Cauliflower Salad
- Panzanella Salad with Basil & Artichokes
- Crispy Goat Cheese Strawberry Avocado Salad
Looking for more easy steak recipes to toss on the grill? Check out these popular recipes!
- Chipotle Carne Asada Tacos
- Grilled Steak Kabobs
- Juicy Lucy Burger
- Grilled Tri Tip with The BEST Tri Tip Marinade
- Grilled Bacon Wrapped Shrimp
And don’t miss this popular post with my Top 10 Grilling Tips! Sure to make you a grill master in no time!
Made this recipe and loved it? Be sure to rate it 5 stars below! ↓
Steak Salad
Ingredients
Coffee Rubbed Steak
- 2 tbsp ground coffee
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp fresh rosemary , chopped
- 1 tsp fennel seeds
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 lb flank steak
Salad
- 5.25 oz Ready Pac Spinach Spring Mix
- ¼ cup balsamic vinaigrette
- ½ cup red onion, thinly sliced
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered
- 1 avocado, thinly sliced
- ¼ cup goat cheese, crumbled
Instructions
Coffee Rubbed Steak
- Combine the coffee, brown sugar, salt, pepper, rosemary and fennel seeds in a small bowl.
- Brush 1 tbsp olive oil on the flank steak, then rub with the coffee rub.
- Heat a grill to medium high heat (approximately 450°F).
- Once the grill is heated, add the steak to the grill. Grill for 4 minutes per side.
- Remove the steak from the grill and place on a cutting board.
- Let rest for 5-10 minutes before slicing.
- Use a sharp knife or electric knife to thinly slice the steak against the grain.
Salad
- In a large bowl, toss the spinach spring mix with the balsamic vinaigrette dressing.
- Top the salad with the onions, tomatoes, avocado, goat cheese and grilled, sliced steak.
Notes
- Cast Iron Skillet Method: Instead of a grill, the steak can be cooked on the stove in a cast iron skillet over high heat for 4 minutes per side.
- Grilling Times & Temperatures
- For a rare steak, cook the steak for 3 minutes per side to an internal temperature for 130°F.
- For a medium-rare steak, cook the steak for 4-5 minutes per side to an internal temperature of 135°F.
- For a medium steak, cook the steak for 6-7 minutes per side to an internal temperature of 145°F.
Nutrition Facts
We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.
