Grilled Steak Salad
Published July 20, 2019 • Updated March 3, 2026
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A low carb steak salad where everything (steak and vegetables) hits the grill at the same time. The sweet and spicy monk fruit marinade on skirt steak paired with a three-ingredient lime vinaigrette makes this one I come back to year-round.
I started making this grilled steak salad because I wanted a dinner where I wasn’t running between the grill and the stove. The whole point is that everything cooks on the grill at the same time — the skirt steak, the asparagus, the mushrooms, the onions. While the steak gets 2-4 minutes per side, the vegetables are charring in a grill basket right next to it. Total active grill time is under 10 minutes.
The marinade is what makes this one stand out from every other steak salad I’ve made. I use monk fruit in a savory rub with chile powder, cumin, and sesame oil. I know it sounds odd — one of my readers, Diane, said she almost skipped the monk fruit because it sounded weird, but the sweet-spicy combo with the chile powder is what gives the char its depth. It caramelizes on the grill in a way that straight salt-and-pepper never does. I’ve been making it this way for years and I don’t skip it anymore.
For the steak, I go with skirt steak every time. I’ve tested this with flank and flat iron too. Flank is leaner but chewier even when you nail the cook. Flat iron is thicker so the timing changes and you lose that quick-sear crispness. Skirt steak gives you the best flavor and the most tender bite when you slice it thin against the grain right after resting.
The lime vinaigrette is three ingredients on purpose: olive oil, lime juice, salt. I kept it minimal because the marinade already has so much going on. You don’t want a heavy dressing competing with that char flavor. If you like a little more citrus in your keto salads, my cilantro lime chicken uses a similar lime-forward approach.
I make this year-round. In summer it’s obviously a grill night staple, but I’ve made it in January under the broiler and it’s almost as good. The marinade does the heavy lifting regardless of heat source. If you’re looking for more salads with real substance, my avocado chicken salad and sesame chicken salad are two I rotate through weekly.
One thing I love about this keto grilled steak salad is how well it works for feeding people who aren’t keto. I’ve served it at cookouts and nobody asks about the carb count. They just eat it. The bacon wrapped asparagus kebabs are another crowd favorite if you want a low carb side to go with it.
Marinade & Steak Ingredients
3 garlic cloves, grated or minced -
¼ cup avocado oil
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1 teaspoon golden monk fruit
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1 teaspoon chile powder
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1 teaspoon oregano
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1 teaspoon salt + ½ teaspoon salt (for vegetables)
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½ teaspoon sesame oil
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¼ teaspoon ground cumin
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1.5 pounds skirt steak, flank steak or flat iron steak
Salad Ingredients
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½ red onion, diced
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8 oz mushrooms, diced
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12 spears of asparagus
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4 oz arugula, radicchio or spinach leaves
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2 avocados, peeled and sliced
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5 tablespoons olive oil
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1 tablespoon lime juice
Step by Step Instructions
Step by Step Instructions
Make marinade
In a small bowl prepare the marinade. Mix together garlic, avocado oil, monk fruit, chile powder, oregano, 1 teaspoon salt, sesame oil, and cumin.
Marinate steak
Pour the marinade into the bag with the steak. Shake or rub the bag until the marinade coats the steak. Store in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour or overnight.
Preheat grill
Heat the grill to medium high heat (about 450 degrees). You can also use the broiler function in an oven.
Season the veggies
Add the red onion, mushrooms, and asparagus to a ziplock bag with 2 tablespoons of olive oil plus a ½ teaspoon salt. Rub together until evenly coated.
Grill vegetables
Grill the vegetables in a preheated grill basket or wrap them in aluminum foil and place on the grill. Cook until softened. Remove from grill once cooked. If you don’t have a grill, you can saute them on the stove top until softened.
Grill steak
While grilling the vegetables, add the marinated skirt steak to the grill and cook about 2-4 minutes per side for a medium rare steak.
Make lime vinaigrette
Meanwhile whisk together remaining olive oil and lime juice with a pinch of salt.
Nutrition disclaimer
The nutrition information provided is an estimate and is for informational purposes only. I am a Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.); however, this content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult your physician or other qualified health provider before making any lifestyle changes or beginning a new nutrition program.
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Get My Macros + Recipes →Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use a different cut of steak for this salad?
