We discovered long ago that word salad didn’t have to mean compromise or shoveling lettuce in your mouth as part of an oppressive diet. When done right, the fresh flavors of a well-made salad are shockingly refreshing and incredibly filling. And, that’s the reason we stopped serving salads any other way. A mountain of steak, incredible toppings, and absolutely no cringing when we announce what’s for dinner.
Most steak salads treat the steak like a garnish and the dressing like an afterthought. We flipped both. Dry-brine the steak a full hour out, a good sear on a preheated grill, then rest your perfectly cooked masterpiece under melting Chili Butter so with it all, you don’t even need a dressing.
🔪 Ingredients for Chili Butter Steak and Burrata Salad
For the Croutons
- Sourdough bread: a few days stale works better than fresh, it holds up under the oil without turning greasy.
- Olive oil.
For the Steak
- NY Strip: 14-16 oz, at least 1 inch thick so it can take a hard sear without overcooking through.
- Kosher salt: for the dry brine, at least an hour ahead.
- Coarse black pepper
- Chili Butter: frozen medallions from our Chili Butter recipe, pulled straight from the freezer.
For the Salad
- Baby arugula: peppery, holds up better than spring mix once it’s dressed.
- Burrata: room temperature before serving, or the center stays too firm to spread (and you need that for instagram, or why even buy burrata).
- Cherry tomatoes on the vine: the small ones; they blister and split on the grill without turning to mush.
- Red onion
- Lemon: charred, for both the finish and a squeeze at the end.
- Chili crisp: for the final drizzle over the whole plate.
Equipment
Long grilling tongs. You’ll need them to stand the strip up on its fat cap edge over direct heat without losing a finger to the flare-up.
📝 How to Make Chili Butter Steak and Burrata Salad
- Dry brine the steak. Season generously with kosher salt on all sides. Refrigerate uncovered on a rack for at least 1 hour, up to 24. Pat dry before grilling your steak; a dry surface is what gives you real char.
- Pull the chili butter. About 20 minutes before you plan to plate, pull the frozen medallions from the freezer and let them sit at room temperature. They should turn spoonable, not fully melted, by the time the steak rests.
- Make the croutons. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Toss torn sourdough with olive oil and salt. Roast 12-15 minutes, turning once, until deep golden and crunchy all the way through.
- Heat the grill. Preheat to 450-500°F over direct heat, and scrape the grates clean; residue left behind is what makes food stick.
- Char the tomatoes and lemon. Place the tomato vines and lemon halves cut-side down over direct heat. Grill 3-4 minutes, until blistered and caramelized, then move to a sheet pan.
- Grill the steak. Season with coarse pepper. Grill over direct heat for 4-5 minutes per side without moving it, for real char. Pull at 120-125°F internal temp on the flat sides; that gives the fat cap time to render without the center overshooting.
- Render the fat cap. Using long tongs, stand the strip on its fat cap edge over direct heat for 60-90 seconds, until rendered and golden. Move to indirect heat if flare-ups start.
- Rest with the butter on top. Rest the steak, uncovered, with thick dollops of chili butter over top on a rimmed cutting board for 5-8 minutes. Don’t tent it in foil, or the crust turns soft.
- Build the plate. Toss arugula with olive oil and balsamic, just barely coated. Spread it onto the platter. Slice the steak against the grain into 1/4-inch slices and fan it over the greens, then drizzle the melted chili butter over the top immediately.
- Finish and serve. Scatter the tomatoes, red onion, and croutons around the plate. Nestle the burrata into the salad, cut it open, and drizzle chili crisp over everything. Finish with flaky salt, coarse pepper, and a squeeze of the charred lemon.
🔄 Substitutions
- Baby spinach for arugula: swap 1:1, less peppery bite so the chili butter carries more of the heat on its own.
- Balsamic glaze for balsamic vinegar: use half as much; it’s already reduced and sweeter.
- Fresh mozzarella for burrata: swap 1:1, less cream running into the salad but the same fresh, mild base.
💡 Meat Nerd Tips
- Stand time on the fat cap edge is where most people bail early. Give it the full 60-90 seconds or the fat stays rubbery instead of rendering.
