This Easy Pepper Steak Recipe (sometimes called Chinese Pepper Steak) is a bold and savory dinner favorite made with thinly sliced beef, bell peppers, and onions in a savory sauce. The aroma of the sizzling beef mixed with the fragrant sautéed onions and peppers will make your mouth water before the dish even hits the table.
If you’re looking for other steak recipes, try this Easy Round Steak and Gravy or this Swiss Steak with Potatoes and Green Beans. And if grilling is on your mind, try our Grilled Ribeyes with Beer & Brown Sugar Marinade or Grilled Salisbury Steak.
Why We Love Pepper Steak
Pepper steak rocks for a bunch of reasons! First off, it’s packed with flavor – think tender beef, colorful veggies, and those savory sauces dancing together in your mouth. And guess what? It’s a breeze to whip up! Just slice, marinate, stir-fry, and boom – dinner’s ready in a flash.
The best part? You can totally make it your own! Spice it up, tone it down, and swap in your favorite veggies. Serve it over rice or noodles, and you’ve got yourself a hearty, delicious meal that’s sure to please the whole family.
Ingredients
- Beef steak (flank steak, skirt steak, top sirloin, or round steak), very thinly sliced against the grain. to break up the muscle fibers and tenderize it.
- Red bell pepper, sliced into strips
- Green bell pepper, sliced into strips
- Yellow or white onion, sliced into strips
- Minced garlic (can substitute with garlic powder in half the amount)
- Chopped ginger
- Soy sauce (I prefer using low-sodium soy sauce.)
- Sesame oil
- Cornstarch
- Sugar (brown sugar or granulated sugar)
- Ground black pepper
- Hot water (can substitute with beef broth or chicken broth)
- Vegetable oil
- Cooked rice for serving
Helpful Tips!
- Be sure to slice the beef against the grain in thin slices. Freezing the meat for 20-30 minutes before slicing firms it enough so that you can get nice thin slices more easily.
- For extra tender beef, you could use a meat mallet tenderizer before adding it to the marinade.
- Marinate the beef at least 30 minutes or overnight.
- Slice all the veggies in advance so you have everything ready to go when you start cooking.
- Use low-sodium soy sauce (and broths, if using) to cut down on sodium levels in the dish.
- When stir-frying the beef and vegetables, make sure your pan or wok is very hot before adding the ingredients. This helps to sear the beef quickly and retain its juices, resulting in a more tender and flavorful dish.
Pepper Steak Stir Fry Directions
Step 1: In a small or medium bowl, mix together sauce ingredients: soy sauce, sesame oil, cornstarch, sugar, ginger and black pepper. Add thinly sliced beef to the mixture, ensuring it’s well-coated. Let it marinate for at least 30 minutes or overnight.
Step 2: Heat one tablespoon of vegetable oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add the marinated beef slices and cook for 2-3 minutes until browned. Remove the beef from the skillet and set it aside.
Step 3: Add another tablespoon of vegetable oil to the same skillet. Add minced garlic, ginger and sliced onions. Cook for 2-3 minutes until the onions are softened and the sliced bell peppers are slightly tender but still crisp.
Step 4: Return the cooked beef slices to the skillet and stir to combine with the vegetables.
Step 5: Pour hot water (or broth) into the skillet. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook for another 2-3 minutes until the savory sauce thickens slightly and coats the beef and vegetables. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Serve the pepper steak over a bed of rice (white rice, brown rice, cauliflower rice) or egg noodles.
Pepper Steak Recipe Variations
- Add extra ground pepper, chopped chili peppers, or red pepper flakes to the marinade for a heat boost. You could also add a splash of hot sauce or chili paste.
- Replace soy sauce with teriyaki sauce in the marinade for a sweeter flavor profile.
- Consider adding sliced mushrooms to the stir-fry for extra depth of flavor.
- Garnish with freshly chopped parsley or cilantro for a pop of color and freshness.
- Use a combination of soy sauce and oyster sauce in the marinade for a richer umami flavor.
- Add sliced water chestnuts or bamboo shoots to the stir-fry for added texture and flavor.
- Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds before serving for a nutty flavor.
Recipe FAQ
Flank steak is flavorful and easy to find, but you could also use skirt, round, sirloin or ribeye.
Thinly slicing against the grain will help a lot, and you can also gently pound the meat with a meat tenderizer. Velveting the meat with cornstarch in the marinade not only tenderizes it but also acts as a shield, preserving its juiciness and tenderness during cooking.
Serve over hot rice or noodles.
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. It can be reheated in the microwave.
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Pepper Steak Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 lb beef steak (flank steak, skirt, sirloin or round) thinly sliced against the grain
- 2 bell peppers (2 different colors) sliced into strips
- ½ onion sliced into strips
- 3 cloves minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
- 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon sugar brown or white
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ cup water can use chicken broth or beef broth
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil divided
- Cooked rice for serving
Instructions
- In a small or medium bowl, mix together sauce ingredients: soy sauce, sesame oil, cornstarch, sugar, ginger and black pepper. Add thinly sliced beef to the mixture, ensuring it's well-coated. Let it marinate for at least 30 minutes or overnight.
- Heat one tablespoon of vegetable oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add the marinated beef slices and cook for 2-3 minutes until browned. Remove the beef from the skillet and set it aside.
- Add another tablespoon of vegetable oil to the same skillet. Add minced garlic, ginger and sliced onions. Cook for 2-3 minutes until the onions are softened and the sliced bell peppers are slightly tender but still crisp.
- Return the cooked beef slices to the skillet and stir to combine with the vegetables. Pour hot water (or broth) into the skillet. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook for another 2-3 minutes until the savory sauce thickens slightly and coats the beef and vegetables. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Serve over a bed of rice or egg noodles.
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