Grilled Steak Summer Caesar Salad

Ultimate Summer Caesar Salad

This grilled steak caesar salad with grilled focaccia, cherry tomatoes, corn, and avocado is the ultimate summer salad! It has a classic caesar salad base with a lemony caesar dressing on chopped romaine lettuce. The salad is then layered with grilled strips of ribeye steak, and lots of fresh produce. It’s a celebration of what’s growing in the garden in the peak of summer, plus a celebration of summertime grilling. What could be better?

The Supplies

Ingredients

To make this grilled steak caesar salad recipe, you’ll need the following ingredients:

• Mayo
• Worcestershire sauce
• Grated parmesan cheese
• Lemon juice
• Lemon zest
• Salt
• Pepper 
• Water
• Strip steak
• Olive oil
• Focaccia
• Romaine lettuce
• Cherry tomatoes
• Fresh corn on the cob
• Avocado

For the exact ingredient amounts, check out the recipe card at the bottom of this page.

Equipment

In order to make this summer grilled steak caesar salad, you’ll need the following pieces of equipment:

• Small and large mixing bowls
• Whisk
• Cutting board and knife
• Grill

Frequent Recipe Questions

Q: Can I make this recipe in advance?

• A: I think this recipe is best enjoyed right away, but can be prepared with a bit of assembly right before you eat it. Prepare the ingredients, storing the salad components in one container, the steak in another, the dressing in a third, and the croutons in a fourth. Store the salad, steak, and dressing in the refrigerator and the croutons on the counter at room temp. Then, assemble the salad as instructed.

Is it alright to switch out the cut of steak?

• A: Of course! If you have a different preference on steak cut, that is just fine. Just be sure to adjust the cooking time based on the thickness of the cut you choose.

Recipe Tips

When making this grilled steak caesar salad recipe, here are a few tips to make sure it turns out delicious:

• Ribeye steaks are quite fatty, so flare ups on the grill are likely. To help manage flare ups, grill over medium-high heat, trim off the excess fat, and ensure you’re starting with a clean grill. Use long, heat proof tongs to keep your hands away from the fire and never lean over the grill.
• To check steak for doneness, the most sure fire way is to use a meat thermometer (pun intended). An instant read thermometer will give you quick, accurate results. For a medium rare cook, which I recommend for this recipe, look for a temperature that’s between 130-135°F or 54-57°C.
• When slicing the steak, it’s recommended to cut the piece of meat against the grain. This helps create a tender bite, as the grains are cut into smaller pieces. To perfect your slicing, look for the natural lines in the piece of steak. Arrange your knife so that it is crossing these grains perpendicularly and slice away.

Recipe Details

Make the Caesar Dressing

To get this recipe started, you’ll first mix the salad dressing. To make the dressing, add a large dollop of mayonnaise, a spoonful of worcestershire sauce, grated parmesan cheese, lemon juice and zest, plus a pinch of salt and pepper to a small mixing bowl. Stir to mix the dressing together, adding a bit of water to make it a drizzly consistency. 

Grill the Ribeye and Focaccia

To prepare the ribeye steaks, set them out and pat them dry using a disposable kitchen towel. Generously season each side of the ribeye with a large pinch of salt and pepper. Set the ribeyes aside and turn the grill onto medium-high heat to begin preheating. 

Once the grill is warm, after about 10 minutes preheating, place the ribeyes on the grates in indirect heat. Grill the steaks for a few minutes, watching out for any flareups from the fatty pieces of ribeye. Flip the steaks to the other side and continue to grill for a few additional minutes. While the steaks are on, add the strips of focaccia bread, cut side down, to toast on an upper rack of the grill. Remove both the steaks and the bread from the grill and let the ribeye rest.

Assemble the Salad

While the ribeye rests, chop the romaine lettuce and add it to a large mixing bowl.  Drizzle the caesar dressing over the romaine lettuce and use a pair of tongs to coat the lettuce. Once the lettuce is dressed, divide it among two plates. Top the lettuce with the cherry tomatoes, fresh corn, and slices of avocado.

Slice the grilled strips of focaccia into small, bite-sized pieces. Add the grilled focaccia croutons to the salad. Cut the grilled ribeye against the grain and arrange the slices on each plate of salad.

Drizzle the remaining caesar dressing over the top of the salads. Finally, grate a bit of fresh parmesan over the top of each. Enjoy with a glass of lemonade for the ultimate summer lunch!

If you make this grilled steak caesar salad, be sure to leave a comment or give this recipe a rating – I can’t wait to hear how it goes. As always, tag me on Instagram, TikTok, or Facebook in your photos. It makes me feel like we’re getting to cook together!

This post may contain affiliate links, please see the privacy policy for details.

Print Recipe

0 Add to Favorites

Fourth of July

Grilled Steak Summer Caesar Salad

Author: Laura Wilkins Cooking Method: Grilled Cuisine: American Courses: Main Course, Salads

Difficulty: Intermediate Prep Time 25 mins Cook Time 10 mins Rest Time 5 mins Total Time 40 mins

Servings: 2

Best Season: Summer

Dietary:

N Nut Free

Description

Grilled steak caesar salad with lemon caesar dressing, grilled focaccia, summer tomatoes, fresh corn off the cob, and avocado slices.

Ingredients

Scale

1/2x 1x 2x 3x

Caesar Dressing

• ¹⁄₂ cup mayo
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• ¹⁄₄ cup grated parmesan cheese
• Juice of 1 lemon
• Zest of 1 lemon
• ¹⁄₂ teaspoon kosher salt
• ¹⁄₄ teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon water

Grilled Steak Caesar Salad

• 0.75 pound ribeye steak, about 1 inch in thickness, excess fat trimmed off the sides
• Kosher salt, to taste
• Black pepper, to taste
• 6 ounces focaccia, cut into 1 inch strips
• 1 large head of romaine lettuce, or 2 romaine lettuce hearts
• ¹⁄₂ cup cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 ear fresh corn, kernels removed from the cob
• ¹⁄₂ medium avocado, sliced
• Freshly grated parmesan cheese, for garnish

Instructions

Mix the Caesar Dressing

1. In a small mixing bowl or glass, add the mayonnaise, worcestershire sauce, grated parmesan cheese, lemon juice, lemon zest, salt, pepper, and water. Stir to combine the ingredients together until a unified dressing is formed. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper level, if needed. If you prefer a runnier dressing, add more water or lemon juice a teaspoon at a time.

Grill the Steak and Focaccia

1. Set out the steaks and pat them dry with a paper towel. Generously season each side of the steak with salt and pepper. Set aside at room temperature while you preheat the grill.

2. Preheat the grill to medium high heat until it’s heated through, about 10 minutes.

3. Place the steaks on indirect heat on the grill. Grill for 2-4 minutes, being very careful of flare ups from the fat released from the steaks. Flip the steaks to the other side and add the focaccia to the upper rack of the grill. 

4. Grill the steaks on the second side for another 2-4 minutes. Remove both the focaccia and the steaks.

5. Let the steak rest for about 5 minutes.

Assemble the Salad

1. While the steak rests, remove the ends and chop the romaine and add it to a large mixing bowl.  Pour about half of the caesar dressing onto the romaine. Toss to coat the lettuce in the dressing.

2. Divide the lettuce between plates. Arrange the cherry tomatoes, corn, and sliced avocado onto the plate.

3. Cut the strips of focaccia into small, crouton-sized pieces and add them to the salad. Slice the grilled steak, perpendicular to the natural grain of the meat. Arrange the slices onto the salad.

4. Pour the remaining caesar dressing over the top of the salad, to taste. Grate a bit of fresh parmesan over the top. Enjoy!