- Dry brine overnight if you have the time. An hour is the floor, not the ceiling, and the extra time means a drier surface and a better crust. See our guide to dry brining a steak for the full breakdown.
- Char the lemon and tomatoes while the croutons bake. It’s the one step in this recipe with real room to multitask.
🍽️ What to Serve with Chili Butter Steak and Burrata Salad
- A crisp white wine with real acid to cut the burrata’s richness
- More grilled bread, beyond what’s already in the croutons
- A side of charred or grilled corn
- Another warm-weather steak salad, like our Skirt Steak Bowls with Lemon Chimichurri, if you want a lighter herb angle instead
🧊 Leftovers and Storage
- Fridge: store steak and salad components separately, up to 2 days. Burrata doesn’t hold well past day one.
- Freezer: not recommended for the assembled salad, though extra chili butter medallions freeze fine for the next round.
- Reheating: warm sliced steak gently in a low oven or skillet, never the microwave, or it turns gray and tough. Serve the salad components cold or at room temperature regardless.
A dry-brined NY strip grilled hard and rested under melting Chili Butter, sliced over arugula with charred tomatoes, torn sourdough croutons, and burrata.
Prevent your screen from going to sleep
Pull the Chili Butter
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About 20 minutes before you plan to plate, pull the frozen chili butter medallions from the freezer and let them sit at room temperature to soften. They should be spoonable, not fully melted, by the time the steak rests.
Make the Croutons
-
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Toss torn sourdough with olive oil and salt. Roast for 12-15 minutes, turning once, until deep golden and crunchy through.
Char the Tomatoes and Lemon
-
Place tomato vines and lemon halves, cut-side down, over direct heat. Grill 3-4 minutes until blistered and caramelized. Move to a sheet pan.
Grill the Steak
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Season steak with coarse pepper. Grill over direct heat for 4-5 minutes per side, without moving, for good char. Pull the steak at 120-125°F internal temp.
Render the Fat Cap
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Using long grilling tongs and grilling gloves, if desired, stand the strip on its fat cap edge over direct heat for 60-90 seconds, until rendered and golden. Move to indirect heat if flare-ups occur.
Rest
-
Rest the steak, uncovered, with thick dollops of the chili butter over top on a rimmed cutting board for 5-8 minutes. Do not tent.
Build the Plate
-
Toss the arugula with a light drizzle of olive oil and balsamic, barely coating it. Arrange it on a platter. Slice the steak against the grain into 1/4-inch slices and fan over the greens. Drizzle the melted warm chili butter and any juices over the steak immediately.
Finish and Serve
-
Scatter tomatoes, red onion, and croutons around the plate. Nestle the burrata into the salad and arrange the steak around it. Cut the burrata open. Drizzle chili crisp over everything. Garnish with flaky sea salt, coarse pepper, and a squeeze of charred lemon, and serve.
- Sub baby spinach 1:1 for arugula; balsamic glaze at half the quantity of balsamic vinegar; fresh mozzarella 1:1 for burrata.
- No grill: sear in a screaming-hot cast-iron skillet, render the fat cap in the pan, char tomatoes/lemon under the broiler.
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 429kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 34g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Trans Fat: 0.02g | Cholesterol: 87mg | Sodium: 128mg | Potassium: 400mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 1072IU | Vitamin C: 26mg | Calcium: 367mg | Iron: 2mg
Quick Summary
A dry-brined NY strip, grilled hard and rested under melting chili butter, served over arugula with charred tomatoes, torn sourdough croutons, and a whole ball of burrata cut open at the table. The chili butter doubles as the dressing, so there’s no extra vinaigrette to make.
❓ FAQs
NY strip, for the fat cap and even thickness that renders well on a grill. A ribeye or a thick sirloin works too, just adjust the fat cap step if the cut doesn’t have one.
Yes. Use a screaming-hot cast iron skillet for the sear, then finish rendering the fat cap in the pan on its edge with tongs. Char the tomatoes and lemon under the broiler instead.
Fresh mozzarella, for a milder and firmer bite with less cream running into the greens.