A bright and simple grilled balsamic steak recipe that has a fresh summer dinner on the table in 20 minutes. Perfect for a weeknight or a relaxed weekend dinner. Plus, it’s AIP, Paleo and Whole30 friendly.
Y’all, I have been killin’ it on the grill lately! I never realized just how easy it is to grill a delicious meal in under 20 minutes until I just started experimenting. And not to toot my own horn, but this Grilled Balsamic Steak recipe is what summer dreams are made of! The juicy steak, mildly sweet yellow summer squash and peppery arugula pair perfectly with the rich, flavorful 4-Ingredient Balsamic Marinade.
Get your grill game on
Do you have a grill? Do you use it often? Grilling is quickly becoming my go-to cooking method this summer. Not only is it a super quick way to cook; it keeps the house cool on those sweltering summer days, and adds that rich, savory flavor only a grill can provide. Plus, it’s way less clean-up than all the other cooking methods. 10/10. I highly recommend.
If you have a grill, you definitely need to make this Grilled Balsamic Steak, Summer Squash and Arugula recipe. If you don’t have a grill, get on it! This is the grill I have and I absolutely love it. It’s so easy to use and it heats up super quickly. Plus, it has a temperature gauge on the lid, so you don’t need to keep lifting the lid to see how hot the grill is.
Alternatively, if you prefer charcoal to gas, you can absolutely make this recipe on a charcoal grill. Though, if your charcoal grill does not have a temperature gauge on the lid, you may need to try the “hand test” to make sure it is the right temperature before placing the steak and squash on the grates. Don’t forget you will also need to allow extra time to heat the coals and get them to the right temperature before you can begin grilling.
this recipe!
How to make Grilled Balsamic Steak with Summer Squash & Arugula
Ingredients
First, you’ll need to gather your ingredients. For the balsamic marinade, you’ll need:
- 1/4 cup avocado oil
- 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
For the rest of the recipe, you’ll need:
- 1 lb New York steak
- 3 medium (or 4 small) yellow summer squash, quartered lengthwise
- 5 oz baby arugula
Instructions
Up to 24 hours ahead of time, make the balsamic marinade and start marinating the steak. To make the marinade, combine the avocado oil, balsamic vinegar, garlic powder, and sea salt in a small mason jar and shake to combine. Then, use half the marinade (about 1/4 cup) to marinate the steak at least 2 hours (and up to 24 hours) in the fridge. Store the remaining marinade in the fridge in the mason jar you made it in. About 30 minutes before grilling, take the steak out of the fridge to bring to room temp.
Preheat your grill to med/high (about 400ºF). While the grill is heating, quarter the summer squash lengthwise and remove the mason jar of marinade from the fridge, to soften it up (the oil tends to coagulate in the fridge – just give it a good shake before using).
Place the steak on the grill and grill for 3-5 minutes per side, depending on how thick your steak is, and how done you prefer your steak (135ºF for medium rare, 145ºF for medium, 150ºF for medium well, and 160ºF for well done). Once cooked, remove the steak to a clean cutting board, loosely tent with foil and let rest 5-10 minutes before slicing.
While steak is resting, place the sliced squash on the grill and grill for 2-4 minutes per side. Remove to a clean plate.
Then arrange arugula, grilled squash and sliced steak onto four dinner plates and drizzle with the fresh marinade (do not reuse the marinade used to marinate the steak!). Enjoy!
If you have any leftovers, store them separately in airtight containers in the fridge for up to 3 days. When you’re ready to eat them, you can either reheat the steak and squash with your preferred method, or just eat them cold, like a salad. I ate my leftovers cold and they were super tasty!
FAQ
Of course! This recipe would be delicious with chicken or pork, as well. Even salmon would work well. You may just need to adjust the cooking time for your protein of choice, depending on which one you choose.
Any summer squash would work great in this recipe. Try a variety, including zucchini, romanesco zucchini, pattypan or cousa. Any summer squash with thin skin would work great. You could even mix it up with other summer vegetables, like asparagus. Even sweet peppers and eggplant would be fantastic, if you tolerate nightshades.
The marinade helps keep these steaks super juicy, no matter which temperature you cook them to, so it’s tough to mess this one up, even if you’re a novice griller. I cooked my steak for about 5 minutes per side and it was medium well (see photos), but still super juicy. For the most accurate doneness, get yourself a meat thermometer for a grill. It will have a long handle, so you don’t burn yourself when checking the temperature. For medium rare, remove the steak from the grill as soon as it reaches 135ºF, 145ºF for medium, 150ºF for medium well, and 160ºF for well done. Be sure to let the steak rest for at least 5 minutes before slicing, for optimal juiciness, as well.
Absolutely, you can! Use whatever cut is your favorite. Though, I would stick to cuts in the mid-quality range. Cheap cuts may be too tough, even with the marinade. And the more expensive cuts probably don’t need the marinade to stay juicy. But pick your favorite and give it a try!
Other recipes to try
If you’re looking for some more AIP grilling recipes, be sure to try this 15-Minute Grilled Salmon & Asparagus with Cilantro-Lime Sauce and this Super Easy AIP Lemon Basil Grilled Chicken. And save this 4-Ingredient Balsamic Marinade to use on anything and everything, including chicken, steak, seafood or vegetables.
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Grilled Balsamic Steak with Summer Squash & Arugula
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Grill
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
A bright and simple grilled balsamic steak recipe that has a fresh summer dinner on the table in 20 minutes. AIP, Paleo and Whole30 friendly.
Ingredients
1/4 cup avocado oil
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 lb New York steak
3 medium (or 4 small) yellow summer squash, quartered lengthwise
5 oz baby arugula
Instructions
- Up to 24 hours ahead of time, make the balsamic marinade and start marinating the steak. To make the marinade, combine the avocado oil, balsamic vinegar, garlic powder, and sea salt in a small mason jar and shake to combine. Use half the marinade (about 1/4 cup) to marinate the steak at least 2 hours (and up to 24 hours) in the fridge. Store the remaining marinade in the fridge in the mason jar you made it in. About 30 minutes before grilling, take the steak out of the fridge to bring to room temp.
- Preheat your grill to med/high (about 400ºF). While the grill is heating, quarter the summer squash lengthwise and remove the mason jar of marinade from the fridge, to soften it up (the oil tends to coagulate in the fridge – just give it a good shake before using).
- Place the steak on the grill and grill for 3-5 minutes per side, depending on how thick your steak is, and how done you prefer your steak (135ºF for medium rare, 145ºF for medium, 150ºF for medium well, and 160ºF for well done). Once cooked, remove the steak to a clean cutting board, loosely tent with foil and let rest 5-10 minutes before slicing.
- While steak is resting, place the sliced squash on the grill and grill for 2-4 minutes per side. Remove to a clean plate.
- Arrange arugula, grilled squash and sliced steak onto four dinner plates and drizzle with the fresh marinade (do not reuse the marinade used to marinate the steak!). Enjoy!
Equipment
outdoor grill
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cutting board
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chef’s knife
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Store leftovers separately in airtight containers in the fridge for up to 3 days. Either reheat with your preferred method, or eat cold (it’s delicious cold!).
All nutrition information is an estimate, only, using an online nutrition calculator.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/4 of recipe
- Calories: 200
- Fat: 6g
- Saturated Fat: 2g
- Carbohydrates: 8g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 29g
Keywords: grilled steak, balsamic steak, grilled balsamic steak, arugula, summer, grilling, aip, paleo, quick, easy
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