If Pepper Steak is your go-to order at Chinese restaurants, this homemade version is going to blow your mind. Itโs got that same saucy umami flavor and it comes together FASTโlike, weeknight-fast. It’s everything you love about takeout, but made at home in under 30 minutes. This Pepper Steak is the kind of dinner that make you feel like a success at dinner: quick, flavorful, family-friendly, and completely satisfying.
Whip up this Pepper Steak Recipe and then serve it over rice or noodles for an all-in-one dinner, no side dishes required. We even take a bigger shortcut on this recipe and use frozen rice, makes this quick dinner, even faster.
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Ingredient Details
Beef/Steak – Flank steak is what the recipe calls for, and is traditionally used for Pepper Steak. You want to slice it thinly across the grain of the meat. There are a few other options you can use, pop down to the section below to read about alternate steak options.
Bell Peppers – To keep this dish colorful and flavorful, I recommend using 2 or even 3 colors of bell peppers. I like to buy the three pack of assorted peppers at the store. They usually contain a green, red and yellow or orange pepper. Perfect for this recipe.
Onion – For the most authentic flavor you will want to use a yellow onion. Also add some sliced green onion for garnish at the end, it also adds a nice onion flavor and texture.
Soy Sauce – If you are salt sensitive I recommend using a low sodium soy sauce. We love the Lee Kum Kee brand soy sauce, it has a more authentic flavor and is what we recommend in some of our other Asian style recipes (like Chicken Lo Mein) but if you cannot find that Kikkoman is widely available.
Beef Broth – Is one of the main components of the sauce for Pepper Steak, so choose a quality beef broth at the store. If you are salt sensitive you can opt for a low sodium beef broth.
Brown Sugar – This doesn’t necessarily make the Pepper Steak Sauce sweet, it balances the saltiness of the sauce and gives it great flavor.
Corn Starch – A thickening agent that is added to the sauce. It helps the sauce cling to the beef and peppers. You can sub arrowroot here if that is what you prefer.
Ginger – Fresh ginger lends the most amazing flavor to this dish. I like to keep the frozen Dorot Garden Ginger Cubes on hand in my freezer. Each cube is 1 teaspoon and is SO much easier than peeling and grating fresh ginger root. If you don’t have access to fresh ginger or frozen ginger you can sub ยฝ teaspoon ground ginger powder here.
Alternate Steak Options
Flank stank is sometimes packaged as โbeef for stir fryโ and is already cut into slices. Flank steak is sometimes labeled as London Broil, but not all London Broils are made of flank steak (clear as mud).
Skirt steak can also be used, though it tends to be a bit tougher. For best results, try an overnight salt brine or marinate it in the sauce to help tenderize the meat and break down connective tissue.
Top Sirloin can also by used but make sure to cut it into thin slices and do not over cook it.
How To Make Pepper Steak Stir Fry
This is a quick overview of the steps to make Pepper Steak at home. For more detailed instructions and ingredient amounts, pop down to the recipe card.
Step 1
Whisk the sauce ingredients together.
Step 2
In a large skillet over medium high heat, sear the beef strips for 2 minutes per batch. Remove from the pan.
Then sautรฉ/soften the onions and peppers.
Step 3
Add everything back to the pan, give the sauce a stir and then pour over the steak and peppers. Simmer until thickened.
Step 4
Serve over rice.
Storing, Freezing, Reheating
You can store any leftover cooled Pepper Steak Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
The nice thing is, you can freeze leftover Pepper Steak for up to 3 months. Just pop it in an airtight container with some of the sauce. To reheat thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Reheat in a skillet over medium heat with a splash of water or beef broth. Stir occasionally until warm, about 5-7 minutes.
Tips to remember
- Flank steak can be wonderfully tender when cooked just rightโaim to avoid overcooking, as that has the biggest impact on texture. While a dark sear is nice, keeping the steak juicy and tender is the real key to success.
- Dry your steak pieces as much as possible before adding to the pan to get the quickest sear without overcooking.
- Choose a large skillet (12″) to cook your steak and peppers. If you crowd the pan they will steam instead of fry.
- DO NOT add extra salt, the soy sauce and beef broth combined are the perfect amount of saltiness.
More Asian Dinners
Pepper Steak Recipe
Equipment
- 12 inch skillet
Ingredients
Sauce Ingredients
- ยพ cup beef broth
- ยฝ cup soy sauce - less sodium
- 2 cloves garlic - minced
- 2 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon ginger - fresh grated
REMAINING INGREDIENTS
- 2 tablespoon vegetable oil - divided
- 1ยฝ lbs flank steak - sliced thinly against the grain
- 1 red bell pepper - sliced
- 1 green bell pepper - sliced
- 1 medium yellow onion - sliced
- ยผ teaspoon pepper - or to taste
Instructions
- Pre-recipe note: do not add extra salt while cooking, the soy sauce and beef broth add just the PERFECT amount of salt. If you are salt sensitive use a low sodium soy sauce and/or low sodium beef broth.
- Whisk together sauce ingredients until smooth. Set aside.ยพ cup beef broth, ยฝ cup soy sauce, 2 cloves garlic, 2 tablespoon cornstarch, 1 tablespoon brown sugar, 1 teaspoon ginger
- Pat steak pieces dry with a paper towel. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large 12" skillet over high heat.
- Cook the steak in 2 batches so it sears and doesn't steam. Sear half the steak for about 1 minute per side. Remove to a plate and repeat with remaining steak. Remove steak from skillet and set aside.1ยฝ lbs flank steak
- Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil to the skillet. Sautรฉ the peppers and onion until just tender, about 4 to 5 minutes.1 red bell pepper, 1 green bell pepper, 1 medium yellow onion
- Return the steak and any collected juices to the pan with the peppers, sprinkle in black pepper to taste.
- Give the sauce a quick stir to reincorporate any settled corn starch, pour it into the pan, and stir to combine. Cook, stirring occasionally, until it thickens and coats the meat and vegetables, about 1 to 2 minutes.
- Serve hot over rice or noodles. Optionally finish with a sprinkling of chopped green onions or sesame seeds.We love to use frozen rice that microwaves for a few mintues to keep this a SUPER EASY weeknight dinner. It is also excellent over ramen noodles (discard the flavor packet).
Storing
- Store cooled Pepper Steak in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Freezing & Reheating
- Freeze cooled pepper steak in an airtight container with some of the sauce for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Reheat in a skillet over medium heat with a splash of water or beef broth. Stir occasionally until warm. (about 5-7 minutes)
Recipe Tips and Notes:
- Flank steak can be wonderfully tender when cooked just rightโaim to avoid overcooking, as that has the biggest impact on texture. While a dark sear is nice, keeping the steak juicy and tender is the real key to success, especially for new cooks.
- Dry your steak pieces as much as possible before adding to the pan to get the quickest sear without overcooking.
- Choose a large skillet (12″) to cook your steak and peppers. If you crowd the pan they will steam instead of fry.
- Do not add extra salt while cooking, the soy sauce and beef broth add the perfect amount of saltiness to the Pepper Steak.
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