Hearty salad featuring smoky air-fried beef jerky over crisp greens with creamy garlic herb dressing.
Ingredients:
4 oz lean beef (London broil or flank steak), sliced into ⅛-inch strips
2 Tbsp soy sauce
¼ tsp smoked paprika
¼ tsp garlic powder
¼ tsp ground black cardamom (or pinch of clove)
Dash of cayenne pepper (optional)
1 cup baby spinach
½ cup chopped romaine
1 hard-boiled egg, sliced
2 Tbsp shredded cheddar or blue cheese (optional, for extra fat)
2 Tbsp mayonnaise
1 Tbsp sour cream
1 tsp lemon juice
½ tsp garlic powder
¼ tsp dried dill
¼ tsp onion powder
Salt and pepper, to taste
1–2 tsp water to thin, if needed
Macronutrients:
Protein: 35g
Fat: 35g
Carbs: 4g
Preparation
In a bowl, mix soy sauce, smoked paprika, garlic powder, cardamom, cayenne, salt, and pepper. Add beef slices and toss to coat evenly. Cover and refrigerate for at least 8 hours or overnight.
Preheat the air fryer to 160°F (70°C). Arrange marinated beef slices in a single layer on the air fryer rack, ensuring none are overlapping. Air fry for 3 hours. After cooking, leave the jerky in the air fryer (turned off) for 1 hour to finish drying and cooling.
Place eggs in a pot and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Once boiling, turn off the heat, cover the pot, and let the eggs sit for 9–12 minutes. Transfer to an ice bath to cool before peeling.
Once cooled, slice or tear the jerky into bite-sized strips for topping the salad. Store extras in an airtight container. Add mayonnaise, milk, lemon juice, salt, pepper, dried dill, onion powder, and garlic powder to a bowl. Whisk all ingredients in a small bowl until smooth. Thin with water if desired.
Arrange spinach, romaine, cucumber, and egg on a plate or in a bowl. Top with 3–4 Tbsp jerky pieces (from the 4 oz batch) and cheese if using. Drizzle generously with creamy garlic herb dressing.