This blue cheese and steak salad is a steakhouse-style dinner you can make right at home! Juicy ribeye is piled over crisp romaine with cherry tomatoes, red onion, avocado, plenty of chives, and blue cheese, then finished with a creamy homemade blue cheese dressing.
The dressing is my favorite part. Whole milk Greek yogurt and buttermilk make it creamy and tangy without being too heavy, and I blend some of the blue cheese right into the base while leaving the rest in crumble for texture.
Steak Salad with Blue Cheese Dressing
This is the kind of salad I want when I’m craving something fresh but still need dinner to actually fill me up. You get the hot, juicy steak with the cool crisp romaine, creamy avocado, toamtoes, sharp red onion, and blue cheese in every bite.
And while there are a few components, non of them are overly complicated. The steak only needs salt and pepper, the dressing comes together fast, and the rest is chopping and assembling.
The key is getting the steak right and giving the blue cheese dressing a little time to sit. I found the dressing gets better after time in the fridge, so I like to make it first and let the flavors come together while I prep everything else.
Love salads for dinner? Try my Thai steak salad or BBQ chicken salad next.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Here are the main ingredients that make this steak salad so good. See the recipe card below for exact measurements.
- Ribeye steak: this is my first choice because it has enough marbling to stay juicy and flavorful with nothing more than salt and pepper. NY strip, top sirloin, and skirt steak also work.
- Romaine lettuce. The crisp texture holds up well to the steak and creamy dressing.
- Cherry tomatoes: They ad freshness and a little sweetness to balance the savory steak and blue cheese. My pro tip is to slice them in half widthwise for that beautiful cross-section of tomatoes and seeds.
- Red onion: Use it fresh for a sharper bite, or soak in ice water for a more subtle flavor. I also love pickled red onions for extra tang.
- Chives: Don’t be why with these. Lots of fresh chives give the whole salad that classic steakhouse flavor.
- Whole-milk Greek yogurt: This creates the thick, creamy base for the dressing.
- Buttermilk: Things the Greek yogurt to a pourable consistency and adds tang.
- White wine vinegar: Adds acidity to balance the rich blue cheese.
- Worcestershire sauce: Just a teaspoon adds savory depth that works especially well with the steak. Do not over do this. I tested this with a higher amount at first and found it to overpower the dressing so I scaled back.
No buttermilk? Combine 1/3 cup whole milk with 1 tsp additional white wine vinegar. Let it sit for 5 minutes before using it in the dressing.
How to Make Steak Salad
Step 1. Make the blue cheese dressing. Blend the Greek yogurt, buttermilk, and half of the blue cheese in a blender or in a bowl with an immersion blender. Add the rest of the ingredients, including the remaining blue cheese crumble, and stir to combine. Refrigerate the dressing until you’re ready to serve.
Step 2. Sear the steak. Add the avocado oil to a cast iron skillet and swirl to coat. Once it’s hot a sizzling, add the steak and cook undisturbed for 3-4 minutes per side, or until a deep brown crust forms and the steak. I pull mine around 125°F for medium-rare. The exact cooking time will depend on the thickness of your steak, so an instant-read thermometer is much more reliable than the clock.
Step 3. Rest and slice the steak. Transfer it to a cutting board and let it rest for 10 minutes before slicing. Don’t rush this part or the steak juices will run out as you cut. The rest time allows the juices to reabsorb before slicing. Then slice it thinly or cut it into bite-size cubes.
Step 4. Assemble the salad. Add the romaine to a large bowl or platter and toss it with a few tablespoons of blue cheese dressing to lightly coat the leaves. Arrange the tomatoes, red onion, avocado, and steak over the lettuce. Drizzle additional dressing directly over the steak. Finish with blue cheese crumbles and plenty of fresh chives. Add a final pinch of salt and freshly cracked black pepper before serving.
How to Grill the Steak Instead
Grilling is just as good here, especially when you don’t want a smoky cast-iron skillet inside. I have a full guide on grilled ribeye (with photos), but here is a quick breakdown.
Pat the steak dry and season generously with salt and pepper. Brush the grill grates with oil and preheat the grill to medium-high heat (about 450°F).
Grill the steak for approximately 4-5 minutes per side, or until it reaches your desired internal steak temperature.
Transfer to a cutting board, test with foil, and rest for 10 minutes before slicing.
Steak Temperature Guide
An instant-ready thermometer is the easiest way to cook steak exactly how you like it because the timing can change significanly depending on the cut and thickness. I cook ribeye to:
- 125-130°F for medium-rare
- 135°F for medium
Important note: steak continues to cook about 5°F as it rests, so pull the steak just before it reaches your target internal temperature. I always pull my steak from the heat at 125.
