A quick and easy restaurant-quality dinner to eat with rice or noodles, this 15-minute Chinese pepper steak stir fry mixes tender, juicy sirloin with bell peppers in a fragrant, homemade brown stir-fry sauce!
Pepper Steak
One of my favorite quick and easy dinners to prepare is stir-fries, which are tasty and nourishing. Even better, though, are times when they serve as a restaurant-caliber, reasonably priced, and healthful substitute! This pepper steak is very similar to Chinese beef and broccoli, except instead of broccoli, it has bell peppers and onions instead. If you enjoy Chinese beef and broccoli, you’ll adore this steak. Delectable!
Thinly sliced steak is cooked till tender and juicy with a little marinade in this quick and simple pepper steak dish. This is then mixed with soft, crisp stir-fried onions and bell peppers, and simmered in a flavorful, fragrant brown stir-fry sauce until it thickens into a delicious glaze.
The entire procedure is rather rapid, and it results in a really filling dinner when served with rice, noodles, and/or vegetables. The leftovers can also be frozen!
When my mom prepared this steak, I used to adore it, and now that I’m a grownup, my family always enjoys it when I make it. Having all of your ingredients diced and ready to go before you begin cooking is essential for stir-frying any kind of food. Your supper may be prepared in a matter of minutes.
Ingredients For Pepper Steak
- Beef: The ideal meat for pepper steak is lean cuts like flank, skirt, or flap steak. I adore using flank since it’s flavorful and readily available.
- Oil: Use high-heat, flavorless oil. For example, grapeseed, canola, and peanut oil.
- Vegetables: Yellow or white onions and bell peppers (any color will do; keep in mind that green is more bitter and red and orange are the sweetest) are all you need for a really tasty and filling meal.
- Aromatics: Garlic and ginger are a traditional stir-fry combination that enhances taste depth. The greatest purees are fresh, although “lazy” purees also work.
- Sesame seeds: As a garnish, however toasted cashews or peanuts would also be suitable.
Tips and Variations
- Paleo or Whole 30 Replace the soy sauce with liquid aminos and the corn starch with arrowroot to make this paleo or Whole30 compliant, however you may need to tweak the quantity.
- Gluten-free Replace the soy sauce with gluten-free tamari to make recipe gluten-free.
THE STIR-FRY SAUCE
- Dark soy sauce: Combine normal and dark soy sauce for maximum taste depth. If preferred, you might substitute low-sodium soy sauce. Try using coconut aminos or tamari if you’re gluten-free.
- sugar: All you need is regular white sugar, however you may also use brown sugar, raw cane sugar, honey, or sugar substitutes like erythritol. Since the flavors and sweetness of each kind may vary, adjust the quantity to taste.
- Black pepper: For a light spicy kick.
- Toasted sesame oil: This will give the stir-fry sauce a toasted, nutty taste.
- Cornstarch: (used with a small amount of water) to give the sauce a glaze-like thickness. A paleo, whole-30, corn-free sauce for pepper steak might be made with arrowroot or tapioca starch.
- Water: To prepare the sauce, add water. Use low-sodium chicken broth, low-sodium beef broth, or both (for additional full-bodied taste) to add even more flavor.
How Make Pepper Steak
First, cut the steak into ¼-inch-thick strips against the grain. Then, put the strips in a bowl and add the baking soda. Give the mixture a minute to work its way into the flesh.
It might be simpler to slice the meat into tidy strips if it has been frozen for 30 minutes previously.
After that, add the soy sauce, sugar, and cornstarch to the other marinade ingredients, stir to coat, and put away. You may marinate it on the countertop for half an hour or cook it right away.
Next, finely slice the onion (chopped pole to pole) and bell peppers (cored and de-seeded) into ¼-inch pieces. Peel and finely chop the ginger and garlic as well.
Make The Pepper Steak Sauce
In a small bowl, combine all the sauce ingredients (except from the cornstarch slurry components), whisk to combine, and put aside.
The cornstarch and its water (one tablespoon) should be combined in a different small basin and mixed until lump-free.
Next, place a wok or a big pan with high sides over high heat until it begins to smoke slightly. Then, add 1 tablespoon of oil and stir to coat.
Add half of the meat to the pan and cook for approximately a minute, without moving, until well-seared. Then, sauté for a further minute or so, or until the food is barely cooked through with a few pink spots. Spoon that into a dish, use paper towels to clean the wok, then continue with the remaining meat and another tablespoon of oil.
Put the skillet back on the burner, add the last tablespoon of oil, and stir-fry the onion and peppers for one to two minutes, or until they are crisp-tender and faintly browned in places.
