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This is the kind of steak salad you’d get at a great steakhouse. In under 30 minutes you can throw together a crisp romaine salad with grilled ribeye steak, pickled red onions, tomatoes, and a creamy blue cheese dressing made with Greek yogurt. Each bite is fresh, savory, and satisfying.
When I was an assistant editor at Cuisine at Home magazine, I was often assigned the salad recipes. Most recipe developers want the dessert recipes, few want the salad recipes. But over the years I’ve really fallen in love with developing salad recipes.
Creating a great salad is all about balancing textures and keeping the flavors bright yet savory. Plus, I love how versatile salads are.
For this blue cheese and steak salad, I wanted it to resemble an entree salad you’d get at a local steakhouse. And that means keeping the ingredient list simple, streamlined, and only to the necessary components.
Components of The Salad
- Steak: use whatever cut you like best (ribeye in my opinion) and make sure it’s at least 1-inch thick.
- Creamy Blue Cheese Dressing: my version of this classic dressing uses a combo of buttermilk and Greek yogurt. It’s tangy, not too heavy, and loaded with blue cheese.
- Lettuce: I recommend hearts of romaine for this salad. It’s a sturdy and crisp lettuce that can hold heavy toppings and dressing. You can also use chopped iceberg lettuce.
- Toppings: as I said earlier, keep the toppings simple. Pickled red onions, chives, and tomatoes are all you need.
I Prefer Ribeye Steak
In my opinion, ribeye steak is the best for a black and blue salad. However, if a different cut is on sale or you prefer something else, use that! This salad is forgiving. Other cuts that work well include NY Strip, Top Sirloin, and Skirt (cooking time will be much shorter with a skirt steak).
Cooking Tips from Recipe Testing
- For the best results, I recommend using an instant-read thermometer to monitor the internal temp of the steak. For medium rare, cook the steak to 125ºF. And for medium, cook to 135ºF.
- It’s essential that you use whole-milk Greek yogurt. Don’t skimp and use 2% or 0%. You need that fat for flavor and creaminess!
- Add homemade croutons for some crunch.
Other Methods for Cooking Steak
Grilled is definitely my go-to cooking method for this recipe but here are some other methods if you don’t have a grill.
Pan-Seared
This method can be smoky, so make sure you have your vent fan on or windows open. Preheat a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-high. Add a splash of vegetable oil and swirl to coat the pan. Add steak and cook until charred and beads of moisture begin to form around edges of steak, about 3 minutes. Flip and continue cooking until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the center registers 125ºF for medium-rare, about 3 more minutes. For medium cook to an internal temperature is 135ºF, about 4 minutes per side.
Broiled
Broiling steak is a great indoor alternative to grilling. A gas broiler achieves the best results, but an electric one will also work. Broil the meat on a baking sheet set as close to the heating element as possible. Broil for 2–5 minutes per side until desired doneness is reached. (All broilers are different, so use an instant-read thermometer to determine doneness.)
Reverse Seared
Reverse Searing steak is one of the most effective methods for achieving a perfectly-cooked steak. The method starts by slow-cooking the meat in the oven before searing the sides until golden and crisp.
Air-Fried
This method is so easy and results in an evenly cooked steak with a nice crisp crust. Preheat your air fryer to 400ºF. Place steak in air fryer basket and cook until browned and an instant read thermometer inserted in the center registers 120–125ºF for medium-rare or 130–135ºF for medium, 8–12 minutes.
Storage Instructions
The best way to store any leftovers for this steak salad are to keep all of the components separate in different containers. This keeps the flavors fresh and prevents the lettuce from becoming soggy. Then use one of these methods to reheat the steak.
30-Minute Steak Salad with Blue Cheese Dressing
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Ingredients
Blue Cheese Dressing
- 1 cup whole milk Greek yogurt
- ⅓ cup buttermilk
- 1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar*
- ¾ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- Kosher salt and black pepper
- ⅔ cup (2½ ounces) crumbled blue cheese
Steak
- 1 (1-inch thick) ribeye steak
Salad
- 9 cups chopped hearts of romaine (about 2 hearts)
- 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
- ½ cup pickled red onions
- ½ cup crumbled blue cheese
- ¼ cup chopped chives
Instructions
Dressing
- Whisk together 1 cup yogurt, ⅓ cup buttermilk, 1 tablespoon vinegar, ¾ teaspoon Worcestershire, ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper until combined. Add ⅔ cup crumbled blue cheese and whisk to combine. (If you want the crumbles to be smaller, just keep whisking to break them up.)
Steak
- Turn all burners of a gas grill to high, cover, and let grill preheat for 5–10 minutes. Brush grill grate clean. *see notes for charcoal grill instructions.
- Pat steak dry with paper towels, then season with 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper.
- When ready to cook, keep primary burner on high and turn other burners off.
- Place steak over hot part of grill and cook until beginning to char and beads of moisture appear on edges of steak, 5–6 minutes. Flip steak and continue to cook until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the center registers 125ºF for medium-rare, about 5 minutes.
- Transfer steak to a clean plate, tent loosely with foil or parchment paper and let rest 10 minutes.
Salad
- Add 9 cups romaine lettuce to a large serving bowl or platter; drizzle a few spoonfuls of dressing over top and toss to coat. Arrange 1 cup tomatoes, ½ cup pickled onions, ½ cups blue cheese crumbles, and ¼ cup chives over top.
- Slice steak against grain and arrange over salad.
- Drizzle more dressing over top and season lightly with salt and pepper; serve immediately.
Equipment
Notes
Nutrition
This post is written and created in partnership with the Iowa Beef Council. As always the thoughts, opinions, recipe, photos and content are all my own.