I've tested this with skirt, flank, and flat iron. Skirt steak is my top pick because it has the most flavor and stays tender when you slice it thin against the grain. Flank steak works but it's leaner and chewier, so you need to be more careful not to overcook it. Flat iron is thicker, which means longer cook time and you lose that quick char I like. If you want a thicker cut for something like a carnivore sandwich, flat iron is great, but for this salad I stick with skirt.
How do I know when skirt steak is done on the grill?
I cook mine 2-4 minutes per side for medium rare, which is how I prefer it in this salad. The edges will pull up slightly and the surface should have a good char. If you press the center with your finger, medium rare feels like the fleshy part of your palm when you touch your thumb to your index finger. I pull it at 130 degrees if I'm using a thermometer, because it climbs another 5 degrees while resting.
What does slicing against the grain mean and why does it matter?
When I look at my skirt steak after it rests, I can see long muscle fibers running in one direction. Slicing against the grain means cutting perpendicular to those fibers, not parallel. I learned this the hard way early on. If you slice with the grain, the meat is stringy and tough no matter how perfectly you cooked it. Against the grain, every bite is tender. With skirt steak especially, this makes a huge difference because the grain is very pronounced.
Can I make this without a grill?
I've made this under the broiler in my oven and it works well. I set the rack about 4 inches from the element, get it screaming hot, and cook the steak 3-4 minutes per side. The keto steak salad turns out almost identical because the marinade caramelizes the same way under high heat. For the vegetables, I roast them on a sheet pan at 425 for about 12 minutes. My blackened chicken uses a similar high-heat stovetop method if you want another indoor option.
What greens work best for this salad?
I use arugula most often because the peppery bite cuts through the rich marinade. When I'm out of arugula, I go with a mix of spinach and radicchio for a slightly bitter edge. Romaine works if that's what you have, but it's milder and I find myself adding more vinaigrette to compensate. If you like heartier greens in salads, my Jennifer Aniston salad uses a different green base that holds up well to bold toppings.
Can I use a different dressing instead of lime vinaigrette?
I kept the lime vinaigrette simple on purpose because the marinade already packs so much flavor. But I've swapped it out before. A chimichurri is my favorite alternative. Blue cheese dressing works if you want something richer. I'd avoid anything too sweet since the monk fruit in the marinade already adds sweetness. My Thai chicken salad has a bolder dressing if you want to see how I approach a heavier vinaigrette on greens.
How do I keep avocado from browning if I prep ahead?
I squeeze a little extra lime juice directly on the avocado slices and keep them in an airtight container in the fridge. They stay green for a few hours that way. If I'm prepping the full salad in advance, I leave the avocado uncut until right before serving. I slice the steak, grill the veggies, and store everything separately. The avocado is the last thing I add.
How long can I store the leftovers?
I keep leftovers for up to 3 days in the fridge. The key is storing the steak and grilled vegetables separate from the greens and dressing. If I toss everything together, the greens wilt by the next day. I reheat the steak slices in a hot pan for about 30 seconds per side to bring back some of the char, then assemble a fresh plate with new greens and dressing.
I've made plenty of salads but never actually grilled the vegetables for one, and I wasn't sure I'd pull it off. The monk fruit marinade came together fast and the skirt steak had this sweet, slightly spicy edge that I didn't expect to love as much as I did. Everything hitting the grill at the same time made a Tuesday night feel a little more intentional. Quick question: do you think this marinade would work on chicken thighs? Already thinking about next week.
Made probably six different steak salads this year trying to find one I would actually crave and the monk fruit chile marinade here is the one that did it.
Six salads is a lot of ground to cover. That monk fruit chile marinade is what the whole thing is built around.
Six times in and I finally tried flat iron over skirt. It absorbs the monk fruit marinade instead of just coating, and sliced thin against the grain it's way more tender. Stovetop grill pan works fine for February.
The absorption thing is real. Flat iron has a tighter grain than skirt so the marinade actually gets in there instead of sitting on the surface. I still reach for skirt first (more fat = more flavor) but flat iron is a solid second when my store is out.
Never marinated steak before and almost skipped the monk fruit because it sounded weird, but that sweet-spicy combo with the chile powder is SO good. Made this in the middle of February and I'm already planning round two.
The monk fruit throws everyone the first time. Once that sweet-spicy thing clicks it's hard to go back to just salt and pepper on steak. Round two with an extra pinch of chile powder if you want more heat.