This flank steak salad with gochujang dressing is earthy, meaty, spicy! It gets a rich flavor profile from an umami-rich gochujang dressing.
In addition to juicy, medium-rare steak and a punchy dressing, this salad features earthy butternut squash and shiitake mushrooms. We pair them with quick-pickled onions and jalapeños for a nice kick at the end.
We just loved this flank steak salad with gochujang dressing. It’s so easy to prepare and all of the ingredients, except the dressing, are made in one skillet.
The gochujang dressing is prepared with sesame oil, gochujang, lime juice, mirin, rice vinegar, and garlic cloves. The acidity from the lime and rice vinegar pairs so perfectly with the fermented, rich flavors of gochujang. If you like it a little more sweet, add a splash of maple syrup, honey, or dissolve sugar in the dressing. We loved the heat of this dressing!
Here are some great substitutes for this recipe:
- Flank steak: Use skirt or try this recipe with hanger, bavette, or flat iron steak
- Butternut squash: Sweet potatoes, acorn squash, or delicata squash
- Gochujang: Sriracha or sambal oolek or try this with a sweet chili sauce!
- Shiitake mushrooms: Any mushroom variety
How to make this Flank Steak Salad with Gochujang Dressing:
This salad is a breeze! First, prep your ingredients. The recipe comes together quickly, so have everything ready to go before jumping into cooking.
Next, prepare the dressing. Simply blend all of the ingredients in a food processor until smooth and set it aside.
After the dressing, quick pickle the onions and jalapeños.
From there, simply fry up the squash and the mushrooms. Finish the recipe by frying up the steak until your desired internal temperature is met. Rest the steak while you get your salads plated and ready to go.
To serve it up, pile the steak and vegetables on top and drizzle that delicious dressing over everything. Delicious!
Looking for more beef recipes? Check my archives!
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Flank Steak Salad with Gochujang Dressing
Equipment
- Large skillet
- Food processor
Ingredients
Steak:
- 1 pound flank steak or skirt steak
- 2 teaspoons avocado oil plus more for frying
- Salt and pepper
Gochujang dressing:
- 3 tablespoons sesame oil
- 3 tablespoons gochujang
- 1 lime juiced
- 2 teaspoons mirin
- 2 teaspoons rice vinegar
- 2 garlic cloves
Butternut squash and shiitake mushrooms:
- 2 cups butternut squash
- 10 large shiitake mushrooms
- Olive oil
- Salt and pepper
Quick-pickled onions and jalapeños:
- ½ jalapeño
- ¼ red onion
- 2 teaspoons rice vinegar
- Flaky sea salt
Salad:
- 2 cups baby arugula or greens of your choice
- A few sprigs of cilantro
Instructions
Prepare ingredients:
- Season the steak with salt and pepper and drizzle with the 2 teaspoons of avocado oil and brush the oil all over the steak and set aside. Cut the butternut squash into small cubes and slice the mushroom caps, discarding the stems. Very thinly slice the onion and jalapeño. Pick the cilantro leaves from the stems and toss the leaves with the arugula in a bowl.
Make the dressing:
- In a food processor, combine sesame oil, gochujang, juice of 1 lime, mirin, rice vinegar, and garlic cloves. Pulse until smooth. Taste the dressing and season as you like. Transfer to a small bowl or jar and set aside.
Prepare the quick-pickled onions:
- In a small dish, toss the sliced onions and jalapeño with the rice vinegar and a pinch flaky sea salt. Chill until ready to serve.
Cook the butternut squash and shiitake mushrooms:
- Heat 1 tablespoon of avocado oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Add the butternut squash and cook for 5-7 minutes or until starting to turn golden brown. Add the shiitake mushrooms and season with salt and pepper. Continue cooking, stirring regularly, for an additional 10-15 minutes or until the mushrooms and squash are all browned and beginning to crisp up on the edges. Note: The butternut squash should be fork-tender, not falling apart.
- Remove the vegetables from the skillet and transfer to a bowl. Cover with aluminum foil and keep warm.
Cook the steak:
- Wipe out the skillet you used to cook the vegetables and add another tablespoon of oil. Turn the heat to high and once the oil is shimmering and almost smoking, add the steak. Cook without moving for 3-4 minutes. Flip and cook an additional 3-4 minutes. (For medium-rare, you can increase the cooking time depending on your internal temperature preference.
- Transfer the steak to a cutting board and rest for 5 minutes. Slice the steak against the grain and then cut into cubes, if desired.
Prepare the salads:
- While the steak is resting, prepare the salads. Divide the greens between bowls and top with the warm butternut squash shiitake mushrooms. Arrange the quick-pickled onions and jalapeños over the dish. Top with the cubed (or sliced) steak.
To serve:
- Serve the prepared salads with the gochujang dressing. Enjoy!
