Cold Steak Salad
Leftover steak sliced thin against the grain over a bed of arugula with shaved parmesan, cherry tomatoes, and a lemon olive oil dressing. Cold steak is better than reheated steak — this is the proof. Five minutes of assembly, no cooking required.
Ingredients
Meat & Protein
- 8 oz cooked steak leftover ribeye, sirloin, NY strip, or steak bites — cold, sliced thin against the grain
Produce
- 4 cups arugula
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes halved
- 0.25 red onion very thinly sliced
- 1 lemon juiced
Dairy
- 1 oz parmesan cheese shaved with a vegetable peeler
Pantry & Canned Goods
- 3 tbsp olive oil good quality extra virgin
Seasonings & Spices
- 0.25 tsp kosher salt
- 0.25 tsp black pepper freshly cracked
- 0.25 tsp flaky sea salt for finishing
Instructions
- Make the dressing: whisk together the lemon juice and olive oil in a small bowl. Season with kosher salt and black pepper. Set aside.
- Slice the cold steak as thin as you can manage against the grain. If using steak bites, slice each piece in half on the bias. Keep the steak cold — do not bring it to room temperature for this recipe.
- Arrange the arugula on two plates. Scatter the cherry tomatoes and red onion over the greens. Lay the sliced steak over the top.
- Drizzle the lemon olive oil dressing over everything. Add shaved parmesan. Finish with a pinch of flaky sea salt and cracked black pepper. Serve immediately.
Notes
Any leftover cooked steak works here — ribeye, sirloin, NY strip, flank, or the steak bites from the One-Pan Garlic Butter Steak Bites recipe. The cut matters less than slicing it thin and cold.
Do not reheat the steak. Cold steak sliced thin has a clean, concentrated beef flavor that warm reheated steak can't replicate. This is the recipe that exists specifically because you didn't reheat it.
If your red onion is sharp, soak the slices in cold water for five minutes before adding them to the salad. Takes the bite down without losing the flavor.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!