Flank Steak Salad with Balsamic Dressing is a refreshing and hearty salad featuring tender flavorful flank steak, crisp lettuce, and a vegetable medley tossed in a tangy lemon-balsamic vinaigrette. Make in just 20 minutes, including prep!
Whenever the weather heats up, we crave healthy meals with minimal cook time. This flank steak salad is perfect because while it is healthy, it is also richly flavored and filling. It also takes just 20 minutes to make!
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About This Dish
- Taste - The combination of robustly flavored steak, tasty veggies, and balsamic vinaigrette create a delicious flavor medley.
- Texture - The steak is soft and juicy while the other ingredients are crunchy.
- Effort - This salad recipe has just a few simple steps. All you need to do is pop the steak in the oven, whisk the balsamic ingredients, then assemble the salad.
- Time - The steak takes about 18 minutes to prep and cook. While it's cooking, it takes 2 minutes to whip up the balsamic. Then all you need to do is spend 3 minutes assembling everything.
What is Flank Steak?
Flank steak is a flat cut taken from the belly (abdominal muscles) of the cow. It is thin, richly flavored, and very tender. Given how thin the steak is, you should use a high-heat cooking method to ensure it is nicely browned on the outside before it overcooks on the inside. Methods like grilling, broiling, and pan-searing are best.
Ingredients
Flank Steak
- Flank steak - flank steak is a delicious cut that is perfectly tender when broiled.
- Garlic - Garlic adds the quintessential aroma to the steak.
- Salt - Salt accentuates the steak's rich flavor.
- Freshly ground black pepper - Black pepper adds a little spice.
- Extra virgin olive oil - Olive oil adds flavor and helps to cook the steak evenly.
Balsamic Dressing
- Balsamic vinegar - A rich, concentrated vinegar originating in Italy. It has a syrupy texture and a dark, bold balsamic flavor.
- Lemon - Lemon adds bright citrus to the salad.
- Extra virgin olive oil - Olive oil contributes to the base for the salad.
Salad
- Romaine lettuce - Romaine is a hearty and crispy lettuce that stands the weight of the other ingredients without wilting.
- Tomatoes - Plum or Roma tomatoes are rich and juicy.
- Red bell pepper - Red bell pepper has a bright flavor with a nice crunch.
- Green onions - Green onions add a mild finishing touch.
- Radish - Radish is a crisp vegetable with a sharp and peppery flavor.
- Shallot - Shallot has the flavor of a mild onion without the bite.
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Flank Steak
- Set oven to broil - Place the oven rack about 6 inches from the top of the oven (typically the first tier of the stove) and set to broil on high.
- Make incisions in steak for garlic - Use the tip of the knife to make about 20 small incisions in steak. Stuff a sliver of garlic into each incision.
- Season steak - Place the steak on a foil-lined baking sheet. Season with salt and ground pepper and drizzle with olive oil.
- Broil steak - Place in the oven and broil on high for 7-8 minutes for medium rare (130°F to 140°F).
- Slice and cool - Remove the steak from the oven and let it rest for 5 minutes. Slice and let cool to room temperature.
Balsamic Vinaigrette
- Whisk ingredients - While the steak cooks, make the dressing. In a small bowl, whisk olive oil, lemon juice, garlic powder, and balsamic vinegar. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Adjust the flavor with more olive oil, lemon juice, or balsamic vinegar if desired. Set aside.
Assemble Salad
- Dress romaine - Place chopped lettuce in a large salad bowl and dress with ⅔ of the dressing. Toss until evenly coated.
- Top with ingredients - Top the lettuce with red bell pepper, tomatoes, green onions, radish, shallot, and flank steak. Drizzle remaining dressing on top and serve.
Hint: Let the meat temper on the kitchen counter for about 15 minutes before you cook it. This ensures it will stay tender and juicy when cooked. If it is too cold, it will dry out.
FAQ
Yes, most of the ingredients are nutrient and vitamin rich. Specifically, radishes are rich in antioxidants and calcium and potassium; bell peppers are packed with vitamins C, E and beta-carotene; and romaine is high in fiber and low in calories. Finally, steak is a rich source of protein.
Yes, steak salad should is best enjoyed with room temperature or cold ingredients. Be sure to let the steak cool down after you cook it to ensure it matches the temperature of the other ingredients.
Flank steak and skirt steak are very similar. Both come from the underbelly of the cow, but flank steak is located directly under the cow's loin while skirt steak is in the cow's diaphragm. Also, flank steak is a heavier and thicker cut while skirt steak has a slightly richer flavor.
You should always cut steak against the grain, which means against the direction that the muscle fibers run. This will ensure the meat is tender and easy to chew once cooked.
When compared to other cuts, flank steak is on the cheaper side. If you are on a budget and want a similar cut for even cheaper, skirt steak is usually cheaper per pound.
Substitutions
- Dressing - Use your own bottled dressing instead! One of my favorites is Annie's Dressing because it tastes homemade.
- Mixed greens - Mixed greens are often a combination of romaine, oak leaf lettuce, arugula, frisée, and radicchio. Use mixed greens if you want more variety and more healthy greens.
- Cherry tomatoes - Replace plum or roma tomatoes with cherry tomatoes if you want a smaller and slightly more tart tomato.
- Red onion - Use red onion instead of shallot for a sharper and more pungent kick.
- Truffle olive oil - Use a flavored olive oil, like truffle olive oil, for added flavor.
- Truffle salt - Use truffle salt instead of sea salt for extra rich flavoring.
