Chipotle Glazed Steak Salad. A nice crunchy sear from a chipotle glaze on beefy flavored skirt steak becomes even more irresistible with pickled onions and creamy avocado. Add fresh mixed greens and you’ve got a wonderful steak salad.
What Makes A Great Steak Salad?
A great steak salad must have a contrast in textures and variations in the temperature of the ingredients. The best steak salads give you meat that is juicy and flavorful with a charred exterior crust on the steak complimenting fresh, crisp lettuce. The glaze is the key to this salad because the sugars caramelize and create that crunchy exterior with a tender interior.
But most importantly, the steak must be easy to eat. Sliced thin and cooked tender.
Pickled Onions
Friends don’t let friends eat Mexican food without pickled onions.
If you’ve never pickled an onion, or had them at Mexican restaurant, you’re in for a treat. All you need is some vinegar and a red onion. The first time I had them was at an upscale Mexican restaurant in Denver. So exciting with flavor, that as soon as I got home I scoured the internet for a recipe that seemed to mirror what I had just had.
I was very pleased with my choice and made my first pickled onions. That recipe has more ingredients along with a cooking time. This recipe for quick pickled onions is a great find and wonderful for this salad. A thirty minute bath in red wine vinegar and voila! You’ve got a a ring of zesty bliss. Pickled onions make just about anything better; Tacos, tostadas, grilled cheese sandwiches, salads, and grilled meats
Skirt Steak Salad
Steak seems to carry the stigma of being “fancy” food. A choice reserved for a special dinner. With that in mind, steak is incredibly easy to prepare and quick enough for a weeknight meal.
And you don’t need any fancy equipment to get the job done.
Just grab your trusty cast iron skillet.
For this steak salad recipe, I’ve chosen the humble skirt steak.
The skirt steak comes from the plate section of the animal. Which is next to the flank. And in some ways it resembles a flank steak, except that it’s a longer and narrower cut of meat.
Skirt steak is deep, rich and beefy in flavor. In fact it’s known more for its flavor than for tenderness. Skirt steak recipes routinely suggest a marinade before cooking.
However, for this recipe, I’m cooking the steak in a hot cast iron skillet to create a crusty outer texture and a medium rare inside temperature.
I recommend you invest in a good instant read thermometer. It will make your meat cooking life much more reliable. I’ve included an Amazon affiliate link for your convenience. If you purchase this thermometer, I will receive a small commission with no extra charge to you.
And always, after cooking, slice the skirt steak across the grain. So important.
Recipe for Chipotle Glazed Steak Salad
I hope you give this Chipotle Steak Salad recipe a try, and if you do, please come back and give the recipe a star rating. And leave a comment about your experience with the recipe.
More Main Course Salad Recipes
- Grilled Chicken Wilted Spinach Salad
- Grilled Lamb Salad with Arugula and Creamy Lemon Vinaigrette
- Blackened Shrimp Salad with Champagne Vinaigrette
- Grilled Chicken Salad with Wilted Greens
And if you’re a salad lover lover like us, don’t miss my Salad Category. You’ll find lots of fun recipes.
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Chipotle Glazed Skirt Steak Salad
Ingredients
- ¼ red onion sliced
- 1 cup Red-wine vinegar
- 1 pieces large head butter lettuce torn into bite-size, or 2 small
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes halved
- 1 avocado pitted and chopped
- 3 Tablespoons olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
- ¼ cup ketchup
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 2 canned chipotle chiles seeded
- 1 tablespoon adobo sauce from canned chipotles
- 1 pound skirt steak or flank steak
- ¼ cup Mexican queso fresco or feta cheese crumbled
Instructions
- Put the onion in a small bowl and pour in enough red-wine vinegar to cover well. Set aside for at least 30 minutes.
- Combine the lettuce, tomatoes, and avocado in a serving bowl or platter. In a small bowl, whisk together 2 tablespoons of the red-wine vinegar from the marinating onion, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste. Set aside until you are ready to dress the salad.
- Combine the ketchup, honey, chipotles, adobo sauce, and 1 teaspoon salt in a blender and purée. Set aside.
- Preheat a grill to medium-high for 10 minutes or preheat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Brush the grill grates or grill pan with the remaining tablespoon of oil.
- Season the beef on both sides with salt and pepper. Grill the meat for 4 minutes, turn over, and brush the glaze over the steak. Grill for another 4 minutes, turn over, and glaze the other side. Allow the meat to cook for another 2 minutes on each side to caramelize the glaze.
- Remove from heat and allow the meat to rest for 5 minutes before slicing into ½-inch-wide strips. (This is for medium-rare beef. If you want your meat cooked longer, increase the time you grill the beef before adding the glaze.)
- Pour the dressing over the lettuce mixture and toss well. Place the sliced beef over the salad and top with cheese crumbles and marinated red onions.
Nutrition
Chipotle Glaze Skirt Steak Salad … It’s Whats for Dinner
Why Trust These Recipes? Lea Ann Brown has lived, worked and played in Colorado for 45 years. She has immersed herself in the Colorado Culinary space, is a Culinary School Graduate and publishes her Colorado food Blog, Cooking On The Ranch.
John / Kitchen Riffs says
I sometimes make a similar salad (I favor arugula for the greens), but not with that dressing. Wow, love the idea of your chipotle dressing! This looks excellent — thanks.
Lea Ann Brown says
Thanks John!
Larry says
Great looking meal Chef and I’m sure it would be very filling. The dressing sounds very good and we have some skirt steak in the freezer from a recent trip to Sam’s Club – we have trouble finding it in the grocery store.
Lea Ann Brown says
Skirt steak is easy to find around here. I guess I take that for granted. However, one place I can’t find it is Costco. We don’t have a Sam’s membership.