Fajita Steak Salad

A Salad Fit for a Meal: Loaded Fajita Steak Salad Recipe

Before You Get Started

Before you begin, make sure to take the steak out of the fridge about 20-30 minutes before searing it. This will help it cook more evenly and brown better. Also, wait until the skillet is literally smoking hot before adding the steak.

How to Make This Recipe

Make the Dressing

Add all the dressing ingredients to a small bowl and whisk them together until they’re completely emulsified. You can use a hand mixer if you’d rather, or even an immersion blender!

Season the Steak

Warm a large cast-iron skillet over high heat for about 10 minutes or until it starts to smoke slightly. While the pan is warming up, cover the flank steak with generous amounts of cumin, sweet paprika, salt, and pepper, making sure to season both sides well.

Cook the Steak

Once the pan is hot, lay the flank steak in the skillet completely flat. Let it sear for about 4 minutes without touching it – you want it to develop a deep golden-brown crust on the underside. Once that’s happened, flip it over and sear the other side until the internal temperature of the steak hits your target temp based on your preferred doneness.

Internal Temperature Guidelines

To cook your steak to your desired temperature, follow this chart:

Rare: Target temperature: 120°F-125°F
Medium Rare: Target temperature: 130°F-135°F
Medium: Target temperature: 140°F-145°F
Medium Well: Target temperature: 150°F-155°F
Well Done: Target temperature: 160°F-175°F

Cheryl’s Tip: When you hit your target temp, move the steak to a cutting board and cover it loosely with aluminum foil. Let it rest for about 10 minutes until you slice it, to give the juices time to settle. It’ll also finish cooking during that time, so you really can’t skip this step!!

Sauté the Veggies

Reduce the heat under the skillet to medium and let it cool a little so you don’t burn the oil or the vegetables. Once it’s cooled down slightly, add the oil and warm it until it’s hot and shimmery, then add the sliced vegetables, salt, and pepper. Sauté everything, stirring occasionally, 8 to 10 minutes or until the veggies have softened and started to char around the edges.

Assemble the Salad

Arrange a bed of romaine lettuce on a serving platter (or even on a rimmed baking sheet!). Top the lettuce with sautéed veggies and any other ingredients you like – sliced avocado, halved tomatoes, tortilla strips, roasted corn, whatever! Slice the steak and lay it on top of the salad, then drizzle the dressing over everything and serve!

Nutrition Information