Stir-fries are already one of my favorite meals to throw together in no time and enjoy a delicious and nutritious meal. But when they double up as a healthy, cost-effective, yet restaurant-quality fakeout… even better! If you’re a fan of Chinese beef and broccoli, you’ll love this pepper steak, which is really similar, but swaps out the broccoli for bell peppers and onion. Delicious! For this quick and easy pepper steak recipe, thinly sliced steak is lightly marinated and cooked until tender and juicy. That’s then combined with tender-crisp stir-fried onion and peppers before simmering in an aromatic, flavor-packed brown stir-fry sauce until it thickens into a mouth-watering glaze. The entire process is really quick and, when paired with rice, noodles, and/or veg, makes for a super satisfying meal. You can even freeze the leftovers! Looking for more simple Chinese mains? Check out my homemade versions of Chinese orange chicken, sesame chicken, and Chinese eggplant. Or you might like this steak marinade.
Ingredients for Pepper Steak
Not only is this steak and peppers recipe quick to prepare, but aside from the meat and veg, most of the ingredients required are likely already in your kitchen/pantry.
Beef: Lean cuts like flank steak, skirt steak, or flap are the best meat for pepper steak. I love using flank as it’s easy to find and packed with flavor. Oil: Use neutral-flavored, high-heat oil. I.e., peanut oil, canola, grapeseed, etc. Vegetables: All you need for a super flavorful and satisfying dish is onion (yellow or white) and bell peppers (any color – remember red and orange are sweetest, and green are more bitter). Aromatics: Enhance the depth of flavor with the classic stir-fry duo of garlic and ginger. Fresh is best, but “lazy” purees will work, too. Sesame seeds: To garnish, though cashews or peanuts (toasted) would also work.
The Stir-Fry Sauce
Dark soy sauce: For the most flavor depth, use a combination of regular and dark soy sauce. However, you could use low-sodium soy sauce if preferred. If you’re gluten-free, use tamari or coconut aminos. Sugar: Regular white sugar is all you need, though you could use raw cane sugar, brown sugar, honey, or a sugar alternative (like erythritol) if preferred. Adjust the amount to taste, as each type will differ in flavor and sweetness. Black pepper: To add subtle heat. Toasted sesame oil: This will add a nutty, toasty flavor to the stir-fry sauce. Cornstarch: (combined with a little water) To thicken the sauce into a glaze-like consistency. Arrowroot or tapioca starch would work for a corn-free, paleo, whole-30 sauce for pepper steak. Water: To make up the sauce. For even more flavor, use low-sodium beef broth, chicken broth, or a combination of the two (for extra full-bodied flavor).
Optionally add some hot sauce or red pepper flakes to add some heat to the brown stir-fry sauce. A splash of hoisin, Worcestershire, or oyster sauce would also help to enhance the umami.
How to Make Pepper Steak
First, slice the steak against the grain into ¼-inch-thick strips and transfer them to a bowl with the baking soda, massaging it into the meat for a minute. Freezing the meat for 30 minutes beforehand can make it easier to slice it into neat strips. Then add the rest of the marinade ingredients (soy sauce, sugar, and cornstarch), toss to cover, and set aside. You can cook it immediately or leave it to marinate for 30 minutes on the countertop. Next, core and de-seed the bell peppers and thinly slice them into ¼-inch pieces along with the onion (chopped pole to pole). Also, peel and mince the garlic and ginger.
Make the Pepper Steak Sauce
Combine all the sauce ingredients (except the cornstarch slurry ingredients) in a small bowl, whisk well, and set aside. In a separate small bowl, combine the cornstarch and its water (1 Tbsp) and mix until lump-free. Then heat a wok or a high-sided, large skillet over high heat until lightly smoking, and add 1 tablespoon of oil, swirling to coat. Add half the beef to the pan and cook, untouched, until well-seared (about 1 minute). Then continue to sauté until lightly cooked with just a few pink spots (about 1 minute). Transfer that to a bowl, wipe out the wok with paper towels, and repeat with another tablespoon of oil and the remaining beef. Return the pan to the heat, add the remaining tablespoon of oil, and stir fry the peppers and onion until they’re tender-crisp and lightly charred in spots (1-2 minutes). Then add the minced garlic and ginger, stir, and return the beef to the wok, stir-frying for 30 seconds. Pour in the bowl of sauce ingredients and just a splash of the cornstarch slurry, stir-frying until the sauce thickens and the beef cooks through (about 30 seconds). If the sauce isn’t thick enough, add more of the cornstarch slurry. If it’s too thick, add some water (or beef broth). Finally, remove from the heat and enjoy garnished with sesame seeds.
What to Serve with Pepper Steak?
Grains: I.e., over a bed of jasmine rice, brown rice, or quinoa. Noodles: Instead of rice, you may prefer to serve the beef stir fry with bell peppers over noodles – glass, ribbon, soba, lo mein, etc.
For a low-carb pairing, enjoy the steak stir fry with cauliflower rice or zucchini noodles.
Vegetables: Several veggies pair well with this stir fry, including sugar snap peas, broccoli/ broccolini, bok choy, asparagus, green beans, etc. Salad: Like Asian broccoli salad or crunchy Asian cucumber salad.
More Asian Dinner Recipes
Japanese-inspired ramen Korean bibimbap The best egg-fried rice Teriyaki baked salmon Easy Chicken Stir Fry
If you try this pepper steak with onions, let me know how it goes in the comments below. I’d appreciate a recipe card rating and would love to see your recipe recreations – tag me on Instagram @Alphafoodie!
