Fajita Taco Salad with Creamy Avocado Dressing
A hearty, healthy salad with all the delicious Tex-Mex Fajita Flavors: Chili Flank Steak, Sauteed Veggies, and a creamy Avocado Lime sauce. YUM!
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds flank steak
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1 red pepper, sliced
- 1 green pepper, sliced
- 1 yellow onion, sliced
- 2 jalapeno peppers, halved (optional)
- 1 head green lettuce, chopped
- 6 ounces cotija cheese, crumbled
- Cilantro, garnish
Fajita Seasoning:
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 3 tablespoons chili powder
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons black pepper
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Crispy Corn Strips:
- 6 corn tortillas, sliced
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- ½ lime, juice
Creamy Avocado Dressing:
- 1 avocado
- ½ cup sour cream
- 2 tablespoons minced cilantro
- ½ lime, juice only
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
Crispy Corn Strips
- Preheat oven to 375˚F. Chop corn tortillas into long strips and add to a bowl. Toss with olive oil, chili, salt, and lime juice. Spread out corn strips on a baking sheet.
- Bake corn strips for about 10-12 minutes, turning once halfway through until the strips are very crispy. Remove from oven and they will continue to crisp up as they cool.
For dressing:
- Combine ingredients in a small food processor and pulse until smooth. If the dressing seems too thick, drizzle in some water to thin it out until it reaches the desired consistency.
For Steak Fajita:
- Combine spice mix in a small bowl and then rub the flank steak well with the spice mix. You will probably only need about half of the spice mix for the steak, but save the rest for taco night!
- Place a large cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil and flank steak. If steak is too big to fit, you can cut it in half.
- Cook flank steak for 4-5 minutes per side until the steak is well charred on both sides. Then transfer the cast iron skillet to the oven to finish cooking for another 5-6 minutes (you can do this while the corn strips are cooking as well).
- Steak is done when it reaches an internal temperature of 140˚F in the thickest part of the steak. If you don’t have a good meat thermometer you might have to slice into it to test the temperature.
- When steak is done, remove it from the cast iron skillet and cover it with foil. Let it rest. Place skillet back on stovetop and add another drizzle of oil over medium heat. Add sliced peppers and onions and jalapenos (optional). Sprinkle the veggies with a little extra fajita seasoning.
To finish salad:
- Cook veggies for 5-6 minutes until they are well charred.
- To serve the salad, chop some green lettuce and divide between bowls. Slice rested flank steak across the grain and place on lettuce. Add fajita veggies around the steak and then add crumbled cheese, corn strips, and a dollop of avocado dressing. Garnish with cilantro and enjoy.
- Leftovers store well for a few days and makes for great lunches!
Nutrition
Serving: 1salad | Calories: 515kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 33g | Fat: 32g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 15g | Cholesterol: 105mg | Sodium: 1850mg | Potassium: 1018mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 3059IU | Vitamin C: 58mg | Calcium: 263mg | Iron: 5mg