We like to call this Everyone’s Favorite Steak Salad because everyone who’s ever tried it loves it.

Perfectly cooked flank steak, creamy avocado, sweet corn, cucumber, and fresh cilantro get tossed in a tangy lime dressing. It’s the perfect summer steak salad, and I make it all year long. (Leave out the cilantro if you’re one of those people who don’t like it!)

This is a no lettuce steak salad, too, so it holds up beautifully in the fridge. Honestly, it’s almost better the next day. I always double it when we need school lunches or a work lunch the next day because everyone’s happy to take it and eat it cold.

Why You’ll Love This Steak Salad

• It’s a healthy, filling meal with lean flank steak for protein and corn and avocado for fiber
• There’s no lettuce to wilt, so it’s great for meal prep and packed lunches
• The acidity of the lime with the savoriness of the steak pair beautifully, and the lime juice in the dressing helps keep the avocado from turning brown if you save any of it
• It’s fast! The whole thing comes together in about 30 minutes

It’s also a filling, high-protein meal. Made with 1 ½ pounds of flank steak, it has about 26 grams of protein and 375 calories per serving when you divide it into 6 servings, or up to about 40 grams of protein when you split it into 4 bigger servings. The exact numbers vary depending on how much steak you use and how big your servings are.

Steak Salad Ingredients

• Flank steak (or any steak you want)
• Avocados
• Corn on the cob (frozen is fine, but fresh off the cob is best)
• English cucumber
• Jalapeño (optional)
• Fresh cilantro (sub parsley if you hate cilantro)
• For the honey-lime dressing: extra virgin olive oil, fresh lime juice, honey, a garlic clove, sea salt and black pepper

Ingredient Notes

Flank Steak

I use 1 to 1 ½ pounds of flank steak. It’s lean, full of flavor and perfect cut into bite-size pieces. Any steak works, though, and leftover steak is great here. Here’s my guide to cooking the perfect flank steak if you want more detail.

Corn

Use 2 ears of fresh corn. I cut the kernels off the cob and sauté them for 5 minutes, which takes the raw edge off and keeps them sweet and crisp. You can also boil or grill the ears, then cut off the kernels. Grilled corn adds a little smoky flavor.

Frozen corn is totally ok too if you don’t have fresh corn, just defrost it and drain out any excess liquid (or pat it dry with a paper towel if it needs it). I don’t love corn from the can so I don’t keep it around, but if you like it, that works too.

If you love corn salads, try my summer corn salad, too.

Jalapeño

For a mild heat, remove the seeds and the white ribs (that’s where the heat lives!), then chop the jalapeño very finely so you get a little warmth in every bite. Jalapeños vary a lot in heat, so taste a tiny piece before you add it and use as much as you like. Skip it if you don’t like the spicy heat.

Honey-Lime Dressing

Fresh lime juice makes this dressing. You’ll need about 2 limes for 3 to 4 tablespoons. The honey balances the tartness—you can use any sweetener of choice but honey is a wonderful complement.

For the garlic: My favorite dressing trick for most salads is to smash a garlic clove and let it sit in the dressing for 5 to 10 minutes while I chop the vegetables. It gives the dressing a mild garlic flavor, and you just take the clove out before serving (and you’re not tasting garlic through the next day). If you love garlic and want a stronger flavor, press or grate it into the dressing instead.

How to Make Steak Salad with Avocado

1. Start the dressing: Whisk the dressing in a large bowl and add a smashed garlic clove. Let it sit while you cook and chop so the garlic gently infuses. For an extra strong garlic flavor, press or grate it into the dressing instead.
2. Cook the steak: Season the flank steak and sear it in a hot skillet or on the grill for 4 to 5 minutes per side. Let it rest for 5 minutes, then slice it thinly against the grain and cut it into bite-size pieces and put it in a large serving bowl.
3. Reverse Marinate: Discard the garlic clove from the dressing if you smashed it and pour 1/3 of it over the warm steak so it can soak up all the flavor.
4. Sauté the corn: While the steak cooks or rests, cut the corn kernels from the cob and sauté in a few teaspoons of avocado oil or olive oil for 5 minutes
5. Chop: Chop the cucumber, avocado, jalapeño and cilantro and add them to the bowl.
6. Toss: Add the corn, cucumber, avocado, jalapeño and cilantro to the steak, pour over the rest of the dressing and toss gently. Taste, and add more salt or lime if needed.

See the full recipe and tips in the printable recipe card below.

Tips for the Best Steak Salad

• Add the steak while it’s still warm: Warm steak soaks up the dressing so much better than cold steak.
• Slice against the grain: Flank steak has long fibers. Cutting across them keeps every bite tender.
• Don’t skip the rest: Five minutes lets the juices settle back into the steak instead of running onto the cutting board.
• Use a meat thermometer: Flank steak is thin and cooks fast. Pull it at about 130 to 135°F for medium-rare. I pull mine at 135. You can go up to 145, but I wouldn’t go past that, as it will be overcooked.
• Add the avocado last: Toss it in gently at the end so it stays in nice pieces.
• Don’t like cilantro? Use arugula instead. Arugula and steak are a fantastic combination.
• Make it your own! Add any chopped veggies you have and want to use up. Red bell pepper or tomato would also be great here. Some people like to add green onion or red onion, too, which are also good additions. I love onions but actually prefer this salad without them. This steak salad is easy to make your own.

Make-Ahead and Meal Prep

• Store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
• The lime juice helps keep the avocado green, and the flavors get even better as everything marinates together. Give it a stir before serving.
• Because there’s no lettuce, this steak salad is one of my favorite meal-prep lunches.

Ideas to Serve with Steak Salad

• On its own for lunch or dinner
• With tortilla chips for scooping
• Over a bed of greens or brown rice if you want to bulk it up
• Bring it to a potluck or a party—it’s Everyone’s Favorite Steak Salad after all! 🙂

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Steak Salad FAQs

What is the best steak for steak salad?

Flank steak is my favorite because it’s lean, flavorful and easy to cut into bite-size pieces. Sirloin, skirt steak or leftover steak all work, too.

Can I make steak salad ahead of time?

Yes. Without lettuce, it keeps for up to 3 days in the fridge, and it’s almost better the next day.

How do I keep the avocado from turning brown?

The lime juice in the dressing helps a lot. Toss the avocado well so it’s coated, and store the salad in an airtight container.

Is steak salad healthy?

This one is a well-balanced meal: lean steak for protein, plus corn, cucumber, avocado and cilantro, with a simple homemade dressing.

Is this steak salad gluten-free?

Yes. Everything in it is naturally gluten-free.

Looking for more? Try my flank steak fajitas, my high-protein dinner ideas and high-protein lunch ideas.

If you make this steak salad, let me know how you liked it in the comments!