- Lime juice - Use lime juice instead of lemon juice if you prefer the taste.
- New York Strip - New York strip is not quite as tender as flank steak, but it is richly flavored. It is also often cheaper than flank steak.
Variations
- Extra protein - Add soft boiled jammy eggs to add extra protein to the salad.
- Avocado - Avocado adds a creamy texture to the crunchy salad. It's also high in potassium, fatty acids, and fiber.
- Corn - Fresh corn off the cob is sweet and has a nice crunch. Drained canned corn is also fine to use.
- Blue cheese - Add crumbled blue cheese if you like a spicy and lightly salty cheese.
- Cotija cheese - Cotija is a savory, crumbly Mexican cheese. It crumbles into small bits so you get some in each bite.
- Goat cheese - Add goat cheese for a tart and earthy flavored cheese.
- No garlic - while we love garlic, you can also enjoy this steak salad without garlic and it will still be just as delicious.
- Dijon Balsamic Dressing - Add dijon mustard to the balsamic dressing to make it extra tangy.
Other Ways to Cook a Steak
- Rare - A rare steak will have a cool center that is mostly red. In order to make the steak rare, cook it for only about 7 minutes. After 7 minutes, use a meat thermometer to check the temperature to see if it's rare (internal temperature of 125°F to 130°F).
- Medium - A medium steak will be slightly pink in the middle. Cook the steak for about 9 minutes (internal temp. of 140°F to 150°F).
- Well done - A well done steal is completely cooked through with no pink. Cook the Steak for about 10 minutes (internal temp. of about 160°F).
Equipment
This flank steak salad recipe calls for a few kitchen essentials that can be used for many other recipes. For the steak, you will need a baking sheet, cast iron skillet (use an oven mitt), or broiler pan; wire rack; tongs; knife; cutting board; and meat thermometer; mixing bowls; and a salad spinner (optional, but it does make the lettuce dry and crisp). Serve the salad on your favorite serving platter with salad servers or a pair of clean tongs.
To explore more kitchen items to make your kitchen complete, head to our Kitchen Essentials Shop.
Storage
Refrigerate the produce ingredients (lettuce, tomato, etc) and steak in separate air-tight containers, and recombine when ready. All ingredients are good for 3 days. These ingredients don't stand up well to freezing.
Cooking Tips
- Make the flank steak a day before serving for easy assembly.
- Drizzle any leftover steak juice in the pan onto the meat when you serve it.
- If you have leftover steak, but not other ingredients, make steak and eggs for breakfast!
What to Serve with Flank Steak Salad
This flank steak salad is an approachable, flavorful weeknight dinner that pairs wonderfully with red wine. If you want to make this meal extra filling, check out these great side dishes to make with the salad.
- Elotes Style Corn with Furikake
- Pan Fried Potatoes with Herbs
- Soft Boiled Jammy Eggs
- Furikake and Lemon Shishito Peppers
Did You Like this Recipe?
If you loved this gluten free steak salad recipe, check out these other delicious and healthy dinner recipes:
Flank Steak Salad with Balsamic Dressing
Equipment
- 1 Tongs
- 1 knife
- 1 salad spinner optional
Ingredients
Flank Steak
- 1 lb flank steak
- 2-3 cloves garlic sliced
- kosher or sea salt
- freshly ground black pepper
Dressing
- 1 tablespoon lemon juiced
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- kosher or sea salt
- freshly ground black pepper
Salad
- 1 head romaine lettuce chopped
- 1 red bell pepper chopped
- 2 ripe medium-sized tomatoes chopped
- 2 green onions chopped
- 4 radish sliced
- 1 shallot minced
Instructions
Flank Steak
- Set oven to broil - Place the oven rack about 6 inches from the top of the oven (typically the first tier of the stove) and set to broil on high.
- Make incisions in steak for garlic - Use the tip of the knife to make about 20 small incisions in flank steak. Stuff a sliver of garlic into each incision.1 lb flank steak, 2-3 cloves garlic
- Season steak - Place the steak on a foil-lined baking sheet. Season with salt and ground pepper and drizzle with olive oil.kosher or sea salt, freshly ground black pepper, 2 tablespoon olive oil
- Broil steak - Place in the oven and broil on high for 7-8 minutes for medium rare (130°F to 140°F).
Balsamic Vinaigrette
- Whisk ingredients - While the steak cooks, make the dressing. In a small bowl, whisk olive oil, lemon juice, balsamic vinegar, and garlic powder. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Adjust the flavor with more olive oil, lemon juice, or balsamic vinegar if desired. Set aside.1 lb flank steak, 1 tablespoon lemon juiced, 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar, 2 tablespoon olive oil, kosher or sea salt, freshly ground black pepper, ½ teaspoon garlic powder
Assemble Salad
- Dress romaine - Place chopped lettuce in a large salad bowl and dress with ⅔ of the dressing. Toss until evenly coated.1 head romaine lettuce
- Top with ingredients - Top the lettuce with red bell pepper, tomatoes, radish, shallot, green onion, and flank steak. Drizzle remaining dressing on top and serve.1 red bell pepper, 2 ripe medium-sized tomatoes, 2 green onions, 4 radish, 1 shallot
Notes
- Make the flank steak a day before serving for easy assembly.
- Drizzle any leftover steak juice in the pan onto the meat when you serve it.
- Let the meat temper on the kitchen counter for about 15 minutes before you cook it. This ensures it will stay tender and juicy when cooked. If it is too cold, it will dry out.
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