The Pittsburgh salad is a staple here! Crisp and refreshing iceberg lettuce topped with veggies, sharp cheddar and hot, crunchy french fries. Serve with your choice of protein and the best Italian vinaigrette!
Put some fries on your salad and eat it!
This is the Pittsburgh Salad filled with crisp, refreshing lettuce, veggies and topped with french fries.
Oh yeah. French fries. They are the most important part of this salad.
There’s no real RECIPE for this salad – but it’s more or less a method for making a delicious bowl of salad and fries. Yes.
If you’re unfamiliar with the idea of the Pittsburgh salad, it’s a classic green salad loaded with fries and cheese, and then typically comes with your choice of grilled chicken, salmon, or steak. Or crispy chicken. It really depends on where you get it!
But it is good.
It’s not a salad that will be an easy option. It’s a decadently stocked bowl that fills up with all the things and stacks ridiculously high.
The best thing about the Pittsburgh salad is that when it’s served, the fries are usually hot and then the cheese is melted. I mean… soft and melty cheese, hot fries, PLUS salad? uh huh
The vegetables in a Pittsburgh salad tend to be traditional: tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots, red onions. Sometimes you can find a wild radish or even celery, but I keep mine rather simple.
Oh, and the salad is almost always iceberg lettuce. Always!
So this is my version of a Pittsburgh basic salad! I say “base” because I’m not showing this with chicken, salmon, or any protein—but I’m sharing the base we love so you can make it your own.
And honestly, I really love it like this with the fries. It makes the fries shine!
I start with a base of iceberg and butter lettuce. I like the contrasting textures. The key is to season the salad throughout. Then I add tomatoes, cucumbers, red onions or shallots and carrots. It’s very similar to mine howsweeats house salad!
For the fries, I choose frozen fries and make them in the oven at high heat (at least 200°C!) or in the air fryer. Of course, you can also use whatever fries you like. I prefer something thin and crunchy for that. I get the ALDI or Ore Ida brand thin and crispy. I always cook them longer than recommended so they get extra crispy.
Cheese – I always use sharp cheddar.
That Italian dressing… OH MY GOD. I can’t tell you how much Eddie and I love this. I sometimes make this dressing once or twice a week. The kids love it for dipping. It’s so flavorful, flavorful, and tastes like some really delicious Italian dressing you get on a broken bar salad.
In the best possible way!
I mean that in the best, best, best way. That’s what the Pittsburgh salad is all about. They tend to be non-vegetable toppings rather than veggies… and who’s complaining? Not me.
A Pittsburgh salad is usually served with ranch. If that’s more your speed, I have an incredible ranch dressing recipe that we love But I’ve never been a ranch-on-salad girl, and a salt vinaigrette is what wins me over.
Call me crazy, but imagine replacing your croutons with french fries! I’m looking forward to it.
You absolutely have to try this combination! If you want to add more protein, I recommend crispy chicken, salmon, steak, or even crispy chickpeas.
It’s a big favorite!
Pittsburgh Salad with Italian Vinaigrette
Pittsburgh salad with Italian dressing
The Pittsburgh salad is a staple here! Crisp and refreshing iceberg lettuce topped with veggies, sharp cheddar and hot, crunchy french fries. Serve with your choice of protein and the best Italian vinaigrette!
- 1 Bag your favorite frozen fries
- 1 lettuce, washed and chopped
- 4 cups butter salad
- 1 Cup cherry tomatoes, cut
- ⅔ Cup sliced carrots
- ⅔ Cup chopped cucumbers
- ½ Red onion, thinly sliced or diced (to taste)
- 4 ounces sharp white cheddar cheese, grated
vinaigrette
- ¼ Cup red wine vinegar
- 4 Garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon Honey
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ½ Cup olive oil
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Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Place the fries on a baking sheet. Roast at 450 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes or until super crispy and crispy.
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Place the salad in a bowl and toss with a large pinch of salt and pepper. Add tomatoes, carrots, cucumbers and red onions. Fold in the cheddar cheese.
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Serve the salad with a few spoonfuls of fries. Drizzle with the dressing and mix.
vinaigrette
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Whisk together the vinegar, garlic, Dijon, honey, oregano, salt, and pepper until well combined. Drizzle in the olive oil, stirring, until emulsified. This dressing stays great in the fridge for a week! Simply whisk or shake before serving.
longing for it.