After that, add the minced ginger and garlic to the pan, mix, and put the beef back. mix-fry for 30 seconds.
Stir-fry the beef for 30 seconds or until the sauce thickens and the meat is cooked through, adding the bowl of sauce ingredients and a little amount of cornstarch slurry if needed. Increase the amount of cornstarch slurry in the sauce if it’s not thick enough. Add more water (or beef broth) if it’s too thick.
When done, take off the heat and serve with sesame seeds on top.
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Pepper Steak
Enjoy a quick and easy restaurant-quality dinner with rice or noodles in 15 minutes with this delicious, homemade brown stir-fry sauce that blends succulent, juicy sirloin with bell peppers!
- 1.2 lb beef steak flank (skirt or flap)
For the Marinade
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce dark or reduced-sodium; use tamari/coconut aminos if gluten-free
- ½ teaspoon sugar white (brown, raw cane, honey, sugar substitute (adjust the amount to taste))
- ½ teaspoon cornstarch
For the Sauce
- ⅓ cup water or low-sodium beef and/or chicken broth
- 2 tablespoon soy sauce dark (light (or a mix of the two), or reduced-sodium; use tamari/coconut aminos if gluten-free)
- 1 tablespoon roasted sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon sugar white (brown, raw cane, honey, sugar substitute (adjust the amount to taste))
- 1/2 tablespoon black pepper freshly ground
For the Cornstarch Slurry
- 2 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon water
For the Stir Fry
- 3 tablespoon oil peanut (rice bran, or other neutral oil; divided)
- 1 lb bell peppers 3 (can be same or different color)
- 5.3 oz onion 2 small
- 2 cloves garlic medium
- 1/2 tablespoon fresh grated ginger
- Chef’s Tip: It might be simpler to slice the meat into neat strips if it has been frozen for 30 minutes beforehand.
- Cut the steak into ¼-inch-thick strips against the grain, then add the baking soda to a bowl and work the soda into the flesh for a minute.
- Stir in the soy sauce, sugar, and cornstarch, cover, and put away to combine the other marinade ingredients. You may marinate it on the countertop for half an hour or cook it right away.
- After removing the seeds and cores, finely slice the bell peppers and onion (chopped from pole to pole) into ¼-inch pieces.
- Peel and finely chop the ginger and garlic as well.
- In a small bowl, combine all the sauce ingredients (except from the cornstarch slurry components), whisk to combine, and put aside.
- Mix the cornstarch and 1 tablespoon water in a small, separate bowl until there are no lumps.
- Swirl one tablespoon of oil into a wok or big, high-sided pan over high heat until it begins to smoke moderately.
- Add half of the meat to the pan and cook for approximately a minute, without moving, until well-seared. Then, sauté for a further minute or so, or until the food is barely cooked through with a few pink spots. Move it into a basin.
- After using paper towels to clean the wok, repeat the process with the leftover meat and another tablespoon of oil.
- After the entire beef is cooked and put aside, add the remaining tablespoon of oil and stir-fry the onion and peppers for one to two minutes, or until they are crisp-tender and faintly browned in places.
- Stir in the minced ginger and garlic, then add the beef back to the wok and stir-fry it for 30 seconds.
- Stir-fry the beef for 30 seconds or until the sauce thickens and the meat is cooked through, adding the bowl of sauce ingredients and a little amount of cornstarch slurry if needed.
- Increase the amount of cornstarch slurry in the sauce if it’s not thick enough. Add more water (or beef broth) if it’s too thick.
- Take off the heat and serve with sesame seeds on top.
- Cut against the grain to achieve incredibly soft, non-tough slices.
- For really tender beef, try the baking soda procedure or let it marinade for at least half an hour.
- Make sure the pan is HOT so that the meat sears fast and seals in the juices.
- Cook in groups: Overcrowding the pan will cause the meat to steam instead than sear, giving it a lovely brown crust.
- Modify the sauce: To taste, adjust the amount of any sauce components.
- Include extra vegetables: Beef and peppers are often served with bean sprouts. On the other hand, pre-sauteed mushrooms, shredded cabbage, diced tomatoes, baby corn, sugar snap peas, and carrots can also be used.
Storage Instructions
The sauce may be made up to two weeks ahead of time and kept in the fridge in an airtight container. Give it a good shake or toss before cooking and use.
After letting the leftovers cool, keep them in the freezer for up to three months or in the refrigerator for three to four days when stored in an airtight container.
Before reheating it on the stove at low heat or in the microwave at 50%, let it defrost overnight in the refrigerator. In 30-second intervals, microwave, stirring in between.