This taco salad made with leftover steak offers a convenient and delicious solution for using up leftovers. In just 15 minutes, assemble a crisp, flavorful salad, perfect for a quick weeknight meal. Easily adaptable for larger servings and differing tastebuds, this salad combines fresh romaine lettuce, tender steak, juicy cherry tomatoes, creamy avocado, and more. Drizzle with dressing, sprinkle with tortilla chips and cilantro, and enjoy!
When I say you can make this steak taco salad in 15 minutes, I really mean it.
Like I timed myself and it actually took me less time than that.
But I realize I’m fairly proficient in the kitchen and have made my fair share of meal salad recipes, including this grilled shrimp salad, a gyro salad, and even a deconstructed burger bowl as a salad – all of which can be made in 35 minutes or less.
But this taco salad recipe is still really easy.
There are some assumptions in this recipe. Like your corn is cooked (if you began with frozen), your beans are rinsed and drained, and you’ve got a dressing ready to go.
Even if you don’t have a dressing, it would only take another minute or two if you use my homemade taco salad dressing recipe – which my family loves for this recipe. Or to make things even easier (if that’s possible) you could use this two ingredient salsa sour cream as a dressing.
Whatever you use, you’re going to have a meal ready in no time flat. So read on for the super simple instructions, as well as some tips to make this recipe.
Grab these ingredients
(Note: the full ingredients list, including measurements, is provided in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.)
- Leftover steak – any kind of steak will work, though my favorite is a grilled flank steak (what is shown above)
- Lettuce – this recipe calls for romaine but use whatever type you prefer. When recipe testing I noticed that one heart of romaine made just enough lettuce for two salads.
- Toppings – cherry tomatoes, black beans, avocado, cooked corn kernels, cilantro, tortilla chips (for crunch), and cheese are what’s included in the recipe, but you can add other items like pico de gallo, guacamole, sour cream, or salsa.
- Dressing – use either a store-bought dressing or make your own. I love my 3-ingredient taco salad dressing in this recipe.
How to make steak taco salad
(Note: please see the recipe card at the end of this post for the complete written instructions.)
Because the steak is already cooked, this salad comes together super quickly. All you have to do is a bit of quick prep and then combine everything in a bowl!
*Salad Tip: Make sure to dry your lettuce! Leaving your lettuce wet will prevent the dressing from sticking to the leaves, making for a less flavorful salad.
What steak to use for taco salad
You can use whatever steak you have for leftovers – they’ll all work. If you’re cooking steak specifically for this taco salad, I would recommend using a flank or skirt steak. Both cook relatively quickly, with skirt steak being the quickest due to its thin cut.
Looking for a steak to make for this taco salad recipe? Try one of these:
- Chili lime flank steak (coming soon!)
- Paleo grilled flank steak
- Smoked skirt steak
- Dry rubbed flank steak
Save this post to your Pinterest for later! ⤵️
If you make and like this taco steak salad recipe, then please leave a 5-star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below!
You can also FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM, AND PINTEREST to see more good-to-eat, gluten-free food on and off the grill.
15-Minute Taco Salad with Leftover Steak
Equipment
- 2 salad bowls
Ingredients
- ½ lb leftover steak
- 1 heart of romaine or other lettuce, pre-chopped if preferred
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes
- ½ avocado
- ½ cup canned black beans rinsed and drained
- ½ cup cooked corn kernels
- ¼ cup cheese of choice cotija, queso fresco, or a shredded Mexican blend
- dressing store bought or homemade
- tortilla chips to crumble on top for crunch
- cilantro optional
Instructions
- Wash the heart of romaine lettuce if necessary, then dry it off with a towel and use a large sharp knife and cutting board to chop it into bite-sized pieces. Place the chopped pieces into two salad bowls.
- Divide your steak in two and place each half on top of the lettuce in a bowl. You can leave it in strips or cut it into bite-sized pieces if desired.
- Wash and dry the cherry tomatoes, then use the knife and cutting board to slice them in two. Place half of the cut tomatoes into each salad bowl.
- Use the knife to dice the avocado and scoop the pieces out with a spoon and into each salad bowl, placing half of the diced avocado per bowl.
- Place the rest of the ingredients in each salad bowl, dividing them in two to create equal portions.
- Pour the desired amount of dressing over each bowl (I like to start with 1 or 2 tablespoons per salad and add more if needed), then top with crumbled tortilla chips and bits of cilantro and serve.
Notes
- Serves 2, but amounts can be increased to serve more.
- Make sure to dry your lettuce! Leaving your lettuce wet will prevent the dressing from sticking to the leaves, making for a less flavorful salad.
- This homemade taco dressing recipe goes great with this salad!
Leave a comment