Best Gluten Free Steak Salad with Avocado Dressing
This gluten free steak salad recipe with homemade avocado dressing is both hearty and healthy! Enjoy the beef steak salad recipe as written or modify it with the dairy-free, paleo, and keto modifications listed below.
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Why You’ll Love This Steak Salad
This is a healthy yet filling steak salad recipe!
The options to personalizing this salad are endless: the beef steak can be either grilled or pan fried before slicing and toppings can be customized to your dietary preferences!
The homemade dressing is a breeze to whip up and will become a staple recipe in your home!
Be sure to add this super-simple recipe to your weekly menu, and keep reading for the recipe!
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The Best Steak for Salads
While you could use almost any beef steak for this salad, in my opinion, the best cuts of beef steak for salads are to use a rib-eye or flank steak.
How to Prepare the Best Gluten Free Steak for Steak Salad
To prepare the steak, quickly marinate the steak according to the directions below and then either pan sear the steak or grill the steak to your preferred doneness. If you grill the steak, be sure to let it rest before slicing so it remains juicy!
Pan Seared Steak
For pan seared steak salad, quickly marinate the steak with the quick and easy marinade below.
Heat up a skillet (I prefer cast iron) to medium heat and add a high temp cooking oil or butter (I use avocado oil). Once the oil heats, use tongs to add the steak into the pan. It should sizzle!
Cook each side for 2-3 minutes depending on the thickness of your steak and/or desired doneness.
Let steak rest for 5-10 minutes before slicing.
Grilled Steak
To prepare a grilled steak salad, quickly marinate the steak with the quick and easy marinade listed in the grilled steak salad below.
Heat your grill to high and place your steaks on the grill and heat until slightly charred (this should take 4-5 minutes depending on the heat of your grill and thickness of your steak). Flip the steak and cook on the other side for approximately 3 minutes (again, this depends on the heat of the grill and desired doneness).
Let steak rest for 5-10 minutes before slicing.
Steak Salad Dressing
The dressing for this steak salad recipe is a simple and easy homemade creamy avocado dressing. This recipe is both creamy and light with the refreshing tang of Greek yogurt. The avocado pairs perfectly with the steak and veggies, and is a much healthier alternative to store-bought dressings!
Don’t want to add dairy? Feel free to omit the yogurt entirely!
Customize this Steak Salad Recipe to Your Special Diet
This steak salad recipe can be easily modified to be dairy-free, keto, or paleo.
Dairy-Free Steak Salad
To make this salad dairy free, simply omit the crumbled cheese from the salad and the yogurt from the dressing. You could substitute the cheese with a dairy-free cheese or something else entirely such as hemp hearts for some added protein and omegas!
Keto Steak Salad
To modify the recipe to be a keto steak salad, simply swap the corn and black beans with keto-approved veggies such as chopped red onion or chopped bell peppers! For an even lower carb count, omit the yogurt in the dressing or swap it with sour cream.
Paleo Steak Salad
To make a Paleo Steak Salad, omit the cheese from the salad and yogurt from the dressing. Swap the corn and beans for paleo approved veggies such as red onion or bell peppers.
Ingredients Needed for Steak Salad
his gluten-free steak salad recipe couldn’t be easier to prep and get cooking! All these ingredients can be found at your local grocery store, but you’ll find great deals on organic meat, healthy cooking oils, and gluten-free spices Thrive Market.
To marinate the steak you’ll need:
- 1 lb boneless steak (I used ribeye, but you could use flank, sirloin, or another favorite cut)
- juice from half a lime
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
- ¼ tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tbsp avocado oil
For the salad you’ll need:
- 2 heads of romaine lettuce, washed and chopped
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes
- 1 cup prepared corn (canned, frozen, or fresh—I used frozen and simply thawed for the salad) (note: for keto or Paleo, sub in another vegetable)
- 1 15-oz can of black beans (note: for keto or Paleo, sub in another vegetable)
- ¼ cup cotija cheese, queso fresco, or other crumbly white cheese (omit for Paleo or dairy-free)
To bring this salad to the next level of perfection, you will whip up this simple avocado lime dressing using:
- 1 large avocado
- 1 tsp minced garlic
- juice from half a lime
- 1 tbsp avocado oil
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- ¼ cup Greek yogurt (if Paleo or dairy-free, simply omit)
- 2-4 tbsp water (to desired consistency)
Tools Needed for Steak Salad
To make this recipe, you will need knives and cutting boards for chopping the veggies and a separate one for cutting the steak. I like using these color-coded cutting mats, so we don’t get our cutting boards mixed up.