My Tips for the Best Steak Salad
- Pat the steak really dry. Moisture on the surface works against the deep brown crust you want from a hot skillet.
- Use a thermometer instead of relying on time. Three to four minutes per side is a good starting point, but steak thickness varies. The internal temp tells you exactly when it’s cooked to your liking.
- Let the steak rest. Give it a full 10 minutes before slicing so you don’t lose all those juices to the cutting board. Ribeye is too expensive for that! It’s the same tip I give for my creamy steak pasta.
- Make the dressing first. A chill in the fridge only helps the flavor, and it makes assembling and serving faster when you’re hungry.
- Don’t drown the lettuce in the dressing. The first time I tested this, I added too much dressing to the romaine and lettuce got soggy fast. Add enough just to lightly coat each bite, then drizzle the rest on top right before serving.
Make-Ahead and Leftover Steak
The blue cheese dressing is perfect for making ahead. Store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
You can also prep the vegetables ahead and keep them refrigerated separately. Wait to cut the avocado and dress the romaine until you’re reayd to serve.
And if you already have leftover steak, this salad is one of my favorite ways to use it. There’s no need to reheat it. Slice the cold steak thinly and add it to the salad. I like to let the dressing sit at room temp for a few minutes first so it’s not ice cold.
Other Cuts of Steak That Work
Rineye is my first choice, but you don’t have to buy it specifically for this salad. NY strip, top sirloin, and skirt steak are all cuts of beef that hold up well to the blue cheese dressing.
Just adjust the cooking time based on the thickness of your steak. Skirt steak is much thinner and leaner, so it could benefit from a balsamic marinade like in my balsamic flank steak.
More Salads for Dinner
Blue Cheese and Steak Salad
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Ingredients
Blue Cheese Dressing
- 1 cup whole-milk Greek yogurt
- 1/3 cup buttermilk plus more as needed
- 1 Tablespoon white wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 3/4 cup 3 ounces crumbled blue cheese divided
- 2 Tablespoons finely chopped fresh chives
Steak Salad
- 1 1/2 pounds ribeye steak
- Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste
- 1-2 Tablespoons avocado oil
- 1 head romaine lettuce chopped
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes halved
- 1/2 medium red onion thinly sliced, or pickled red onion
- 4 oz blue cheese crumbled
- Finely chopped fresh chives to taste for topping
Instructions
- Make the blue cheese dressing: Add the Greek yogurt, buttermilk, white wine vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper, and half of the blue cheese to a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth and creamy. Transfer to a bowl or jar and stir in the remaining blue cheese and chopped chives. Add another splash of buttermilk if needed to reach a thick but pourable consistency. Cover and refrigerate while you prepare the salad.1 cup whole-milk Greek yogurt, 1/3 cup buttermilk, 1 Tablespoon white wine vinegar, 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper, 3/4 cup 3 ounces crumbled blue cheese, 2 Tablespoons finely chopped fresh chives
- Prep and season the steak: Remove the steak from the refrigerator 30 minutes before cooking if you can for the best steak sear. Pat it very dry with paper towels and season generously on both sides with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.1 1/2 pounds ribeye steak, Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper
- Sear the steak: Heat a large cast-iron skillet over high heat for 2-3 minutes, until very hot. Turn on your vent fan because the skillet will likely smoke. Add enough avocado oil to lightly coat the bottom of the pan. Sear the steak undisturbed for 3–4 minutes, until a deep golden-brown crust forms. You can gently press down in the center and edges to help it lay flat. Flip and cook for another 3–4 minutes, or until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part reachs 125°F for medium-rare or 135°F for medium. Cook time will vary depending on the thickness of the steak. Transfer it to a cutting board and let it rest for 5-10 minutes while you assemble the salad.1-2 Tablespoons avocado oil
- Assemble the salad: Add the chopped romaine to a large serving bowl or platter. Drizzle with a few tablespoons of blue cheese dressing and toss until the leaves are lightly and evenly coated. Arrange the cherry tomatoes and red onion. Cube or thinly slice the steak and add to the salad. Scatter the blue cheese crumbles and plenty of chopped chives over the top.1 head romaine lettuce, 1 pint cherry tomatoes, 1/2 medium red onion, 4 oz blue cheese, Finely chopped fresh chives to taste
- Drizzle the remaining blue cheese directly over the steak and salad. Finish with freshly cracked black pepper and more chopped chives.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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