Seasoned Steak and Tomato Salad – Mexico Inspired, Made At Home

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A deliciously tasty, satisfying salad that’s bursting with flavor and fresh ingredients. My Seasoned Steak and Tomato salad is a healthy, one-dish dinner the whole family will love! Great to make ahead!

Seasoned Steak And Tomato Salad – Mexico Inspired, Made At Home

My husband and I just returned from an almost two-week-long vacation with stops in Florida and Mexico. This was the first non-working vacation I’ve taken in many a year, and it was pure heaven.

Though it is wonderful to see my darling dog and sleep in my own bed again, I have to admit that I’m finding the re-entry process a little more difficult than I’d anticipated. I’m sure things will improve when we get through the current bout of rainy Pacific Northwest weather. But who knows how long that will take?

This being the case, I decided to take things into my own hands by recreating some of the recipes I enjoyed and took note of on our trip, including this Seasoned Stead and Tomato Salad.

It’s my version of a dish I tried during a fabulous buffet dinner and the “Fiesta Mexicana” show we enjoyed during our trip to the Yucatan. There was no end of delicious food served that evening. But this dish caught my eye for a few reasons.

First, it seemed like something I could recreate at home.

Second, even though it employs classic Mexican flavors and ingredients, it adheres to the Mediterranean diet principles I’ve been trying to stick with – lots of veggies and whole grains, small amounts of meat.

Third, it tasted really, really good! (And isn’t that what matters most?)

Why I Am Loving This Seasoned Steak And Tomato Salad

To start with, it makes the most of a relatively small amount of meat. 

We’ve never eaten much red meat around our house. But every now and then, I do get a craving for beef. This Seasoned Steak and Tomato Salad lets me satisfy that craving with sensible portions and seasonings that really bring out the flavors of the meat.

Also, this is a one-dish meal. With a little bit of steak, a lot of great fresh veggies, enough rice to make you feel full, and a flavorful dressing with olive oil, lime juice, and yummy spices, you really don’t need to serve anything else for dinner. As every busy cook knows, one-dish dinners are the way to go!

Speaking of busy – Seasoned Steak and Tomato Salad is easy to make ahead, which I love. After a long day at work, I really do love knowing that dinner is ready to serve.

And this is one of those dishes that tastes even better the next day after the seasonings and spices have had a chance to meld into the ingredients. If covered and stored in the refrigerator, Seasoned Steak and Tomato Salad should keep for three to four days.

However, very cold tomatoes don’t have an much flavor as those eaten at room temperature, so I do recommend that you take the salad out of the refrigerator about thirty minutes before serving. That’s the best way to enjoy all the wonderful seasoning and flavors.

One more thing I love about Seasoned Steak and Tomato Salad is that it really is a year-round dish. Not only is it hearty enough to satisfy winter appetites, but the ingredients are available in every season.

How To Make Seasoned Steak And Tomato Salad

This is quite a simple dish to make.

You’ll make a marinade with olive oil, lime juice, and seasoning. Half of it will be used to marinate the steak. The other half will be saved and poured over the finished salad as a dressing.

The meat should marinate for a few hours or overnight, so be aware of that. In a pinch, you could cook the steak without the marinade. But I do think it will taste best if you allow time for the meat to marinate.

You can cook the prepared steak in a 400-degree oven to your preferred degree of doneness. It will vary according to the cut and thickness of the steak. (We like our pretty well done, so I cooked it for 14 minutes, 7 minutes on each side.)

Oh, and speaking of steak – you can use just about any type. Strip steak, sirloin, ribeye, or flank steak will all work in this recipe. You could even use filet mignon if you want to. However, I really feel that a good filet mignon is best enjoyed on its own.

When the steak is done, you’ll cut it into thin slices and then use two forks to separate the meat into shreds.  Shredding the meat makes the most of a small amount of steak – just two ounces per serving –  giving a satisfying taste of the meat in almost every bite.

Likewise, you’ll slice the vegetables – tomato, bell pepper, and red onion – very thinly. This will help balance and distribute all the flavors.

With the meat and vegetables ready, you’ll simply toss them into a bowl, add cooked rice and the dressing, and toss thoroughly.

Though I continue to feel a little nostalgic about my trip to Mexico, being able to recreate some of the flavors I enjoyed during my trip is a tasty souvenir of my travels. Give it a try soon!  

Seasoned Steak and Tomato Salad – Mexico Inspired, Made At Home

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• Author: Marie Bostwick
• Yield: 4 servings 1x

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Ingredients

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• 2/3 cup olive oil
• 2/3 cup of fresh lime juice (about 6 limes, can sub bottled but fresh is best)
• 1.5 tsp kosher salt
• ½ tsp fresh ground pepper
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1 tsp red pepper flakes
• 8 oz steak, trimmed of visible fat
• 4 Roma tomatoes, seeded, quartered, sliced thinly crossways
• 1 red bell pepper (can sub green, yellow, or orange), cut into quarters, sliced thinly crossways
• ½ medium red onion, cut in half and sliced very thinly
• ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro (can sub parsley)
• 2 cups cooked white rice (can sub brown rice)

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Instructions

1. In medium bowl, make the dressing by whisking together olive oil, lime juice, salt, pepper, oregano, and red pepper flakes.
2. Pierce the trimmed steak all over with a fork. Place steak into a zippered plastic bag or shallow bowl, pour half of the dressing over the steak and allow to marinate for at least 4 hours or overnight. Preserve the remaining dressing in the refrigerator to use later in salad.
3. Preheat the oven to 400. Remove the steak from the marinade and cook in preheated oven to desired degree of doneness.
4. Remove steak for oven and place on cutting board to rest for 5-10 minutes. Cut into thin slices. Shred the meat, using two forks pulled in opposite directions.
5. Place shredded steak, thin sliced vegetables, chopped cilantro, and cooked rice into a serving bowl. Pour the remaining dressing over the salad and toss thoroughly.
6. Can be served immediately or made ahead. Prepared salad will keep for 3-4 days if covered and stored refrigerator. (Removing chilled salad from refrigerator about 30 minutes before serving will improve the flavor.)