If pan frying your steak, you will also want cooking tongs and a cast iron pan for cooking your steak. I love my cast iron pan and use it for cooking just about everything (except for eggs).
To make the dressing you’ll use a blender or food processor. Personally, I use this Ninja blender and use the single-serve smoothie cups to blend my dressing.
Also, I like to use this salad spinner to ensure my lettuce is dry after washing. It’s seriously a game changer and makes it so easy to wash and prep lettuce—plus the basket strainer is dishwasher friendly!
Gluten Free Steak Salad Recipe
While there are 3 separate components to this dish to prep (the steak, the salad, and the dressing), this recipe truly does come together in 30 minutes or less from start to finish!
Step 1: Marinate the Steak
If pan frying, slice the steak into thin strips and place into a bowl with the rest of the marinade ingredients. If grilling, marinate your steak whole. Let sit for approximately 10 minutes. Optionally, you could let the steak marinate in the fridge for the day and take it out when you’re ready to cook!
Step 2: Prep the Salad
While the steak is marinating, chop and wash all your salad veggies and drain and rinse the black beans. Layer in the salad bowl.
Step 3: Grill or Pan Fry the Steak
Grilling the steak:
Heat your grill to high and place your steaks on the grill and heat until slightly charred (this should take 4-5 minutes depending on the heat of your grill and thickness of your steak). Flip the steak and cook on the other side for approximately 3 minutes (again, this depends on the heat of the grill and desired doneness). Then let it rest 5-8 minutes before slicing.
Pan frying the steak:
Heat the frying pan on medium-high heat. Once the pan is brought to temperature, add a bit of cooking oil and then the steak and cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally. When the steak is cooked through, remove the steak and allow to rest for 5 minutes before adding to the salad.
Step 4: Prepare the Avocado Lime Dressing
In a food processer or blender, simply in all the ingredients for the avocado lime dressing and blend until smooth. Personally, I recommend starting with only 2 tbsp of water and then assessing the consistency. Add more water to thin it out.
Step 5: Finish Assembling and Serve!
Complete the salad by topping it with your steak and avocado lime dressing and serve!
Scroll down for the printable recipe, and then be sure to download the FREE e-book of easy weeknight gluten-free dinners!
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BEST GLUTEN FREE STEAK SALAD WITH AVOCADO DRESSING
Equipment
- cast iron pan
- knives
- cutting board
- tongs
- food processor/blender
Ingredients
Steak and Marinade
- 1 lb boneless steak
- juice from half a lime
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1/4 tsp paprika
- 1 tbsp avocado oil
Salad
- 2 heads romaine lettuce washed and chopped
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes washed and quartered
- 1 cup prepared corn kernels (canned, fresh, or frozen–thawed)
- 1 15 oz can black beans drained and rinsed
- 1/4 cup cotija cheese or queso fresco
Avocado Lime Salad Dressing
- 1 large avocado peeled and pitted
- 1 tsp minced garlic
- juice from half a lime
- 1 tbsp avocado oil
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 2-4 tbsp water (to desired consistency
Instructions
- Place steak into a bowl or bag with all the marinade ingredients and let sit for 10 minutes. If pan frying, slice the steak into thin strips before marinading.
- While the steak is marinating, wash and chop all your salad veggies and drain and rinse the black beans. Layer with in the salad bowl.
- Heat your grill to high and place your steaks on the grill and heat until slightly charred (this should take 4-5 minutes depending on the heat of your grill and thickness of your steak). Flip the steak and cook on the other side for approximately 3 minutes (again, this depends on the heat of the grill and desired doneness). Let rest 5-8 minutes before slicing and adding to the salad.
- Heat the frying pan on medium-high heat. Once it is brought to temperature, add a bitof cooking oil and then the steak and cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally. Once it’s cooked through,remove the steak and allow to rest for 5 minutes before adding to the salad.
- While the steak is resting, prepare the steak salad dressing. In a food processor or blender, simply in all the ingredients for the avocado lime dressing and blend until smooth. Adjust added water to desired consistency–more water will result in a thinner dressing.
- Top your salad with the steak, cheese, and avocado lime dressing, and serve!
