Fajita Taco Salad
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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!
Beef Fajita 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 in the warmer months of the year. 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 on 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.
Ingredients Used
- Steak – We love flank steak for this recipe. The marinade is the BEST to use for anything Tex-Mex!
- Lettuce – Any salad greens work.
- Tomatoes – If you’re lucky enough to have garden-fresh tomatoes, use those!
- Red Onion
- Corn – Throw a couple of ears of corn on the grill while you’re grilling the steak!
- Avocado
- Black Beans
- Tortilla Strips – Or you could use any kind of chips.
- Salad Dressing – Our go-to Tex-Mex salad dressing is SO GOOD on this salad.
How to make Fajita Taco Salads:
I’m using beef for these, but chicken would be excellent as well (using the same marinade)!
Step 1
Make Chipotle Ranch Dressing. In a mixing bowl, combine the 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.
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 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 400 degrees. Set your meat on the counter 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), about 140 degrees.
Grill corn until slightly charred. Be careful to avoid over-cooking the corn – it doesn’t take too long.
Step 6
Slice. Let meat rest on the counter for about 10 minutes. Slice against the grain with a sharp knife. Slice the corn off the cobs.
Step 7
Serve. Add all salad ingredients to bowls and top with the Chipotle Ranch Dressing. Enjoy!
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!
Kitchen Tools Used: (affiliate links)
- Stainless-Steel Grill Tongs 17-inch – Used for grilling.
- Global 7-inch Knife – My fav kitchen knife.
xoxo ~Sue
Fajita Taco Salad
Ingredients
For the steak marinade:
- 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
For the Chipotle Ranch Dressing:
- 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
For the salad:
- 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
Instructions
- Make Chipotle Ranch Dressing. In a mixing bowl, combine the 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.
- Prep salad ingredients. Prep the remaining ingredients ahead of time. Chop fresh veggies, rinse beans, etc. Set aside.
- 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.
- Marinate steak. Place the steak in a freezer bag and then add the marinade. Massage with your fingers and place in the refrigerator for at least an hour.
- Grill steak and corn. Light a grill to 400 degrees. Set your meat on the counter 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), about 140 degrees.
- Grill corn until slightly charred. Be careful to avoid over-cooking the corn – it doesn’t take too long.
- Slice. Let meat rest on the counter for about 10 minutes. Slice against the grain with a sharp knife. Slice the corn off the cobs.
- Serve. Add all salad ingredients to bowls and top with the Chipotle Ranch Dressing. Enjoy!
Notes
Tips for grilling the perfect flank steak:
- Grill it on 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.
I missed the boys, but having more of this awesome salad eased the pain. Also, enjoyed you taking over the grilling. I am okay with being the co pilot. Well done! What’s for dinner?
Haha! Dinner is TBD. 🙂