Name: Fajita Taco Salad
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 50 min
Ingredients: 2 pounds flank steak; 1/4 cup olive oil; 2 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce; 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder; 2 teaspoons chili powder; 2 teaspoons ground cumin; 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes; 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt; 1/2 teaspoon black pepper; 2 teaspoons sugar; 1 fresh lime (- freshly squeezed); 1 cup plain Greek yogurt; 1/3 cup light mayo; 1/3 cup cilantro (- finely chopped ); 2 Tablespoons chipotle pepper in adobe sauce (- seeds optional); 1 large lime (- freshly squeezed); 1 teaspoon smoked paprika; ½ teaspoon onion powder; salt and pepper (- to taste); cold water (- to thin); 16-20 cups salad greens (- any kind); 1 cherry tomatoes (- halved); 1/3 cup red onion (- sliced thin); 2-3 ears grilled corn (- kernels removed); 1/2 cup cotija cheese (- crumbled); 15 oz. black beans (- rinsed and drained); 1-2 large avocado (- sliced); 1 cup tri-color tortilla strips

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Fajita Taco Salad is a delicious Tex-Mex meal combining a perfectly cooked flank steak with all the flavors I love most – and topped with my delicious Chipotle Ranch Dressing. You will want to eat this for days on end!

Try my Chipotle Chicken Fajita Bowls next time!

Two bowls of fajita beef taco salads with tortilla strips.

Steak Fajita Taco Salad

Flank Steak is my go-to steak for anything Tex-Mex. It’s affordable, flavorful if prepared correctly, and works well in a large variety of dishes.

If you are like me, you crave salad greens, especially on a hot summer day. Adding garden-fresh tomatoes are a bonus, and then it gets even better when you add the freshly grilled flank steak, perfectly cooked corn, crispy tortilla strips (or chips), and my favorite Tex-Mex dressing!

Easting a salad like THIS ONE doesn’t feel like you’re actually eating a salad. Does that make sense?

Tips for grilling the perfect flank steak:

Grill it quickly on high heat. You can see the hot flame we had going below.
Let it rest for approximately 10 minutes.
Slice it against the grain. This is fairly easy because the muscle fibers are very obvious.

Side view of a fajita steak taco salad with chipotle ranch.

Ingredients Used

Steak – We love flank steak for this recipe, but skirt steak works too. The marinade is the BEST to use for anything Tex-Mex!
Lettuce – Any salad greens work. I like a combo of red, green, and romaine lettuce.
Tomatoes – If you’re lucky enough to have garden-fresh tomatoes, use those!
Red Onion – Or diced green onions.
Corn – Throw a couple of ears of corn on the grill while you’re grilling the steak. These only need to be slightly charred – over-cooking will lead to mushiness that we want to avoid.
Avocado – You’ll need at least one large ripe avocado.
Cotija Cheese – Crumbled. This is my favorite cheese to use for Tex-Mex recipes.
Black Beans – Rinsed and drained.
Tortilla Strips – Or you could use any kind of tortilla chips.
Salad Dressing – Our go-to Tex-Mex salad dressing is SO GOOD on this salad.

Other optional ingredients include bell peppers, pico de gallo, some melted cheese sauce, and a combo of sour cream and salsa (as a dressing).

Taco salad ingredients on a dark background.

How to make Fajita Taco Salads:

I’m using beef for this easy recipe, but chicken is delicious too.

Step 1
Make Chipotle Ranch Dressing. In a small bowl, combine the dressing ingredients – the Greek yogurt, mayonnaise, chipotle pepper/sauce, cilantro, lime juice, and seasonings. Whisk and then add water to thin as needed. Store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

A bowl of the chipotle dressing ingredients.

A jar of chipotle ranch, with a sprig of cilantro.

Step 2
Prep salad ingredients. Prep the remaining ingredients ahead of time. Chop fresh veggies, rinse beans, etc. Set aside.

Step 3
Prep marinade. In a mixing bowl, combine the Mexican Marinade ingredients – the olive oil, Worcestershire sauce, chili powder, ground cumin, garlic powder, red pepper flakes, salt, pepper, sugar, and lime juice. Whisk together.

Step 4
Marinate steak. Place the steak in a freezer bag (or shallow dish) and then add the marinade. Massage with your fingers and place in the refrigerator for at least an hour.

Step 5
Grill steak and corn. Light a grill to medium-high heat, or 400 degrees. Let your meat sit at room temperature to take the chill off – this should be done about 30 minutes before grilling.

When grill is hot, place the steak on the grill and sear. Flip as needed and cook until the meat is still pink in the middle (personal preference) with the internal temperature reading 140 F degrees on a digital thermometer.

Grill corn until slightly charred. Be careful to avoid over-cooking the corn – it doesn’t take too long.

A big green egg with a flank steak and some ears of corn.

Step 6
Slice. Let meat rest on the counter for about 10 minutes. Use a sharp knife to slice the flank steak into thin strips against the grain. Then slice the corn off the cobs.

Step 7
Serve. To serving bowls, add the salad ingredients, some lime wedges, and then top with the Chipotle Ranch Dressing. Enjoy!

Closeup on a bowl of Fajita taco salad with lime wedges.

More Recipes using Flank Steak:

What to serve with Fajita Taco Salads:

While these salads are a full meal for me, you may need other sides if you have big eaters in the house!

Cilantro Lime Rice
A dip for chips – like my Cowboy Caviar with Avocado or some Hot Jalapeno Corn Dip
Mexican Street Corn Salad.
A margarita for sure – like my Classic Skinny Margaritas, Blackberry Peach Frozen Margaritas, Pineapple Margaritas, or some Sangria Margaritas!

Side view of two taco salads with fajita steak.

Kitchen Tools Used: (affiliate links)

Stainless-Steel Grill Tongs 17-inch – Used for grilling.
Global 7-inch Knife – My fav kitchen knife.

xoxo ~Sue